Previous statements in the book have made it clear that Israel is the servant who has sinned, who is punished, and who looks for future glory (see 41:8 42:19-25 49:5-7). He must bear punishment of sin before he can enjoy the glory that God has promised. It shows for the first time that the servant must die. It reveals that the two are inseparably connected, that suffering is necessary before glory. The song, however, does more than merely contrast suffering and glory. The fourth Servant Song (52:13-53:12) emphasizes the contrast between Israel’s sufferings at the hands of the Babylonians and the coming glory in the restored nation. He cannot help but contrast the quiet and orderly departure on this occasion with the hurried exodus from Egypt when Israel set out for its land the first time (12). Onlookers from other nations will see God’s power displayed (8-10).Īs he pictures the first exiles leaving Babylon, the prophet reminds those carrying the temple vessels to keep themselves ceremonially clean (11 cf. He pictures the watchmen in Jerusalem rejoicing as they see the first lot of exiles returning to the city. The people of Israel will return and Jerusalem will be rebuilt (7). Overjoyed at this reminder of the triumph of God, the prophet pictures a messenger going from Babylon to Jerusalem to announce the good news that God reigns supreme.

Then the doubting Israelites will see clearly that their God is the controller of history (6). Rather, he will punish the slave-owners, particularly since they have mocked him (4-5). The oppressor nations paid nothing for their slaves, and God will pay nothing to release the slaves. Some were taken captive to Assyria, and now the rest are slaves in Babylon. They then established themselves in Canaan, but again they fell into bondage. In earlier days the Israelites were made slaves in Egypt, even though they went there in peace. God will redeem his people from slavery, but he will not pay the slave-owner (Babylon) any ransom (3). The city that heathen armies defiled and destroyed will be rebuilt, to become strong, holy and beautiful again (52:1-2). In view of these promises, the prophet urges the captive Jews to prepare for the return to Jerusalem. Ahimaaz is a GOOD man, and bringeth GOOD tidings. Ahimaaz and Cushi running to bring tidings of the defeat of Absalom and his rebel army. The names also and persons of these different messengers appear to have been well known so that at a distance they could tell, from seeing the messenger, what sort of tidings he was bringing.

There appear to have been two sorts of messengers among the Jews: one sort always employed to bring evil tidings the other to bring good. There seems to be an allusion to a battle fought, and the messengers coming to announce the victory, which was so decisive that a peace was the consequence, and the king's throne established in the land. Mountains are put for the whole land of Judea, where the Gospel was first preached. Nahum, Nahum 1:15, who is generally supposed to have lived after Isaiah, has manifestly taken from him this very pleasing image but the imitation does not equal the beauty of the original: -įrom the use made of this by our Lord and the apostles, we may rest assured that the preachers of the Gospel are particularly intended. 'How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the joyful messenger,' is an expression highly poetical: for, how welcome is his arrival! how agreeable are the tidings which he brings! They immediately spread the joyful tidings, Isaiah 52:8, and with a loud voice proclaim that JEHOVAH is returning to Zion, to resume his residence on his holy mountain, which for some time he seemed to have deserted. How beautiful - The watchmen discover afar off, on the mountains, the messenger bringing the expected and much-wished-for news of the deliverance from the Babylonish captivity.

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