Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 56

Verse 1

56:1 Thus saith the LORD, {a} Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation [is] near to come, and my {b} righteousness to be revealed.

(a) God shows what he requires of them after he has delivered them: that is, the works of charity by which true faith is declared.

(b) Which I will declare toward you, and pour into your hearts by my Spirit.

Verse 2

56:2 Blessed [is] the man [that] doeth this, and the son of man [that] layeth hold on it; that keepeth the {c} sabbath from profaning it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.

(c) Under the Sabbath he comprehends the whole service of God and true religion.

Verse 3

56:3 Neither let the son of the foreigner, that {d} hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I [am] a dry tree.

(d) Let no one think himself unfit to receive the graces of the Lord: for the Lord will take away all impediments, and will forsake no one who will keep his true religion, and believe in him.

Verse 5

56:5 Even to them will I give in my {e} house and within my walls a place and a {f} name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.

(e) Meaning, in his Church.

(f) They will be called after my people, and be of the same religion: yea, under Christ the dignity of the faithful will be greater than the Jews were at that time.

Verse 7

56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt {g} offerings and their sacrifices [shall be] accepted upon my altar; for my house shall be called an house of prayer for {h} all people.

(g) By this he means the spiritual service of God, to whom the faithful offer continual thanksgiving, yea themselves and all that they have, as a lively and acceptable sacrifice.

(h) Not only for the Jews, but for all others, Matthew 21:13 .

Verse 9

56:9 All ye {i} beasts of the field, come to devour, [yea], all ye beasts in the forest.

(i) Meaning, the enemies of the Church, as the Babylonians, Assyrians, etc thus he speaks to scare the hypocrites and to assure the faithful that when this comes they may know it was told to them before.

Verse 10

56:10 His {k} watchmen [are] blind: they are all ignorant, they [are] all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

(k) He shows that this affliction will come through the fault of the governors, prophets and pastors, whose ignorance, negligence, greed and obstinacy provoked God’s wrath against them.

Verse 12

56:12 Come ye, [say they], I will bring wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to {l} morrow shall be as this day, [and] much more abundant.

(l) We are well yet, and to morrow will be better: therefore let us not fear the plagues before they come: thus the wicked contemned the admonition and exhortations which were made to them in the Name of God.