TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Isaiah 61:4–9. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Promises are here made to the Jews now returned out of captivity, and settled again in their own land, which are to be extended to the gospel church, and all believers, who through grace are delivered out of spiritual thraldom; for they are capable of being spiritually applied.
I.It is promised that their houses shall be rebuilt (Isa 61:4), that their cities shall be raised out of the ruins in which they had long lain, and be fitted up for their use again: They shall build the old wastes; the old wastes shall be built, the waste cities shall be repaired, the former desolations, even the desolations of many generations, which it was feared would never be repaired, shall be raised up. The setting up of Christianity in the world repaired the decays of natural religion and raised up those desolations both of piety and honesty which had been for many generations the reproach of mankind. An unsanctified soul is like a city that is broken down and has no walls, like a house in ruins; but by the power of Christ's gospel and grace it is repaired, it is put in order again, and fitted to be a habitation of God through the Spirit. And they shall do this, those that are released out of captivity; for we are brought out of the house of bondage that we may serve God, both in building up ourselves to his glory and in helping to build up his church on earth.
II.Those that were so lately servants themselves, working for their oppressors and lying at their mercy, shall now have servants to do their work for them and be at their command, not of their brethren (they are all the Lord's freemen), but of the strangers, and the sons of the alien, who shall keep their sheep, till their ground, and dress their gardens, the ancient employments of Abel, Cain, and Adam: Strangers shall feed your flocks, Isa 61:5. When, by the grace of God, we attain to a holy indifference as to all the affairs of this world, buying as though we possessed not - when, though our hands are employed about them, our hearts are not entangled with them, but reserved entire for God and his service - then the sons of the alien are our ploughmen and vine-dressers.
III.They shall not only be released out of their captivity, but highly preferred and honourably employed (Isa 61:6):
"While the strangers are keeping your flocks, you shall be keeping the charge of the sanctuary; instead of being slaves to your task-masters, you shall be named the priests of the Lord, a high and holy calling." Priests were princes' peers, and in Hebrew were called by the same name. You shall be the ministers of our God, as the Levites were. Note, Those whom God sets at liberty he sets to work; he delivers them out of the hands of their enemies that they may serve him, Luk 1:74, Luk 1:75; Psa 116:16. But his service is perfect freedom, nay, it is the greatest honour. When God brought Israel out of Egypt he took them to be to him a kingdom of priests, Exo 19:6. And the gospel church is a royal priesthood, Pe1 2:9. All believers are made to our God kings and priests; and they ought to conduct themselves as such in their devotions and in their whole conversation, with holiness to the Lord written upon their foreheads, that men may call them the priests of the Lord.
IV.The wealth and honour of the Gentile converts shall redound to the benefit and credit of the church, Isa 61:6.
The Gentiles shall be brought into the church. Those that were strangers shall become fellow-citizens with the saints; and with themselves they shall bring all they have, to be devoted to the glory of God and used in his service; and the priests, the Lord's ministers, shall have the advantage of it. It will be a great strengthening and quickening, as well as a comfort and encouragement, to all good Christians, to see the Gentiles serving the interests of God's kingdom.
1.They shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, not which they have themselves seized by violence, but which are fairly and honourably presented to them, as gifts brought to the altar, which the priests and their families lived comfortably upon. It is not said, "You shall hoard the riches of the Gentiles, and treasure them," but, "You shall eat them;" for there is nothing better in riches than to use them and to do good with them.
2.They shall boast themselves in their glory. Whatever was the honour of the Gentiles converts before their conversion - their nobility, estates, learning, virtue, or places of trust and power - it shall all turn to the reputation of the church to which they have joined themselves; and whatever is their glory after their conversion - their holy zeal and strictness of conversation, their usefulness, their patient suffering, and all the displays of that blessed change which divine grace has made in them - shall be very much for the glory of God and therefore all good men shall glory in it.
V.They shall have abundance of comfort and satisfaction in their own bosoms, Isa 61:7.
The Jews no doubt were thus privileged after their return; they were in a new world, and now knew how to value their liberty and property, the pleasures of which were continually fresh and blooming. Much more do all those rejoice whom Christ has brought into the glorious liberty of God's children, especially when the privileges of their adoption shall be completed in the resurrection of the body.
1.They shall rejoice in their portion; they shall not only have their own again, but (which is a further gift of God) they shall have the comfort of it, and a heart to rejoice in it, Ecc 3:13. Though the houses of the returned Jews, as well as their temple, be much inferior to what they were before the captivity, yet they shall be well pleased with them and thankful for them. It is a portion in their land, their own land, the holy land, Immanuel's land, and therefore they shall rejoice in it, having so lately known what it was to be strangers in a strange land. Those that have God and heaven for their portion have reason to say that they have a worthy portion and to rejoice in it.
2.Everlasting joy shall be unto them, that is, a joyful state of their people, which shall last long, much longer than the captivity had lasted. Yet that joy of the Jewish nation was so much allayed, so often interrupted, and so soon brought to an end, that we must look for the accomplishment of this promise in the spiritual joy which believers have in God and the eternal joy they hope for in heaven.
3.This shall be a double recompence to them, and more than double, for all the reproach and vexation they have lain under in the land of their captivity: "For your shame you shall have double honour, and in your land you shall possess double wealth, to what you lost; the blessing of God upon it, and the comfort you shall have in it, shall make an abundant reparation for all the damages you have received. You shall be owned not only as God's sons, but as his first-born (Exo 4:22), and therefore entitled to a double portion." As the miseries of their captivity were so great that in them they are said to have received double for all their sins (Isa 40:2), so the joys of their return shall be so great that in them they shall receive double for all their shame. The former is applicable to the fulness of Christ's satisfaction, in which God received double for all our sins; the latter to the fulness of heaven's joys, in which we shall receive more than double for all our services and sufferings. Job's case illustrates this: when God turned again his captivity, he gave him twice as much as he had before.
VI.God will be their faithful guide and a God in covenant with them (Isa 61:8):
I will direct their work in truth. God by his providence will order their affairs for the best, according to the word of his truth. He will guide them in the ways of true prosperity, by the rules of true policy. He will by his grace direct the works of good people in the right way, the true way that leads to happiness; he will direct them to be done in sincerity and then they are pleasing to him. God desires truth in the inward parts; and, if we do our works in truth, he will make an everlasting covenant with us; for to those that walk before him and are upright he will certainly be a God all-sufficient. Now, as a reason both of this and of the foregoing promise, that God will recompense to them double for their shame, those words come in, in the former part of the verse, I the Lord love judgment. He loves that judgment should be done among men, both between magistrates and subjects and between neighbour and neighbour, and therefore he hates all injustice; and, when wrongs are done to his people by their oppressors and persecutors, he is displeased with them, not only because they are done to his people, but because they are wrongs, and against the eternal rules of equity. If men do not do justice, he loves to do judgment himself in giving redress to those that suffer wrong and punishing those that do wrong. God pleads his people's injured cause, not only because he is jealous for them, but because he is jealous for justice. To illustrate this, it is added that he hates robbery for burnt-offering. He hates injustice even in his own people, who honour him with what they have in their burnt-offerings, much more does he hate it when it is against his own people; if he hates robbery when it is for burnt-offerings to himself, much more when it is for burnt-offerings to idols, and when not only his people are robbed of their estates, but he is robbed of his offerings. It is a truth much to the honour of God that ritual services will never atone for the violation of moral precepts, nor will it justify any man's robbery to say, "It was for burnt-offerings," or Corban - It is a gift. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, to do justly and love mercy better than thousands of rams; nay, that robbery is most of all hateful to God which is covered with this pretence, for it makes the righteous God to be the patron of unrighteousness. Some make this a reason of the rejection of the Jews upon the bringing in of the Gentiles (Isa 61:6), because they were so corrupt in their morals, and, while they tithed mint and cummin, made nothing of judgment and mercy (Mat 23:23), whereas God loves judgment and insists upon that, and he hates both robbery for burnt offerings and burnt-offerings for robbery too, as that of the Pharisees, who made long prayers that they might the more plausibly devour widows' houses. Others read these words thus: I hate rapine by iniquity, that is, the spoil which the enemies of God's people had unjustly made of them; God hated this, and therefore would reckon with them for it.
VII.God will entail a blessing upon their posterity after them (Isa 61:9):
Their seed (the children of those persons themselves that are now the blessed of the Lord, or their successors in profession, the church's seed) shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation, Psa 22:30.
1.They shall signalize themselves and make their neighbours to take notice of them: They shall be known among the Gentiles, shall distinguish themselves by the gravity, seriousness, humility, and cheerfulness of their conversation, especially by that brotherly love by which all men shall know them to be Christ's disciples. And, they thus distinguishing themselves, God shall dignify them, by making them the blessings of their age and instruments of his glory, and by giving them remarkable tokens of his favour, which shall make them eminent and gain them respect from all about them. Let the children of godly parents love in such a manner that they may be known to be such, that all who observe them may see in them the fruits of a good education, and an answer to the prayers that were put up for them; and then they may expect that God will make them known, by the fulfilling of that promise to them, that the generation of the upright shall be blessed.
2.God shall have the glory of this, for every one shall attribute it to the blessing of God; all that see them shall see so much of the grace of God in them, and his favour towards them, that they shall acknowledge them to be the seed which the Lord has blessed and doth bless, for it includes both. See what it is to be blessed of God. Whatever good appears in any it must be taken notice of as the fruit of God's blessing and he must be glorified in it.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
(Verse 3-5) And they shall be called in her strong justices, the plantation of the Lord, to glorify. And they shall build the ancient places that were waste, and shall raise up the desolate cities, that were destroyed for generations and generations. And strangers shall stand and shall feed your flocks: and the sons of strangers shall be your husbandmen and your vinedressers. LXX: And they shall be called the generations of justice: the planting of the Lord to glory. And they shall build everlasting desolate places, which were previously deserted, they shall be raised up and renew deserted cities, desolate in generations, and foreigners shall come, and they shall feed your sheep, and the plowmen and vintners of other nations. After the Apostles, and the apostolic men have taken on the spirit of ashes and mourning, the oil of joy, and the garment, or according to the Septuagint, the robe of glory and praise: then they shall be called the generations of righteousness, the glorious planting of the Lord. Or according to the Hebrew, the strong ones, strong with the justice of God, or (according to Al. ut) the planting of the Lord for glorification: so that when they have been glorified, or they themselves have glorified the Lord, they shall build deserted cities from ancient times, and raise up ancient ruins, both the people of Judah and all the nations, who will have not only the knowledge of building and restoring cities, but they shall also be excellent shepherds, so that the old shepherds, to whom God had spoken through Ezekiel saying: O shepherds of Israel, do the shepherds feed themselves and not the sheep? (Ezek. 34:2) Let them hear with the apostle Peter: 'Feed my sheep' (John 21:17). And in a wondrous way, they shall move from being stone workers and shepherds to being farmers, that is, ploughmen and vintners, so that they may say with the Apostle: 'We are God's building, we are God's farm' (1 Corinthians 3:9). Finally, the Savior asks the scribes and Pharisees, the vintners and farmers of the Jews, what he should do to the evil vintners and farmers. And they answered: 'He will destroy the evil ones and give the vineyard to other farmers' (Matthew 21:41). He said to them: 'The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce its fruit' (ibid., 43). These matters do not require interpretation. For how many of the leaders of the Churches are from the Jews, not from foreigners and people of foreign nations? They, who formerly served idols and were strangers to the covenant of God and outsiders to his promises, now lead the Churches and tame the stubborn hearts of the gentiles, previously untamed, to bear the fruits of faith; so that they may multiply the sowing of the Lord's teaching through the abundance of good works.
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Summary
Isaiah 61:5 presents a profound prophetic vision of Israel's future restoration and exaltation, depicting a time when foreign peoples, traditionally distinct from God's covenant community, will actively serve and contribute to the prosperity of Zion. This verse vividly illustrates a dramatic reversal of circumstances, signifying divine favor, abundant provision, and the universal acknowledgment of God's blessing upon His chosen nation, ushering in an era of peace, ease, and flourishing.
Context
Literary Context
Isaiah 61 commences with a powerful Messianic proclamation, famously echoed by Jesus in Luke 4:18-19, outlining the mission of the Anointed One to bring good news to the afflicted, heal the brokenhearted, and proclaim liberty to the captives. Following this foundational declaration, the prophecy transitions into detailing the glorious transformation and restoration awaiting Zion. Verses 4 through 7 describe the rebuilding of ancient ruins, the reception of double honor, and an enduring joy that replaces shame and disgrace. Verse 5, specifically, provides a tangible and striking illustration of this restoration, portraying the practical aspects of renewed prosperity and ease, where the labor previously required of God's people is now undertaken by others, symbolizing a state of divine provision and exaltation.
Historical & Cultural Context
The book of Isaiah, particularly its latter chapters (40-66), addresses a people who have either endured or are anticipating the Babylonian exile and subsequent desolation. They grapple with profound questions concerning God's faithfulness and their future. In this cultural milieu, the imagery of "strangers" and "aliens" is highly significant, as foreign nations often represented either oppressive powers or distinct, sometimes hostile, entities. For a people returning from exile, who had experienced servitude and subjugation, the concept of foreigners serving them would have been a radical and profound reversal of their recent history. This verse envisions a time when the power dynamics are inverted, reflecting God's sovereign hand in restoring His people to a position of honor and abundance, where even those outside their immediate covenant community contribute to their well-being rather than hindering it.
Key Themes
This verse contributes significantly to several overarching themes within Isaiah and the broader prophetic corpus. It powerfully illustrates the theme of Divine Restoration and Exaltation, where God's unwavering faithfulness leads to a complete turnaround from hardship and humiliation to unparalleled prosperity for His people. The imagery of foreigners tending flocks and working the land highlights Abundance and Provision, signifying an overflowing agricultural and pastoral wealth that will characterize this new era, freeing God's people from arduous toil. Furthermore, the willing service of "strangers" and "sons of the alien" points to the theme of Universal Recognition of God's Favor, indicating that the nations will acknowledge and contribute to the unique blessing upon Israel, a concept echoed in passages like Isaiah 60:10 where "the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee," signifying a future of global acknowledgment of God's redemptive work.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
From a primitive root (H2114) meaning "to turn aside," this term refers to someone who is a foreigner, alien, or from another place. In this context, it emphasizes the non-Israelite identity of those who will serve, highlighting the unexpected and gracious nature of the provision. It is not merely "someone else," but specifically those historically outside the covenant community.
This primitive root (H7462) means "to tend a flock," "pasture it," or generally "to rule" or "shepherd." Here, it denotes the act of caring for and providing for the flocks, implying diligent and active management. The use of this word emphasizes the practical, hands-on service rendered by the strangers in a vital economic sector.
Derived from an unused root meaning "to dig," this word (H406) specifically denotes a farmer, husbandman, or ploughman. It points to agricultural labor, particularly the tilling of the soil. Its inclusion alongside "vinedressers" covers the two primary forms of cultivation in ancient Israel, signifying comprehensive agricultural support.
Verse Breakdown
"And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks"
This clause introduces the surprising reversal of roles in the restored community. "Strangers" (non-Israelites) are depicted as actively engaging in the essential pastoral work of tending the flocks belonging to God's people. The phrase "shall stand" implies a posture of readiness, service, and perhaps even respectful attention, suggesting not forced labor but willing participation in the prosperity of Zion. This signifies a time of peace and abundance where core economic activities are managed with ease and support.
"and the sons of the alien [shall be] your plowmen and your vinedressers"
This second clause reinforces and expands upon the first, further specifying the foreign lineage through "sons of the alien" (H1121, H5236), emphasizing their non-Israelite identity. These individuals will undertake the vital agricultural tasks of plowing and cultivating vineyards. Together, "plowmen" and "vinedressers" represent the entirety of agricultural production, ensuring the land's fruitfulness and the people's sustenance without their own strenuous toil. This imagery paints a comprehensive picture of divine provision and a life of ease for God's people.
Literary Devices
The verse primarily employs striking Imagery and a profound Reversal of Roles. The vivid imagery of "strangers" tending flocks and "sons of the alien" working as "plowmen and vinedressers" paints a clear and compelling picture of a transformed reality. This imagery is not merely descriptive but deeply symbolic, representing a profound Reversal of Roles from the typical historical experience of Israel, where they were often subjugated or exploited by foreign powers. Now, these foreigners are depicted as willingly contributing to Israel's prosperity, signifying God's sovereign power to invert circumstances and elevate His people. This also hints at Hyperbole to emphasize the extraordinary extent of God's blessing and the ease with which His people will live, as well as a form of Metonymy, where the specific tasks (feeding flocks, plowing, vinedressing) stand for the overall economic well-being, abundant provision, and the comprehensive nature of the restoration.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Isaiah 61:5 is a powerful testament to God's redemptive plan, illustrating His unwavering commitment to restoring His people to a place of honor, ease, and abundance. Theologically, it speaks to the concept of divine sovereignty over all nations and the ultimate triumph of God's covenant promises. It signifies that God's blessing upon His chosen people will be so evident and overflowing that even those outside their immediate community will recognize and contribute to it. This highlights a future characterized by peace, prosperity, and a harmonious order established by God, where the former burdens of toil and oppression are replaced by ease and abundant provision, orchestrated through unexpected means. This vision extends beyond mere material wealth, pointing to a spiritual flourishing that draws others into the orbit of God's favor and kingdom.
Reflection and Application
Isaiah 61:5 offers profound comfort and enduring hope to believers today, serving as a powerful reminder that God is a God of radical restoration and divine reversal. When we find ourselves overwhelmed by burdens, incessant toil, or a sense of being downtrodden by life's circumstances, this verse assures us that God possesses the sovereign power to transform our situations, bringing forth abundance from desolation and honor from humiliation. It profoundly encourages us to trust in His overarching plan, knowing with certainty that He can orchestrate provision from the most unexpected sources and elevate us beyond our struggles. Spiritually, it speaks to the profound ease and rest that comes from surrendering to God's grace, where the "labor" of our salvation has been fully and perfectly accomplished by Christ. We are invited into a life of spiritual abundance and peace, not earned by our efforts but freely given. This passage challenges us to consider how God might use even the "unlikely" or seemingly "foreign" elements and individuals in our lives to bring about His purposes and provide for our needs, fostering a deep and abiding trust in His unfailing care and a hopeful anticipation of His ultimate kingdom where all things are made new.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does this verse imply that foreigners will be enslaved or exploited by God's people in the future?
No, the context and the nature of the service described in Isaiah 61:5 do not suggest exploitation or forced labor. Instead, the imagery, particularly when read alongside other prophetic passages like Isaiah 60:10 and Zechariah 8:20-23, points to a willing and harmonious contribution. The "strangers" and "sons of the alien" are depicted as actively participating in the prosperity of God's people, recognizing the divine favor upon them. This service is a sign of the universal recognition of God's glory and the peace of His kingdom, where different peoples play their part in God's grand design, contributing to the well-being of His chosen nation in a unique and blessed way. It signifies a radical reversal of fortunes for Israel, not the subjugation of others, but rather a manifestation of God's abundant grace extending even to those outside the immediate covenant.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Isaiah 61:5 finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment not in a literal, nationalistic subjugation of Gentiles by ethnic Israel, but in the spiritual reality of God's kingdom inaugurated by Jesus Christ. The "strangers" and "sons of the alien" who serve God's people are powerfully reinterpreted in the New Testament as the Gentiles who are graciously brought into the family of God through faith in Christ. Jesus, the Messiah prophesied in Isaiah 61:1-2, came to preach good news to the poor and liberty to the captives, not exclusively for Israel but for all who believe, as seen in His inaugural sermon in Luke 4:18-19. Through His atoning work on the cross, Christ broke down the "dividing wall of hostility" that separated Jew and Gentile, making them "fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God" (Ephesians 2:14-19). Thus, the "strangers" are no longer outside but are incorporated into the spiritual Israel, the Church, becoming "heirs according to the promise" through Christ (Galatians 3:29). In this new covenant reality, all believers, regardless of their former identity, collectively contribute to the spiritual "flocks" and "vineyards" of God's kingdom, using their diverse spiritual gifts to build up the body of Christ (Romans 12:4-8). The promised abundance and ease are realized in the spiritual blessings, peace, and rest found in Christ, and the ultimate vision of nations walking in the light of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:24) underscores the complete fulfillment of this prophetic reversal, where all peoples serve the one true God in perfect harmony and worship.