Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 29:23
But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.
23. when he seeth his children, the work ] R.V. marg. “when his children see the work” [lit. “when he (his children) shall see the work, &c.”] Neither rendering is satisfactory, and “his children” should be omitted as a marginal gloss.
sanctify fear ] The same words are used in ch. Isa 8:13.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
But when he seeth his children – The sense is, he shall not be ashamed of his sons, for he shall see them henceforward walking in the ways of piety and virtue.
The work of my hands – That is, this change Isa 29:17-19 by which the nation will be reformed, will be produced by the agency of God himself. The sentiment is in accordance with the doctrines of the Scriptures everywhere, that people are recovered from sin by the agency of God alone (compare Isa 60:21; Eph 2:10).
In the midst of him – In the midst of his people. The name Jacob is often employed to denote all his posterity, or the whole nation of the Jews.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 23. But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands – “For when his children shall see the work of my hands”] For birotho I read biroth, with the Septuagint and Syriac.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
When he seeth his children; when the believing seed of Jacob shall see those children, whom they have begotten to God by the preaching of the gospel, even the Gentiles, converted by their ministry.
The work of mine hands; the children, not of the flesh, but of the promise, Rom 9:8, whom I, by my almighty power and grace, have created or regenerated, of stones raising up children to Abraham. In the midst of him; which Gentiles shall be incorporated with the Jews into one and the same body and church.
They shall sanctify my name; they shall not despise and hate the Gentiles, and envy them the grace of God, and an interest in their Messiah, but shall praise and glorify God with them and for them, as the believing Jews did, Act 11:18.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
23. Butrather, “For.”
heJacob.
work of minehandsspiritually, as well as physically (Isa 19:25;Isa 60:21; Eph 2:10).By Jehovah’s agency Israel shall be cleansed of its corruptions, andshall consist wholly of pious men (Isa 54:13;Isa 54:14; Isa 2:1;Isa 60:21).
midst of himthat is,his land. Or else “His children” are the Gentilesadopted among the Israelites, his lineal descendants (Rom 9:26;Eph 3:6) [HORSLEY].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But when he seeth his children, the work of my hands, in the midst of him,…. That is, it will be a pleasure to the church of God, signified by Jacob, when they shall observe a great number of Jacob’s posterity, or of the Jews, born again, become the “children” of the church, born in her, and nursed up at her side, dandled on her knees, and sucking at the breasts of her consolation; and so in the midst of her, members of her, and in communion with her, having been begotten again, by means of her ministers, through the Gospel, by the Spirit and grace of God; and so “the work of his hands”, his new creatures, formed for and by himself; his workmanship, created in Jesus Christ, curiously wrought by his hands, as well as engraven on them:
they shall sanctify my name; meaning either the spiritual seed of Jacob, those regenerated ones, the nation that shall be born at once; these shall sanctify the name of the Lord, not by making, but by declaring him to be holy; by believing in his name; by seeking to him for righteousness and holiness; by embracing his doctrines, and submitting to his ordinances; which will add to the pleasure of the church of Christ. So the Vulgate Latin version renders it, “but when he seeth his children—sanctifying my name”; or else Jacob, that is, the church of Christ, is here meant, who, upon seeing such a large number of Jewish converts, shall sanctify the name of the Lord, or give him praise and glory on account of it; which is repeated with some addition,
and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel; reverence his name and his sanctuary, his word and his ordinances, worship him inwardly and outwardly, fear the Lord and his goodness, both the church and these new converts, Ho 3:5.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
23. Because, when he shall see his children. The particle כי ( kī) is here used in its natural and original meaning of for or because. The Prophet assigns the reason why the disgrace of Israel shall be taken away. It is, because he will have children, and those who were thought to have perished will be still alive.
The work of my hands in the midst of him. By giving them this name, he intended, I have no doubt, to describe the astonishing work of redemption; for those whom God adopts to be his children, and receives into fellowship with himself, are made by him, as it were, new men, agreeably to that saying,
“
And the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord.” (Psa 102:18.)
In that passage the Psalmist describes in a similar manner the renewal of the Church; for this description, as we have repeatedly stated on former occasions, does not relate to the general creation which extends to all, but leads us to acknowledge his power, that we may not judge of the salvation of the Church by the present appearances of things. And here we ought to observe various contrasts; first, between the ruinous condition of the Church and her surpassing beauty, between her shame and her glory; secondly, between the people of God and other nations; thirdly, between “the works of God’s hands” and the works of men, (for by God’s hand alone can the Church be restored;) and fourthly, between her flourishing condition and the ruinous and desolate state to which she had formerly been reduced. By the phrase, “in the midst of him,” is meant a perfect restoration, by which the people shall be united and joined together in such a manner as to occupy not only the extremities, but the very heart and the chief places of the country.
They shall hallow my name. Last of all, he points out the end of redemption. We were all created, that the goodness of God might be celebrated among us. But as the greater part of mankind have revolted from their original condition, God hath chosen a Church in which his praises should resound and dwell, as the Psalmist says, “Praise waiteth for thee in Zion.” (Psa 65:1.) Now, since many even of the flock have degenerated, the Prophet assigns this office to believers, whom God had miraculously preserved.
They shall fear the God of Israel. Because hypocrites, as we have formerly seen, honor God with their lips, but are far removed from him in their heart, after speaking of the ascription of praise, he next mentions fear; thus meaning that our praises are reckoned of no value, unless we honestly and sincerely obey God, and unless our whole life testify that we do not hypocritically utter the name of God.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(23) The work of mine hands.Possibly the direct object of the verb seeth, the word his children being an interpretative insertion, to explain the change from the singular to the plural. The joy of the patriarch as he watched his people centred in the fact that they repented, and once more worshipped God as the Holy and the Dread, entering at last into that true fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom (Pro. 1:7; Job. 28:28).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 29:23 But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.
Ver. 23. The work of mine hands. ] “Created in Christ Jesus unto good works”; Eph 2:10 and now sanctifying God’s name in their hearts and lives, and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost. Thus, as it were, ex professo, doth the prophet Isaiah here handle the doctrine of regeneration, which, and other like places, while Nicodemus had not noted, he was worthily reproved. Joh 3:9-10
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
children = young children.
the God of Israel. This expression occurs seven times in Isaiah (here; Isa 41:17; Isa 45:3, Isa 45:15; Isa 48:1, Isa 48:2; Isa 52:12). Elsewhere twenty-nine times, without Jehovah preceding (Gen 33:20. Exo 24:10. Num 16:9. Jos 22:16. 1Sa 1:17; 1Sa 5:7, 1Sa 5:8, 1Sa 5:8, 1Sa 5:8, 1Sa 5:10, 1Sa 5:11; 1Sa 6:3, 1Sa 6:5; 1Sa 25:32. 2Sa 23:3. Ezr 3:2, &c.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the work: Isa 19:25, Isa 43:21, Isa 45:11, Isa 60:21, Eph 2:10
sanctify: Isa 5:16, Isa 8:13, Lev 10:3, Mat 6:9, Rev 11:15-17
fear the God: Hos 3:5, Rev 15:4, Rev 19:5
Reciprocal: Isa 43:7 – for I Hos 8:14 – Maker 2Co 5:5 – wrought 1Pe 3:15 – sanctify
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
The Lord would halt the downward course of the history of Jacob’s family, and transform them. The Israelites would at last confess their God as holy and acknowledge His holiness as central in their lives. They would be fruitful rather than barren. The text gives no basis for interpreting the people in view as the spiritual seed of Jacob, the church. [Note: This was the view of Young, 2:332.]
"It is awe inspired by wondering gratitude that will bring about this profound sense of ’the godhood of God.’ It is this deep awareness of God’s goodness to them as a nation that will produce a penitent and receptive spirit in those formerly wayward and complaining." [Note: Grogan, p. 191.]