---
title: "Clarke"
description: "As this chapter is remarkable for the beauty, strength, and variety of the images with which it abounds; so is it peculiarly distinguished by the elegance"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/isaiah/59"
---

As this chapter is remarkable for the beauty, strength, and variety of the images with which it abounds; so is it peculiarly distinguished by the elegance of the composition, and the exact construction of the sentences. From the first verse to the two last it falls regularly into stanzas of four lines, (see Prelim. Dissert. p. xxi.,) which I have endeavoured to express as nearly as possible in the form of the original. - L.
NOTES ON CHAP. LIX

Verse [Isaiah 59:2](../../../kjv/isaiah/59/2). ***His face*** — For פנים *panim, faces*, I read *panaiv, his* *face*. So the *Syriac, Septuagint, Alexandrian, Arabic*, and *Vulgate.* פני panai, MS. Forte legendum פני *panai*, nam מ *mem*, sequitur, et loquitur Deus; confer cap. lviii. 14. "We should perhaps read פני *panai*; for מ *mem* follows, and God is the speaker." - SECKER. I rather think that the speech of God was closed with the last chapter, and that this chapter is delivered in the person of the prophet. - L.

Verse [Isaiah 59:3](../../../kjv/isaiah/59/3). ***Your tongue***- "And your tongue"] An ancient MS., and the *Septuagint* and *Vulgate*, add the conjunction.

Verse [Isaiah 59:4](../../../kjv/isaiah/59/4). ***They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.*** — There is a curious propriety in this mode of expression; a thought or purpose is compared to *conception*; a word or act, which is the consequence of it, to the *birth of a child*. From the *third* to the *fifteenth* verse inclusive may be considered a true statement of the then moral state of the Jewish people; and that they were, in the most proper sense of the word, guilty of the iniquities with which they are charged.

Verse [Isaiah 59:8](../../../kjv/isaiah/59/8). ***Whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace*** - "Whoever goeth in them knoweth not peace"] For בה *bah*, singular, read בם *bam*, plural, with the *Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate*, and *Chaldee*. The ה *he* is upon a rasure in one MS. Or, for נתיבתיהם *nethibotheyhem*, plural, we must read נתיבתם *nethibatham*, singular, as it is in an ancient MS., to preserve the grammatical concord. - L.

Verse [Isaiah 59:10](../../../kjv/isaiah/59/10). ***We stumble at noon day as in the night***- "We stumble at mid-day, as in the twilight"] I adopt here an emendation of Houbigant, נשגגה *nishgegah*, instead of the second, נגששה *negasheshah*, the repetition of which has a poverty and inelegance extremely unworthy of the prophet, and unlike his manner. The mistake is of long standing, being prior to all the ancient versions. It was a very easy and obvious mistake, and I have little doubt of our having recovered the true reading in this ingenious correction.

Verse [Isaiah 59:11](../../../kjv/isaiah/59/11). But ***it is far off from us***- "And it is far distant from us."] The conjunction ו *vau* must necessarily be prefixed to the verb, as the *Syriac, Chaldee*, and *Vulgate* found it in their copies; ורחקה *verachakah*, "and far off."

Verse [Isaiah 59:14](../../../kjv/isaiah/59/14). ***Justice standeth afar off*** — צדקה *tsedakah,* *righteousness*, put here, says *Kimchi*, for *alms to the poor*. This casts some light on [Matthew 6:1](../../../kjv/matthew/6/1): "Take heed that you do not your alms," ελεημοσυνην. But the best copies have δικαιοσυνην, *righteousness*; the former having been inserted in the text at first merely as the explanation of the genuine and original word.

Verse [Isaiah 59:15](../../../kjv/isaiah/59/15). ***And the Lord saw it***- "And JEHOVAH saw it -----"] This third line of the stanza appears manifestly to me to be imperfect by the loss of a phrase. The reader will perhaps more perfectly conceive my idea of the matter if I endeavour to supply the supposed defect, I imagine it might have stood originally in this manner: -

"And JEHOVAH saw it, and he was wroth;
And it displeased him, that there was no judgment."

We have had already many examples of mistakes of omission; this, if it be such, is very ancient, being prior to all the versions. - L.

Verse [Isaiah 59:16](../../../kjv/isaiah/59/16). ***And wondered that*****there was*****no intercessor*** — This and the following verses some of the most eminent rabbins understand as spoken of the Messiah. Kimchi says that Rabbi Joshua ben Levi proposes this objection: "It is written, 'Behold, he will come in the clouds of heaven as the son of man,' [Daniel 7:13](../../../kjv/daniel/7/13); and elsewhere it is written, 'He cometh lowly, and riding upon an ass,' [Zechariah 9:9](../../../kjv/zechariah/9/9). How can these texts be reconciled? Thus: If the Jews have merit, he will come unto them in the clouds of heaven; but if they be destitute of merit, he will come unto them riding upon an ass." Now out of their own mouth they may be condemned. They were truly destitute of all merit when Jesus Christ came into Jerusalem riding upon an ass, according to the letter of the above prophecy; and they neither acknowledged nor received him. And that they were destitute of merit their destruction by the Romans, which shortly followed their rejection of him, sufficiently proves.

Verse [Isaiah 59:17](../../../kjv/isaiah/59/17). **For*****clothing***- "For his clothing"] תלבשת *tilbosheth*. "I cannot but think that this word, תלבשת *tilbosheth*, is an interpolation.
1. It is in no one ancient version.
2. It is redundant in the sense, as it is before expressed in בגדי *bigdey*.
3. It makes the hemistich just so much longer than it ought to be, if it is compared with the others adjoining.
4. It makes a form of construction in this clause less elegant than that in the others.
5. It might probably be in some margin a various reading for בגדי *bigdey*, and thence taken into the text.
This is more probable, as its form is such as it would be if it were *in regimine*, as it must be before נקם *nakam*." - Dr. JUBB. Two sorts of armour are mentioned: a *breast-plate* and a *helmet*, to bring *righteousness* and *salvation* to those who fear him; and the *garments of vengeance* and the *cloak of zeal* for the destruction of all those who finally oppose him, and reject his Gospel.

Verse [Isaiah 59:18](../../../kjv/isaiah/59/18). ***According to*****their*****deeds, accordingly he will**********repay*** - "He is mighty to recompense; he that is mighty to recompense will requite"] The former part of this verse, as it stands at present in the Hebrew text, seems to me to be very imperfect, and absolutely unintelligible. The learned Vitringa has taken a great deal of pains upon it after Cocceius, who he says is the only one of all the interpreters, ancient or modern, who has at all understood it, and has opened the way for him. He thinks that both of them together have clearly made out the sense; I do not expect that any third person will ever be of that opinion. He says, Videtur sententia ad verbum sonare: quasi propter facta [adversariorum] quasi propter rependet; excandescentiam, c., et sic reddidit Pagnimus. "According to the height of their demerits, he will repay them to the height: fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies," c. - *Waterland*. This he converts, by a process which will not much edify my reader, into Secundum summe merita, secundum summe (*merita*) rependet which is his translation. They that hold the present Hebrew text to be absolutely infallible must make their way through it as they can but they ought surely to give us somewhat that has at least the appearance of sense. However, I hope the case here is not quite desperate; the *Chaldee* leads us very fairly to the correction of the text, which is both corrupted and defective. The paraphrase runs thus: מרי גמליא הוא גמלא ישלם *marey gumlaiya hu gimla* *yeshallem*, "The Lord of retribution, he will render recompense." He manifestly read בעל *baal* instead of כעל *keal*. מרי גמליא marey gumlaiya is בעל גמלות *baal gemuloth*; as מרי מרירותא *marey merirutha* is בעל אף *baal aph*. [Proverbs 22:24](../../../kjv/proverbs/22/24). And so in the *Chaldee* paraphrase on [Isaiah 35:4](../../../kjv/isaiah/35/4): מרי גמליא יי הוא יתגלי marey gamlaiya yeya hu yithgeley, "The Lord of retribution, Jehovah himself, shall be revealed;" words very near to those of the prophet in this place.
The second כעל *keal*, which the *Chaldee* has omitted, must be read בעל *baal* likewise. With this only addition to the *Chaldee*, which the Hebrew text justifies, we are supplied with the following clear reading of the passage: -

The Lord of retributions he
The Lord of retributions, shall repay.

The כ *caph* in כעל *keal* twice seems to have been at first ב *beth*, in MS. This verse in the *Septuagint* is very imperfect. In the first part of it they give us no assistance: the latter part is wholly omitted in the printed copies; but it is thus supplied by MSS. Pachom. and I. D. II: Τοις ὑπεναντιοις αυτου· αμυναν τοις εχθροις αυτου· ταις νησοις αποδομα αποτισει. - L.

Verse [Isaiah 59:19](../../../kjv/isaiah/59/19). ***When the enemy shall come in like a flood*** — This all the rabbins refer to the coming of the Messiah. If ye see a generation which endures much tribulation, then (say they) expect him, according to what is written: "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him."
*Kimchi* says, he that was the standard-bearer always began the battle by first smiting at the enemy. Here then the Spirit of the Lord is the standard-bearer, and strikes the first blow. They who go against sin and Satan with the Holy Spirit at their head, are sure to win the day.
***The Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against**********him*** - "Which a strong wind driveth along."] Quam spiritus Domini cogit, "Which the Spirit of the Lord drives on." - *Vulg*. נוססה nosesah, pihel a נוס *nus* fugit. *Kimchi* says his father thus explained this word: נוססה *nosesah* interpretatur in significatione fugae, et ait, spiritus Domini *fugabit* hostem; - nam secundum eum נוססה *nosesah* est ex conjugatione quadrata, ejusque radix est נוס *nus*: "nosesah he interpreted in the signification of *flight*, - *The Spirit of the Lord shall put the enemy to flight*; for according to him the root of the word is נוס *nus, he put to* *flight*." The object of this action I explain otherwise. The conjunction ו *vau*, prefixed to רוח *ruach*, seems necessary to the sense, it is added by the corrector in one of the Koningsberg MSS., collated by Lilienthal. It is added also in one of my own.

Verse [Isaiah 59:20](../../../kjv/isaiah/59/20). ***Unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob***- "And shall turn away iniquity from Jacob"] So the *Septuagint* and St. Paul, [Romans 11:26](../../../kjv/romans/11/26), reading instead of לשבי *leshabey* and ביעקב *beyaacob*, והשיב veheshib and מיעקב *meyaacob*. The *Syriac* likewise reads והשיב *veheshib*; and the *Chaldee*, to the same sense, ולהשיב *ulehashib*. Our translators have expressed the sense of the present reading of the Hebrew text: "And unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob."

Verse [Isaiah 59:21](../../../kjv/isaiah/59/21). ***This is my covenant with them*** - "This is the covenant which I make with them"] For אותם *otham, them*, twenty-four MSS., (four ancient,) and nine editions have אתם *ittam, with them*.
***My Spirit that*****is*****upon thee*** — This seems to be an address to the *Messiah; Kimchi* says it is to the prophet, informing him that the spirit of prophecy should be given to all Israelites in the days of the Messiah, as it was then given to *him*, i.e., to the prophet.
***And my words which I have put in thy mouth*** — Whatsoever Jesus spoke was the *word* and *mind* of God himself; and must, as such, be implicitly received.
***Nor out of the mouth of thy seed*** — The *same doctrines* which Jesus preached, all his faithful ministers preach; and his *seed* - genuine Christians, who are all *born of God*, believe; and *they* shall continue, and the doctrines remain in the *seed's seed* through all generations - for ever and ever. This is God's *covenant*, ordered in all things and sure.

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