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Commentary on Isaiah 52 verses 1–6
Here, I. God's people are stirred up to appear vigorous for their own deliverance, Isa 52:1, Isa 52:2. They had desired that God would awake and put on his strength, Isa 51:9. Here he calls upon them to awake and put on their strength, to bestir themselves; let them awake from their despondency, and pluck up their spirits, encourage themselves and one another with the hope that all will be well yet, and no longer succumb and sink under their burden. Let them awake from their distrust, look above them, look about them, look into the promises, look into the providences of God that were working for them, and let them raise their expectations of great things from God. Let them awake from their dullness, sluggishness, and incogitancy, and raise up their endeavours, not to take any irregular courses for their own relief, contrary to the law of nations concerning captives, but to use all likely means to recommend themselves to the favour of the conqueror and make an interest with him. God here gives them an assurance, 1. That they should be reformed by their captivity: There shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean (Isa 52:1); their idolatrous customs should be no more introduced, or at least not harboured; for when by the marriage of strange wives, in Ezra's time and Nehemiah's, the unclean crept in, they were soon by the vigilance and zeal of the magistrates expelled again, and care was taken that Jerusalem should be a holy city. Thus the gospel Jerusalem is purified by the blood of Christ and the grace of God, and made indeed a holy city. 2. That they should be relieved and rescued out of their captivity, that the bands of their necks should be loosed, that they should not now be any longer oppressed, nay, that they should not be any more invaded, as they had been: There shall no more come against thee (so it may be read) the uncircumcised and the clean. The heathen shall not again enter into God's sanctuary and profane his temple, Psa 79:1. This must be understood with a condition. If they keep close to God, and keep in with him, God will keep off, will keep out of the enemy; but, if they again corrupt themselves, Antiochus will profane their temple and the Romans will destroy it. However, for some time they shall have peace. And to this happy change, now approaching, they are here called to accommodate themselves. (1.) Let them prepare for joy: "Put on thy beautiful garments, no longer to appear in mourning weeds and the habit of thy widowhood. Put on a new face, a smiling countenance, now that a new and pleasant scene begins to open." The beautiful garments were laid up then, when the harps were hung on the willow trees; but, now there is occasion for both, let both be resumed together. "Put on thy strength, and, in order to that, put on thy beautiful garments, in token of triumph and rejoicing." Note, The joy of the Lord will be our strength (Neh 8:10), and our beautiful garments will serve for armour of proof against the darts of temptation and trouble. And observe, Jerusalem must put on her beautiful garments when she becomes a holy city, for the beauty of holiness is the most amiable beauty, and the more holy we are the more cause we have to rejoice. (2.) Let them prepare for liberty: "Shake thyself from the dust in which thou hast lain, and into which thy proud oppressors have trodden thee (Isa 51:23), or into which thou hast in thy extreme sorrow rolled thyself." Arise, and set up; so it may be read. "O Jerusalem! prepare to get clear of all the marks of servitude thou hast been under and to shift thy quarters: Loose thyself from the bands of thy neck; be inspired with generous principles and resolutions to assert thy own liberty." The gospel proclaims liberty to those who were bound with fears and makes it their duty to take hold of their liberty. Let those who have been weary and heavily laden under the burden of sin, finding relief in Christ, shake themselves from the dust of their doubts and fears and loose themselves from those bands; for, if the Son make them free, they shall be free indeed.
II. God stirs up himself to appear jealous for the deliverance of his people. He here pleads their cause with himself, and even stirs up himself to come and save them, for his reasons of mercy are fetched from himself. Several things he here considers.
1.That the Chaldeans who oppressed them never acknowledged God in the power they gained over his people, any more than Sennacherib did, who, when God made use of him as an instrument for the correction and reformation of his people, meant not so, Isa 10:6, Isa 10:7. "You have sold yourselves for nought; you got nothing by it, nor did I," Isa 52:3. (God considers that when they by sin had sold themselves he himself, who had the prior, nay, the sole, title to them, did not increase his wealth by their price, Psa 44:12. They did not so much as pay their debts to him with it; the Babylonians gave him no thanks for them, but rather reproached and blasphemed his name upon that account.) "And therefore they, having so long had you for nothing, shall at last restore you for nothing: You shall be redeemed without price," as was promised, Isa 45:13. Those that give nothing must expect to get nothing; however, God is a debtor to no man.
2.That they had been often before in similar distress, had often smarted for a time under the tyranny of their task-masters, and therefore it was a pity that they should now be left always in the hand of these oppressors (Isa 52:4): "My people went down into Egypt, in an amicable way to settle there; but they enslaved them, and ruled them with rigour." And then they were delivered, notwithstanding the pride, and power, and policies of Pharaoh. And why may we not think God will deliver his people now? At other times the Assyrian oppressed the people of God without cause, as when the ten tribes were carried away captive by the king of Assyria; soon afterwards Sennacherib, another Assyrian, with a destroying army oppressed and made himself master of all the defenced cities of Judah. The Babylonians might not unfitly be called Assyrians, their monarchy being a branch of the Assyrians; and they now oppressed them without cause. Though God was righteous in delivering them into their hands, they were unrighteous in using them as they did, and could not pretend a dominion over them as their subjects, as Pharaoh might when they were settled in Goshen, part of his kingdom. When we suffer by the hands of wicked and unreasonable men it is some comfort to be able to say that as to them it is without cause, that we have not given them any provocation, Psa 7:3-5, etc.
3.That God's glory suffered by the injuries that were done to his people (Isa 52:5): What have I here, what do I get by it, that my people are taken away for nought? God is not worshipped as he used to be in Jerusalem, his altar there is gone and his temple in ruins; but if, in lieu of that, he were more and better worshipped in Babylon, either by the captives or by the natives, it were another matter - God might be looked upon as in some respects a gainer in his honour by it; but, alas! it is not so. (1.) The captives are so dispirited that they cannot praise him; instead of this they are continually howling, which grieves him and moves his pity; Those that rule over them make them to howl, as the Egyptians of old made them to sigh, Exo 2:23. So the Babylonians now, using them more hardly, extorted from them louder complaints and made them to howl. This gives us no pleasing idea of the temper the captives were now in; their complaints were not so rational and pious as they should have been, but brutish rather; they howled, Hos 7:14. However God heard them, and came down to deliver them, as he did out of Egypt, Exo 3:7, Exo 3:8. (2.) The natives are so insolent that they will not praise him, but, instead of that, they are continually blaspheming, which affronts him and moves his anger. They boasted that they were too hard for God because they were too hard for his people, and set him at defiance, as unable to deliver them, and thus his name continually every day was blasphemed among them. When they praised their own idols they lifted up themselves against the Lord of heaven, Dan 5:23. "Now," says God, "this is not to be suffered. I will go down to deliver them; for what honour, what rent, what tribute of praise have I from the world, when my people, who should be to me for a name and praise, are to me for a reproach? For their oppressors will neither praise God themselves nor let them do it." The apostle quotes this with application to the wicked lives of the Jews, by which God was dishonoured among the Gentiles then, as much as now he was by their sufferings, Rom 2:23, Rom 2:24.
4.That his glory would be greatly manifested by their deliverance (Isa 52:6): "Therefore, because my name is thus blasphemed, I will arise, and my people shall know my name, my name Jehovah." By this name he had made himself known in delivering them out of Egypt, Exo 6:3. God will do something to vindicate his own honour, something for his great name; and his people, who have almost lost the knowledge of it, shall know it to their comfort and shall find it their strong tower. They shall know that God's providence governs the world, and all the affairs of it, that it is he who speaks deliverance for them by the word of his power, that it is he who speaks deliverance for them by the word of his power, that it is he only, who at first spoke and it was done. They shall know that God's word, which Israel is blessed with above other nations, shall without fail have its accomplishment in due season, that it is he who speaks by the prophet; it is he, and they do not speak of themselves; for not one iota or tittle of what they say shall fall to the ground.
(Verse 4 and following) Because thus says the Lord God: My people went down into Egypt at the beginning, to dwell there as strangers: and Assur without any cause has oppressed them. And now what have I here, says the Lord? For my people have been taken away for nothing: their rulers have acted unjustly, says the Lord, and my name is constantly blasphemed all day long. Therefore, on that day my people shall know my name, because I myself am the one who spoke, behold, I am here. LXX: For thus says the Lord: My people went down into Egypt to sojourn there, and they became slaves in Assyria. And now, what will happen here, says the Lord? For my people have been taken away for no reason; you marvel and wail. Thus says the Lord: Because of you, my name is constantly blasphemed among the nations. Therefore, on that day, my people will know my name, for I myself am present. He reproaches the people of Judah and predicts what is to come. Those who descended to Egypt by their own will and travelled in the land of Goshen during a time of necessity and famine (Genesis XLVII): later suffered slander by the Assyrians, whom they had not harmed, and were taken into captivity in Babylon (2 Kings XVII, 25). From this, it is inferred: 'And now, what do I have here, says the Lord?' And the meaning is: I have nothing left that would cause me to remain in this region, from which my people was taken away for nothing, and sold into captivity because of their sins, and like a wild bull caught in a net, either by the strength of the Romans or by the snares of the devil, by which it is held captive until now. But in order to allow these things, their rulers and masters acted unfairly; those who, according to Symmachus and Theodotion, will howl; those who, according to Aquila, will weep, when they have been handed over to torments. For they are the ones who incited the people against the Savior, so that they might shout with one voice: Crucify, crucify such a one (John 19:15). Concerning whom he had already said: The Lord himself will come with the elders of the people and with its princes. But why have you set my vineyard on fire and plundered the poor in your houses? (Is. III, 14) Therefore, according to the Septuagint, it speaks to them: Because of you, my name is always blasphemed among the nations. And it should be known that, among the nations, my name is not blasphemed in Hebrew, but absolutely, so that it may be understood, my name is constantly blasphemed in your synagogues: on the days and nights they blaspheme the Savior, and under the name, as I have often said, of Nazarenes, they heap curses upon Christians three times a day. Therefore, while they blaspheme and curse the Lord, his people, of whom it has been frequently said, that is, the Christian people, will know the name of him who is to come in the name of the Father. And for this reason, they will know, because he who spoke previously through the prophets will personally teach the people. According to the Septuagint, God speaks to Israel that he descended into Egypt by his own will. As Moses said in Deuteronomy: 'Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy souls' (Deut. 10:22), and they were violently taken captive by the Assyrians. Where is it said to them: And now what are you doing here? what are you doing in the land of Judah, who after the death of the Prophets, laid hands on the Son of God? Or surely to the angelic powers, and the guardians of the Temple, God speaks to the Angels: What are you doing here, why do you not leave the blaspheming people? which Josephus also relates (Book VI, Jewish Antiquities, c. 12): suddenly the doors of the Temple opened, and were spontaneously unlocked, which many men could hardly close, and a voice came out from the inner sanctuary of the Temple, saying: Let us leave these seats. Considering the appropriateness of their words, let us depart from what they did not say, but let us go on to the people of the nations. Therefore, the veil of the Temple from the top to the bottom was torn in two parts, to expose all the Jewish ceremonies, and at that time be fulfilled what is said in this same Prophet: The law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He shall judge between many nations even unto the farthest (Isaiah 2:3-4). For their sound went out into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world (Psalm 19). And in every place incense is offered to God, and a pure offering (Malachi 1), when the prophetic word is fulfilled: They shall remember and return to the Lord all the ends of the earth: and all the families of the nations shall worship in his presence; for the kingdom is the Lord's, and he shall rule over the nations (Psalm 22, 28-29). Therefore it is said to the princes of Judah: Be amazed, and howl, for you are the cause of the ruin of the people. Furthermore, according to the anagogical sense, we can say that the people of God of this age willingly descend into Egypt when they are more lovers of pleasures than of God, and do not heed that prophetic message: Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help (Isaiah 31:1). When someone is stained with vices and dwells in a place of waters and rivers, not having the dryness of chastity, then they will be violently handed over to the Assyrians to be ruled by them, who will later accuse and convict them of sin. For they are both enemies and avengers, of whom he speaks to Israel: And now what is to you and the way of Egypt, that you drink the water of Geon: and what is to you and the way of the Assyrians, that you drink the water of the rivers (Jer. II, 18). Therefore, whoever descends into Egypt, and from the heights of Jerusalem falls to lower things: going to Jericho, the other Egypt, he receives many wounds from the robbers, it is said to him: And now what is this to you? What on earth and in the Church of God do you pretend to be, you who have descended to Egypt with zeal and desire, and are possessed by Assyrians, and have been captivated? And you should wail and lament even more; because because of your vices and sins, the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles. As it is said in Ezekiel: You have defiled my name among the Gentiles (Ezek. XXXVI, 20). And just as the Lord speaks to his disciples in the Gospel: Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matth. V, 16): so, on the contrary, when we do evil works, the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of us. Therefore, whoever has knowledge of the name of God and that he was created in his image and likeness, will not be ignorant, but will dwell in the light. And it will be in the day, of which Abraham rejoiced that he saw it (John 8); of which also the holy David speaks: This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24). For those who have enlightened themselves with the light of knowledge, and have eternal light, which is promised to those who believe: The Lord will be your eternal light (Isaiah 60:20), they walk honorably in the day, and are the children of light and day; and they will know him who says to Moses: Go, say to the children of Israel, 'I AM who I AM' (Exodus 3:14): and they will recognize that he whom they had known before in the saints, is also present with them.
His question is a matter of style meant to show the strangeness of the happening: did you not go to Egypt? he says. Why then have you come back from there? “Thus says the Lord, because my people was taken for nothing, you wonder and howl.” You are struck with amazement, he says, in deploring the captivity, because, despite the title of “my people” that you carry, you have suffered these misfortunes. Well, do not wonder, but consider how “on account of you my name is continually blasphemed among the Gentiles.” The fact that you are justifiably undergoing these misfortunes is not so insupportable as the fact that I am blasphemed because of you and that the Gentiles think my weakness is the cause of the bad fortune that you have endured.
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SUMMARY
Isaiah 52:4 presents a profound prophetic declaration from the Lord GOD, establishing a divine precedent for future deliverance by recalling the historical suffering of His people. The verse explicitly references two significant periods of past oppression: the initial sojourn in Egypt, which tragically devolved into prolonged bondage, and the more recent, unprovoked subjugation by the formidable Assyrian empire. By highlighting these enduring historical injustices, the prophet Isaiah underscores God's unwavering awareness of His people's plight and His ultimate commitment to their liberation, thereby preparing the audience for the glorious redemption announced in the subsequent verses.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Isaiah 52:4 employs several potent literary devices to convey its message with depth and impact. The primary device is Historical Allusion, where the prophet references the widely known and deeply significant historical events of the Israelite sojourn and bondage in Egypt, followed by the more recent and traumatic Assyrian oppression. This grounds the prophetic message in the tangible, collective experiences of the audience, making the divine word relatable and demonstrating God's consistent engagement with human history. The structure of the verse also exhibits a form of Parallelism, specifically a Contrastive Juxtaposition, by presenting two distinct historical periods of oppression. While both highlight suffering, the "sojourn" in Egypt implies an initial, perhaps less overtly hostile, intention that tragically devolved into oppression, whereas the Assyrian oppression is explicitly stated as being "without cause," highlighting its unprovoked brutality and injustice. This contrast subtly emphasizes the varying nature of the suffering endured by God's people throughout their history. Furthermore, the opening phrase, "For thus saith the Lord GOD," functions as an Authoritative Declaration, lending an undeniable weight of divine authority to the entire statement, ensuring the audience understands that this historical review is not mere commentary but an integral part of God's sovereign narrative and His unfolding redemptive plan.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 52:4 profoundly underscores God's intimate knowledge of His people's suffering throughout history, establishing a divine precedent for intervention and liberation. By recounting the ancient oppression in Egypt and the more recent, unprovoked cruelty of Assyria, the verse highlights that God is not distant or indifferent to the trials of humanity, particularly those endured by His chosen people. This divine remembrance is not passive; it serves as a theological foundation for the glorious promises of deliverance that follow, assuring the exiles that just as God acted decisively in the past, He will do so again. It affirms that God's faithfulness is not contingent on His people's perfect obedience but is rooted in His own covenant character and His unwavering commitment to justice and redemption. The "without cause" element is particularly significant, emphasizing that even when suffering is not a direct consequence of sin, God remains aware and will ultimately vindicate His own, demonstrating His compassion and sovereign power to reverse injustice.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Isaiah 52:4 offers a powerful anchor for faith in times of inexplicable suffering, both personal and communal. It reminds us that our histories of hardship are not invisible to God; He remembers every "Egypt" and every "Assyrian" that has oppressed us, especially when the suffering feels "without cause" or utterly unjust. This divine remembrance is not passive; it is the prelude to His active intervention and ultimate deliverance. For believers today, this verse encourages a deep and abiding trust in God's sovereign plan, even when circumstances seem overwhelmingly unjust, overwhelming, or beyond our control. It calls us to recall God's past faithfulness in our own lives and in the broader sweep of redemptive history, strengthening our hope that the God who delivered Israel from powerful empires is fully capable of bringing liberation and restoration to our present struggles. This perspective fosters resilience, knowing that our suffering, however inexplicable, is held within the larger narrative of God's unwavering commitment to His people and His ultimate triumph over all forms of oppression, leading us to anticipate His redemptive work with expectant faith.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of mentioning both Egypt and Assyria in this single verse?
Answer: The mention of both Egypt and Assyria is highly significant as it provides a comprehensive historical context for God's enduring relationship with Israel, particularly concerning their experiences of foreign oppression. Egypt represents the foundational narrative of Israel's initial sojourn and subsequent enslavement, from which God miraculously delivered them through the Exodus. This established a pattern of divine intervention and a precedent for God's faithfulness to His covenant. Assyria, on the other hand, represents a more recent and devastating empire that conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel and severely threatened Judah, leading to exile and immense suffering. By juxtaposing these two distinct periods, Isaiah 52:4 highlights a recurring pattern of God's people enduring hardship under powerful empires. It underscores God's unwavering awareness of their plight across centuries and sets a powerful precedent for the ultimate deliverance from Babylonian exile (the immediate context of Isaiah 40-55) and, ultimately, from all forms of spiritual bondage. It demonstrates that God's faithfulness is consistent throughout history, whether the oppression is ancient or contemporary, and whether it began as a "sojourn" or was "without cause." This dual reference reinforces the reliability of God's promise to liberate His people, drawing on a long history of His redemptive acts, as seen in the accounts of the Exodus and the fall of Samaria.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Isaiah 52:4, with its poignant depiction of Israel's unjust suffering under oppressive powers, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Just as God's people suffered "without cause" under Assyria, so too did the Messiah suffer unjustly, bearing the sins of the world though He Himself was utterly sinless. The prophet Isaiah, in the very next chapter, vividly describes the suffering Servant, stating, "He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth" (Isaiah 53:7). This echoes the "without cause" suffering of Israel, but elevates it to a cosmic scale, as Christ's suffering was not for His own wrongdoing but for the redemption of humanity. His descent into death and the grave, like Israel's "going down" into Egypt, was a temporary sojourn into the realm of darkness, from which He emerged gloriously victorious through His resurrection. The ultimate "oppression" that humanity faced was the bondage to sin and death, a tyranny far greater and more pervasive than any earthly empire. Christ, the true Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, bore this ultimate oppression on the cross, thereby delivering His people from the spiritual "Assyrian" of sin and its eternal consequences. His victory ensures that all who are "in Christ" are no longer enslaved to sin but are brought into glorious freedom and an eternal inheritance, fulfilling the promise of ultimate liberation foreshadowed in Isaiah's ancient prophecy (Romans 8:2 and Colossians 1:13-14).