---
title: "Clarke"
description: "the nation, 9-12. NOTES ON CHAP. LVI Verse Isaiah 56:2. That keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it — Kimchi has an excellent note here. \"The Sabbath is sa"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/isaiah/56"
---

*the nation*, 9-12.
NOTES ON CHAP. LVI

Verse [Isaiah 56:2](../../../kjv/isaiah/56/2). ***That keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it*** — *Kimchi* has an excellent note here. "The Sabbath is sanctified when it is *distinguished in dignity*; and *separated* from *other days*.
1. As to the *body*, in meat, drink, and clean clothing.
2. As to the *soul*, that it be empty of worldly occupations, and be busily employed in the words of the law and wisdom, and in meditation on the works of the Lord."
The *rabbins* say, "Jerusalem had never been destroyed, had not the Sabbaths been profaned in it."

Verse [Isaiah 56:5](../../../kjv/isaiah/56/5). ***I will give them an everlasting name*** — For לו *lo, him*, in the singular, it is evident that we ought to read למו *lamo,* *them*, in the plural: so read the *Septuagint, Syriac, Chaldee*, and *Vulgate*.

Verse [Isaiah 56:6](../../../kjv/isaiah/56/6). ***The sons of the stranger*** — The Gentiles.
***That join themselves to the Lord*** — Who shall enter into the Christian covenant by baptism and faith in Christ, as the Jews and proselytes did by *circumcision*.
***To serve him*** — To live according to the Gospel, and ever do that which is right in the sight of the Lord.
***To love the name of the Lord*** — The name of JESUS, the Christ, the *Saviour* of sinners, the *Anointed* of God, and the Giver of the Holy Spirit to his followers.
***To be his servants*** — To worship no other God but JEHOVAH, and to trust in none for salvation but his CHRIST.
***That keepeth the Sabbath*** — That observes it as a type of the *rest* that remains for the people of God.
***And taketh hold of my covenant*** — בבריתי *biberithi*, "of my covenant sacrifice;" as without this he can do nothing good; and without it nothing can be acceptable to the infinite majesty of the Most High.

Verse [Isaiah 56:7](../../../kjv/isaiah/56/7). **Shall be*****accepted*** — A word is here lost out of the text: it is supplied from the *Septuagint*, יהיו yihyu, εσονται, "they shall be." - *Houbigant*.

Verse [Isaiah 56:9](../../../kjv/isaiah/56/9). ***All ye beasts of the field*** — Here manifestly begins a new section. The prophet in the foregoing chapters, having comforted the faithful Jews with many great promises of God's favour to be extended to them, in the restoration of their ruined state, and in the enlargement of his Church by the admission of the Gentiles; here on a sudden makes a transition to the more disagreeable part of the prospect, and to a sharp reproof of the wicked and unbelievers; and especially of the negligent and faithless governors and teachers, of the idolaters and hypocrites, who would still draw down his judgments upon the nation. Probably having in view the destruction of their city and polity by the Chaldeans, and perhaps by the Romans. The same subject is continued in the next chapter; in which the charge of corruption and apostasy becomes more general against the whole Jewish Church. Some expositors have made great difficulties in the 9th verse of this chapter, where there seems to be none. It is perfectly well explained by Jeremiah, [Jeremiah 12:7](../../../kjv/jeremiah/12/7); [Jeremiah 12:9](../../../kjv/jeremiah/12/9), where, having introduced God declaring his purpose of punishing his people, by giving them up as a prey to their enemies the Chaldeans, a charge to these his agents is given in words very nearly the same with those of Isaiah in this place: -
"I have forsaken my house; I have deserted my heritage;
I have given up the beloved of my soul into the hands of her
enemies.-
Come away, be gathered together, all ye beasts of the field;
Come away to devour."

***All ye beasts in the forest***- "All ye beasts of the forest."] Instead of ביער *baiyaar*, three MSS. have יער *yaar*, without the preposition; which seems to be right, and is confirmed by ali the ancient Versions.

Verse [Isaiah 56:10](../../../kjv/isaiah/56/10). ***His watchmen*****are*****blind*** — *Kimchi* observes, "The flock is intrusted to the care of these watchmen. The wild beasts come; these dogs bark not; and the wild beasts devour the flock. Thus they do not *profit* the flock. Yea, they *injure* it; for the owner trusts in them, that they will watch and be faithful; but they are not. These are the false teachers and careless shepherds."
***Dumb dogs, they cannot bark*** — [Isaiah 62:6](../../../kjv/isaiah/62/6).
***Sleeping*** - "Dreamers"] הזים *hozim*, ενυπνιαζομενοι, *Septuagint*. This seems to be the best authority for the meaning of this word, which occurs only in this place: but it is to be observed, that eleven MSS. of *Kennicott's* and *De Rossi's*, and four editions, have חזים *chazim, seers*, or *those who see*; and so the *Vulgate* seems to have read, videntes vana, "seeing vain things."
***Loving to slumber.*** — לנום *lanum*: but six of *Kennicott's* and seven of *De Rossi's* MSS. read לנוס *lanus, to fly*, "to change their residence:" but what connexion such reading can have with the *sense* of the passage, I cannot discern. What is taken for ס *samech* here is, I have no doubt, a *narrow* formed final ם *mem*, which has been mistaken for the above. Many instances occur in my own MSS., where the final ם *mem* is similar to the *samech*; and yet no such change was intended by the scribe.

Verse [Isaiah 56:11](../../../kjv/isaiah/56/11). ***Greedy dogs*** — Insatiably feeding themselves with the fat, and clothing themselves with the wool, while the flock is scattered, ravaged, and starved! O what an abundance of these dumb and greedy dogs are there found hanging on and prowling about the flock of Christ! How can any careless, avaricious, hireling minister read this without agitation and dismay?

Verse [Isaiah 56:12](../../../kjv/isaiah/56/12). ***I will fetch wine***- "Let us provide wine"] For אקחה *ekchah*, first person singular, an ancient MS. has נקחה *nikchah*, first person plural; and another ancient MS. has אק *ak* upon a rasure. So the *Syriac, Chaldee*, and *Vulgate* render it. The spirit of this epicurean sentiment is this: Let us indulge ourselves in the present time to the utmost, and instead of any gloomy forebodings of the future, let us expect nothing but increasing hilarity for every day we shall live. Thus they,
"Counting on long years of pleasure here,
Are quite unfurnished for the world to come."

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