19 Your dead will come back; their dead bodies will come to life again. Those in the dust, awaking from their sleep, will send out a song; for your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the shades.
The hand of the Lord had been on me, and he took me out in the spirit of the Lord and put me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones; And he made me go past them round about: and I saw that there was a very great number of them on the face of the wide valley, and they were very dry. And he said to me, Son of man, is it possible for these bones to come to life? And I made answer, and said, It is for you to say, O Lord. And again he said to me, Be a prophet to these bones, and say to them, O you dry bones, give ear to the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord has said to these bones: See, I will make breath come into you so that you may come to life; And I will put muscles on you and make flesh come on you, and put skin over you, and breath into you, so that you may have life; and you will be certain that I am the Lord. So I gave the word as I was ordered: and at my words there was a shaking of the earth, and the bones came together, bone to bone. And looking I saw that there were muscles on them and flesh came up, and they were covered with skin: but there was no breath in them. And he said to me, Be a prophet to the wind, be a prophet, son of man, and say to the wind, The Lord has said: Come from the four winds, O wind, breathing on these dead so that they may come to life. And I gave the word at his orders, and breath came into them, and they came to life and got up on their feet, a very great army. Then he said to me, Son of man, these bones are all the children of Israel: and see, they are saying, Our bones have become dry our hope is gone, we are cut off completely. For this cause be a prophet to them, and say, This is what the Lord has said: See, I am opening the resting-places of your dead, and I will make you come up out of your resting-places, O my people; and I will take you into the land of Israel. And you will be certain that I am the Lord by my opening the resting-places of your dead and making you come up out of your resting-places, O my people. And I will put my spirit in you, so that you may come to life, and I will give you a rest in your land: and you will be certain that I the Lord have said it and have done it, says the Lord.
And I saw the dead, great and small, taking their places before the high seat; and the books were open, and another book was open, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged by the things which were in the books, even by their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and Hell gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man by his works.
For if we have faith that Jesus underwent death and came back again, even so those who are sleeping will come again with him by God's power. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are still living at the coming of the Lord, will not go before those who are sleeping.
Jesus said to her, I am myself that day and that life; he who has faith in me will have life even if he is dead; And no one who is living and has faith in me will ever see death. Is this your faith?
Do not be surprised at this: for the time is coming when his voice will come to all who are in the place of the dead, And they will come out; those who have done good, into the new life; and those who have done evil, to be judged.
The rest of the dead did not come to life again till the thousand years were ended. This is the first coming back from the dead. Happy and holy is he who has a part in this first coming: over these the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will be ruling with him a thousand years.
And their dead bodies will be in the open street of the great town, which in the spirit is named Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was put to death on the cross. And the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will be looking on their dead bodies three days and a half, and will not let their dead bodies be put in the earth. And those who are on the earth will have pleasure and delight over them; and they will send offerings one to another because these two prophets gave great trouble to all on the earth. And after three days and a half the breath of life from God went into them, and they got up on their feet; and great fear came on those who saw them.
In the day when the Lord God made earth and heaven there were no plants of the field on the earth, and no grass had come up: for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to do work on the land. But a mist went up from the earth, watering all the face of the land.
Awake! awake! put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful robes, O Jerusalem, the holy town: for from now there will never again come into you the unclean and those without circumcision. Make yourself clean from the dust; up! and take the seat of your power, O Jerusalem: the bands of your neck are loose, O prisoned daughter of Zion.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Isaiah 26
Commentary on Isaiah 26 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 26
Isa 26:1-21. Connected with the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Chapters. Song of Praise of Israel after Being Restored to Their Own Land.
As the overthrow of the apostate faction is described in the twenty-fifth chapter, so the peace of the faithful is here described under the image of a well-fortified city.
1. strong city—Jerusalem, strong in Jehovah's protection: type of the new Jerusalem (Ps 48:1-3), contrasted with the overthrow of the ungodly foe (Isa 26:4-7, 12-14; Re 22:2, 10-12, &c.).
salvation … walls—(Isa 60:18; Jer 3:23; Zec 2:5). Maurer translates, "Jehovah makes His help serve as walls" (Isa 33:20, 21, &c.).
bulwarks—the trench with the antemural earthworks exterior to the wall.
2. Address of the returning people to the gates of Jerusalem (type of the heavenly city, Heb 12:22); (Ps 24:7, 9; 118:19). Antitypically (Re 22:14; 21:25, 27).
righteous nation—that had not apostatized during the captivity. Horsley translates, "The nation of the Just One," namely, the Jews.
3. mind … stayed—(Ps 112:7, 8). Jesus can create "perfect peace" within thy mind, though storms of trial rage without (Isa 57:19; Mr 4:39); as a city kept securely by a strong garrison within, though besieged without (so Php 4:7). "Keep," literally, "guard as with a garrison." Horsley translates, (God's) workmanship (the Hebrew does not probably mean "mind," but "a thing formed," Eph 2:10), so constantly "supported"; or else "formed and supported (by Thee) Thou shalt preserve (it, namely, the righteous nation) in perpetual peace."
4. Lord Jehovah—Hebrew, Jah, Jehovah. The union of the two names expresses in the highest degree God's unchanging love and power (compare Ps 68:4). This passage, and Isa 12:2; Ex 6:3; Ps 83:18, are the four in which the English Version retains the Jehovah of the original. Maurer translates, "For Jah (the eternal unchangeable One, Ex 3:14) is Jehovah, the rock of ages" (compare Isa 45:17; De 32:15; 1Sa 2:2).
5. lofty city—Babylon; representative of the stronghold of the foes of God's people in all ages (Isa 25:2, 12; 13:14).
6. poor—(Isa 25:4), the once afflicted Jewish captives. "Foot shall tread," is figurative for exulting in the fall of God's enemies (Re 18:20).
7. uprightness—rather, "is direct," that is, is directed by God to a prosperous issue, however many be their afflictions in the meantime (as in the case of the Jewish exiles); the context requires this sense (Ps 34:19; Pr 3:6; 11:5), [Maurer]: thus "way" means God's dealings with the righteous (Ps 37:23).
most upright—(De 32:4).
dost weigh—(1Sa 2:3; Pr 5:21). Rather, "thou dost make plain and level" [Maurer], removing all obstacles (Isa 40:3, 4).
8. way of thy judgments—We have waited for Thy proceeding to punish the enemy (Isa 26:9, 10) [Maurer]. Horsley translates Isa 26:7, 8, "The path of the Just One is perfectly even; an even road Thou wilt level for the Just One, even the path of Thy laws, O Jehovah. We have expected Thee."
name … remembrance—the manifested character of God by which He would be remembered (Isa 64:5; Ex 3:15).
9. With, … soul … I—literally, "I … my soul," in apposition; the faithful Jews here speak individually. The overthrow of the foe and the restoration of the Jews are to follow upon prayer on the part of the latter and of all God's people (Isa 62:1-4, 6, 7; Ps 102:13-17).
in the night—(Ps 63:6; So 3:1).
world … learn … righteousness—the remnant left after judgments (Ps 58:10, 11; Zec 14:16).
10. uprightness—rather, as in Isa 26:7, "prosperity," answering to "favor" in the parallelism, and in antithesis to "judgments in the earth" (Isa 26:9); where prosperity attends the wicked as well as the just, "he will not learn righteousness," therefore judgments must be sent that he may "learn" it [Maurer].
11. lifted up—to punish the foes of God's people. They who will not see shall be made to "see" to their cost (Isa 5:12).
their envy at the people—that is, "Thy people." Lowth translates, "They shall see with confusion Thy zeal for Thy people."
fire of … enemies—that is, the fire to which Thine enemies are doomed (Isa 9:18).
12. peace—God's favor, including all blessings, temporal and spiritual, opposed to their previous trials (Ps 138:8).
13. other lords—temporal; heathen kings (2Ch 12:8; 28:5, 6), Nebuchadnezzar, &c. Spiritual also, idols and lusts (Ro 6:16-18).
by thee only—It is due to Thee alone, that we again worship Thee as our Lord [Maurer]. "(We are) Thine only, we will celebrate Thy name" [Horsley]. The sanctifying effect of affliction (Ps 71:16; 119:67, 71).
14. They—The "other lords" or tyrants (Isa 26:13).
shall not live—namely, again.
deceased—Hebrew, "Rephaim"; powerless, in the land of shades (Isa 14:9, 10).
therefore—that is, inasmuch as. Compare "therefore" (Ge 18:5; 19:8).
15. hast—prophetical preterite (Isa 9:3).
hast removed … far … ends of … earth—rather, "Thou hast extended far all the borders of the land" [Vitringa].
16. visited—sought.
poured out—(Ps 62:8), as a vessel emptying out all its contents.
prayer—literally, "a whispered prayer," Margin, "a secret sighing" to God for help (compare Jer 13:17; De 8:16).
17. An image of anguish accompanied with expectation, to be followed by joy that will cause the anguish utterly to be forgotten. Zion, looking for deliverance, seemingly in vain, but really about to be gloriously saved (Mic 4:9, 10-13; 5:1-3; Joh 16:21, 22).
18. brought forth wind—Michaelis explains this of the disease empneumatosis. Rather, "wind" is a figure for that which proves an abortive effort. The "we" is in antithesis to "Thy," "my" (Isa 26:19), what we vainly attempt, God will accomplish.
not wrought … deliverance in … earth—literally, "the land (Judea) is not made security," that is, is not become a place of security from our enemies.
neither … world fallen—The "world" at large, is in antithesis to "the earth," that is, Judea. The world at enmity with the city of God has not been subdued. But Maurer explains "fallen," according to Arabic idiom, of the birth of a child, which is said to fall when being born; "inhabitants of the world (Israel, Isa 24:4; not the world in general) are not yet born"; that is, the country as yet lies desolate, and is not yet populated.
19. In antithesis to Isa 26:14, "They (Israel's foes) shall not live"; "Thy (Jehovah's) dead men (the Jews) shall live," that is, primarily, be restored, spiritually (Isa 54:1-3), civilly and nationally (Isa 26:15); whereas Thy foes shall not; ultimately, and in the fullest scope of the prophecy, restored to life literally (Eze 37:1-14; Da 12:2).
together with my dead body—rather, "my dead body," or "bodies" (the Jewish nation personified, which had been spiritually and civilly dead; or the nation, as a parent, speaking of the bodies of her children individually, see on Isa 26:9, "I," "My"): Jehovah's "dead" and "my dead" are one and the same [Horsley]. However, as Jesus is the antitype to Israel (Mt 2:15), English Version gives a true sense, and one ultimately contemplated in the prophecy: Christ's dead body being raised again is the source of Jehovah's people (all, and especially believers, the spiritual Israelites) also being raised (1Co 15:20-22).
Awake—(Eph 5:14), spiritually.
in dust—prostate and dead, spiritually and nationally; also literally (Isa 25:12; 47:1).
dew—which falls copiously in the East and supplies somewhat the lack of rain (Ho 14:5).
cast out … dead—that is, shall bring them forth to life again.
20. enter … chambers—When God is about to take vengeance on the ungodly, the saints shall be shut in by Him in a place of safety, as Noah and his family were in the days of the flood (Ge 7:16), and as Israel was commanded not to go out of doors on the night of the slaying of the Egyptian first-born (Ex 12:22, 23; Ps 31:20; 83:3). The saints are calmly and confidently to await the issue (Ex 14:13, 14).
21. (Mic 1:3; Jude 14).
disclose … blood—(Ge 4:10, 11; Job 16:18; Eze 24:7, 8). All the innocent blood shed, and all other wrongs done, so long seemingly with impunity, shall then be avenged (Re 16:6).