Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 59:18
According to [their] deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense.
18. According to their deeds ] Or deserts. The word means simply an accomplished deed, either in a good or bad sense; but it is chiefly used in expressions which imply a reference to reward or retribution. In the next line it denotes the recompence itself (cf. ch. Isa 35:4).
According to accordingly ] The form of the comparative sentence is hardly grammatical. The compound preposition which introduces both protasis and apodosis has in the second case no noun to govern, and it cannot be treated either as a conjunction or as an adverb. We must either (with Dillmann) omit “accordingly” as dittography, or (with Duhm) change “he will repay” into a noun; rendering, “as the deserts so the retribution.” The sentence, however, would read awkwardly without a verb.
to the islands he will repay recompence ] The clause seems to identify the “adversaries” and “enemies” of Jehovah with the “islands” (cf. Isa 41:1), i.e. the heathen world; but that is almost certainly a misinterpretation of the sense of the passage. If there is any connexion with the earlier part of the discourse, the “adversaries” spoken of must be the apostate Jews, those who by their sins hindered the coming of salvation. The prophet cannot mean that because Israel’s sin has separated it from Jehovah, therefore judgement will descend on the heathen. Apart from this clause, indeed, there is nothing in the context to suggest the thought of a world-judgement, although of course the conception of a judgement beginning with Israel and extending to the nations is possible (see on ch. Isa 3:13). The words, however, are wanting in the LXX., and the verse would be greatly simplified by their removal. Their insertion is easily accounted for through a misunderstanding of Isa 59:19.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
18 20. The consequences of Jehovah’s interposition.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
According to their deeds – The general sentiment of this verse is plain, though there is not a little difficulty in the construction of the Hebrew. Lowth pronounces the former part of the verse, as it stands in the Hebrew text, to be absolutely unintelligible. By a slight change in the Hebrew as it now stands (reading baal, lord, instead of keal as according to), Lowth supposes that he has obtained the true sense, and accordingly translates it:
He is mighty to recompense;
He that is mighty to recompense shall requite.
This translation is substantially according to the Chaldee, but there is no authority from manuscripts to change the text in this place. Nor is it necessary. The particle keal occurs as a preposition in Isa 63:7, in the sense of as according to, or according to, and is similar in its form to the word meal, which often occurs in the sense of from above, or from upon Gen 24:64; Gen 40:19; Isa 34:16; Jer 36:11; Amo 7:11. The sense of the verse before us is, that God would inflict just punishment on his enemies. It is a general sentiment, applicable alike to the deliverance from Babylon and the redemption of his church and people at all times. In order to effect the deliverance of his people it was necessary to take vengeance on those who had oppressed and enslaved them. So in order to redeem his church, it is often necessary to inflict punishment on the nations that oppose it, or to remove by death the adversaries that stand in his way. This punishment is inflicted strictly according to their deeds. The principal thought here is, undoubtedly, that as they had opposed and oppressed the people of God, so he would take vengeance on them. He would remove his enemies, and prepare the way in this manner for the coming of his kingdom.
To the islands – On the use of the word islands in Isaiah, see the notes at Isa 41:1. The idea here is, that he would repay recompence or take vengeance on the foreign nations which had oppressed them.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 18. According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay – “He is mighty to recompense; he that is mighty to recompense will requite”] The former part of this verse, as it stands at present in the Hebrew text, seems to me to be very imperfect, and absolutely unintelligible. The learned Vitringa has taken a great deal of pains upon it after Cocceius, who he says is the only one of all the interpreters, ancient or modern, who has at all understood it, and has opened the way for him. He thinks that both of them together have clearly made out the sense; I do not expect that any third person will ever be of that opinion. He says, Videtur sententia ad verbum sonare: quasi propter facta [adversariorum] quasi propter rependet; excandescentiam, c., et sic reddidit Pagnimus. “According to the height of their demerits, he will repay them to the height: fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies,” c. – Waterland. This he converts, by a process which will not much edify my reader, into Secundum summe merita, secundum summe (merita) rependet which is his translation. They that hold the present Hebrew text to be absolutely infallible must make their way through it as they can but they ought surely to give us somewhat that has at least the appearance of sense. However, I hope the case here is not quite desperate; the Chaldee leads us very fairly to the correction of the text, which is both corrupted and defective. The paraphrase runs thus: marey gumlaiya hu gimla yeshallem, “The Lord of retribution, he will render recompense.” He manifestly read baal instead of keal. marey gumlaiya is baal gemuloth; as marey merirutha is baal aph. Pr 22:24. And so in the Chaldee paraphrase on Isa 35:4: marey gamlaiya yeya hu yithgeley, “The Lord of retribution, Jehovah himself, shall be revealed;” words very near to those of the prophet in this place.
The second keal, which the Chaldee has omitted, must be read baal likewise. With this only addition to the Chaldee, which the Hebrew text justifies, we are supplied with the following clear reading of the passage: –
hu gemuloth baal
yeshallem gemuloth baal
The Lord of retributions he
The Lord of retributions, shall repay.
The caph in keal twice seems to have been at first beth, in MS. This verse in the Septuagint is very imperfect. In the first part of it they give us no assistance: the latter part is wholly omitted in the printed copies; but it is thus supplied by MSS. Pachom. and I. D. II: . – L.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Deeds, Heb. recompences or deserts, i.e. he will recompense his adversaries with those effects of his fury that they have deserved.
Fury; a metonymy of the efficient, for the effects of his fury.
Islands; or, islanders; a metonymy of the containing for the contained; either Mesopotamia, and other adjacent islands, encompassed by Tigris and Euphrates; or those remoter nations (for the Hebrews call nations remote from Judea islands, Gen 10:5; Isa 41:1. See Poole “Isa 20:6“, and the reason of it) under the king of Babylon, that thought themselves secure.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. deedsHebrew,“recompenses”; “according as their deeds demand“[MAURER]. This versepredicts the judgments at the Lord’s second coming, which shallprecede the final redemption of His people (Isa 66:18;Isa 66:15; Isa 66:16).
islands(See on Isa41:1). Distant countries.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay,…. As the enemies of his people have treated them, so will the Lord deal with them; as they have shed their blood, he will, according to the laws of retribution and retaliation, give them blood to drink, as they deserve. The whore of Rome shall be rewarded as the followers of Christ have been rewarded by her, and double shall be rendered to her double, according to her works, Re 16:6:
fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies: the church’s adversaries and enemies are Christ’s, and so he esteems them; and therefore his wrath and fury is poured out by way of recompence to them, for all the ill they have done them, even the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath, Re 16:19:
to the islands he will repay recompence; even to those who dwell in the more distant and remote parts of the antichristian jurisdiction; for when the cup of wrath shall be given to Babylon every island will flee away, Re 16:20.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
18. As if on account of recompenses. He confirms the statement of the preceding verse; for he shows what will be the nature of that vengeance with which he had clothed the Lord; namely, that he is prepared to render recompense to his enemies. We must attend to the reason why the Prophet describes the Lord as thus armed, indignant, and ready for vengeance. It is, because the salvation of the Church is connected with the destruction of the wicked; and therefore God must be armed against the enemies who wish to destroy us.
Hence we see God’s infinite love toward us, who loves us so ardently that he bears hostility to our enemies, and declares that he will render recompense to them. So strong is his affection to his little flock, that he sets a higher value on them than on the whole world. This is the reason why he says that he will render recompense to the islands, that is, to countries beyond the sea and far off; for, in order to deliver his people, he overthrew monarchies that were powerful, and that appeared to be invincible. But, although here he mentions none but mortal men, still we must begin with Satan, who is their head.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(18) To his adversaries . . .The judgment is generally against all, in Israel or outside it, who come under this description. The word islands is used, as elsewhere, for far-off lands. The words point to every such judgment, from that of Cyrus to the great final day.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
18. According deeds he will repay Dealing fury, terrible retribution, but only to the incorrigible.
To the islands See chap. Isa 41:1. To the western heathen world-power, Rome, embracing the world now or soon to be in complicity with apostate Israel in throwing down all righteous equity and judgment.
He The Eternal Jehovah. Review the course of thought thus far in the chapter. The points are: Keen self-reproach on account of sins; dark descriptions of characters on this head, followed by sorrowful confession and admissions of apostasy on the part of the great mass of Israel; the crucible of judgment is employed; worthless dross is rejected; genuine material is preserved.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Isa 59:18. According to their deeds According to the height of their demerits, he will repay them to the height; fury to his adversaries, &c.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Isa 59:18 According to [their] deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.
Ver. 18. Fury to his adversaries, ] viz., The devil and his agents, his people’s adversaries.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
islands = maritime countries. See note on Isa 11:11.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
According: Isa 63:6, Job 34:11, Psa 18:24-26, Psa 62:12, Jer 17:10, Jer 50:29, Mat 16:27, Rom 2:6, Rev 20:12, Rev 20:13
deeds: Heb. recompences
fury: Isa 1:24, Isa 49:25, Isa 49:26, Isa 63:3, Isa 63:6, Isa 66:15, Psa 21:8, Psa 21:9, Lam 4:11, Eze 5:13, Eze 6:12, Eze 38:18, Nah 1:2, Luk 19:27, Luk 21:22, Rev 16:19, Rev 19:15
Reciprocal: Gen 10:5 – isles Lev 26:28 – in fury Deu 7:10 – repayeth Deu 32:41 – I will Psa 45:4 – right Ecc 3:14 – God doeth it Isa 34:8 – General Isa 40:15 – the isles Isa 47:3 – I will take Isa 61:2 – and Isa 66:6 – a voice of the Lord Jer 51:56 – the Lord Eze 23:49 – they shall Eze 39:24 – General Hos 12:2 – according to his doings Joe 3:4 – swiftly Act 2:35 – thy foes Rom 11:9 – a recompense
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
59:18 According to [their] deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the {r} isles he will repay recompence.
(r) That is, your enemies who dwell in various places, and beyond the sea.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
God would take vengeance on His enemies and on those forces that opposed His people. He would pay them back according to their dealings. While the context refers to deliverance from sin in a general sense, the reference to the coastlands suggests that the Lord will also defend and deliver Israel from Gentile opponents (at His second coming). Ultimately, of course, the Lord will subdue every enemy of His.