Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 16:5
And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.
5. And in mercy ] If we follow Hitzig’s view of Isa 16:4 this would be rendered “then in mercy.” The phraseology of the verse is Messianic (see esp. ch. Isa 9:6) but not exclusively so (cf. Pro 8:28). In the lips of the Moabites the language is that of extravagant and (as Isa 16:6 appears to intimate) insincere adulation. It implies an offer of perpetual submission on the part of the Moabites to the Davidic dynasty, and therefore the question whether the throne be that of Judah or that of Moab is immaterial.
and he shall sit judging ] Better: and there shall sit upon it in faithfulness in the tabernacle of David (cf. Amo 9:11) one who judgeth, &c.
hasting righteousness ] i.e. as R.V. has it, swift to do righteousness.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And in mercy – In benignity; kindness; benevolence.
Shall the throne be established – The throne of the king of Judah. That is, he that shall sit upon the throne of David shall be disposed to repay the kindness which is now sought at the hand of Moab, and shall be able to do it.
And he shall sit upon it – The king of Israel.
In truth – In faithfulness; that is, shall be true and faithful. His character shall be such that he will do justice, and will furnish protection and aid to the Moabites, if they now receive the fugitives of Israel.
In the tabernacle of David – In the dwelling place; the palace of David; for so the word tabernacle, or tent ( ‘ohel) seems to be used here. It means temple in Eze 41:1. It denotes a habitation, or dwelling place, in general, in Pro 14:11; Psa 52:7; Psa 91:10. The palace, court, or citadel of David, was on mount Zion; and the sense here is, that the king to whom Israel refers would be a worthy successor of David – just, true, faithful, benignant, and disposed to repay the favors now sought at the hand of Moab.
Seeking judgment – Anxious to do right; and seeking an opportunity to recompense those who had shown any favor to the people of the Jews. Moab, therefore, if she would now afford protection to the Jews, might be certain of a recompense.
And hasting righteousness – Not tardy and slow in doing what should be done – anxious to do justice to all. It is implied here also, that a king who would be so just, and so anxious to do right to all, would not only be ready to show kindness to the Moabites, if they protected the fugitives of Judea, but would also be disposed to do right if they refused that protection; that is, would be disposed to inflict punishment on them. Alike, therefore, by the hope of the protection and favor of the king of the Jews, and by the dread of punishment, the prophet endeavors to persuade Moab now to secure their favor by granting protection to their exiles.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Isa 16:5
In mercy shall the throne be established
The moral purpose of judgment
The moral purpose of judgment is never concealed in the Divine writings.
God is always seeking to bring about the time when in mercy His throne shall be established, and when there shall sit upon it in truth one who will represent the ideal judgment and blessing of God. The fifth verse might be rendered, In mercy shall a throne be established, and One shall sit upon it in truth. The prophet has constantly kept before his mind the image of an ideal king. The ideal was partially fulfilled in Hezekiah, yet only partially; the prophet was sure One was coming who would fulfil it in its utmost meaning, and he steadfastly kept his eye on the bright day when Gods throne should be established among the nations, and His sceptre should be extended over all. God does not exist merely to destroy, nor does He rule only in order that He may humble and crush; His purpose is one of equity, righteousness, blessing, cultivation. (J. Parker, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 5. In mercy shall the throne be established] May not this refer to the throne of Hezekiah? Here we have the character of such a king as cannot fail to be a blessing to the people.
1. “He sitteth on the throne in truth”-He does not merely profess to be the father and protector of his people: but he is actually such.
2. He is judging. He is not a man of war or blood, who wastes his subjects’ lives and treasures in contentions with neighbouring nations, in order to satisfy his ambition by the extension of his territory. On the contrary, his whole life is occupied in the distribution of justice.
3. He seeketh judgment. He seeks out the poor distressed ones who cannot make their way to him, and avenges them on their oppressors.
4. He hastens righteousness. He does not suffer any of the courts of justice to delay the determination of the causes brought before them: he so orders that the point in litigation be fairly, fully, and speedily heard; and then judgment pronounced. Delays in the execution of justice answer little end but the enriching of unprincipled lawyers.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
In mercy; by my mercy. Though they have sinned, and I am now punishing their sins, yet I will deliver them for my own mercys sake.
The throne; the kingdom od Judah. Therefore for thine own sake show them kindness in this day of their distress; for they will be capable of requiting thee.
He; their king, which is easily and necessarily understood.
Shall sit upon it in truth; which may respect either,
1. The manner of his government, exercising truth and justice. But that is more plainly and fully expressed in the last part of the verse. Or,
2. The continuance of it, in truth, i.e. firmly and constantly; for truth is oft put for the stability and certainty of a thing, as 2Ch 32:1; Pro 11:18; Isa 61:8. And this makes the argument more considerable to the present purpose. The kingdom shall not only be restored, but firmly settled; therefore it is your interest, O Moabites, to be kind to my people.
In the tabernacle; in the house, or palace, which is called a tent, or tabernacle, either because houses are frequently so called in Scripture, as 2Sa 20:1; 1Ki 8:66; 12:16, or with respect unto the unsettledness of Davids house, which now indeed was more like a tabernacle than a strong palace; and yet, notwithstanding its present imbecility, should be firmly established.
Seeking judgment; searching out the truth of causes and things with care and diligence, which is the duty of a judge.
Hasting righteousness; neither denying nor yet delaying justice. And these good qualifications seem to be here mentioned, partly to teach the rulers of Moab their duty towards their own people, and the Israelites which were among them; and partly as a reason and evidence of that stability which he had promised to the house of David.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. If Judah shelters thesuppliant Moab, allowing him to remain in Idumea, a blessing willredound to Judah itself and its “throne.”
truth . . . judgment . . .righteousnesslanguage so divinely framed as to apply to “thelatter days” under King Messiah, when “the Lord shall bringagain the captivity of Moab” (Psa 72:2;Psa 96:13; Psa 98:9;Jer 48:47; Rom 11:12).
hasting“prompt inexecuting.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And in mercy shall the throne be established,…. That is, the throne of Hezekiah, and his government over Judah, which was more firmly settled and established after the overthrow of the Assyrian army, through the mercy of God vouchsafed to him, and on account of the mercy he exercised among his subjects, see Pr 20:28. Hezekiah was a type of Christ, and his throne typical of his, and the ultimate view of the prophecy may be to the stability of the kingdom of Christ; so the Targum,
“then the Christ of Israel, his throne shall be established in goodness:”
and he shall sit upon it in truth; which does not so much intend the reality of his sitting there, as his continuance, signified by sitting, and the constancy and stability of his reign, or his governing with faith fulness and truth;
in the tabernacle of David; or “tent”; meaning his palace, or house in Jerusalem, alluding to his having been a shepherd before he was a king, or referring to the unsettled state of David’s house; this was typical of the church of God, where Christ sits and reigns as King, see Am 9:11; the Targum is,
“in the city of David;”
Jerusalem, as Aben Ezra:
judging and seeking judgment; acting the part of a righteous, faithful, and diligent Judge; seeking to do justice to the poor and needy, and searching into the cause that comes before him, to find out, and take the right side of it:
and hasting righteousness; not delaying justice, protracting a cause, deferring the sentence, and the execution of it, but dispatching the whole as speedily as may be; all which characters, though they may be found in Hezekiah, yet are much more eminently in Christ.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
5. And the throne shall be prepared in mercy. (256) The Jews explain the whole of this verse as referring to Hezekiah; but this is altogether inappropriate, for the Prophet speaks of a more important restoration of the Church, and the Moabites had not been punished during the flourishing condition of Hezekiah’s reign; and the blessing of God again began to burst forth on the Jews. It is as if it had been said “All the enemies of the chosen people maliciously contrive the ruin of that kingdom, which God promised should be established for ever. ” (2Sa 7:13.) That the godly may not give way to despondency amidst the unhappy confusion, they are reminded of the perpetuity of the kingdom, of which they had been assured by a well-known prediction.
It cannot therefore be explained as referring to any other than to Christ, though I acknowledge that Hezekiah was a type of Christ, as David and the rest of his successors also were. But they conduct us to Christ, who alone is the protector and leader of his people, (Joh 10:16,) and who has gathered the remnant that was scattered abroad. (Joh 11:52.) For this reason he sends back the godly to Christ, as if he had said, “You know what God you worship. He has declared that he will watch over your safety, so that under his protection you will always continue to be safe and uninjured; and if you shall at any time meet with reverses, he has promised to you a Redeemer, under whom you shall enjoy renewed and steadfast prosperity. Though for a time you may weep, yet the protector of the Church will come, and will restore you to a flourishing state of freedom. You ought, therefore, with your whole heart, to rely on the expectation of him; even when you see the Church to be in a confused and wretched condition.”
This ought to be carefully observed; for all other consolations are transitory and fading, if we do not refer all of them to Christ. Let our eyes therefore be fixed on him, if we wish to be happy and prosperous; for he has promised that we shall be happy even amidst the cross, (Mat 5:10,) that agony and torments will open up the way to a blessed life, (2Co 4:17,) and that all the afflictions which we shall suffer will add to the amount of our happiness. (Rom 8:28.)
In mercy. Isaiah shows that this does not take place through the agency of men, but by the kindness of God, who is the builder of this throne; and therefore we ought to acknowledge that it is owing to his undeserved goodness that this sacred throne is established among us. The Prophet expressly confirms this by saying, that the cause of it must not be sought anywhere else than in the absolute mercy of God. Nor can any other cause be found; for God could not be induced by any excellence of character, or by merits, (of which there certainly were none,) to set up again the throne which had fallen down through the fault and through the crimes of the people; but when he saw that those whom he had adopted were ruined, he wished to give a proof of his infinite goodness. Now, if God build this throne, by whom shall it be overturned? Will wicked men be stronger than he?
And he will sit upon it in the tabernacle of David. Almost every word here is emphatic, so that this verse deserves to be continually pondered. I do not object to the opinion that the word tabernacle contains an allusion to this effect, that he was but an ordinary man before he was called to sit on a throne. (1Sa 16:11; 2Sa 7:8.) The Prophet intended to draw a picture of the Church, which has no resemblance to the thrones of kings and of princes, and does not shine with gold or precious stones. Though he has held out the spiritual kingdom of Christ under a mean and despicable shape, yet at the same time he shows that that kingdom will be seen on earth and amongst men. If he had only said that the throne of Christ will be erected, we might have asked, Will his throne be in heaven, or also on earth? But now when he says, in the tabernacle of David, he shows that Christ reigns not only among angels but also among men, lest we should think that, in order to seek him, we must enter into heaven. Wicked men ridicule what we preach about the kingdom of Christ, as if it were some phantom of our own imagination. They wish to see it with their eyes, and to have the evidence of their senses; but we ought not to conceive of it as at all carnal, but to be satisfied with his arm and with his power.
In steadfastness. אמת ( emeth) denotes not only truth but every kind of certainty. The Prophet means that the kingdom of Christ will be firm and steadfast, as Daniel also declared. (Dan 2:44.) The Evangelist also says, Of his kingdom there shall be no end. (Luk 1:33.) In this respect it is distinguished from the ordinary condition of kingdoms, which, even when they are founded on great and enormous wealth, crumble down or even fall by their own weight, so that they have no more permanency than vanishing pictures. But Isaiah declares, that the kingdom of Christ, though it frequently totter, will be supported by the hand of God, and therefore will last for ever. These proofs ought to fortify us against temptations which arise, whenever the kingdom of Christ is attacked by enemies so numerous and powerful that we might be ready to think that it will quickly be destroyed. Whatever weapons the world may employ, and though hell itself should vomit out flames of fire, we must abide by this promise.
Who shall judge. I understand שפת ( shophet) to mean Governor, as if he had said, “There will be one who shall govern. ” Often do we see a magnificent throne when there is no one to sit on it, and it frequently happens that kings are either idols or cattle, without judgment or skill or wisdom. But here he says, that one will sit who shall discharge the office of a good governor; and this is added in order to assure us that Christ will be our protector.
And seek judgment and hasten righteousness. The judgment and the righteousness which are ascribed to him, are nothing else than the protection under which he receives us, and which he will not allow to be infringed; for he will not allow wicked men who injure us to pass unpunished, while we patiently and calmly commit ourselves to his protection. By the word hasten he shows that he will quickly and speedily avenge our cause. This must be viewed as a rebuke to our impatience, for we never think that his assistance comes soon enough. But when we are hurried along by the violence of passion, let us remember that this arises from not submitting to his providence; for although according to the judgment of our flesh he delays, still he regulates his judgment in the best manner by the seasons which are well known to him. Let us therefore submit to his will.
(256) Bogus footnote
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(5) And in mercy shall the throne . . .Better, less definitely, in mercy shall a throne be established, and one shall sit upon it in truth. The prophet has in mind the ideal king of Isa. 9:4-7; Isa. 11:1-5 (of whom Hezekiah was a partial type and representative), whom he expected after the downfall of the Assyrian oppressor. For the tabernacle of David, comp. Amo. 9:11.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 16:5 And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.
Ver. 5. For in mercy (or piety) shall the throne be established.] Hezekiah’s throne shall, but especially Christ’s, from whom ye may once have occasion to borrow that mercy which now you are called upon to lend to those outcasts of Israel.
And he shall set upon it,
And seeking judgment.
And hastening justice.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
in mercy. The burden goes beyond the immediate future to the ultimate future.
mercy = lovingkindness, or grace.
in truth. See note on Isa 10:20.
hasting righteousness = prompt in equity. Compare Isa 46:13.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
tabernacle of David
(See Scofield “Act 15:16”)
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
in mercy: Psa 61:6, Psa 61:7, Psa 85:10, Psa 89:1, Psa 89:2, Psa 89:14, Pro 20:28, Pro 29:14, Luk 1:69-75
established: or, prepared
in the: Isa 9:6, Isa 9:7, 2Sa 5:9, 2Sa 7:16, Jer 23:5, Jer 23:6, Dan 7:14, Dan 7:27, Amo 9:11, Mic 4:7, Luk 1:31-33, Act 15:16, Act 15:17
judging: Isa 11:1-5, Isa 32:1, Isa 32:2, 2Sa 23:3, 1Ki 10:9, 2Ch 31:20, Psa 72:2-4, Psa 96:13, Psa 98:9, Psa 99:4, Zec 9:9, Heb 1:8, Heb 1:9
hasting: 2Pe 3:11, 2Pe 3:12
Reciprocal: Exo 18:13 – General Exo 18:21 – men 2Sa 19:22 – shall there any man 1Ki 20:31 – merciful kings Psa 113:5 – like Pro 25:5 – his Luk 1:32 – give Act 24:25 – righteousness
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Isa 16:5. And in mercy By my mercy. I am now punishing their sins, yet I will deliver them for my own mercys sake. The throne shall be established The kingdom of Judah. He Their king; shall sit upon it in truth That is, firmly and constantly; for truth is often put for the stability and certainty of a thing, as 2Ch 32:1; Pro 11:18. In the tabernacle of David In the house, or palace, which is called a tent, or tabernacle, with respect to the unsettledness of Davids house, which now indeed was more like a tabernacle than a strong palace. Seeking judgment Searching out the truth of things with care and diligence; and hasting righteousness Neither denying nor yet delaying justice. Interpreters vary greatly concerning the application of this passage. Some refer it entirely to Hezekiah, a pious and just king, whose throne, after the chastisement of Sennacherib in Judea, was established in glory; others refer it immediately to the Messiah; and others again to both: to Hezekiah as the type, and to the Messiah, in a more sublime sense, as the antitype; and this seems to be nearly the opinion of Vitringa, who thinks that while the prophet was speaking of the advantages of the kingdom of Hezekiah, he was carried forward to a contemplation of the kingdom of Christ, and made use of such phrases as, in their full extent, can only be applied to that kingdom.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
16:5 And in mercy shall the throne be established: {e} and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and swiftly executing righteousness.
(e) Meaning, Christ.