And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.
14. And shall say ] or, And it shall be said (R.V. marg.). The speaker is Jehovah (“my people”), not one of the angelic beings of the Prologue. The expression means simply “the word shall go forth.”
The image of the highway of salvation is taken from ch. Isa 40:3 (see also Isa 62:10), but seems to be applied somewhat differently. There it meant an actual highway for the return of the exiles through the desert; here, as the context shews, it is only a figure for the removal of spiritual obstacles to the redemption of Israel ( Isa 57:17). Such a modification of the conception, although of course no proof of post-exilic authorship, is certainly very intelligible on that hypothesis. After the return of the first band of exiles it became apparent that the inauguration of the Messianic age was not to take the form of a triumphal march of Jehovah and His people across the desert to Canaan. The prophet’s bold image of the miraculous highway necessarily lost its primary physical significance, and could be retained only as an emblem of the preparation for that larger deliverance to which the hopes of the post-exilic community were eagerly directed. It is applied, in short, in precisely the same way as at a later time to the preparatory mission of the Baptist (Mar 1:3; Joh 1:23).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
14 21. In striking contrast to the menacing tone of Isa 57:3 ff. is the impressive and elevated language in which the prophet now sets forth the gracious thoughts of Jehovah towards His erring but repentant people.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And shall say – Lowth, Then will I say. Noyes, Men will say. The word ‘amar seems to be used here impersonally, and to mean, One shall say; that is it shall be said. The Septuagint and the Syriac render it, They shall say. The idea is, that the obstacles would be removed from the path of those who put their trust in God. The language is derived from the return from the exile, as if persons should go before them and should cry, Cast ye up; or as if the cry of the people all along their journey should be, Remove the obstacles to their return.
Cast ye up, cast ye up – That is, remove the obstacles; level the hills; take up any obstruction out of the way (compare the notes at Isa 35:8; Isa 40:3-4). This cry is often heard before the coming of a distinguished prince or conqueror in the East. Joseph Wolff stated, in a lecture in Philadelphia (Sept. 18, 1837), that, on entering Jerusalem from the west, in the direction of Gaza, the road, for a considerable distance from Jerusalem, was so full of stones, that it was impracticable to ride, and those who were entering the city were obliged to dismount. When the Pasha (Ibrahim, son of Mehemet Ali) approached Jerusalem, it was customary for a considerable number of laborers to go before him, and remove the stones from the way. This was done amidst a constant cry, Cast up, cast up the way; remove the stones, remove the stones. And on a placard, or standard, it was written, the Pasha is coming; and everywhere the cry was heard, the Pasha is coming, the Pasha is coming; cast up the way, remove the stones.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Isa 57:14
And shall say, Cast ye up
God righteous, yet gracious
The second half of Isa 57:13 forms a transition to the next section, which is a promise of salvation to the true Israel.
In striking contrast to the menacing tone of Isa 57:3 f is the impressive and elevated language in which the prophet now sets forth the gracious thoughts of Jehovah towards His erring but repentant people. (Prof. J. Skinner, D. D.)
A round to God
In this passage the cry goes forth, not on behalf of a conqueror, or a sovereign, but on behalf of Gods people. They are the honoured procession for which a road is to be prepared. Cast up, cast up–that is, heap up, fill in, prepare the way, take up the stumbling-blockout of the way of My people. The figure, then, is striking. As royalty demanded for itself a smooth path, a road from which all dangers and obstructions were taken away, so a soul that is on its way to God has thrown over it, as it were, something of the sovereignty which it approaches, and a mysterious voice is heard, crying, Clear the way I heap up! heap up! cast out the stumbling-stones. (H. W. Beecher.)
Spiritual stumbling-blocks
1. The want of a true and large ideal of Christian life, as an inward, spiritual and Divine disposition, and the attempt to live in mere conformity to rules, and with a vague impression that if one conforms to the Church he shall in some way, he knows scarcely how, be saved, is itself one of the causes of perpetual stumbling. The attempt to live merely for the fulfilment of social moralities; the attempt to live so that all the rules which are prescribed by all those who are governing in the Lord, shall be obeyed; the attempt to live upon any such low conception as that of regulations, conventions, observances, is sure to make the Christian life poor, and the travel uncertain. For a new creature in Christ Jesus is the apostolic definition of a Christian. Our aspiration and effort will be in proportion to the dignity and the ideality, if I may, so say, of our conception of what religion is. If we suppose it to be simply not doing evil, we shall put forth but very little exertion, and we shall receive but very little stimulus.
2. The attempt to live the Christian life with a low tone of feeling is a reason why men do not make greater progress. In all the writings of the New Testament you will find that fervour, intensity is required in every feeling. We not only need to have moralities, but we need to have Christian graces, which are, as it were, orchids, epiphytes, and fed upon higher and purer things–light, and moisture, and other elements that the air contains. Now, none of these can thrive in our temperate climate. A temperate climate is good for temperate things; but for intensities it is not good. And many dominant and characteristic traits of Christian character are such as never can be brought out without fervour.
3. Lack of deep and continuous devotion. This is either from the want of a sense of the great spirit-world on whose border we live perpetually, or it is the result of excessive occupation, over-occupation, which crowds all the time, and prevents one from ripening in a true Christian devotion.
4. Another hindrance which men find on the road of progress in their Christian life, is their ignorance as to the effect of outward activity in developing inward fervour, and the effect of inward fervour in developing outward activity–as to the effect of the reciprocal action of the inward and the outward life. Men arc accustomed to separate these qualities, which should never be disjoined. Men should be active that they may be emotive; and they should be emotive, that emotion may work into activity.
5. A very common hindrance to Christian development is the attempt of men to perform their Christian work outside of their appropriate spheres. Wherever you are, there begin the battle; there subdue everything that stands in conflict with the law of conscience, and the law of love, and the law of purity, and the law of truth. Begin the fight wherever God sounds the trumpet, and He will give you grace that as your day is, so your strength shall be. But until we cease dividing our life into two parts–secular and religious–we never shall be very eminent and consistent as Christians; we never shall make any very great progress in the Christian life.
6. Too much companion ship is not good.
7. This stands closely connected with another social hindrance to the development of true Christian life, and that is, the addiction of men to pleasure. I mean not indulgence in wasting and disallowable pleasures, but an excessive addiction to recreation of any kind. We are bound to grow in grace. If we do not, grow, we are bound to know the reason why. (H. W.Beecher.)
The way of religion
The way of religion is now cast up; it is a highway; ministers business is to direct people in it, and to help them over the discouragements they meet with, that nothing may offend them. (M. Henry.)
The way of Christ prepared
I. THE STUMBLING-BLOCKS WHICH CHRISTIANS HAVE THROWN IN THE WAY OF THE JEWS.
1. Persecution.
2. Contempt.
3. Idolatry.
4. Neglect of the law of Moses.
5. Unbelief of the prophets.
II. THE STUMBLING-BLOCKS WHICH THE JEWS HAVE PUT IN THEIR OWN WAY.
1. Self-righteousness.
2. Traditions of men.
3. Covetousness.
4. A false view of God.
5. Unbelief in the Son of God.
III. THE BLESSED FRUITS OF THEIR REMOVAL. These fruits are set before us in the verses which follow our text.
1. Humiliation and contrition (Isa 57:15).
2. Revival and healing. The promise goes on thus: To revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. I have seen his ways and will heal him.
3. Comfort and peace. I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him (Isa 57:18-19).
4. Gladness and glory. To these the prophet calls our attention in the latter chapters (Isa 65:18-19; Isa 66:12). (E. Bickersteth.)
Roads cleared
What is the way, the way of salvation? Jesus Christ says, I am the way. This is the entrance into the way, and this is the track of that way even to the end–trust in Christ. Are not good works needed? says one. They always flow from faith in Christ. Such being the way, it is very simple. Straight as an arrow, is it not? And yet in this way there are stumbling-blocks.
I. LET US SHOW WHY THIS IS.
1. The way of believing is such an uncommon way. Men do not understand the way of trusting. They want to see, to reason, to argue. How very difficult it would be for a cow, that has always lived by the day the short life that can be fed on grass, if it had to live by reason, as men do. And when man has to live by faith he is as awkward at it as a cow would be at reasoning. He is out of his element.
2. Men, when they are really seeking salvation, are often much troubled in mind. They feel that if God be just He must punish them for their wrong-doing. And when they are told that if they believe in Jesus Christ all manner of sin and of blasphemy shall be forgiven, they wonder how it can be. Conscience makes unbelievers of us all; and stumbling-blocks are created by our trembling condition.
3. Besides this, men are often ignorant of the way of salvation. I am not speaking now as though I blamed them. I was brought up to attend the house of God regularly. Yet when I began to see the Lord, I did not know the way of salvation. I knew the letter of it, but not the real meaning: how can a man know it till the Spirit of God reveals it to him?
4. Satan is always ready to prevent souls from finding peace in Christ. Thus have I shown why there are so many stumbling-blocks.
II. Now I am going to TRY TO LIFT SOME OF THEM OUT OF THE WAY.
1. Here is one of them. One man says, I would fain believe in this Jesus Christ of whom you tell me, but if I were to come to God through Christ, would He receive me? Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. In all the history of the human race there never has been found a man that came to Jesus Christ whom Christ rejected yet.
2. But, says another, I am a very peculiar person. I could very well believe that any man in the world who trusted Christ would be saved except myself; but I cannot think that He would save me, for I am so odd. Ah, I am odd myself, and I had the same feeling that you have. I thought that I was a lot left out of the catalogue. If you knew other people you would find that there are other strange people besides yourself; and if God saves so many strange people, why should He not save you? He delights to do wonders. He will crowd heaven with curiosities of mercy.
3. But I hear another say, Sir, I have such a horrible sense of sin; I cannot rest in my bed! I cannot think that I shall be saved. Wait a bit there; let me speak to this person over here. What is your trouble? My trouble is, sir, that I have no sense of sin. I know that I am a sinner, and a great sinner; but I do not think that I shall be saved, for I have no horrible thoughts Will you change with the other man? Will he change with you? I should not advise either of you to make any change; for, in the first place, despairing thoughts-are–not necessary to salvation; and, in the second place, so long as you know yourself a sinner, and are willing to confess it, such thoughts are untrue. Despairing one, look to the Cross and live; and thou who dost not despair, look to the same Cross and live; for there is salvation for every eye that looks to Jesus crucified.
4. A trembler cries, I am afraid to come and trust Christ, because I do not know whether I am one of the elect. If you trust Jesus Christ I will tell you then that you are Go elect, to a certainty.
5. All, says another, person, I think I have committed this unpardonable sin. Do you long to he delivered from the power of sin? Then you have not committed the unpardonable sin, because it is a sin unto death, and after a man commits it he never has a living wish or desire after God from that moment.
6. Oh, but, says another person, my stumbling-block is this: that the whole thing seems too good to be true, that I, by simply believing in Jesus Christ, shall be saved. I confess that it does seem too good to be true, but it is not. God in Christ Jesus is clearly capable of marvellous deeds of grace. There are some stumbling-blocks that I cannot remove; they must always stand there, I am afraid.
7. An objector says to me. I would believe in Jesus; I have no fault to find with Him, but, then, look at His followers, many of them are hypocrites. We do look at His professed followers, and the tears are in our eyes, for the worst enemies He has are they of His own household. Suppose Judas does betray Christ, is Christ any the worse for that? You are not asked to trust in Judas, you are asked to trust in Christ. The reason why it pays to make bad sovereigns is because, good ones are so valuable; and that is why it pays certain people, as they think, to pass themselves off as Christians. If there were no real Christians, there would be no pretenders to that name.
8. But, says another, here is my stumbling-block: if I were to believe in Christ, and become a Christian, I should have to alter my whole life. Just so. There would have to be a turning of everything upside down, but then He that sits upon the throne says, Behold, I make all things new.
9. Oh, but, says one, I should have to run the gauntlet in my family if I became a Christian. Which is the better thing, do you think–to be sneered at for doing right or to be commended for doing wrong? (C. H.Spurgeon.)
Take up the stumbling-block
Stumbling-blocks
As a Conqueror the Messiah was coming, but there was great sin and unpreparedness. Hence the prophet cried, Take up, take up the stumbling-blocks. Christ is still advancing in power in the world. His truth is the direct and permanent way by which man may tread to heaven and immortality. Various stumbling-blocks of human placing need removal.
I. There is the stumbling-block of SELFISHNESS. This has always cumbered the way. Ananias and Judas yielded to it.
II. Close by this block is another, that of INTOLERANCE. The Church, strong outwardly, was impatient of divergence of opinion.
III. TERRORISM had also to be rolled out of the way. Figure was taken for fact. The great Father was presented in the guise of an implacable judge. Harsh representations of God and future punishment caused revolt.
IV. There is the stumbling-block of an ELABORATE CEREMONIAL SYSTEM.
V. The block of INDIFFERENTISM, on the other hand, also needs removal. Indifferentism is only another name for selfism. It should matter to each man if his fellow suffers.
VI. Some will say that all the stumbling-blocks mentioned are nothing compared with those formed by THE INCONSISTENCIES OF CHRISTIAN PEOPLE. The last is a conglomerate rock. Worldly attractions, amusements, desires, lusts, are often too strong for those who profess to be unworldly. Byron said, The inconsistencies of professing Christians made me an infidel. Was he alone? Conclusion: How are these evils, these blocks of offence to be removed, and a way made for the coming of our King Jesus? There must be more faith in the presence and potency of the Holy Spirit in the Church. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The road-mender
(with Isa 58:12, the restorer of paths):–Few are the exceptionally gifted men and women whom God calls to be pioneers, discoverers and creators of new paths–road-makers. Primal needed work, to use Walt Whitmans phrase, is not possible for the majority of us. We have not the genius, the energy, the courage, the self-reliance, the independence of intellectual comradeship which characterize the select company who are able to hew their way, like Stanleys men in Darkest Africa, through forests, and force their way through wildernesses and deserts, thus opening up new highways for human thought and life, and action, and civilization, and new highways for God. But we can all be road-menders. We can all aid in removing the stumbling-blocks out of the way. We can all be restorers of paths. This is the humbler task. It demands fewer talents, less daring, less originality than pioneer work, but who can gauge its value? Who will venture to affirm that it is less honouring or less acceptable to God, and less of a boon to man and the world? Perhaps, after all, to mend the old roads, to restore the former paths which have fallen out of repair, and make them straighter, safer, and more comfortable to the feet of travel-worn pilgrims, is as noble and useful a vocation as any to which God calls His servants.
I. What need there is for road-menders and restorers of paths in THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL WORLD! To protect the widow and orphan; to stand by the oppressed; to ameliorate the lot of the starving poor and the slaves of the sweater; to grapple with the drink curse, the gambling curse, the curse of impurity, the curse of an inordinate love of gold and pleasure; the curse of preventable poverty, preventable disease, preventable premature old age and death–what a field of service for God and man!
II. What need there is for road-menders and restorers of paths in OUR NATIONAL AFFAIRS! As lovers of our country; as patriots who have a share in shaping the home and foreign policies of our Governments and moulding public thought and national conduct and character, let us do what we can to lead our nation into saner and safer and nobler paths.
III. What need there is for road-menders and restorers of paths in THE RELIGIOUS WORLD! Is not much of our Churchianity to-day an empty form, a mere show? How far removed from our professedly Christian life in the Church are our commercial life, our political life, our home life, our society life in the world! What an amount of nominal Church membership and formal Christianity there is nowadays!
IV. What need there is for road-menders and restorers of paths in THE SPHERE OF PERSONAL GOODNESS AND HELPFULNESS! After all, the best contribution any one of us can make to the glory of God and the welfare of man is that of a really good life; a life fashioned after the pattern given us by our Lord and Master; a life filled by the Holy Spirit, a life of friendship and filial fellowship with God. (R. Briggs, M. A.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 14. And shall say – “Then will I say”] vaomer, to be pointed as the first person future. They are the words of God, as it is plain from the conclusion of the verse; my people, ammi.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And shall say, Heb. And he shall say; or, And one shall say. God will raise up a man who shall say these words, and that with authority and efficacy, so as the thing shall be done.
Cast ye up; make causeways, where it is needful, for their safe and easy passage.
Take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people; remove all things which may hinder them in their return.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
14. shall sayThe nominativeis, “He that trusteth in Me” (Isa57:13). The believing remnant shall have every obstacle to theirreturn cleared out of the way, at the coming restoration of Israel,the antitype to the return from Babylon (Isa 35:8;Isa 40:3; Isa 40:4;Isa 62:10; Isa 62:11).
Cast . . . upa highroad before the returning Jews.
stumbling-blockJesushad been so to the Jews, but will not be so then any longer(1Co 1:23); their prejudicesshall then be taken out of the way.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And shall say, cast ye up, cast ye up,…. A causeway, a highway, for the people of the Jews to return to their own land: this is either said by the Lord, as some supply it; or by the prophet, as Jarchi; or by him that putteth his trust in the Lord, as Kimchi; or rather by one, that is, the first of the living creatures, a set of Gospel ministers, that shall give to the angels, the Protestant princes and potentates, the seven last vials to pour out on the antichristian states, both Papal and Mahometan, and shall stir them up to do it; or the voice out of the temple, that shall order them to do their work; by which means way will be made for the return of the said people,
Re 15:7:
prepare the way; of the true doctrine and worship of God: the way of truth and holiness, of faith and practice:
take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people; the superstition, idolatry, and impiety of the church of Rome, are the great stumblingblock in the way of the conversion of the Jews, and the means of hardening that people in their disbelief of Christ and the Christian religion; wherefore the fall of antichrist, and a reformation everywhere from all corruption in doctrine and worship, in principle and practice, which also may be intended by these expressions, will prepare the way for their embracing the Christian religion, and so for their return to their own land. The Targum is,
“and he shall say, teach and admonish, prepare (or direct) the heart of the people to the right way, remove the stumblingblock of the wicked out of the way of my people.”
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The promise is now followed by a appeal to make ready the way which the redeemed people have to take. “And He saith, Heap up, heap up, prepare a way, take away every obstruction from the way of my people.” This is the very same appeal which occurs once in all three books of these prophecies (Isa 40:3-4; Isa 57:14; Isa 62:10). The subject of the verb ( ‘ amar ) is not Jehovah; but the prophet intentionally leaves it obscure, as in Isa 40:3, Isa 40:6 (cf., Isa 26:2). It is a heavenly cry; and the crier is not to be more precisely named.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Vs. 14-21; A SOLEMN CONTRAST
1. Separation is essential to the full realization of God’s ultimate’ salvation (vs. 14; comp. Isa 62:10; Jer 18:15; 2Co 6:17); idolatry is a stumbling block that the nation has deliberately chosen – and which must be abandoned before fellowship can be restored between Israel and her Maker.
2. God dwells only with that which harmonizes with His holiness, (vs. 15).
a. He whose name is HOLY – high, lofty and inhabiting eternity – offers to commune with such as are of a humble and contrite heart, (Isa 40:29; comp. Mat 5:3; Isa 66:1-2).
b. He will revive the spirit of the humble and the heart of the contrite, (Psa 34:18; Psa 51:17; Psa 147:3).
3. God will not be angry with His people forever (Gen 6:3; Psa 85:5; Psa 103:9-14; Mic 7:18-20); if He were, the whole creation would perish, (vs. 16).
4. The sins of all must be dealt with, (vs. 17).
a. The sin of covetousness led to divine wrath and judgment against Israel, (Isa 56:11; Jer 6:13).
b. Though God’s face was hidden in wrath, Israel refused to repent, but went onward with a heart that persistently turned away from the true and living God, (Isa 1:4; Jer 3:14; Jer 3:22).
5. For such as truly repent there is forgiveness, comfort, peace, and healing – with no national distinctions or barriers, (vs. 18-19; Act 2:39; Eph 2:17).
a. But, until there is such “repentance” as involves forsaking of sin there can be no spiritual health.
b. The message of perfect peace is a divine message for those whose hearts are right before God, (Isa 26:12; Isa 32:17-18; comp. Psa 37:37; Joh 14:27; Joh 16:33; Eph 2:14-15).
6. Peace is impossible for those who persist in their wickedness (vs. 20-21); they are constantly tossed about – like the waves of a turbulent sea, (Isa 3:9; Isa 3:11; Job 18:5-14; Isa 48:22; Isa 59:8).
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
14. And he shall say, Prepare, prepare. Because this promise, that they who hoped in the Lord should possess the land, might be thought ridiculous, (for soon afterwards they were to be driven out of it,) for the sake of believers that still remained, there is added this second promise, by which he pledges himself that, although they have been driven out of the land of Canaan, and banished to a distant country, yet they shall be brought back to it. He therefore meets a doubt which might arise, that good men might not despair during that painful and longcontinued banishment, or imagine that the promise of God had failed of accomplishment. Some explain it to mean, that the Lord will send true and faithful prophets, to cleanse from its scandals the Church which had been corrupted by false prophets and wicked rulers; as he formerly showed that from them arose the cause of her ruin; and so they think that this is a promise of a better and happier condition. But such an interpretation is excessively forced, and therefore I choose rather to adopt the former interpretation, that, although for a time the Jews shall be deprived of that land, yet they shall be restored to it by the Lord, who will order the roads to be levelled, in order to bring them back.
This passage agrees with that which we formerly examined, (Isa 40:1) in which the Lord commanded to bring comfort to his people, to proclaim and publish the return to Judea, and to clear the roads; for, in consequence of their having been shut up in Babylon as in a grave, and of the length and difficulty of the journey, and of the vast wilderness that lay between, they could scarcely have any hope of returning to their native country. It was therefore proper that Isaiah should not pass by this matter lightly, that they might not dread the mountains or the sea that lay between, or any other obstructions.
Level the road. He addresses Cyrus and Darius, whose minds the Lord inspired to open up the path, and grant protection to the Jews; as if he had said, that the Lord will send ministers, who are now unknown to them, by whose agency he will “prepare the way” and bring out the people. The apostrophe, also, by which he directly addresses them, carries greater force than if he had spoken in the third person. By ordering them to remove the stumbling blocks, he shows that there is no reason why they should be terrified by the difficulties and obstructions of the roads, which the Lord will easily “take away,” whenever he thinks fit.
Out of the way of my people. The hope of return is contained in this, that the Lord determines to bring back his people, and place them again in the land of Canaan. Wherefore, though there were no other road, yet there must be one, and every bar and obstacle must be removed; because the Lord hath promised their return, and consequently is their leader in the journey.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
4. SMITING
TEXT: Isa. 57:14-19
14
And he will say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my people.
15
For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
16
For I will not contend forever, neither will I be always wroth; for the spirit would faint before me, and the souls that I have made.
17
For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him; I hid my face and was wroth; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.
18
I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
19
I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him that is far off and to him that is near, saith Jehovah; and I will heal him.
QUERIES
a.
What is the stumbling-block in the way of His people?
b.
Whose spirit would faint before Him?
c.
Who is the one far off to whom peace is declared?
PARAPHRASE
And it will be said by the Lord, Build up a roadway, Build up a roadway; make a way that is prepared for My people. Take every obstacle over which they might stumble out of their way. This is the declaration of The High and Lofty One who dwells beyond time and space in eternity and who is Absolute Holiness. This One says, I dwell in the realm of Absolute Holiness beyond time and space, but I also dwell in people who are of a broken, penitent and humble spirit. I am the One who supplies the power to regenerate the broken and humble hearted. I have smitten My people time and again, but I will not smite forever (in fact, I am working toward a peaceful reconciliation with those who will be reconciled), for if I smote them forever and did not provide a way of reconciliation then all mankind would perishall the souls I have made. It was on account of My peoples greed and defrauding of one another that I smote them. Time after time I withdrew My presence and protection from them but they went right on rebelling and turning away from Me to their own devices. Yes, I have been fully aware of Israels rebellions, yet, I will accomplish My work of reconciliation and offer Israel healing by My grace. I will offer Myself to Israel for leadership and I will restore blessings to her I promised her long ago. The work of reconciliation and its proclamation will come from Me, says Jehovah, I will accomplish and proclaim peace to everyone in the world who will accept itto Israel who has been in special covenant relationship to Me and to all the Gentiles who have not. This reconciliation will heal all who accept it of the sickness of their rebellion.
COMMENTS
Isa. 57:14-15 RELIEVED: Although the Lord has recounted the sorceries, sensualities and stupidities of Israel and although He has smitten them in the past (and will smite them again in the captivities), He now addresses Himself to the future reconciliation He is going to accomplish through the Servant which will begin in the restoration from the captivity and be offered to all mankind through covenant relationship. Jehovah will command, Build a roadway, build a roadway . . . The Hebrew words sollu sollu are from the root word salal which means heap up as in building up a road-bed. In rescuing His people from captivity (the first and imperative step toward messianic fulfillment) Jehovah commands their captors not merely let my people go, but Put your hand to the task, O captors of My people, and assist them by working for their return to their land! And thus it was so! Cyrus and the Persians contributed financially and in other ways to return the Jews to Palestine (cf. Ezra, chapters 16). The Persians also removed a number of stumbling-blocks (Hebrew mikeshol, obstacle) from the way of the Jews.
It is the omnipotent Jehovah, the high and lofty One who has decreed this redemption of those He will soon smite in captivity. Jehovah is God without beginning and end. He dwells in absolute unendingness (eternity). He sees all things at once. There is no time with Him. Thus He is able to talk about Israels captivity and redemption all at the same time. The same perspective is available to human beings through faith in Jehovah. This is hope in the midst of trouble. Jehovah is about to make the Valley of Achor (Trouble) a door of hope (cf. Hos. 2:15; 2Co. 1:3-11). Jehovah is also absolutely holy (righteous, pure, true, just, faithful). He keeps His word. What He is and says is always good. And, although He dwells in the high and holy place, He also dwells with men who are of a contrite and humble spiritfor that is good. The Hebrew word daka means literally, bruise, break in pieces, crush, contrite. Men who wish to be filled with the goodness God can supply must first of all be poor in spirit (cf. Mat. 5:3-9; Psa. 34:18; Psa. 51:17; Isa. 66:2). The Hebrew word shephal means, made low, depressed, thrown down, sit down low, humbled. The Lord could not dwell with the nation as it was during the days of the prophets for it was haughty (Isa. 2:11; Isa. 2:17; Isa. 3:16; Isa. 10:33; Isa. 24:4; Eze. 16:50; Zep. 3:11; Mic. 2:3). He exhorted them to be humble (Mic. 6:8). The Lord cannot dwell in a church that is haughty either (Rev. 3:17, etc.). How is it that the Lord requires humility and contrition in order to dwell in the human heart on the one hand and then on the other hand promise to revive the spirit of the humble? In this case, of course, the Lord is not going to revive haughtiness. He is going to regenerate. What a man boasts in determines his state of aliveness. If he boasts in himself, he is dead because human power is impotent. If he boasts and trusts in the Lord he is humbled but he has hope because he shall receive an imputed exaltationan imputed righteousness and eternal life. And, of course, the only way an imputed exaltation can be received is by faith in the One who is alone able to impute itGod! That is why David was a man after Gods own heart. In his contrition and humility David cried out, Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me . . . (Psa. 51:10).
Jehovah is going to smite His people in captivity in order to make it possible for those who will to be contrite and humble. Then He is going to redeem them and revive them and form a faithful remnant from among them through which to bring to fruition His ultimate redemptive work in the Suffering Servant.
Isa. 57:16-19 REASON: The reason for the smiting and the reviving is now proposed. If He should contend forever there would be no redemption for anyone! All have sinned. All deserve eternal punishment. But, amazing grace, God has a divine plan by which He will offer salvation to those who will accept it. He will punish sin in His Son, thereby justifying His holiness and at the same time justifying those who believe (cf. Rom. 3:21-26)! Mans salvation originates absolutely in the grace of God! Had it not, all spirits would faint before Him and all the souls that He made would perish.
Certainly, for the iniquity of mans covetousness God was, by His very nature, moved with wrath and condemnation. The question is not, How could a good God send anyone to Hell? . . . the question is, How could a good God send a sinner to Heaven? He could not. Therefore, He woked out a way to make sinners good enough to go to Heaven. The Hebrew word batsa is translated covetousness and means unjust gain, to spoil, to plunder, to defraud, It was this deliberate, often violent defrauding of ones fellow man that moved Jehovah through the centuries to smite Israel. Still she kept on turning away from Him (Heb. shovav) or backsliding. To turn away from God is to go backwards. Many men have thought that turning away from God and the Bible was to advance. But history has proved over and over that turning away from God and the Bible is regression for humanity.
Now the purpose of Gods smiting is to heal. This healing is a spiritual healinga healing of the inner man (cf. Isa. 19:22; Isa. 53:5; Hos. 5:13; Hos. 6:1; Hos. 14:4; Jer. 17:14; Jer. 30:17, etc.). God, the divine surgeon, had to use drastic, radical surgery to heal Israel, for she resisted it adamantly (cf. Jer. 6:14; Jer. 8:11; Jer. 15:18, etc.). The healing process began with the smiting at the captivity, continued through the rescue from captivity and the indignation of the post-exilic centuries, and was finally accomplished in the Servant through whose stripes we are healed, (Isa. 53:5 ff). And that is precisely, we believe, the relationship of Isa. 57:19 to this context, inasmuch as it appears to be fulfilled in Act. 10:36 and Eph. 2:17. Gods healing was reconciliation of Himself to man (Isa. 53:1 ff). Reconciliation (healing) in the plan of the God of all mankind was ultimately to be provided for all men. Thus, when peace (reconciliation) was declared to those near and to those afar, it was done in the completed work of the Messiah. Again, the missionary call rings forth from the Gospel prophet of the O.T.
QUIZ
1.
What does the term Cast ye up . . . imply about the Hebrew return from captivity?
2.
Why stress the nature of God here?
3.
Why emphasize that God dwells in the contrite and humble hearted?
4.
How does God revive the humble hearted?
5.
Why did God have to smite Israel to heal?
6.
Who all are to be recipients of Gods healing?
7.
Where is the fulfillment of Isa. 57:19?
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(14) And shall say . . .Better, And one said. The prophet hears, as it were, a voice behind him, bringing an oracle from Heaven, which renews the cry of the herald in Isa. 40:3. The verb, cast up, points to the construction of the highway of a spiritual return, from which all impediments are removed.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
14. And shall say Who shall say? The one who trusts in God, of the previous verse? This would be not in the costume of that verse. Better, indefinitely, one “shall say.”
Cast ye up prepare the way The call is, to clear the way to give opportunity for the righteous to come out from among the wicked, before they are visited with judgment, as surely they will be.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Yahweh Will Make A Way Back To Himself And Will Restore Those Whom He Chooses To Himself In Spite of Their Undeserving and Unresponsiveness ( Isa 57:14-21 ).
They must remember that in spite of what they are God in His high and holy place is sovereign. He will prepare a way back to Himself for His true people, and although He is angry at their self-interested desire for gain, and their stubbornness in response to His call, He will heal them and lead them and restore comfort to them, and will, when they begin to mourn for their sins, Himself create the fruit of their lips, that is He will give them the words to say to reflect their repentance for sin.
Thus will they come to Him crushed and humbled, and thus will they be able to dwell with Him in the high and holy place, as He revives their hearts and their spirits. All this brings out the patience of God with His own people. Though we fail Him time and again, He continues to reach out to us and restore us to what we should be.
Isa 57:14
‘And he will say, “Cast up, cast up, prepare the way,
Take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.’
Just as He called for the way to be prepared for Himself when He came to deliver His people (Isa 40:3-5), so now will He arrange for a way to be prepared for the people whom He has chosen, whereby they might come to Him. As in chapter 40 this is again portrayed in terms of preparing the way for an Overlord, only here it is not for an Overlord but for His people. They too are to receive superior treatment. They are more important than earthly Overlords.
This is not necessarily talking of return from exile. It is a return from sin. Every stumblingblock of sin and ignorance will be removed and He will bring them back to Himself in repentance and faith (Isa 57:15). The call to ‘prepare the way’ is given to the prophets, and to all men of God who would come in the future, and the stumblingblock will be removable because of the work of the Servant (Isa 53:1-12), Who is the prime remover of the stumblingblock, that is, of whatever keeps men from God.
Isa 57:15
‘For thus says the high and lofty one, who dwells there everlastingly, whose name is Holy,
“I dwell in the high and holy place,
With him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit,
To revive the spirit of the humble,
And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”
The word ‘for’ connects back with Isa 57:14. This is why the way has been prepared, it is the way back to God. Once again the spiritual nature of Isaiah’s message shines through. For ‘high and lofty’ compare Isa 6:1; Isa 52:13. This is the place of Yahweh’s everlasting throne to which the Servant was lifted up (Isa 52:13). And from it speaks Yahweh, Who is the high and lofty One, He who is above all, and before Whom all must bow, Who dwells there everlastingly. And He declares His name, He is Holy. That is He is unique and set apart from all else because of His distinctive nature and attributes, set apart in power, in holiness, in purity, in righteousness, and in glory. He is the One Who is different from all else. And it is because the Servant is lifted up to Him, and is made very high (Isa 52:13), that He can be declared to be the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father (Isa 9:6).
The Declaration. “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Access is granted to the high and holy place for those whose hearts are contrite, those who are crushed by sin, but repent of and regret their sins, and mourn over them, those who come humbly and seek His face (compare 1Jn 1:7-10). And there their spirits and hearts will be revived. Note the stress on spirit and heart, the seat of man’s spiritual nature, and of his mind, will and emotions. Thus do men have access into heavenly places (see Eph 1:20; Eph 2:6) as they seek Him in this way. We can compare here Isa 61:1; Psa 23:6; Psa 51:1; Psa 51:11; Psa 51:17; Psa 139:7-8.
The high and holy place is the heavenly Mount Zion, God’s dwelling-place, as mirrored in the earthly Mount Zion which will one day be raised high above all mountains (Isa 2:2). Ezekiel depicts it as ‘a very high mountain’ (Eze 40:2) in a holy portion many miles from Jerusalem (Eze 45:1-8), on which the heavenly temple descends. The differing descriptions bring out how the prophets were struggling with the concept of a heavenly yet earthly temple, on a heavenly yet earthly holy mountain. It was because it was holy that Ezekiel recognised that it could not be in the defiled city of Jerusalem. Compare also 1Ki 8:30; 1Ki 8:32 ; 1Ki 8:34; 1Ki 8:36; 1Ki 8:39 ; 1Ki 8:43; 1Ki 8:45; 1Ki 8:49 where Yahweh in His heavenly dwellingplace hears what occurs in His earthly temple. See also 1Ki 8:27 and compare Psa 125:1. Israel did not see Yahweh as tied to dwelling permanently in His temple on Mount Zion, although they could speak of it as His dwelling place. They looked to something more.
The word ‘contrite’ means one who is crushed, as the Servant was for us in Isa 53:5; Isa 53:10. The burden of sin is heavy on them. The thought is of those who seek God and respond faithfully to Him, because God has crushed them. But as they experience that crushing they can come into His presence, nay, dwell in His presence, and they will thus find themselves revived (as Isaiah was in Isa 6:5-7) and able to continually dwell with Him. This is a reminder that dwelling with God is a privilege, and His presence should not be treated lightly. While we may rejoice in His presence there is a real sense in which we should be continually lowly and humble before Him. For He is the Holy One, and we, while being His adopted children, are but forgiven sinners (see Ecc 5:1-2).
Isa 57:16
‘For I will not accuse for ever,
Nor will I be always angry,
For the spirit would fail (faint away) before me,
And the persons (those containing breath) that I have made.’
Entry into the holy presence of God, and dwelling with Him, is possible because of His mercy and gracious love. Had He made us fully account for our sins we would indeed have had no hope. But God in His graciousness and lovingkindness has promised that He will not accuse for ever, or be always angry with, those who come before Him in repentance and faith. Otherwise indeed their spirits would faint away before Him. They could not endure, for they only have limited breath (Isa 2:22). They are but men.
Isa 57:17-19
‘Because of the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry,
And I smote him, I hid my face and was angry,
And he went on, turning away in the way of his heart.
I have seen his ways and will heal him,
I will lead him also and recompense comforts to him,
And to his mourners I create the fruit of his lips.’
The ‘he’ is presumably either the ‘him’ who is finally of a contrite and humble spirit in Isa 57:15, or the ‘my people’ of Isa 57:14 (singular verbs for a composite noun). The perfect tenses indicate the completeness of what is described, even though it is in the future. God’s anger is aroused by man’s self-interested desire for gain, and that is why He will smite him, and hide His face from him and be angry. But man will continue turning away from Him, right from the heart. And if God did not intervene man would have no hope.
However, happily He will intervene for those on whom He sets His choice. (As it is made abundantly clear elsewhere that not all will be saved, and as it is God Who will bring about their salvation in spite of their rebelliousness, it must be a matter of His choice). God will have seen his ways and yet will determine to heal him. Indeed He will go further. He will be his guide and provide him with comfort. And to those who mourn for sin He will provide words to say. It is He Who will create something new, He will create the words that the mourner speaks.
Isa 57:19
‘Peace, peace, to him who is far off and to him who is near’ says Yahweh, ‘and I will heal him.’
This is God’s great offer of peace. The peace that He will bring between Him and His people will reach both far and near, it will even reach out to the nations. It comes from the Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6). And to those to whom He gives peace He will also give healing. He will make them whole. He will restore their inner selves. ‘Him who is far off’, that is, living in distant places. God’s peace is being offered to all.
Isa 57:20-21
‘But the wicked are like the troubled sea,
For it cannot find rest and its waters cast up mire and dirt.
“There is no peace,” says my God, “to the wicked.” ’
But now we find confirmed that all are not included in God’s sovereign work of deliverance and salvation. For the wicked there can be no peace. Indeed they are like the troubled sea. Within them is unrest and turmoil, and from that unrest and turmoil is cast up mire and dirt because of what they are. How can they then have peace?
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jehovah Grants Salvation and Peace to the Repentant.
What the Lord had indicated at the end of the fast paragraph He now elaborates upon.
v. 14. And shall say, v. 15. For thus saith the High and Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, v. 16. For I will not contend forever, v. 17. For the iniquity of his covetousness, v. 18. I have seen his ways, v. 19. I create the fruit of the lips, Peace, peace! to him that is far off and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him, v. 20. But the wicked are like the troubled sea, v. 21. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Isa 57:14. And shalt say, &c. And he said, or, And a voice says, &c. These are the words of the prophetic chorus, relating that a voice had gone forth, or a command of God, to prepare the way, and to remove all stumbling-blocks from it; that is to say, to reform the church from that state of corruption which is described in the preceding verses; a work of as great difficulty as importance, and the prediction whereof well deserved to be introduced in the sublime manner that we here find it. The reformation of the church from Popish error and superstition is an event too well known, and too highly valued, to need speaking of in this place. As an instance of the stumbling-blocks removed from the church, the reader may consult the hundred grievances proposed to Pope Adrian by the princes of Germany in the year 1523; when the faith was purged from errors, and the light of the Gospel restored to the Christian world. See Vitringa.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Isa 57:14 And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.
Ver. 14. And they shall say. ] Or, And it shall be said. This is further added, for the comfort of those that trusted in God, that they shall have a smooth and clear passage home. This is literally meant of their return from Babylon; but mystically of the recollection of the Church out of the captivity of the devil and power of sin.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Cast ye up = Make a highway. Figure of speech Epizeuxis.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Isa 57:14-19
Isa 57:14-18
“And he will say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way. take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people. For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite. For I will not contend forever, neither will I be always wroth; for the spirit would faint before me, and the souls that I have made. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him; I hid my face and was wroth; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart. I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.” “Isa 57:14 is a promise that the believing remnant shall have every obstacle to their return cleared out of the way at the coming return from captivity.
“Stumbling-block …” (Isa 57:14). The proud, unbelieving majority of Israel were a stumbling block to the repentance and return of the “righteous remnant” to Jehovah; and it continued in the same pattern even after the Christ came. “The pride and self-righteousness of the Jews were the stumbling-blocks in the way of their acknowledging Christ.
“I will not contend forever …” (Isa 57:16). Such words as these carry a sense of terrible finality and doom. These are almost the same words as those in Gen 6:3, “My Spirit will not always contend with man.” The meaning is that, since God has given man the freedom of choice, God will not force him to be obedient. The words in Genesis preceded the Great Deluge; and the words here preceded the awful captivity of Israel. When man has made his choice of rebellion against his Maker, and after God has given him time and opportunity to repent, the inevitable destruction will surely fall upon the disobedient.
“For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth …” (Isa 57:17). As Cheyne said, “The prophet here seems to ascribe the captivity to simple covetousness.” However, he further explained how such a single designation is, in fact, a synecdoche; and, “It includes all of the other besetting sins of the Jews, such as violence, murder, etc. This rhetorical figure is used extensively in the New Testament, where a single command is frequently made to stand for the whole Christian system. In turn, salvation, for example is said to be bestowed on the basis of faith, or hope, or baptism, or repentance, or grace, or confession; but the Word of God nowhere states that upon the basis of any one of these alone does one receive salvation. All such statements actually include all Christian obligations in any one of them singled out.”
“I will heal him …” (Isa 57:18). This promise pertains only to the believing penitent. God is always ready to receive the soul that with humble and contrite heart returns obediently to the fold of Jehovah. As the next verse indicates, there is also a promise of the proclamation of the Gospel in this verse.
Isa 57:19
“I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him that is far off and to him that is near, saith Jehovah; and I will heal him.”
The apostle Peter on the Day of Pentecost applied the expression, “to him that is far off,” to the call of the Gentiles into the ranks of the Church (Act 2:39). The literal words in the Greek here are “far from the temple,” thus applying to all persons, even to those who were not Jews. Note also God’s promise of healing, which is here a promise of pardon and forgiveness of sins.
Isa 57:14-15 RELIEVED: Although the Lord has recounted the sorceries, sensualities and stupidities of Israel and although He has smitten them in the past (and will smite them again in the captivities), He now addresses Himself to the future reconciliation He is going to accomplish through the Servant which will begin in the restoration from the captivity and be offered to all mankind through covenant relationship. Jehovah will command, Build a roadway, build a roadway . . . The Hebrew words sollu sollu are from the root word salal which means heap up as in building up a road-bed. In rescuing His people from captivity (the first and imperative step toward messianic fulfillment) Jehovah commands their captors not merely let my people go, but Put your hand to the task, O captors of My people, and assist them by working for their return to their land! And thus it was so! Cyrus and the Persians contributed financially and in other ways to return the Jews to Palestine (cf. Ezra, chapters 1-6). The Persians also removed a number of stumbling-blocks (Hebrew mikeshol, obstacle) from the way of the Jews.
It is the omnipotent Jehovah, the high and lofty One who has decreed this redemption of those He will soon smite in captivity. Jehovah is God without beginning and end. He dwells in absolute unendingness (eternity). He sees all things at once. There is no time with Him. Thus He is able to talk about Israels captivity and redemption all at the same time. The same perspective is available to human beings through faith in Jehovah. This is hope in the midst of trouble. Jehovah is about to make the Valley of Achor (Trouble) a door of hope (cf. Hos 2:15; 2Co 1:3-11). Jehovah is also absolutely holy (righteous, pure, true, just, faithful). He keeps His word. What He is and says is always good. And, although He dwells in the high and holy place, He also dwells with men who are of a contrite and humble spirit-for that is good. The Hebrew word daka means literally, bruise, break in pieces, crush, contrite. Men who wish to be filled with the goodness God can supply must first of all be poor in spirit (cf. Mat 5:3-9; Psa 34:18; Psa 51:17; Isa 66:2). The Hebrew word shephal means, made low, depressed, thrown down, sit down low, humbled. The Lord could not dwell with the nation as it was during the days of the prophets for it was haughty (Isa 2:11; Isa 2:17; Isa 3:16; Isa 10:33; Isa 24:4; Eze 16:50; Zep 3:11; Mic 2:3). He exhorted them to be humble (Mic 6:8). The Lord cannot dwell in a church that is haughty either (Rev 3:17, etc.). How is it that the Lord requires humility and contrition in order to dwell in the human heart on the one hand and then on the other hand promise to revive the spirit of the humble? In this case, of course, the Lord is not going to revive haughtiness. He is going to regenerate. What a man boasts in determines his state of aliveness. If he boasts in himself, he is dead because human power is impotent. If he boasts and trusts in the Lord he is humbled but he has hope because he shall receive an imputed exaltation-an imputed righteousness and eternal life. And, of course, the only way an imputed exaltation can be received is by faith in the One who is alone able to impute it-God! That is why David was a man after Gods own heart. In his contrition and humility David cried out, Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me . . . (Psa 51:10).
Jehovah is going to smite His people in captivity in order to make it possible for those who will to be contrite and humble. Then He is going to redeem them and revive them and form a faithful remnant from among them through which to bring to fruition His ultimate redemptive work in the Suffering Servant.
Isa 57:16-19 REASON: The reason for the smiting and the reviving is now proposed. If He should contend forever there would be no redemption for anyone! All have sinned. All deserve eternal punishment. But, amazing grace, God has a divine plan by which He will offer salvation to those who will accept it. He will punish sin in His Son, thereby justifying His holiness and at the same time justifying those who believe (cf. Rom 3:21-26)! Mans salvation originates absolutely in the grace of God! Had it not, all spirits would faint before Him and all the souls that He made would perish.
Certainly, for the iniquity of mans covetousness God was, by His very nature, moved with wrath and condemnation. The question is not, How could a good God send anyone to Hell? . . . the question is, How could a good God send a sinner to Heaven? He could not. Therefore, He woked out a way to make sinners good enough to go to Heaven. The Hebrew word batsa is translated covetousness and means unjust gain, to spoil, to plunder, to defraud, It was this deliberate, often violent defrauding of ones fellow man that moved Jehovah through the centuries to smite Israel. Still she kept on turning away from Him (Heb. shovav) or backsliding. To turn away from God is to go backwards. Many men have thought that turning away from God and the Bible was to advance. But history has proved over and over that turning away from God and the Bible is regression for humanity.
Now the purpose of Gods smiting is to heal. This healing is a spiritual healing-a healing of the inner man (cf. Isa 19:22; Isa 53:5; Hos 5:13; Hos 6:1; Hos 14:4; Jer 17:14; Jer 30:17, etc.). God, the divine surgeon, had to use drastic, radical surgery to heal Israel, for she resisted it adamantly (cf. Jer 6:14; Jer 8:11; Jer 15:18, etc.). The healing process began with the smiting at the captivity, continued through the rescue from captivity and the indignation of the post-exilic centuries, and was finally accomplished in the Servant through whose stripes we are healed, (Isa 53:5 ff). And that is precisely, we believe, the relationship of Isa 57:19 to this context, inasmuch as it appears to be fulfilled in Act 10:36 and Eph 2:17. Gods healing was reconciliation of Himself to man (Isa 53:1 ff). Reconciliation (healing) in the plan of the God of all mankind was ultimately to be provided for all men. Thus, when peace (reconciliation) was declared to those near and to those afar, it was done in the completed work of the Messiah. Again, the missionary call rings forth from the Gospel prophet of the O.T.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Cast: Isa 35:8, Isa 40:3, Isa 62:10, Luk 3:5, Luk 3:6
take: Rom 14:13, 1Co 1:23, 1Co 8:9, 1Co 8:13, 1Co 10:32, 1Co 10:33, 2Co 6:3, Heb 12:13
Reciprocal: Deu 19:3 – General Psa 119:165 – nothing shall offend them Pro 15:19 – made plain Isa 11:16 – And there shall Isa 35:3 – General Isa 49:11 – General Jer 18:15 – to walk Jer 31:9 – in a Jer 31:21 – Set thee Mat 3:3 – Prepare Mat 7:14 – narrow Luk 3:4 – Prepare Col 2:14 – took 1Pe 2:8 – a stone Rev 2:14 – a stumblingblock
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Isa 57:14-21. A Gracious Promise to the Party of the Pious.This oracle is modelled on Isaiah 40, though the way is figurative. Yahweh commands that the Way of His adherents be raised and freed from obstacles. He, the High and Lofty (cf. Isa 6:1), who, unlike the perishing idols, sits upon a throne of eternity, dwells also with the (politically) crushed and lowly, whose fortunes He will revive. He will not be angry for ever, lest all creation should perish. Because of Israels iniquity He smote him, and hid Himself from him, so that he turned aside to his own ways, which ways Yahweh, Himself unseen, has watched. (I have seen his ways should be joined to Isa 57:17.) He will heal and give rest to and console him. For his mourners He creates the fruit of the lips, i.e. thanksgiving, and for the Jew at home or m exile, far off or near, He will create peace, i.e. prosperity. But the wicked, like the uptossed sea, shall have no peace.
Isa 57:15. in the high and lofty place: render, on high as the lofty one.
Isa 57:16. Spirit, soul: mean no more than living creature.
Isa 57:19. Peace: object to create. The sentence is not an exclamation.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
57:14 {r} And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.
(r) God will say to Darius and Cyrus.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The divine enablement 57:14-21
This pericope concludes the section begun at Isa 56:1 dealing with the need for humility and holiness in the redeemed people of God. Isaiah explained that the basis of God’s acceptance and blessing of His redeemed people was righteousness (Isa 56:1-8). Then he showed that Israel lacked that righteousness (Isa 56:9 to Isa 57:13). Her leadership was wicked (Isa 56:9 to Isa 57:2) and her populace was apostate (Isa 57:3-13). Now he explained that the solution to Israel’s predicament was Yahweh’s enablement (grace). The only way she could be what she should be was with the Lord’s help. This section explains how the promise that ended Isa 57:13 could possibly come to pass.
The structure of this section is the opposite of the former one. There, threatening ended with a brief promise, but here, promise ends with a short threat.
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
In the future, someone would give an order to prepare the way for the Israelites to return to their land and to their God (cf. Isa 40:3; Isa 62:10). Watts took this as an exhortation to the Jews in Babylonian exile to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. [Note: Watts, Isaiah 34-66, p. 262.] The speaker is probably God, but the speech is more important than the speaker. The figure is of building a roadbed for a highway that would become the route of the Israelites.