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Isaiah 61

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The Mission of the Anointed Servant 1–3

1
The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me; because Jehovah hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; ​
2
to proclaim the year of Jehovah’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; ​
3
to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, that he may be glorified. ​

Restoration and the Everlasting Covenant 4–9

4
And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. ​
5
And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and foreigners shall be your plowmen and your vine-dressers.
6
But ye shall be named the priests of Jehovah; men shall call you the ministers of our God: ye shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. ​
7
Instead of your shame ye shall have double; and instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess double; everlasting joy shall be unto them. ​
8
For I, Jehovah, love justice, I hate robbery with iniquity; and I will give them their recompense in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. ​
9
And their seed shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which Jehovah hath blessed.

A Song of Joy and Future Glory 10–11

10
I will greatly rejoice in Jehovah, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with a garland, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. ​
11
For as the earth bringeth forth its bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord Jehovah will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Isaiah 61

Verse 1

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me — 'Anointed' is mashach, to anoint, from which 'Messiah' takes its name; the Spirit rests on the speaker as on the Servant in Isa 42:1, 'I have put my spirit upon him'. Christ read these words at Nazareth and said, 'This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears' (Luke 4:21). 'Liberty' (deror) is the jubilee word of Lev 25:10.

Verse 2

the acceptable year of the LORD — 'Acceptable' is ratson, favour, the word of 'accepted upon mine altar' (Isa 56:7) and 'in my favour have I had mercy' (Isa 60:10). It sits beside 'the day of vengeance of our God', as in 'the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come' (Isa 63:4). 'Blessed are they that mourn' (Matt 5:4).

Verse 3

beauty for ashes — Pe'er, a head-dress, set against epher, ashes: the 'goodly bonnets' of Aaron's sons (Ex 39:28) and the 'tire' of the head the mourner is told to put on in Ezek 24:17. 'Trees' is elim, oaks (Isa 1:29), so the mourners become oaks of righteousness; 'the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified' repeats Isa 60:21.

Verse 4

they shall build the old wastes — The words of Isa 58:12, 'build the old waste places', now describe the work of those anointed and comforted. 'Wastes' (chorbah) is the word of 'he will comfort all her waste places' (Isa 51:3). Ezek 36:36 names who does it: 'I the LORD build the ruined places'.

Verse 6

the Priests of the LORD — The promise of Sinai, 'a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation' (Ex 19:6), is spoken to the whole people. 'Ministers' is sharat, the word used of strangers in Isa 56:6 and of nations in 60:7, 10. 'Riches' (chayil) is the wealth of 60:5. Peter says to the church, 'a royal priesthood, an holy nation' (1 Pet 2:9).

Verse 7

for your shame ye shall have double — 'Double' is mishneh, the word of 'I will render double unto thee' (Zech 9:12); the same promise to Zion is in Isa 40:2, 'received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins' (kephel). 'Confusion' (kelimmah) is the word rendered 'shame' in 'I hid not my face from shame and spitting' (Isa 50:6).

Verse 8

I hate robbery for burnt offering — Gazel, plunder: an offering made from what was taken by force, like 'the sacrifice of the wicked' (Prov 21:27). The LORD 'love judgment' (mishpat), as 'the LORD loveth judgment' (Ps 37:28). 'Work' is pe'ullah, work and its wage, paired with 'reward' in Isa 40:10; 'everlasting covenant' repeats Isa 55:3.

Verse 10

the robe of righteousness — Me'il, robe, is the word for the 'cloke' of zeal in Isa 59:17, where the LORD put on righteousness and vengeance; here he clothes his people with 'salvation' and 'righteousness'. 'Decketh' is kahan, the verb of the priest's office, so the bridegroom is dressed as in v.6. 'The fine linen is the righteousness of saints' (Rev 19:8).

Verse 11

cause righteousness and praise to spring forth — Tsamach, to sprout, is the verb of 'maketh it bring forth and bud' (Isa 55:10) and 'thine health shall spring forth speedily' (Isa 58:8). 'Praise' (tehillah) is the name of the gates in 60:18 and the 'garment of praise' of v.3. Christ says, 'the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself' (Mark 4:28).