1 In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; salvation doth he appoint for walls and bulwarks.
In that day Jehovah, with his sore and great and strong sword, will visit leviathan the fleeing serpent, and leviathan the crooked serpent; and he will slay the monster that is in the sea. In that day [there shall be] a vineyard of pure wine; sing concerning it:
having a great and high wall; having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names inscribed, which are those of the twelve tribes of [the] sons of Israel. On [the] east three gates; and on [the] north three gates; and on [the] south three gates; and on [the] west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he that spoke with me had a golden reed [as] a measure, that he might measure the city, and its gates, and its wall. And the city lies four-square, and its length [is] as much as the breadth. And he measured the city with the reed -- twelve thousand stadia: the length and the breadth and height of it are equal. And he measured its wall, a hundred [and] forty-four cubits, [a] man's measure, that is, [the] angel's. And the building of its wall [was] jasper; and the city pure gold, like pure glass: the foundations of the wall of the city [were] adorned with every precious stone: the first foundation, jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprasus; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. And the twelve gates, twelve pearls; each one of the gates, respectively, was of one pearl; and the street of the city pure gold, as transparent glass. And I saw no temple in it; for the Lord God Almighty is its temple, and the Lamb.
After these things I heard as a loud voice of a great multitude in the heaven, saying, Hallelujah: the salvation and the glory and the power of our God: for true and righteous [are] his judgments; for he has judged the great harlot which corrupted the earth with her fornication, and has avenged the blood of his bondmen at her hand. And a second time they said, Hallelujah. And her smoke goes up to the ages of ages. And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and did homage to God who sits upon the throne, saying, Amen, Hallelujah. And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his bondmen, [and] ye that fear him, small and great. And I heard as a voice of a great crowd, and as a voice of many waters, and as a voice of strong thunders, saying, Hallelujah, for [the] Lord our God the Almighty has taken to himself kingly power. Let us rejoice and exult, and give him glory; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready.
speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and chanting with your heart to the Lord; giving thanks at all times for all things to him [who is] God and [the] Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] Jehovah will punish the host of the high ones on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be brought together, [as] an assemblage of prisoners for the pit, and shall be shut up in prison, and after many days shall they be visited. And the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed; for Jehovah of hosts shall reign on mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients in glory.
And David spoke to Jehovah the words of this song in the day that Jehovah had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul. And he said, Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; God is my rock, in him will I trust -- My shield, and the horn of my salvation, My high tower, and my refuge, My saviour: thou wilt save me from violence. I will call upon Jehovah, who is to be praised; So shall I be saved from mine enemies. For the waves of death encompassed me, Torrents of Belial made me afraid. The bands of Sheol surrounded me; The cords of death encountered me; In my distress I called upon Jehovah, And I cried to my God; And he heard my voice out of his temple, And my cry [came] into his ears. Then the earth shook, and quaked; The foundations of the heavens trembled And shook because he was wroth. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, And fire out of his mouth devoured: Coals burned forth from it. And he bowed the heavens, and came down; And darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; And he was seen upon the wings of the wind. And he made darkness round about him a tent, Gatherings of waters, thick clouds of the skies. From the brightness before him Burned forth coals of fire. Jehovah thundered from the heavens, And the Most High uttered his voice. And he sent arrows, and scattered [mine enemies]; Lightning, and discomfited them. And the beds of the sea were seen, The foundations of the world were uncovered At the rebuke of Jehovah, At the blast of the breath of his nostrils. He reached forth from above, he took me, He drew me out of great waters; He delivered me from my strong enemy, From them that hated me; For they were mightier than I. They encountered me in the day of my calamity; But Jehovah was my stay. And he brought me forth into a large place; He delivered me, because he delighted in me. Jehovah hath rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his ordinances were before me, And his statutes, I did not depart from them, And I was upright before him, And kept myself from mine iniquity. And Jehovah hath recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in his sight. With the gracious thou dost shew thyself gracious; With the upright man thou dost shew thyself upright; With the pure thou dost shew thyself pure; And with the perverse thou dost shew thyself contrary. And the afflicted people thou dost save; And thine eyes are upon the haughty, [whom] thou bringest down. For thou art my lamp, Jehovah; And Jehovah enlighteneth my darkness. For by thee I have run through a troop; By my God have I leaped over a wall. As for ùGod, his way is perfect; The word of Jehovah is tried: He is a shield to all that trust in him. For who is ùGod, save Jehovah? And who is a rock, save our God? ùGod is my strong fortress, And he maketh my way perfectly smooth. He maketh my feet like hinds' [feet], And setteth me upon my high places. He teacheth my hands to war, And mine arms bend a bow of brass. And thou didst give me the shield of thy salvation, And thy condescending gentleness hath made me great. Thou enlargedst my steps under me; And mine ankles did not slip. I pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them, And I turned not again till they were consumed. And I have consumed them and have crushed them, and they rose not again; Yea, they fell under my feet. And thou girdedst me with strength to battle: Thou didst subdue under me those that rose up against me. And mine enemies didst thou make to turn their backs unto me, And those that hated me I destroyed. They looked, and there was none to save -- Unto Jehovah, and he answered them not. And I did beat them small as the dust of the earth, I trod them as the mire of the streets; I stamped upon them. And thou hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, Thou hast kept me to be head of the nations: A people I knew not doth serve me: Strangers come cringing unto me: At the hearing of the ear, they obey me. Strangers have faded away, And they come trembling forth from their close places. Jehovah liveth; and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God, the rock of my salvation, The ùGod who hath avenged me, And hath brought the peoples under me. He brought me forth from mine enemies: Yea, thou hast lifted me up above them that rose up against me; From the man of violence hast thou delivered me. Therefore will I give thanks to thee, Jehovah, among the nations, And will sing psalms to thy name. [It is he] who giveth great deliverances to his king, And sheweth loving-kindness to his anointed, To David, and to his seed for evermore.
Then sang Deb'orah and Barak the son of Abin'o-am on that day: "That the leaders took the lead in Israel, that the people offered themselves willingly, bless the LORD! "Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes; to the LORD I will sing, I will make melody to the LORD, the God of Israel. "LORD, when thou didst go forth from Se'ir, when thou didst march from the region of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, yea, the clouds dropped water. The mountains quaked before the LORD, yon Sinai before the LORD, the God of Israel. "In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the days of Ja'el, caravans ceased and travelers kept to the byways. The peasantry ceased in Israel, they ceased until you arose, Deb'orah, arose as a mother in Israel. When new gods were chosen, then war was in the gates. Was shield or spear to be seen among forty thousand in Israel? My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the LORD. "Tell of it, you who ride on tawny asses, you who sit on rich carpets and you who walk by the way. To the sound of musicians at the watering places, there they repeat the triumphs of the LORD, the triumphs of his peasantry in Israel. "Then down to the gates marched the people of the LORD. "Awake, awake, Deb'orah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, lead away your captives, O son of Abin'o-am. Then down marched the remnant of the noble; the people of the LORD marched down for him against the mighty. From E'phraim they set out thither into the valley, following you, Benjamin, with your kinsmen; from Machir marched down the commanders, and from Zeb'ulun those who bear the marshal's staff; the princes of Is'sachar came with Deb'orah, and Is'sachar faithful to Barak; into the valley they rushed forth at his heels. Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. Why did you tarry among the sheepfolds, to hear the piping for the flocks? Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan; and Dan, why did he abide with the ships? Asher sat still at the coast of the sea, settling down by his landings. Zeb'ulun is a people that jeoparded their lives to the death; Naph'tali too, on the heights of the field. "The kings came, they fought; then fought the kings of Canaan, at Ta'anach, by the waters of Megid'do; they got no spoils of silver. From heaven fought the stars, from their courses they fought against Sis'era. The torrent Kishon swept them away, the onrushing torrent, the torrent Kishon. March on, my soul, with might! "Then loud beat the horses' hoofs with the galloping, galloping of his steeds. "Curse Meroz, says the angel of the LORD, curse bitterly its inhabitants, because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty. "Most blessed of women be Ja'el, the wife of Heber the Ken'ite, of tent-dwelling women most blessed. He asked water and she gave him milk, she brought him curds in a lordly bowl. She put her hand to the tent peg and her right hand to the workmen's mallet; she struck Sis'era a blow, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced his temple. He sank, he fell, he lay still at her feet; at her feet he sank, he fell; where he sank, there he fell dead. "Out of the window she peered, the mother of Sis'era gazed through the lattice: 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the hoofbeats of his chariots?' Her wisest ladies make answer, nay, she gives answer to herself, 'Are they not finding and dividing the spoil? --A maiden or two for every man; spoil of dyed stuffs for Sis'era, spoil of dyed stuffs embroidered, two pieces of dyed work embroidered for my neck as spoil?' "So perish all thine enemies, O LORD! But thy friends be like the sun as he rises in his might." And the land had rest for forty years.
My strength and song is Jah, and he is become my salvation: This is my ùGod, and I will glorify him; My father's God, and I will extol him. Jehovah is a man of war; Jehovah, his name. Pharaoh's chariots and his army hath he cast into the sea; His chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea. The depths covered them; they sank to the bottom as a stone. Thy right hand, Jehovah, is become glorious in power: Thy right hand, Jehovah, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. And by the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown thine adversaries: Thou sentest forth thy burning wrath, it consumed them as stubble. And by the breath of thy nostrils the waters were heaped up; The streams stood as a mound; The depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my soul shall be sated upon them; I will unsheath my sword, my hand shall dispossess them. Thou didst blow with thy breath, the sea covered them; They sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like unto thee, Jehovah, among the gods? Who is like unto thee, glorifying thyself in holiness, Fearful [in] praises, doing wonders? Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. Thou by thy mercy hast led forth the people that thou hast redeemed; Thou hast guided them by thy strength unto the abode of thy holiness. The peoples heard it, they were afraid: A thrill seized the inhabitants of Philistia. Then the princes of Edom were amazed; The mighty men of Moab, trembling hath seized them; All the inhabitants of Canaan melted away. Fear and dread fall upon them; By the greatness of thine arm they are still as a stone; Till thy people pass over, Jehovah, Till the people pass over that thou hast purchased. Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, The place that thou, Jehovah, hast made thy dwelling, The Sanctuary, Lord, that thy hands have prepared. Jehovah shall reign for ever and ever! For the horse of Pharaoh, with his chariots and with his horsemen, came into the sea, and Jehovah brought again the waters of the sea upon them; and the children of Israel went on dry [ground] through the midst of the sea. And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the tambour in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambours and with dances. And Miriam answered them, Sing to Jehovah, for he is highly exalted: The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Isaiah 26
Commentary on Isaiah 26 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 26
This chapter is a song of holy joy and praise, in which the great things God had engaged, in the foregoing chapter, to do for his people against his enemies and their enemies are celebrated: it is prepared to be sung when that prophecy should be accomplished; for we must be forward to meet God with our thanksgivings when he is coming towards us with his mercies. Now the people of God are here taught,
And this is written for the support and assistance of the faith and hope of God's people in all ages, even those upon whom the ends of the world have come.
Isa 26:1-4
To the prophecies of gospel grace very fitly is a song annexed, in which we may give God the glory and take to ourselves the comfort of that grace: In that day, the gospel day, which the day of the victories and enlargements of the Old-Testament church was typical of (to some of which perhaps this has a primary reference), in that day this song shall be sung; there shall be persons to sing it, and cause and hearts to sing it; it shall be sung in the land of Judah, which was a figure of the gospel church; for the gospel covenant is said to be made with the house of Judah, Heb. 8:8. Glorious things are here said of the church of God.
Isa 26:5-11
Here the prophet further encourages us to trust in the Lord for ever, and to continue waiting on him; for,
Isa 26:12-19
The prophet in these verses looks back upon what God had done with them, both in mercy and judgment, and sings unto God of both, and then looks forward upon what he hoped God would do for them. Observe,
Isa 26:20-21
These two verses are supposed not to belong to the song which takes up the rest of the chapter, but to begin a new matter, and to be rather an introduction to the following chapter than the conclusion of this. Of whereas, in the foregoing song, the people of God had spoken to him, complaining of their grievances, here he returns an answer to their complaints, in which,