Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 65:21
And they shall build houses, and inhabit [them]; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
21, 22. In consequence of this extension of the term of life, each man shall enjoy the fruit of his own labour (cf. Deu 28:30). The idea is therefore somewhat different from that of ch. Isa 62:8-9.
as the days of a tree ] Cf. Psa 92:12-13.
mine elect (= my chosen, Isa 65:15) shall long enjoy &c. ] lit. “shall wear out,” “use up” (Job 21:13).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And they shall build houses – (See the notes at Isa 62:8-9).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
The quite contrary to what is said of the slothful man, Pro 12:27; see Job 27:13-17.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
21. (See on Isa62:8; Am 9:14).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And they shall build houses, and inhabit them,…. In Jerusalem, and other parts of Judea: though this need not be limited to the Jews, but be considered as reaching to all the Lord’s people, the Gentiles also; who will be in no fear of enemies, or ever be disturbed by them, but shall dwell in their own houses peaceably and quietly; this is the reverse of what is threatened to the wicked, De 28:30:
and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them; they shall both live to dwell in their houses when built, and till their vineyards bring forth fruit, and then eat of them; and they shall be preserved from enemies breaking in upon them, and wasting their plantations.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
In the place of the threatened curses of the law in Lev 26:16 (cf., Deu 28:30), the very opposite will now receive their fullest realization. “And they will build houses and inhabit them, and plant vineyards and enjoy the fruit thereof. They will not build and another inhabit, nor plant and another enjoy; for like the days of trees are the days of my people, ad my chosen ones will consume the work of their hands. They will not weary themselves in vain, nor bring forth for sudden disaster; for they are a family of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring are left to them.” They themselves will enjoy what they have worked for, without some one else stepping in, whether a countryman by violence or inheritance, or a foreigner by plunder or conquest (Isa 62:8), to take possession of that which they have built and planted (read without dagesh); for the duration of their life will be as great as that of trees (i.e., of oaks, terebinths, and cedars, which live for centuries), and thus they will be able thoroughly to enjoy in their own person what their hands have made. Billah does not mean merely to use and enjoy, but to use up and consume. Work and generation will be blessed then, and there will be no more disappointed hopes. They will not weary themselves ( with a preformative without that of the root) for failure, not get children labbehalah , i.e., for some calamity to fall suddenly upon them and carry them away (Lev 26:16, cf., Psa 78:33). The primary idea of bahal is either acting, permitting, or bearing, with the characteristic of being let loose, of suddenness, of overthrow, or of throwing into confusion. The lxx renders it , probably according to the Egypto-Jewish usage, in which behalah may have signified cursing, like bahle , buhle in the Arabic (see the Appendices). The two clauses of the explanation which follows stand in a reciprocal relation to the two clauses of the previous promise. They are a family of the blessed of God, upon whose labour the blessing of God rests, and their offspring are with them, without being lost to them by premature death. This is the true meaning, as in Job 21:8, and not “their offspring with them,” i.e., in like manner, as Hitzig supposes.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
21 and 22. They shall build houses and inhabit them. In these verses he mentions what is written in the Law; for these are the blessings of the Law, that they who have obeyed God shall dwell in the houses which they have built, and shall gather fruit from the trees which they have planted. (Lev 26:10.) On the other hand, the disobedient shall be expelled from the houses which they built, and shall give place to foreigners, and shall be deprived of the fruits of the trees which they planted. “The Lord,” saith Isaiah, “shall protect you from that curse, so as to enjoy your property.” Now the Prophets hold out those things which relate to the present life, and borrow metaphors from them; but it is in order that they may teach us to rise higher and to embrace eternal and blessed life. We must not fix our whole attention on these transitory blessings, but must make use of them as ladders, that, being raised to heaven, we may enjoy eternal and immortal blessings. To the Church, which has been renewed, and which rests on nothing but God’s good pleasure and undeserved favor, is justly promised the enjoyment of those blessings of which unbelievers had deprived themselves.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(21) They shall build houses . . .The proverbial type of national security and peace, as the opposite was of national misfortune (Lev. 26:16; Deu. 28:30).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
21, 22. Not build, and another inhabit As against Deu 28:15-68, and Lev 26:14-46, (which see,) here is a promise of permanent blessedness in the new order of things. Like Lebanon’s cedars, symbols of everlastingness, so shall the lives of the righteous go on to indefinite years. The final grand Messianic period shall yield unceasing enjoyment.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Everything and every event shall be blessed to the blessed in Christ. For it is this which secures their mercies: they are the seed, the offspring, the children, of Him, who is blessed of the Lord, and are therefore, as the days of a tree, where seed is in itself, so are they, in Christ Jesus in the tree of Life, in the paradise of God! Rev 20:2-3 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 65:21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit [them]; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
Ver. 21. And they shall build houses and inhabit them. ] The contrary whereunto is threatened against the wicked. Deu 28:30-68 God’s people are freed from the curse of the law, from the hurt, if not from the smart of afflictions.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
they shall build, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Lev 26:16. Deu 28:41).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Isa 62:8, Isa 62:9, Lev 26:16, Deu 28:30-33, Jdg 6:1-6, Jer 31:4, Jer 31:5, Amo 9:14
Reciprocal: Lev 25:19 – General Jdg 6:3 – when Israel Psa 128:2 – thou shalt eat Ecc 3:13 – General Ecc 5:20 – because Isa 17:10 – shalt thou Jer 6:12 – And their Eze 28:26 – build Hos 2:15 – I will Joe 2:19 – I will send Amo 5:11 – ye have built Mic 6:15 – General Zep 1:13 – build Luk 1:74 – that we
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Isa 65:21-23. They shall build houses and inhabit them The prophet here describes another privilege of the church in these happy days. They shall enjoy blessings the very reverse of the curses denounced on the disobedient, Deu 28:30. They shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them. See note on Isa 62:8. They shall not plant and another eat Which might happen, either through their enemies seizing the fruits of the trees they planted, or through their own premature death before those fruits were brought to perfection. For as the days of a tree are the days of my people Not like the fading of a leaf, to which our present frail state is often compared, but their age shall equal the duration of the trees planted by them; yea, of the oaks, the most long-lived of trees, supposed to last about a thousand years, being five hundred years growing to full perfection, and as many decaying; which, says Bishop Lowth, seems to be a moderate and probable computation. The LXX. translate this clause, ; As the days of the tree of life shall be the days of my people. They shall not labour in vain As those do who do not enjoy the fruit of their labour; nor bring forth Beget and bring forth children; for trouble Those that shall give them trouble by their bad conduct, or by the poverty and misery in which they shall be involved; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, &c. There is a blessing entailed upon them by descent from their ancestors, which their offspring with them shall partake of; who shall be a comfort to them, and whom they shall have the happiness to see walking in the truth.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Isa 65:21-25. An Expansion of the Theme of Isa 65:13-20.They may build houses and plant vineyards, certain that they will live to enjoy them. Their lives shall be as the life of a tree, long, and undisturbed by calamity. They shall not bring up (so read for forth) children only to see them perish: their children and they alike are a race blessed by Yahweh. Their prayers shall be answered even while they are being uttered. Even the beasts shall lose their redness of tooth and claw (cf. Isa 11:6-9).
Isa 65:25. and dust . . . meat: a glossator, mindful of Gen 3:14, has excepted the serpent from the general felicity.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
65:21 And they shall {b} build houses, and inhabit [them]; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
(b) He proposes to the faithful the blessings which are contained in the law, and so under temporal things comprehends the spiritual promises.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Likewise there will be abundant safety and plenty when God brings new life to the world (cf. Isa 17:11; Lev 26:16; Deu 28:15-46; Amo 5:11; Zep 1:13). Again, people will live longer: longer than God’s other creations such as trees, and longer than their own "creations," such as buildings and bridges that normally outlive them (cf. Isa 40:6-8).
"What a promise, to have the time to do something right and then the opportunity to enjoy it to the full!" [Note: Oswalt, The Book . . . 40-66, p. 660.]
Note that people will continue to work. The blessing of work will characterize the messianic age, though people will not have to labor as they did under the curse (Gen 3:17-19).