Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 58:7
[Is it] not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
7. Comp. Eze 18:7 f., 16 f.; Job 31:13 ff.
the poor that are cast out ] the vagrant (homeless) poor. The word rendered “vagrant” is peculiar, but is supposed to come from a verb meaning “wander.” It occurs with an abstract sense, and along with the abstract noun corresponding to the word here rendered “poor,” in Lam 1:7; Lam 3:19.
hide not thyself (Deu 22:1; Deu 22:3-4) from thine own flesh ] from thy fellow Israelites (as in Neh 5:5).
8 ff. When these conditions are complied with, the glory of the latter days shall break on the regenerated community.
thy light ] (ch. Isa 60:1; Isa 60:3), the emblem of salvation; cf. ch. Isa 9:2.
break forth as the dawn ] “Break forth” is the verb used in ch. Isa 35:6; Gen 7:11; Psa 74:15, of the bursting of waters through a fissure in the earth’s surface; by a vivid metaphor the dawn was conceived as “splitting” the heavens and flooding the world with light. The same word occurs on the Moabite Stone (50:15) in the phrase “from the splitting of the dawn.”
thine health ] thy healing (as R.V.), or thy recovery. The word (Heb. ’rkah, Arab, ’arka) seems to mean literally the new flesh which is formed when a wound is healing (see Delitzsch’s Commentary on the verse); it is used three times by Jeremiah with the sense of recovered health or prosperity; in Neh 4:7 (Isa 4:1 Heb.) and 2Ch 24:13 the metaphor is applied to the repairing of damages (in the walls or the Temple). Since Isa 58:12 shews that the prophet has the restoration of ruins in his mind, the coincidence with Neh 4:7 is certainly suggestive; but the figure here does not go beyond the general idea of recovered prosperity.
shall go before thee shall be thy rereward ] Comp. ch. Isa 52:12. It is difficult to say whether righteousness means in this case “right vindicated “by outward tokens of Jehovah’s favour, or ethical righteousness as described in Isa 58:6-7.
9 a. The immediate answer to prayer, in contrast to the complaint of Isa 58:3, is the evidence of harmony re-established between Jehovah and His worshippers; comp. ch. Isa 65:24, Isa 30:19.
9 b should be joined to Isa 58:10. The conditions of acceptance with God are recapitulated in terms differing slightly from those of Isa 58:6-7.
the putting forth of the finger ] a gesture of contempt (Pro 6:13) towards the oppressed mentioned in Isa 58:6-7. Compare (with Gesenius) the infamis digitus ( Pers. 11. 33).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry? – The word renderd deal ( paras), means to divide, to distribute. The idea is, that we are to apportion among the poor that which will be needful for their support, as a father does to his children. This is everywhere enjoined in the Bible, and was especially regarded among the Orientals as an indispensable duty of religion. Thus Job Job 31:16-22 beautifully speaks of his own practice:
If I have witheld the poor from his desire,
Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;
Or have eaten my morsel myself alone,
And the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;
If I have seen any perish for want of clothing,
Or any poor without covering; – …
Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade,
And mine arm be broken from the bone.
And that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house – Margin, Afflicted Hospitality to all, and especially to the friendless and the stranger, was one of the cardinal virtues in the Oriental code of morals. Lowth renders this, The wandering poor.
When thou seest the naked … – This duty is also plain, and is everywhere enjoined in the Bible (compare Mat 25:38).
And that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh – That is, from thine own kindred or relations who are dependent on thee. Compare Gen 29:14; Gen 37:27; where the word flesh is used to denote near relations – relations as intimate and dear as if they were a part of our flesh and blood Gen 2:23. To hide oneself from them may denote either, first, to be ashamed of them on account of their poverty or humble rank in life; or, secondly, to witchold from them the just supply of their needs. Religion requires us to treat all our kindred, whatever may be their rank, with kindness and affection, and enjoins on us the duty of providing for the needs of those poor relatives who in the providence of God are made dependent on us.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Isa 58:7
Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry?
—
Almsgiving
Why there are so many evils in the world is a question that has been agitated ever since man felt them. It becomes not us, with too presumptuous a curiosity, to assign the causes of the Divine conduct, or, with too daring a hand, to draw aside the veil which covers the councils of the Almighty. But from this state of things we see many good effects arise. The enjoyments of life are grafted upon its wants; from natural evil arises moral good, and the sufferings of some contribute to the happiness of all. Such being the state of human affairs, charity, or that disposition which leads us to supply the wants, and alleviate the sufferings, of unhappy men, as well as bear with their infirmities, must be a duty of capital importance. Accordingly, it is enjoined in our holy religion as being the chief of the virtues. It is assigned as the test and criterion by which we are to distinguish the disciples of Jesus, and it will be selected at the great day as being that part of the character which is most decisive of the life, and according to which the last sentence is to turn. Charity, in its most, comprehensive sense, signifies that disposition of mind which, from a regard and gratitude to God, leads to do all the good in our power to man. But all that I intend at present is, to consider that branch of charity which is called almsgiving.
I. WHAT IS THE MOST PROPER METHOD OF BESTOWING CHARITY.
1. The best method of bestowing charity upon the healthy and strong is to give them employment. One half of the vices of men take their orion from idleness. To support the indolent, therefore, to keep those idle who are able to work, is acting contrary to the intention of God; is doing an injury to society, which claims a right to the services of all its members; is defrauding real objects of charity of that which is their proper due,. and is fostering a race of sluggards to prey upon the vitals of a State. But he is a valuable member of society, and merits well of mankind, who, by devising means of employment for the industrious, delivers the public from a useless incumbrance, and makes those who would otherwise be the pests of society, useful subjects of the Commonwealth.
2. Another act of charity, of equal importance, is to supply the wants of the really indigent and necessitous. If the industrious, with all their efforts, are not able to earn a competent livelihood; if the produce of their labour be not proportionable to the demands of a numerous family; then they arc proper objects of your charity.
3. Another class of men that demand our charity is the aged and feeble, who, after a life of hard labour, are grown unfit for further business, and who add poverty to the other miseries of old age.
4. Children also bereft of their parents, orphans cast upon the care of Providence, are signal objects of compassion.
5. But there is a class of the unfortunate who are the greatest objects of all; those who, after having been accustomed to ease and plenty, are by some unavoidable reverse of fortune condemned to bear, what they are least able to bear, the galling load of poverty; who, after having been perhaps fathers to the fatherless in the day of their prosperity, are now become the objects of that charity which they were wont so liberally to dispense.
II. EXHORTATIONS TO THE PRACTICE OF THIS DUTY. This duty is so agreeable to the common notions of mankind, that every one condemns the mean and sordid spirit of that wretch whom God has blessed with abundance, and consequently with the power of blessing others, and who is yet relentless to the cries of the poor and miserable. The practice of this duty is incumbent upon all.
1. To the performance of it you are drawn by that pity and compassion which are implanted in the heart.
2. Consider the pleasure derived from benevolence. (J. Logan, F. R. S.)
Dealing bread to the hungry
Thine own bread it must be, and that especially whereof thou hast on the fast-day abridged thyself; for what the rich spare on such a day the poor should spend. Hereby,
1. Mens prayers shall speed the better (Act 10:4).
2. They shall make God their debtor (Pro 19:17).
3. That is best and most pleasing alms to God that is given in Church assemblies; for,
(1) it is an ordinance of God, and a Sabbath duty (1Co 16:1-2);
(2) Christ there sitteth, and seeth the gift and mind of every
13 almsgiver (Luk 21:1-2), setting it down in His book of remembrance (Mal 3:16). (J. Trapp.)
To break bread,
To break bread, meaning to distribute, from the Oriental practice of baking bread in thin flat cakes. (J. A. Alexander.)
Breaking bread to the hungry
Not only to give them that which is already broken meat, but break bread on purpose for them; give them loaves and do not put them off with scraps. (M. Henry.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 7. Deal thy bread to the hungry] But this thou canst not do, if thou eat it thyself. When a man fasts, suppose he do it through a religious motive, he should give the food of that day, from which he abstains, to the poor and hungry, who, in the course of providence, are called to sustain many involuntary fasts, besides suffering general privations. Wo to him who saves a day’s victuals by his religious fast! He should either give them or their value in money to the poor. See Isa 58:6.
That thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house – “To bring the wandering poor into thy house”] , Septuagint; egenos vagosque, Vulgate; and metaltelin, Chaldee. They read, instead of merudim, hanudim. mer is upon a rasure in the Bodleian MS. The same MS. reads bayethah, in domum, “into the house.” – L.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Is it, viz. the fast that pleaseth me, supplied from the former verse. Having showed the evil they are to abstain from in order to an acceptable fast, viz. cruelty, he here speaks of the duty that is required, viz. mercy, as a manifestation of repentance, Dan 4:27; Luk 19:8. For there are two parts of justice, one to do no man wrong, the other to do good to all; which two ought always to accompany each other, and cannot be parted, especially in acts of humiliation: and as by those evils mentioned he understands all other evil whatsoever, that they are to be abstained from as the consequence of a day of humiliation, so under these duties mentioned are comprised all the duties that we are to set upon as the effect of true repentance; and he instanceth rather in those of the second table than those of the first, not that they are to be neglected, but because cheerful performance of external duties to our neighbour is the clearest discovery and indication of our inward piety towards God, 1Jo 4:20.
To deal: the word properly signifies to divide, or break into parts, for the more equal and expeditious doing whereof they were wont of old to bake their loaves with cuts or clefts in them, more or fewer according to the bigness of the loaf, not much unlike that which we ordinarily call buns. It implies, that as none is obliged to give away all, so none is exempted from giving some, but a distribution to be made according to the abilities of rich and poor; or the meaning is, What thou sparest on thy fasting day from thine own belly, thou give it to refresh the bowels of the hungry; what thou takest from thyself give to another, that thy poor neighbours body may be refreshed by that from the abstinence whereof thine own is afflicted.
Thy bread: bread is taken for all necessaries for the support of human life, and here for all kind of food; and it is here limited by a term of propriety, thy, which may seem to have some emphasis in it: See Poole “Ecc 11:1“. Speaking of their grinding and oppressing the poor, he would have them be sure to give of their own, not that which of right is anothers, and thou hast, it may be, unjustly gotten. For to refresh some poor with that which thou hast gotten by the oppressing of others, and thereby possibly made them poor, will turn but to a bad account; it will bring a curse upon thy house, or family, Pro 15:27, or will transfer thy estate over to such strangers that will manage it as thou shouldst have done, Pro 28:8.
That thou bring, i.e. voluntarily, without pressing. Invite, encourage, freely accommodate.
The poor, viz. that are not only needy and necessitous as to their present condition, but helpless and shiftless as to the means of getting out of it.
That are cast out; and thereby become wanderers, having no abiding place; or rather, suffered to abide no where, such are mentioned Heb 11:37,38. Or, this word coming from a root that signifies to rebel, it may be applied to such as have been adjudged, whether wrongfully or no, rebels, and therefore cast out, viz. of favour and protection, and so become as banished ones, or pilgrims in another country; or afflicted, as in the margin, viz. grievously oppressed by the cruelty of great men, whereby they are east out of their possessions, and so become wanderers, seeking relief abroad. To thy house; that thou be hospitable, and make thy house a shelter to them that have none of their own left, but, as we usually say, cast out of house and home: see Act 16:34.
The naked, i.e. either that have no clothes, or that are so meanly clothed that they have scarce enough to cover their nakedness, 1Co 4:11, where naked is to be taken as hunger and thirst is, not absolutely starved, so neither quite stripped; but either in a ragged and undecent condition, as to others sight, or so thinly and insufficiently clothed as not to defend him from the injury of weather, as to his own sense of feeling.
That thou cover him, i.e. that thou give him raiment suited to these wants, or that wherewith he may procure it, Jam 2:15,16; most of these circumstances we find were the eases of the apostles, 1Co 4:11.
That thou hide not thyself; that thou not only seek no occasion to excuse thyself, either by absence, or discountenancing and disowning of him; but that out of compassion thou apply thyself heartily to his speedy relief; that thou be not like that priest and Levite, Luk 10:31,32, but like the good Samaritan, Luk 10:33-35, not giving him occasion to complain as David, Psa 142:4.
From thine own flesh: some confine this to our own kindred, and relations, and family; and this the LXX. seem to favour, who render it, those of thine own house, of thine own seed, overlook not; agreeable to that of 1Ti 5:8, where the apostle useth the same word that the LXX. doth for kindred: but this would confine our charity within too narrow a compass, inasmuch as often, nay, most commonly, the necessities of others are greater than our own; neither is it congruous that the other words should be taken in the greatest latitude, and this alone confined within so narrow a compass. It is true the Hebrews by their own flesh do mostly understand those who are of the same stock, or lineage, and tribe, as Gen 37:27; 2Sa 19:12,13; and thus many understand Pauls meaning, Rom 11:14. But here it is to be taken more generally, for every man, he being thine own nature; and in this latitude our Saviour interprets the relation of neighbour to that lawyer, Luk 10:29,30, &c. We can look on no man but there we contemplate our own flesh; and therefore it is barbarous, not only to tear, but not to love and succour, our own flesh, Neh 5:5. In which soever of these two senses you take it, there is a note of similitude to be understood; so that the sense is this, break thy bread, &c. to them as unto thine own flesh; be not more severe to them than thou wouldst be to thyself; and thus it agrees with that of our Saviour, Mat 22:39, and with that of the apostle, Eph 5:29. In short, feed him as thou wouldst feed thyself, or have it fed; shelter him as thou wouldst shelter thyself, or have it sheltered; clothe him as thou wouldst clothe thyself, or be clothed; if in any of these respects thou wert in his circumstances.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. dealdistribute (Job31:16-21).
cast outrather,reduced [HORSLEY].
naked . . . cover him(Mt 25:36).
hide . . . thyselfmeansto be strange towards them, and not to relieve them in their poverty(Mt 15:5).
fleshkindred (Ge29:14). Also brethren in common descent from Adam, and brethrenin Christ (Jas 2:15).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry?…. Or “to break” f it, divide it, and communicate it to them; that which is “bread”, food fit to eat, wholesome and nourishing; which is thine, and not another’s; which thou hast saved by fasting, and therefore should not be laid up, but given away; and that not to the rich, who need it not, but to the hungry and necessitous: and this may be understood of spiritual bread, of imparting the Gospel to such who are hungering and thirsting after righteousness, which to do is an acceptable service to God; and not to bind and oppress men’s consciences with burdensome rites and ceremonies of men’s own devising. These are husks, and not bread.
And that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house; poor ministers, cast out of the church, cast out of their livings, cast out of their houses, cast out of the land; and other Christian exiles for conscience sake; poor travellers and wanderers, as the Targum, obliged to flee from persecution into foreign countries, and wander about from place to place, having no certain dwelling place; these take into your house, and give them lodging: so some have entertained angels unawares, as Abraham and Lot, as indeed the faithful ministers of Christ are: or,
the poor rebels g; for the word has this signification; such who have been accused and attainted as rebels; who have been charged with being rebels to church and state, though the quiet in the land, and so have been forced to flee and hide themselves; do not be afraid to receive them into your houses, though under such an imputation:
when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; the naked Christian especially; not entirely so, but one that is thinly clothed, whose clothes are scarce anything but rags, not sufficient to keep him warm, or preserve him from the inclemencies of the weather; put a better garment upon him, to cover him with:
and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh; meaning not only those “near akin” h, though more especially them; but such as are in the same neighbourhood, of the same country; and indeed all men are of one blood, and so are the same flesh; and from persons in distress, and especially such as are of the household of faith, of the same religion, that support the same Protestant cause, though differing in some lesser matters, a man should not hide himself, or turn his eyes from, or refuse to relieve them, or treat them with disdain and contempt; see Ga 6:10.
f “nonne ut frangas?” Pagninus; “nonne frangere?” Montanus. g Heb. “rebellatos, expulsos tanquam rebelles”, Piscator; “qui persecutionem patiuntur”, Vitringa. h “a cognatis tuis”, Vatablus. So R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 85. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
7. Is it not to break thy bread to the hungry? He goes on to describe the duties of love of our neighbor, which he had described briefly in the preceding verse; for, having formerly said that we must abstain from every act of injustice, he now shows that we ought to exercise kindness towards the wretched, and those who need our assistance. Uprightness and righteousness are divided into two parts; first, that we should injure nobody; and secondly, that we should bestow our wealth and abundance on the poor and needy. And these two ought to be joined together; for it is not enough to abstain from acts of injustice, if thou refuse thy assistance to the needy; nor will it be of much avail to render thine aid to the needy, if at the same time thou rob some of that which thou bestowest on others. Thou must not relieve thy neighbors by plunder or theft.; and if thou hast committed any act of injustice, or cruelty, or extortion, thou must not, by a pretended compensation, call on God to receive a share of the plunder. These two parts, therefore, must be held together, provided only that we have our love of our neighbor approved and accepted by God.
By commanding them to “break bread to the hungry, (122) he intended to take away every excuse from covetous and greedy men, who allege that they have a right to keep possession of that which is their own. “This is mine, and therefore I may keep it for myself. Why should I make common property of that which God has given me?“ He replies, “It is indeed thine, but on this condition, that thou share it with the hungry and thirsty, not that thou eat it thyself alone.” And indeed this is the dictate of common sense, that the hungry are deprived of their just right, if their hunger is not relieved. That sad spectacle extorts compassion even from the cruel and barbarous. He next enumerates various kinds, which commonly bend hearts of iron to συμπάθειαν fellowfeeling or compassion; that the savage disposition of those who are not moved by feeling for a brother’s poverty and necessity may be the less excusable. At length he concludes —
And that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh. Here we ought to observe the term flesh, by which he means all men universally, not one of whom we can behold, without seeing, as in a mirror, “our own flesh.” It is therefore a proof of the greatest inhumanity, to despise those in whom we are constrained to recognize our own likeness.
(122) Grotius says that “the bread in those countries was such as could be easily ‘broken,’ [like the thin cakes which are still common in the East]; and that to ‘break,’ consequently, meant to ‘impart,’ or to distribute. The phraseology is borrowed from the breaking of the bread which is distributed by the head of a family to the domestics at his table.” — Rosenmuller.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(7) To deal thy bread.Literally, to break bread, as in the familiar phrase of the New Testament (Mat. 26:26; Act. 20:11; Act. 27:34). The bread of the Jews seems to have been made always in the thin oval cakes, which were naturally broken rather than cut.
The poor that are cast out.The words include all forms of homelessnesstenants evicted by their landlords, debtors by their creditors, slaves fleeing from their masters cruelty, the persecuted for righteousness sake, perhaps even political refugees. Note the parallelism with Mat. 25:35-36.
From thine own flesh.Usage, as in Gen. 29:14; Neh. 5:5, leads us to refer the words primarily to suffering Israelites, but those who have learnt that God hath made of one blood all the nations of the earth (Act. 17:26) will extend its range to every form of suffering humanity.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 58:7
Ver. 7. Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry? ] Thine “own bread” it must be, and that especially whereof thou hast on the fast day abridged thyself; for what the rich spare on such a day the poor should spend. Hereby (1.) Men’s prayers shall speed the better; Act 10:4 (2.) They shall make God their debtor; Pro 19:17 (3.) That is best and most pleasing alms to God that is given in Church assemblies; for (1.) It is an ordinance of God, and a Sabbath duty; 1Co 16:1-2 (2.) Christ there sitteth, and seeth the gift and mind of every almsgiver, Luk 21:1-2 setting it down in his book of remembrance. Mal 3:16
And that thou briny the poor that are cast out.
That thou cover him.
And that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh.
a Scultet. Annal.
to deal = to break. The technical term for giving or partaking of food, as in Luk 24:30, Luk 24:35. Act 2:42, Act 2:46; Act 20:7, Act 20:11; Act 27:36. 1Co 10:16; 1Co 11:24. Compare Job 42:11. Lam 4:4. Eze 18:7; Eze 24:17. Hos 9:4.
bread. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Species), for all kinds of food.
poor. Hebrew. ‘anah. See note on Pro 6:11.
hide not. Some codices, with two early printed editions, read “do not thou hide”.
thine own flesh. Reference to Pentateuch (Gen 29:14).
to deal: Isa 58:10, Job 22:7, Job 31:18-21, Psa 112:9, Pro 22:9, Pro 25:21, Pro 28:27, Ecc 11:1, Ecc 11:2, Eze 18:7, Eze 18:16, Dan 4:27, Mat 25:35-40, Luk 11:41, Luk 19:8, Rom 12:20, Rom 12:21, 2Co 9:6-10, 1Ti 5:10, Phm 1:7, Jam 2:15, Jam 2:16, 1Jo 3:17, 1Jo 3:18
bring: Isa 16:3, Isa 16:4, Gen 18:2-5, Gen 19:2, Jdg 19:20, Jdg 19:21, Act 16:15, Act 16:34, Rom 12:13, Heb 13:2, Heb 13:3
cast out: or, afflicted
the naked: 2Ch 28:15, Job 31:19, Job 31:20, Eze 18:7, Mat 25:35-45, Luk 3:11
thine own: Gen 19:14, Jdg 9:2, Neh 5:5, Luk 10:26-36, 1Jo 3:17
Reciprocal: Gen 19:8 – therefore Lev 23:22 – General Deu 14:29 – that the Lord Deu 22:1 – hide thyself Deu 24:19 – may bless Rth 2:14 – At mealtime 2Sa 17:29 – The people Job 24:7 – the naked Job 30:25 – was Job 31:15 – Did not he Job 31:32 – The stranger Psa 18:25 – With the Psa 37:21 – righteous Psa 41:1 – Blessed Psa 103:6 – executeth Pro 11:17 – merciful Pro 11:25 – liberal soul Pro 14:21 – he that hath Pro 19:17 – lendeth Pro 24:11 – General Pro 25:20 – that taketh Pro 28:9 – turneth Son 5:6 – I sought Isa 1:15 – I will Mat 6:2 – when Luk 6:30 – Give Luk 12:17 – shall Luk 14:13 – call Luk 16:9 – Make Act 2:45 – parted Act 10:2 – which Act 20:35 – It is Rom 12:8 – giveth 1Ti 2:8 – lifting 1Ti 5:8 – and specially 1Ti 6:18 – ready Jam 1:27 – To visit
Isa 58:7. Is it not Namely, the fast that pleases me. Having shown the evil they were to abstain from in order to keep an acceptable fast, namely, every species of cruelty, he here proceeds to speak of the duty that was required, namely, the exercise of every kind of mercy, as a necessary fruit of true repentance, Dan 4:27; Luk 19:8. For there are two parts of righteousness toward our neighbour; one, to do wrong to no man; the other, to do good to all: which two must always go together, and never be separated from each other, especially in acts and seasons of humiliation. And, as under the evils here mentioned are comprehended all other evils whatsoever, all which men must abstain from if they would give evidence of true humiliation and godly sorrow, so in the duties here spoken of are comprised all the duties, to the practice of which they ought to apply themselves as the effects of true repentance. To deal The word properly signifies to divide, or to break into parts; thy bread to the hungry Bread is here put for all things necessary for the support of human life, any or every kind of food. And that thou bring the poor Those that are not only needy, as to their present condition, but helpless, and utterly unable to support themselves; that are cast out Forced from their dwellings, deprived of house and harbour by the injustice of the powerful, or by persecution for conscience sake, and who are thereby become wanderers, and have no abiding place; to thy house That thou be hospitable, and make thy house a shelter to them, or provide lodging for them. When thou seest the naked Those that either have no clothes, or are so poorly clothed that their clothing is not sufficient to preserve them from perishing by cold; that thou cover him That thou give them raiment suited to these wants, Jas 2:15-16. And that thou hide not thyself That thou not only seek no occasion to excuse thyself, but that, out of compassion, thou apply thyself heartily and speedily to his relief; that thou be not like the priest and Levite, but like the good Samaritan, Luk 10:31-35. From thine own flesh Some restrain this to our own kindred, but this would confine our charity within too narrow a compass, inasmuch as often, nay, perhaps most commonly, the necessities of others are greater than those of our own relations; neither is it congruous, that the other words here should be taken in the greatest latitude, and this alone be confined within such narrow limits. Our Saviour teaches us to consider every man as our neighbour. And surely we can look on no man but there we contemplate our own flesh; and therefore it is barbarous, not only to tear, but not to love and succour him. Therefore feed him as thou wouldest feed thyself, or be fed; shelter him as thou wouldest shelter thyself, or be sheltered; clothe him as thou wouldest clothe thyself, or be clothed, if in any of these respects thou wert in his circumstances.
58:7 [Is it] not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou shouldest bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou shouldest cover him; and that thou shouldest not hide thyself from {g} thy own flesh?
(g) For in him you see yourself as in a mirror.
Likewise, helping the poor is more important than helping oneself. Feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, and clothing the naked are more important to God than living well oneself. What is the point of fasting if we do not give what we would eat to others? Self-denial should be for others, not for oneself (cf. Mat 25:35; Luk 3:11; Luk 10:31-32; Heb 13:2).
"No religious observance has value for Jehovah that is not supported by a godly, law-abiding life, and compassion towards those in need." [Note: Archer, p. 650.]
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)