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Commentary on Isaiah 51 verses 17–23
God, having awoke for the comfort of his people, here calls upon them to awake, as afterwards, Isa 52:1. It is a call to awake not so much out of the sleep of sin (though that also is necessary in order to their being ready for deliverance) as out of the stupor of despair. When the inhabitants of Jerusalem were in captivity they, as well as those who remained upon the spot, were so overwhelmed with the sense of their troubles that they had no heart or spirit to mind any thing that tended to their comfort or relief; they were as the disciples in the garden, sleeping for sorrow (Luk 22:45), and therefore, when the deliverance came, they are said to have been like those that dream, Psa 136:1. Nay, it is a call to awake, not only from sleep, but from death, like that to the dry bones to live, Eze 37:9. "Awake, and look about thee, that thou mayest see the day of thy deliverance dawn, and mayest be ready to bid it welcome. Recover thy senses; sink not under thy load, but stand up, and bestir thyself for thy own help." This may be applied to the Jerusalem that was in the apostle's time, which is said to have been in bondage with her children (Gal 4:25), and to have been under the power of a spirit of slumber (Rom 11:8); they are called to awake, and mind the things that belonged to their everlasting peace, and then the cup of trembling should be taken out of their hands, peace should be spoken to them, and they should triumph over Satan, who had blinded their eyes and lulled them asleep. Now,
I. It is owned that Jerusalem had long been in a very deplorable condition, and sunk into the depths of misery.
1.She had lain under the tokens of God's displeasure. He had put into her hand the cup of his fury, that is, her share of his displeasure. The dispensations of his providence concerning her had been such that she had reason to think he was angry with her. She had provoked him to anger most bitterly, and was made to taste the bitter fruits of it. The cup of God's fury is, and will be, a cup of trembling to all those that have it put into their hands: damned sinners will find it so to eternity. It is said (Psa 75:8) that the dregs of the cup, the loathsome sediments in the bottom of it, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them; but here Jerusalem, having made herself as the wicked of the earth, is compelled to wring them out and drink them; for wherever there has been a cup of fornication, as there had been in Jerusalem's hand when she was idolatrous, sooner or later there will be a cup of fury, a cup of trembling. Therefore stand in awe and sin not.
2.Those that should have helped her in her distress failed her, and were either unable or unwilling to help her, as might have been expected, Isa 51:18. She is intoxicated with the cup of God's fury, and, being so, staggers, and is very unsteady in her counsels and attempts. She knows not what she says or does, much less knows she what to say or do; and, in this unhappy condition, of all the sons that she has brought forth and brought up, that she was borne and educated (and there were many famous ones, for of Zion it was said that this and that man were born there, Psa 87:5), there is none to guide her, none to take her by the hand to keep her either from falling or from shaming herself, to lend either a hand to help her out of her trouble or a tongue to comfort her under it. Think it not strange if wise and good men are disappointed in their children, and have not that succour from them which they expected, but those that were arrows in their hand prove arrows in their heart, when Jerusalem herself has none of all her sons, prince, priest, nor prophet, that has such a sense either of duty or gratitude as to help her when she has most need of help. Thus they complain, Psa 74:9. There is none to tell us how long. Now that which aggravated this disappointment was, (1.) That her trouble was very great, and yet there was none to pity or help her: These two things have come unto thee (Isa 51:19), to complete thy desolation and destruction, even the famine and the sword, two sore judgments, and very terrible. Or the two things were the desolation and destruction by which the city was wasted and the famine and sword by which the citizens perished. Or the two things were the trouble itself (made up of desolation, destruction, famine, and sword) and her being helpless, forlorn, and comfortless, under it. "Two sad things indeed, to be in this woeful case, and to have none to pity thee, to sympathize with thee in thy griefs, or to help to bear the burden of thy cares, to have none to comfort thee, by suggesting that to thee which might help to alleviate thy grief or doing that for thee which might help to redress thy grievances." Or these two things that had come upon Jerusalem are the same with the two things that were afterwards to come upon Babylon (Isa 47:9), loss of children and widowhood - piteous case, and yet, "when thou hast brought it upon thyself by thy own sin and folly, who shall be sorry for thee? - a case that calls for comfort, and yet, when thou art froward under thy trouble, frettest, and makest thyself uneasy, by whom shall I comfort thee?" Those that will not be counselled cannot be helped. (2.) That those who should have been her comforters were their own tormentors (Isa 51:20): They have fainted, as quite dispirited and driven to despair; they have no patience in which to keep possession of their own souls and the enjoyment of themselves, nor any confidence in God's promise, by which to keep possession of the comfort of that. They throw themselves upon the ground, in vexation at their troubles, and there they lie at the head of all the streets, complaining to all that pass by (Lam 1:12), pining away for want of necessary food; there they lie like a wild bull in a net, fretting and raging, struggling and pulling, to help themselves, but entangling themselves so much the more, and making their condition the worse by their own passions and discontents. Those that are of a meek and quiet spirit are, under affliction, like a dove in a net, people, as their patron and protector, who takes what is done against them a done against himself." The cause of God's people, and of that holy religion which they profess, is a righteous cause, otherwise the righteous God would not appear for it; yet it may for a time be run down, and seem as if it were lost. But God will plead it, either by convincing the consciences or confounding the mischievous projects of those that fight against it. He will plead it by clearing up the equity and excellency of it to the world and by giving success to those that act in defence of it. It is his own cause; he has espoused it, and therefore will plead it with jealousy. 3. That they should shortly take leave of their troubles and bid a final farewell to them: "I will take out of thy hand the cup of trembling, that bitter cup; it shall pass from thee." Throwing away the cup of trembling will not do, nor saying, "We will not, we cannot, drink it;" but, if we patiently submit, he that put it into out hands will himself take it out of our hands. Nay, it is promised, "Thou shalt no more drink it again. God has let fall his controversy with thee, and will not revive the judgment." 4. That their persecutors and oppressors should be made to drink of the same bitter cup of which they had drunk so deeply, Isa 51:23. See here, (1.) How insolently they had abused and trampled upon the people of God: They have said to thy soul, to thee, to thy life, Bow down, that we may go over. Nay, they have said it to thy conscience, taking a pride and pleasure in forcing thee to worship idols. Herein the New Testament Babylon treads in the steps of that old oppressor, tyrannizing over men's consciences, giving law to them, putting them upon the rack, and compelling them to sinful compliances. Those that set up an infallible head and judge, requiring an implicit faith in his dictates and obedience to his commands, do in effect say to men's souls, Bow down, that we may go over, and they say it with delight. (2.) How meanly the people of God (having by their sin lost much of their courage and sense of honour) truckled to them: Thou hast laid thy body as the ground. Observe, The oppressors required souls to be subjected to them, that every man should believe and worship just as they would have them. But all they could gain by their threats and violence was that people laid their bodies on the ground; they brought them to an external and hypocritical conformity, but conscience cannot be forced, nor is it mentioned to their praise that they yielded thus far. But observe, (3.) How justly God will reckon with those who have carried it so imperiously towards his people: The cup of trembling shall be put into their hand. Babylon's case shall be as bad as ever Jerusalem's was. Daniel's persecutors shall be thrown into Daniel's den; let them see how they like it. And the Lord is known by these judgments which he executes.
(Vers. 17 seqq.) Lift up, lift up, arise, O Jerusalem, who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath: you have drunk to the dregs the cup of sleep, and have drained it to the bottom. There is no one to support her among all the sons she has borne, and there is no one to take her by the hand among all the sons she has brought up. There are two things that have befallen you; who will grieve over you? devastation and destruction, famine and sword: who will comfort you? Arise, arise, O Jerusalem, which have drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury. For thou hast drunken the cup of ruin and the dregs of the cup of fury: thou hast utterly drained it. And there is none to comfort thee among all the sons whom thou hast brought forth; neither is there any that taketh hold of thy hand, of all the sons that thou hast raised up. These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: who shall comfort thee? I often taught that Jerusalem and Zion are synonymous: of which Zion, which is interpreted as a watchtower, is called a fortress because it is located on a mountain: but the rest of the city, Jerusalem, which was previously called Jebus and Salem: which now the Prophet exhorts to rise, which previously fell into denial, saying in the Passion of the Lord: Crucify, crucify such [a man]: we have no king but Caesar (John 19:15): and let her repent, and feel the evils of captivity, why she offended her Creator. Doctors usually provide the most bitter antidote, which is named from its taste, to a nauseous stomach, so that it may expel harmful substances and be able to pass through the cooked and digested foods into the intestine, which the quantity of phlegm did not allow to be digested. Therefore, both Jerusalem, which drinks from the cup of the Lord's wrath, and from his κόνδυ, which Symmachus interpreted as a wine bowl, and which according to the book of Genesis, Joseph ordered to be hidden in his brother Benjamin's sack (Gen. XLIV), is ordered to rise up from drunkenness because she has drunk and emptied it, and has drunk it until the dregs: which three have indicated in one word, Ἐξεστράγγισας. Here is the chalice about which we read in Psalms: The chalice in the hand of the Lord is full of mixed wine. And he poured from this into that, but its dregs were not emptied: all the sinners of the earth will drink. (Psalm 74:9, 10). God also speaks about this to Jeremiah: Take the chalice of mixed wine from my hand, and you will offer it to all the nations to which I send you. And they will drink and vomit, and become insane because of the sword that I will send among them. (Jeremiah 25:15, 16). And when he says that he came near to other nations, and to Jerusalem, and to the cities of Judah, he declares: Thus says the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel: Drink and get drunk, and vomit, and fall down before the sword that I will send among you (Jer. 25:27). And it should be noted that this cup of the fury of the Lord is his sword, which is sent in the midst of sins. From this a question arises: how can it be said in Jeremiah that Jerusalem cannot rise up after drinking, drunkenness, vomiting, and ruin, and now through Isaiah it says to her: Lift up, lift up, rise up Jerusalem. This is how it is resolved: As long as someone drinks from the cup and becomes intoxicated and insane, and vomits and falls, they cannot rise, for they have not yet drunk the cup of the Lord, nor have they reached the dregs, so as to drink it to the bottom. But now concerning Jerusalem from the past, it says: you have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury, and not the one you are drinking. At the same time, it must be considered that neither a prophet nor an Apostle has been in Judea who could have comforted him and taken hold of his hand and raised him up while he was lying down. From which it is evident that these things are said after the last captivity; otherwise the history relates that Ezekiel and the other prophets had it while in Babylon and after Babylon. But what he says: There are two things that have happened to you, or rather these two things that have opposed you: who will be sorrowful for you? And instead of two, he presents four: devastation and destruction, famine and sword: this is similar to what is sung in the Psalter: God has spoken once, these two things I have heard: that power belongs to God, and to you, O Lord, mercy: for you will render to each one according to his works (Psalm 62:11-12). And there, indeed, God speaks once, that he is omnipotent, and the two prophets hear that his omnipotence prevails on both sides, so that he may grant mercy to the penitent and render the punishments they deserve to those who persist in sin. Similarly, in another place, two occurrences of Jerusalem are found, each of which has two things. For ruin or devastation is followed by contrition, and death by famine and sword. We can understand these things in an analogical and spiritual sense, referring to the sinful soul that, unwilling to drink the cup of the Lord's fury, says in the psalm: Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath (Ps. 6:1). But if he drinks, it is good for him to feel his own punishments, and to hear the Lord saying: When the anger of my fury has passed, I will heal again. And elsewhere: Shall the one who falls not rise again, says the Lord (Jeremiah 8:4)?
By “two,” he means the bravery of the adversaries and the desertion of the auxiliaries: while the former attack with courage, the others flee in a cowardly fashion. “Downfall and destruction.” He has again presented two calamities: that of falling and that of being crushed. For sometimes a person falls without being struck. “Famine and sword.” Again a double chastisement: if the first make a siege from the city of the outside, even harder to endure than the enemies was the famine that was within, annihilating them.
“These two things have befallen you,” that is, they have befallen you because of your sins. You have abandoned God, and you have followed the idols; that is why two punishments have come over you, “famine and sword,” because “devastation” comes from the sword and “destruction” from famine.
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SUMMARY
Isaiah 51:19 presents a deeply poignant lament for Jerusalem, personified as a suffering woman, overwhelmed by a confluence of devastating calamities: desolation, destruction, famine, and the sword. The verse powerfully conveys the profound extent of her anguish and isolation through two rhetorical questions, "who shall be sorry for thee?" and "by whom shall I comfort thee?", highlighting the utter absence of human solace and implicitly pointing to the divine as the only ultimate source of comfort and deliverance from such overwhelming distress.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse is situated within a larger section of Isaiah (chapters 40-66) often referred to as the "Book of Comfort" or "Second Isaiah," addressed primarily to the exiled Israelites in Babylon. While much of this section speaks of future restoration and God's faithfulness, Isaiah 51:17-23 vividly recalls the past and present distress of Jerusalem. Prior to this verse, Jerusalem is pictured as having drunk the "cup of trembling" and the "dregs of the cup of staggering" in Isaiah 51:17, a potent metaphor for God's wrath poured out due to her transgressions. Verse 19 underscores the severity of this judgment, highlighting the absence of anyone to offer solace during these dire circumstances, thus setting the stage for the dramatic shift in tone that immediately follows, where God promises to remove the cup of wrath from Jerusalem and give it to her tormentors in Isaiah 51:22-23.
Historical & Cultural Context: The prophet Isaiah is speaking to a people who have experienced the catastrophic consequences of divine judgment, specifically the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC and the subsequent Babylonian exile. The calamities listed – "desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword" – are not abstract concepts but vivid realities of siege warfare and invasion in the ancient Near East. Such events led to widespread death, starvation, and the complete breakdown of societal structures, leaving cities in utter ruin. The personification of Jerusalem as a woman who has no one to comfort her reflects the cultural understanding of a city as a mother figure, whose suffering would evoke profound pity, yet in this case, none is found. This deeply resonates with the historical trauma of a city laid waste and its people dispersed.
Key Themes: Isaiah 51:19 powerfully articulates several key themes. Firstly, it emphasizes the severity of divine judgment and its devastating consequences for a people who have strayed from their covenant with God. The fourfold list of calamities paints a comprehensive picture of national catastrophe. Secondly, the rhetorical questions underscore the theme of profound suffering and helplessness, depicting Jerusalem's complete isolation and inability to find relief or sympathy from any human quarter. This highlights the depth of her anguish and the overwhelming nature of her distress. Finally, while bleak, the verse implicitly sets the stage for the overarching theme of God's ultimate and exclusive comfort. The question "by whom shall I comfort thee?" subtly points to the fact that only God Himself possesses the power and compassion to provide true comfort and deliverance from such overwhelming distress, a promise that is explicitly developed in the subsequent verses and throughout the broader "Book of Comfort" in Isaiah 40-66, beginning with the foundational call to "Comfort, comfort my people".
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Isaiah 51:19 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its profound message. Personification is central, as Jerusalem is addressed as "thee," a suffering woman who has no one to comfort her, intensifying the emotional impact of her plight. The use of Rhetorical Questions ("who shall be sorry for thee?" and "by whom shall I comfort thee?") is highly effective. These questions are not meant to be answered by human agents but rather to underscore the utter hopelessness of finding comfort from any earthly source, thereby implicitly pointing to God as the only true Comforter. The list of calamities – "desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword" – functions as a Merism or Tetralogy, a literary technique where a comprehensive reality is conveyed by listing its constituent parts. This fourfold enumeration creates a sense of overwhelming, all-encompassing devastation, leaving no aspect of life untouched by suffering.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 51:19 serves as a stark reminder of the profound consequences of sin and the severity of divine judgment, yet it simultaneously sets the stage for the overarching theme of God's ultimate faithfulness and comfort. The overwhelming nature of Jerusalem's suffering, depicted as beyond human solace, underscores a universal theological truth: there are depths of human anguish and consequences of sin that only God can address. This verse highlights humanity's utter dependence on divine intervention for true comfort and restoration, especially when facing the overwhelming effects of spiritual and physical brokenness. It is a testament to the fact that while God allows judgment, His ultimate character is one of compassion and a desire to comfort His people, demonstrating that His comfort is not merely a balm, but a transformative power that can reverse even the most dire desolation.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Isaiah 51:19, though rooted in the specific historical suffering of ancient Jerusalem, resonates deeply with the universal human experience of profound suffering and feeling utterly alone in distress. There are moments in life when trials seem to converge, when personal "desolation, destruction, famine, and sword" (whether literal or metaphorical) overwhelm us to the point that human comfort, however well-intentioned, feels insufficient or entirely absent. This verse reminds us that such moments of acute vulnerability and isolation are not foreign to the human condition. For believers, it serves as a powerful pointer: when all earthly sources of comfort fail, when friends or family cannot truly comprehend or alleviate our pain, and when our circumstances seem beyond human remedy, our gaze must be directed upward. It is in these moments of utter helplessness that we are most powerfully reminded that God alone is the ultimate source of comfort and deliverance, the one who truly understands our anguish and possesses the power to restore. This passage encourages us to seek Him with renewed fervor when all other wells run dry, trusting in His ultimate promise to comfort His people and wipe away every tear.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What are the "two things" mentioned in the verse?
Answer: While the text literally states "These two things," the subsequent enumeration lists four distinct calamities: "desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword." This is likely a rhetorical device to emphasize the comprehensive and overwhelming nature of the judgment. The "two things" could refer to two categories of suffering (e.g., internal and external devastation, or the double blow of siege and its aftermath), or simply be a stylistic way of introducing a complete set of woes, highlighting the sheer magnitude of the distress that has come upon Jerusalem. The point is the totality of the suffering, not a precise numerical count.
Why is there no one to comfort Jerusalem?
Answer: The rhetorical questions "who shall be sorry for thee?" and "by whom shall I comfort thee?" emphasize the profound depth of Jerusalem's suffering and isolation. It's not necessarily that there were literally no sympathetic individuals, but rather that the scale of the catastrophe was so immense that any human comfort would be utterly inadequate. The judgment was so severe, so comprehensive, that it left Jerusalem in a state of unparalleled desolation. This rhetorical device serves to underscore the hopelessness of the situation from a human perspective, thereby implicitly pointing to the necessity of divine comfort as the only true and sufficient solace.
How does this verse relate to God's promise of comfort in Isaiah?
Answer: Isaiah 51:19, with its bleak depiction of Jerusalem's suffering and lack of human comfort, serves as a crucial backdrop for the profound promises of divine comfort found throughout the "Book of Comfort" in Isaiah 40-66. The rhetorical question "by whom shall I comfort thee?" implicitly answers itself: only God can provide true comfort. Immediately following this verse, in Isaiah 51:22-23, God explicitly declares that He will remove the "cup of trembling" from Jerusalem and give it to her tormentors. This verse, therefore, highlights the desperate need for comfort, making God's subsequent intervention and promises of restoration all the more powerful and gracious, fulfilling the opening call to "Comfort, comfort my people".
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Isaiah 51:19, with its vivid portrayal of Jerusalem's desolation and the agonizing cry for comfort, finds its ultimate and profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The "desolation, destruction, famine, and sword" that afflicted Jerusalem are but shadows of the spiritual desolation and death that humanity experiences under the curse of sin. Humanity, like Jerusalem, was utterly helpless, without a comforter capable of delivering from the overwhelming consequences of sin. Yet, into this profound human need, God sent His Son. Jesus, the true Lamb of God, willingly drank the "cup of trembling" on the cross, enduring the ultimate "desolation" and "destruction" of divine wrath, so that we might be comforted. He became sin for us, as 2 Corinthians 5:21 declares, experiencing profound abandonment, crying out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?", to provide us with an eternal Comforter, the Holy Spirit, as promised in John 14:16. Through His sacrifice, Jesus became the one by whom God truly comforts His people, not merely from physical calamities but from the spiritual death that is the ultimate "sword" of judgment. He is the "God of all comfort" as articulated in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, who ultimately promises to "wipe away every tear from their eyes" and bring an end to all "desolation" and "destruction" in the new heaven and new earth.