UIsaya 62:6

Izhibhalo Ezingcwele

6 Phezu kweendonga zakho, Yerusalem, ndimise abagcini: imini yonke nobusuku bonke abayi kuze bathi quthu; nina bakhumbuzi bakaYehova, musani ukuthi cwaka.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

set watchmen: Isaiah 52:8, Isaiah 56:10, 2 Chronicles 8:14, Song of Solomon 3:3, Song of Solomon 5:7, Jeremiah 6:17, Ezekiel 3:17-21, Ezekiel 33:2-9, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11, Ephesians 4:12, Hebrews 13:17

which: Isaiah 62:1, Psalms 134:1, Psalms 134:2, Revelation 4:6-8

make mention of the Lord: or, are the Lord's remembrancers, Isaiah 43:26, Genesis 32:12, Numbers 14:17-19, Psalms 74:2, Psalms 74:18, Acts 10:4, Acts 10:31

keep: Genesis 32:26, Matthew 15:22-27, Luke 11:5-13, Luke 18:1-8, Luke 18:39, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Revelation 6:10

Reciprocal: Exodus 28:12 - for a memorial Deuteronomy 9:14 - Let me 1 Samuel 7:8 - Cease 1 Kings 4:3 - recorder 1 Kings 19:14 - I have been 2 Kings 9:17 - a watchman 1 Chronicles 16:4 - to record Psalms 51:18 - Do Psalms 88:1 - I have Psalms 119:49 - Remember Psalms 127:1 - the watchman Psalms 137:5 - I forget Isaiah 21:6 - Go Isaiah 21:8 - I stand Jeremiah 31:6 - a day Lamentations 3:50 - General Ezekiel 33:7 - I have Daniel 9:20 - for Hosea 9:8 - watchman Habakkuk 2:1 - tower Acts 12:5 - prayer was made without ceasing 2 Corinthians 1:11 - helping Ephesians 1:16 - making 2 Timothy 4:5 - watch Revelation 3:2 - watchful Revelation 4:8 - and they Revelation 14:15 - crying

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem,.... Not angels, as Jarchi; nor kings, as Kimchi; nor princes and civil magistrates, as others; nor the mourners in Zion, as Aben Ezra; but ministers of the Gospel; as the prophets of the Old Testament are called watch men, Isaiah 21:11, so ministers of the New,

Isaiah 52:8 who are to watch in all things over themselves, and for the souls of men; for their good, and to guard them against that which is evil, pernicious, and dangerous, both in principle and practice, 2 Timothy 4:5. The allusion is to watchmen on the walls of cities, whose business is to keep their place and stand, and not move from it; to look out diligently, and descry an enemy, or any approaching danger, and give notice of it; and to defend the outworks of the city, and repel the enemy; all which requires courage, constancy, vigilance, and sobriety. The church is a city, and a walled one; God himself is a wall about her; salvation by Christ is as walls and bulwarks to her; and ministers of the Gospel are set for the defence of her: this is an ordinance and appointment of God; these watchmen are not of men's setting, nor do they take this office to themselves; but are placed in it by the Lord, who makes them able ministers, qualifies them for watchmen, and enables them to perform their work; and which is an instance of the love of God to his church, and of his care of it:

which shall never hold their peace day nor night; as the living creatures in Revelation 4:8, which are an emblem of Gospel ministers; who are always to be employed, and to be continually praying or preaching; the two principal branches of their ministry, Acts 6:4, they are not to be silent, but either praying in private or in public for direction and assistance in their meditations; for supply of the gifts and graces of the Spirit in their ministration, and for success in their work; and that all blessings of grace might descend on those to whom they minister: or else preaching the Gospel; being constant in season, and out of season; frequently inculcating the doctrines of Christ; constantly affirming these things; ever informing, instructing, and exhorting the people. It was Austin's wish that death might find him either praying or preaching:

ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence; some take this to be an address to the same persons; and they may be described as such that make mention of the Lord in their ministrations; of the grace and love of God the Father; of the person, office, and grace of Christ; and of the operations of the Spirit: or, "as the remembrancers of the Lord" i, as it may be rendered; that put men in mind of the Lord; of what he has done for them, and is unto them; of the doctrines of the Gospel respecting him, and of their duty to him, and to one another, and to all men; and who put the Lord in mind of his promises to his people, and prophecies concerning them, to fulfil them: but I rather think another set of men are meant, even members of churches, as distinct from ministers; who make mention of the Lord to one another, in private conference with each other; of his gracious dealings with them, and favours bestowed upon them; and who make mention of him in their prayers to him, and praises of him; and who should not keep silence, but pray without ceasing, even always, and not faint, Luke 18:1.

i המזכירים את יהוה "qui Deo estis a memoriis", Gataker; "qui facitis ut alii reminiscantur Domini", Forerius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I have set watchmen upon thy walls - (See the notes at Isaiah 21:6-11). The speaker here is undoubtedly Yahweh; and by watchmen he means those whom he had appointed to be the instructors of his people - the ministers of religion. The name ‘watchmen’ is often given to them (Ezekiel 3:17; Ezekiel 33:7; see the notes at Isaiah 52:8; Isaiah 56:10).

Which shall never hold their peace - The watches in the East are to this day performed by a loud cry as they go their rounds. This is done frequently in order to mark the time, and also to show that they are awake to their duty. “The watchmen in the camp of the caravans go their rounds, crying one after another, ‘God is one; He is merciful’; and often add, ‘Take heed to yourselves’“ - (Tavernier). The truth here taught is, that they who are appointed to be the ministers of religion should be ever watchful and unceasing in the discharge of their duty.

Ye that make mention of the Lord - Margin, ‘That are the Lord’s remembrancers.’ These are evidently the words of the prophet addressing those who are watchmen, and urging them to do their duty, as he had said Isaiah 62:1 he was resolved to do his, Lowth renders this, ‘O ye that proclaim the name of Yahweh.’ Noyes, ‘O ye that praise Yahweh.’ But this does not express the sense of the original as well as the common version. The Hebrew word המזכירים hamaz^ekiyriym, from זכר zâkar, “to remember”) means properly those bringing to remembrance, or causing to remember. It is a word frequently applied to the praise of God, or to the celebration of his worship Psalms 20:7; Psalms 38:1; Psalms 45:17; Psalms 70:1; Psalms 102:12. In such instances the word does not mean that they who are engaged in his service cause Yahweh to remember, or bring things to his recollection which otherwise he would forget; but it means that they would keep up his remembrance among the people, or that they proclaimed his name in order that he might not be forgotten. This is the idea here. It is not merely that they were engaged in the worship of God; but it is, that they did this in order to keep up the remembrance of Yahweh among people. In this sense the ministers of religion are ‘the remembrancers’ of the Lord.

Keep not silence - Hebrew, ‘Let there be no silence to you.’ That is, be constantly employed in public prayer and praise.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 62:6. Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence — The faithful, and in particular the priests and Levites, are exhorted by the prophet to beseech God with unremitted importunity (compare Luke 18:1, c.) to hasten the redemption of Sion. The image in this place is taken from the temple service in which there was appointed a constant watch, day and night, by the Levites: and among them this seems to have belonged particularly to the singers, see 1 Chronicles 9:33. Now the watches in the east, even to this day, are performed by a loud cry from time to time of the watchmen, to mark the time, and that very frequently, and in order to show that they themselves are constantly attentive to their duty. Hence the watchmen are said by the prophet, Isaiah 52:8, to lift up their voice; and here they are commanded, not to keep silence; and the greatest reproach to them is, that they are dumb dogs; they cannot bark; dreamers; sluggards, loving to slumber, Isaiah 56:10. "The watchmen in the camp of the caravans go their rounds crying one after another, 'God is one, he is merciful:' and often add, 'Take heed to yourselves.'" TAVERNIER, Voyage de Perse, Liv. i. chap. x. The hundred and thirty-fourth Psalm gives us an example of the temple watch. The whole Psalm is nothing more than the alternate cry of two different divisions of the watch. The first watch addresses the second, reminding them of their duty; the second answers by a solemn blessing. The address and the answer seem both to be a set form, which each division proclaimed, or sung aloud, at stated intervals, to notify the time of the night: -

FIRST CHORUS

"Come on now, bless ye JEHOVAH, all ye servants of JEHOVAH;

Ye that stand in the house of JEHOVAH in the nights;

Lift up your hands towards the sanctuary,

And bless ye JEHOVAH."

SECOND CHORUS

"JEHOVAH bless thee out of Sion;

He that made heaven and earth."

"Ye who stand in the place of the watch, in the house of the sanctuary of the Lord; and ye praise through the nights;" - says the Chaldee paraphrase on the second line. And this explains what is here particularly meant by proclaiming, or making remembrance of, the name of JEHOVAH: the form, which the watch made use of on these occasions, was always a short sentence, expressing some pious sentiment, of which JEHOVAH was the subject; and it is remarkable, that the custom in the east in this respect also still continues the very same; as appears by the example above given from Tavernier.

And this observation leads to the explanation of an obscure passage in the Prophet Malachi, Malachi 2:12.

"JEHOVAH will cut off the man that doeth this;

The watchman and the answerer, from the tabernacles of Jacob;

And him that presenteth an offering to JEHOVAH God of hosts."

ער וענה er veoneh, the master and the scholar, says our translation, after the Vulgate: the son and the grandson, says the Syriac and Chaldee, as little to the purpose: Arias Montanus has given it vigilantem et respondentem, "the watchman and the answerer;" that is, the Levite and "him that presenteth an offering to JEHOVAH," that is, the priest. - L. Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence. Is not this clause an address to the ministers of Christ, to continue in supplication for the conversion of the Jewish people? Kimchi seems to think that the watchmen are the interceding angels!