Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 35:2
It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, [and] the excellency of our God.
2. the glory of Lebanon Carmel and Sharon ] Cf. ch. Isa 33:9, Isa 29:17 (Isa 32:15).
they (lit. these) shall see the glory of the Lord ] ch. Isa 40:5.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
It shall blossom abundantly – Hebrew, Blossoming it shall blossom – a common mode of expression in Hebrew, denoting certainty, abundance, fullness – similar to the expression Gen 2:17, Dying thou shalt die, that is, thou shalt surely die. The sense here is, it shall blossom in abundance.
And rejoice even with joy – Strong figurative language, denoting the greatness of the blessings; as great as if in the waste wilderness there should be heard the voice of joy and rejoicing. The Septuagint renders this: The deserts of Jordan also bloom and rejoice; and Jerome applies this to the preaching of John in the wilderness adjacent to Jordan. The Septuagint evidently read yareden instead of the Hebrew yerannen. Lowth has followed this, and rendered it, The well-watered plain of Jordan shall rejoice, but without any authority from Hebrew manuscripts for the change.
The glory of Lebanon – The glory or ornament of Lebanon was its cedars (see the note at Isa 10:34). The sense here is, that the change would be as great under the blessings of the Messiahs reign as if there should be suddenly transferred to the waste wilderness the majesty and glory of mount Lebanon.
The excellency of Carmel – Carmel was emblematic of beauty, as Lebanon was of majesty, and as Sharon was of fertility. For a description of Carmel, see the note at Isa 29:17; of Sharon, see the note at Isa 33:9. The sense is clear. The blessings of the times of the Messiah would be as great, compared with what had existed before, as if the desert were made as lovely as Carmel, and as fertile as Sharon. The world that, in regard to comfort, intelligence, and piety, might be cormpared to a pathless desert, would be like the beauty of Carmel and the fertility of Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord – As manifested under the Messiah.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 2. Rejoice even with joy and singing – “The well-watered plain of Jordan shall also rejoice”] For veranen, the Septuagint read yarden, , “the deserts of Jordan.” Four MSS. read gulath; see Jos 15:19: “Irrigua Jordani;” Houbigant. gidoth, Ripae Jordani, “the banks of Jordan;” Kennicott. See De S. Poesi Hebr. Praelect. xx. note.
Unto it] For lah, to it, nine MSS. of Kennicott’s and four of De Rossi’s read lecha, to thee. See ibid.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon; the wilderness shall be as pleasant and fruitful as Lebanon, and Carmel, and Sharon; which were eminent parts of the land of Canaan, as hath been oft noted.
They, who are understood by the wilderness,
shall see the glory of the Lord; the glorious discoveries and effects of Gods power and goodness to his people.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. glory of Lebanonitsornament, namely, its cedars (Isa10:34).
excellency of Carmelnamely,its beauty.
Sharonfamed for itsfertility.
see . . . glory of the Lord .. . excellency (Isa 40:5;Isa 40:9). While the wildernesswhich had neither “glory” nor “excellency” shallhave both “given to it,” the Lord shall have all the”glory” and “excellency” ascribed to Him,not to the transformed wilderness (Mt5:16).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing,…. A redundancy of words, to express the very flourishing estate of the church, and the great joy there shall be on that occasion, as well as because of the destruction of their enemies, and deliverance from them:
the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it; a mountain in Judea, famous for its choice and tall cedars, which were the glory of it; signifying hereby, that the church of God, which had been in a desolate condition, should abound with choice and excellent Christians, comparable to the cedars of Lebanon. Jarchi interprets it of the sanctuary or temple; which may be so called, because built of the wood of Lebanon. This was an emblem and type of the Gospel church; and the glory of it lay not only in its outward form and building, but in those things which were in the holy places of it, especially the most holy, which were all typical of spiritual things in Gospel times; so that all the glory of the Jewish church state and temple is brought into the Gentile church, into the Christian or Gospel church state; and which will still more appear in the latter day, when the temple of God will be opened in heaven, and the ark of the testament; see Re 11:19:
the excellency of Carmel and Sharon; two places in the land of Judea, famous for fruitfulness and pasturage; and so denote the very great fruitfulness of the Gospel church; the word and ordinances of which are as green pastures for the sheep of Christ to feed upon, and by which they become fat and flourishing:
they shall see the glory of our Lord, [and] the excellency of our God; the Targum introduces this clause thus,
“the house of Israel, to whom these things are said, they shall see,” c.
but not Israel in a literal sense is here meant, but the Gentile church, formerly in the wilderness; or, however, converted persons, be they Jews or Gentiles, in the latter day, who shall see the glory of divine power, in the destruction of their enemies; and the excellency and beauty of divine grace, in the blessings of it bestowed upon them; they shall see the glory of the Lord, which shall then be risen upon them, Isa 60:1 the Lord our God is the Lord Jesus Christ, who is Lord and God; the glory and excellency of whose person and offices, and of his righteousness and salvation, is seen in the Gospel, by those whose eyes are enlightened by the Spirit of God; and will be more clearly discerned, when there will be a greater effusion of the Spirit, as a spirit, of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; and to this sight of the glory and excellency of Christ, the joy and fruitfulness of the church will be greatly owing. The Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, “my people shall see”, &c.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
2. Flourishing it shall flourish. He describes more fully how great, will be the effect of the grace of Christ, by whose power and might those places which had been overgrown with filthy and noxious weeds “flourish” exceedingly and regain their vigor. This repetition is used for the sake of amplification. The doubling of the word “flourish” may be taken in two senses; either to denote the prolongation of time in incessant vegetation; as if he had said, “It shall not flourish with a passing or fading blossom, so as to return immediately to the foul condition in which it once was, but with a continual, uninterrupted, and long-continued bloom, which can never fade or pass away;” or to denote the increase and daily or yearly progress of improvement; for Christ enriches us in such a manner as to increase his grace in us from day to day.
The glory of Lebanon, the beauty of Carmel and Sharon. These metaphors display more fully the fertility already described; for the Prophet is not satisfied with saying that where formerly there was a gloomy wilderness smiling fields will be seen, and that dry places will be clothed with the beauty of flowers, but adds that there will be such luxuriant beauty as “Lebanon, Carmel, and Sharon” were celebrated for possessing. Though Carmel denotes a cultivated and fertile field, yet here it is a proper name, like the other two. We have seen in other passages (22) that these mountains were highly celebrated, and throughout the whole of Judea held the undisputed preeminence both for delightfulness and for abundance of fruits.
They shall see the glory of Jehovah. What he had formerly spoken metaphorically he now explains clearly and without a figure. Till men learn to know God, they are barren and destitute of everything good; and consequently the beginning of our fertility is to be quickened by the presence of God, which cannot be without the inward perception of faith. The Prophet undoubtedly intended to raise our minds higher, that we may contemplate the abundance and copiousness of heavenly benefits; for men might be satisfied with bread and wine and other things of the same kind, and yet not acknowledge God to be the author of them, or cease to be wretched; and indeed men are often blinded and rendered more fierce by enjoying abundance. But when God makes himself visible to us, by causing us to behold his glory and beauty, we not only possess his blessings, but have the true enjoyment of them for salvation.
(22) [unclear Commentary on Isaiah, ] [unclear vol 2, pp. 330 ] [unclear and ] [unclear 420 ].
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(2) The glory of Lebanon . . .The three types of cultivated beauty are contrasted with the former three of desolation. See Note on Isa. 33:9. And over this fair land of transcendent beauty, there will shine not the common light of day, but the glory of Jehovah. (Comp. Isa. 30:26; Rev. 21:23.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. The glorious moral transformation is continued under the figure of extreme physical changes occurring in the desert and parched land.
Shall blossom abundantly rejoice with joy and singing The words express the intensified conviction of the prophet that triumphs grand and complete are to come to the friends of Jehovah in place of the powers of evil hitherto ruling. Nor can the rapt mind of the prophet cease its utterances till it has exhausted its glow of expectation and joy by combining every appropriate object of nature around him into a glorious physical picture. The strong and spreading cedars of Lebanon, and the luxuriant plains of Sharon and hills of Carmel, in the prophet’s eye are seen to extend over all that but recently was a waterless waste, gloomy, fearful, terrific. In view of moral changes so great, and so soon to occur, the prophet exhorts the afflicted people of God to bemoan their condition no longer.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Isa 35:2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, [and] the excellency of our God.
Ver. 2. The glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel, &c. ] Outward blessings shall be heaped upon God’s people; even all that heart can wish, or need require.
They shall see the glory of the Lord.
“ Qui icturatos intexit floribus hortos,
Quique iubet rutilis albescere lilia campis. ”
and rejoice: Isa 42:10-12, Isa 49:13, Isa 55:12, Isa 55:13, 1Ch 16:33, Psa 65:12, Psa 65:13, Psa 89:12, Psa 96:11-13, Psa 98:7-9, Psa 148:9-13, Zec 10:7, Rom 10:15, Rom 15:10
the glory: Isa 33:9, Isa 41:19, Isa 60:13, Isa 60:21, Isa 61:3, Isa 65:8-10, Psa 72:16, Hos 14:6, Hos 14:7
the excellency: Isa 60:13, Eze 34:25, Eze 34:26, Amo 9:13-15, Mic 7:14, Mic 7:15, Zep 3:19, Zep 3:20, Zec 14:20, Zec 14:21, Act 4:32, Act 4:33
they shall: Isa 6:3, Isa 40:5, Isa 60:1-3, Isa 60:19, Isa 66:18, Isa 66:19, Exo 33:18, Exo 33:19, Psa 50:2, Psa 72:19, Psa 97:6, Psa 102:15, Psa 102:16, Hab 2:14, Joh 12:41, Joh 17:24, 2Co 3:18, 2Co 4:6, Rev 21:23
Reciprocal: Exo 16:7 – ye shall Num 17:5 – blossom Jos 12:22 – Carmel Jos 15:55 – Maon Jos 19:26 – Carmel 2Ki 4:25 – to mount 1Ch 5:16 – Sharon Job 38:26 – on the wilderness Psa 72:9 – They that Son 2:1 – the rose Son 2:12 – flowers Son 7:5 – head Isa 9:3 – they joy Isa 24:14 – General Isa 29:17 – Lebanon Isa 32:15 – wilderness Isa 51:3 – make Isa 54:3 – thou shalt Isa 65:10 – Sharon Jer 50:19 – he shall Eze 34:27 – the tree Hos 14:5 – cast Amo 1:2 – Carmel Zep 3:14 – shout Luk 2:9 – and the Luk 11:24 – dry Act 8:8 – General Act 8:39 – and he Act 11:1 – the Gentiles Eph 3:20 – exceeding 2Pe 1:11 – abundantly Rev 22:4 – they
Isa 35:2. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice Great shall be the prosperity and felicity of Gods church in these gospel days. Spiritual blessings are often set forth under the emblems of fruitfulness and plenty, as the reader may see, Isa 4:2; Isa 30:23; Isa 32:15, and elsewhere. The glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, &c. The prophet goes on to express the great change which should be made in the Gentile world by the gospel. For Lebanon was a mountain famous for its excellent cedars, Carmel was a most delightful woody mountain, and Sharon a most pleasant place for pasture; so that all these added together express great excellence: as if he had said, Whatever was valuable and desirable in the Mosaic economy shall be translated into, and appear in perfection in, the gospel of Christ; and the Gentile world, formerly a wilderness, shall be as much enriched with spiritual blessings, and be as fruitful in all the graces and virtues which belong to true and genuine religion, as ever Judea was, and abundantly more. They Who formerly were in the wilderness of heathenism; shall see the glory of the Lord The glorious discoveries and effects of Gods power and goodness to his people.
35:2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellence of {b} Carmel and Sharon, they shall {c} see the glory of the LORD, [and] the excellence of our God.
(b) The Church which was before compared to a barren wilderness will by Christ be made most plenteous and beautiful.
(c) He shows that the presence of God is the reason that the Church brings forth fruit and flourishes.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes