Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

I said, “In the prime of my life I must go through the gates of Sheol and be deprived of the remainder of my years.”

“Rather, "in the tranquillity of my days," that is, that period of life when I might now look forward to a tranquil reign [MAURER]. The Hebrew is so translated (Isa 62:6, 7). go to--rather, "go into," as in Isa 46:2 [MAURER].”

I said, “I will never again see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living; I will no longer look on mankind with those who dwell in…

“(Ps 34:12), "What man is he that desireth life that he may see good?" world--rather, translate: "among the inhabitants of the land of stillness," that is, Hades [MAURER], in parallel antithesis to "the land of the living" in the first clause.”

My dwelling has been picked up and removed from me like a shepherd’s tent.

“He plainly expects to exist, and not cease to be in another state; as the shepherd still lives, after he has struck his tent and removed elsewhere.”

I composed myself until the morning. Like a lion He breaks all my bones; from day until night You make an end of me.

“The Hebrew, in Ps 131:2, is rendered, "I quieted." Or else, "I made myself like a lion (namely, in roaring, through pain), He was so breaking my bones!"”

O Lord, by such things men live, and in all of them my spirit finds life. You have restored me to health and have let me live.

“All "men live by these" benefits (Ps 104:27-30), "and in all these is the life of my spirit," that is, I also live by them (De 8:3). and (wilt) make me to live--The Hebrew is imperative, "make me to live."”

For Sheol cannot thank You; Death cannot praise You. Those who descend to the Pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness.

“Their probation is at an end. They can no longer exercise faith and hope in regard to Thy faithfulness to Thy promises, which are limited to the present state.”

The living, only the living, can thank You, as I do today; fathers will tell their children about Your faithfulness.

“He probably, also, hints at his own desire to live until he should have a child, the successor to his throne, to whom he might make known and so perpetuate the memory of God's truth.”

The LORD will save me; we will play songs on stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the house of the LORD.

“"Jehovah was for my salvation," that is, saved me (compare Isa 12:2). we--I and my people. in the house of the Lord--This song was designed, as many of the other Psalms, as a form to be used in public worship at stated times, perhaps on…”

At that time Merodach-baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard about Hezekiah’s illness and recovery.

“Merodach-baladan--For a hundred fifty years before the overthrow of Nineveh by Cyaxares the Mede, a succession of rulers, mostly viceroys of Assyria, ruled Babylon, from the time of Nabonassar, 747 B.C. That date is called "the Era of Nabonassar."”

Then the prophet Isaiah went to King Hezekiah and asked, “Where did those men come from, and what did they say to you?”

“Reliance on Babylon, rather than on God, was a similar sin to the previous reliance on Egypt (Isa 30:1-31:9). far country--implying that he had done nothing more than was proper in showing attention to strangers "from a far country."”

“What have they seen in your palace?” Isaiah asked. “They have seen everything in my palace,” answered Hezekiah. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”

“All--a frank confession of his whole fault; the king submits his conduct to the scrutiny of a subject, because that subject was accredited by God. Contrast Asa (2Ch 16:7-10).”

“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her forced labor has been completed; her iniquity has been pardoned.

“Messiah is the antitypical Israel (compare Mt 2:15, with Ho 11:1). He indeed has "received" of sufferings amply more than enough to expiate "for our sins" (Ro 5:15, 17).”

A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.

“Mal 4:5, 6 cannot have received its exhaustive fulfilment in John; the Jews always understood it of the literal Elijah.”

Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are considered a speck of dust on the scales; He lifts up the islands like fine dust.

“However, English Version, "isles" answers well to "mountains" (Isa 40:12), both alike being lifted up by the power of God; in fact, "isles" are mountains upheaved from the bed of the sea by volcanic agency; only that he seems here to have passed from unintelligent…”

To whom will you liken God? To what image will you compare Him?

“This passage, if not written (as BARNES thinks) so late as the idolatrous times of Manasseh, has at least a prospective warning reference to them and subsequent reigns; the result of the chastisement of Jewish idolatry in the Babylonish captivity was that thenceforth after the…”

He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth; its dwellers are like grasshoppers.

“It is he--rather, connected with last verse, "Have ye not known?"--have ye not understood Him that sitteth . . .? (Isa 40:26) [MAURER]. circle--applicable to the globular form of the earth, above which, and the vault of sky around it, He sits.”

No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner have their stems taken root in the ground, than He blows on them and they wither, and a…

“Often compared to tall trees (Ps 37:35; Da 4:10). not . . . sown--the seed, that is, race shall become extinct (Na 1:14).”

Lift up your eyes on high: Who created all these? He leads forth the starry host by number; He calls each one by name.

“In English Version the sense is, "He has endowed them with their peculiar attributes ('names') by the greatness of His might," and the power of His strength (the better rendering, instead of, "for that He is strong").”

Who has aroused one from the east and called him to his feet in righteousness? He hands nations over to him and subdues kings before him.

“Raised him up in righteousness. The Septuagint takes the Hebrew as a noun "righteousness." MAURER translates, "Who raised up him whom salvation (national and temporal, the gift of God's 'righteousness' to the good, Isa 32:17; compare Isa 45:8; 51:5) meets at his foot" (that is…”

He pursues them, going on safely, hardly touching the path with his feet.

“Cyrus had not visited the regions of the Euphrates and westward until he visited them for conquest. So the gospel conquests penetrated regions where the name of God was unknown before.”

“But you, O Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham My friend—

“Contrast between the idolatrous nations whom God will destroy by Cyrus, and Israel whom God will deliver by the same man for their forefathers' sake.”

Do not fear, O worm of Jacob, O few men of Israel. I will help you,” declares the LORD. “Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

“LOWTH translates, "Ye mortals of Israel." The Septuagint, "altogether diminutive." MAURER supports English Version, which the Hebrew text best accords with. the Lord--in general. and thy redeemer--in particular; a still stronger reason why He should "help" them.”

Behold, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff.

“God will make Israel to destroy their enemies as the Eastern corn-drag (Isa 28:27, 28) bruises out the grain with its teeth, and gives the chaff to the winds to scatter.”

“Present your case,” says the LORD. “Submit your arguments,” says the King of Jacob.

“A new challenge to the idolaters (see Isa 41:1, 7) to say, can their idols predict future events as Jehovah can (Isa 41:22-25, &c.)? your strong reasons--the reasons for idol-worship which you think especially strong.”

Who has declared this from the beginning, so that we may know, and from times past, so that we may say: ‘He was right’?

“Who--of the idolatrous soothsayers? When this prophecy shall be fulfilled, all shall see that God foretold as to Cyrus, which none of the soothsayers have. beforetime--before the event occurred. He is righteous--rather, "It is true"; it was a true prophecy, as the event shows.”