Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 12

Verses 1-6

Isa 12:1-6

Isaiah 12:1-5

This chapter is composed of a beautiful song of thanksgiving. The closing verses of the previous chapter had made what is probably a symbolical mention of the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage by their passage over the Red Sea by the hand of God. Of course there was a song of thanksgiving, the Song of Moses and of Miriam (Exodus 15:1-27). This song seems to have been prompted by that previous deliverance; for in some ways this song resembles the first. Certainly the deliverance celebrated in this chapter is just as important as that first one and even more comprehensive, because this is the great deliverance from sin that comes to God’s people under the New Covenant, as certified by the words,"in that day," standing at the head of the chapter.

Commentators have expressed widely different opinions on who the singers are who will sing this wonderful song. Archer believed that, "(This is) the song of Millennial believers (to be) realized at the end of human history.” Peake thought, "They are the redeemed of Israel.” Jamieson titled this chapter, "Thanksgiving hymn of the Restored and Converted Jews.” Rawlinson called it, "The Song of Thanksgiving of the United Church.” Our conviction is that Homer Hailey’s analysis of this is correct. He wrote:

"The opening phrase, in that day, identifies what follows with the redemption of the remnant...This is the blessing of the redeemed; sin has been forgiven ... Jehovah is recognized and praised as the source of salvation.”

Whenever any Biblical passage indicates that God’s people are forgiven, as is clearly the case here, it is invariably an indication that the era of the New Covenant is being spoken of, since "forgiveness" is the unique blessing of that New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-35). Under the Old Covenant, sins were remembered over and over again year by year, not absolutely forgiven until the Cross of Jesus Christ.

In addition, the observation of Lowth on this is undeniably true: "This hymn by its whole tenor, and by many expressions in it, seems to be much better calculated for the use of the Christian church, than for the Jewish in any circumstances, either then or at any time that can be assigned. The Jews themselves seem to have applied it to the times of Messiah.”

Isaiah 12:1-6

"And in that day thou shalt say, I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah; for though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away from me, and thou comfortest me. Behold God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid: for Jehovah, even Jehovah is my strength and song; and he is become my salvation. Therefore, with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Give thanks unto Jehovah, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto Jehovah; for he hath done excellent things: let this be known in all the earth. Cry aloud and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion; for great in the midst of thee is the Holy One of Israel."

In 1924 and for some time previously, critical commentators arrogantly rejected this song as having any right to be in Isaiah at all. Typical of what critics were saying at that time is this blunt, unsupported assertion by Peake, "This is a late appendix." However, by 1937, such assertions had lost their appeal to most scholars. Dummelow, for example, wrote, "Some scholars doubt its Isaianic authorship and date it after the return from the exile.” What a difference! In 1924 the radical critics were proclaiming their denials as the gospel truth; but in Dummelow’s period such denials were relegated to a far lesser status, being merely what "some scholars" alleged.

However, the advance beyond those radical denials so characteristic of the first half of this century is illustrated by this quotation from Payne:

"The prophet seeks to reassure the inhabitants of Zion and instill into his fellow citizens his own confident faith in the Holy One of Israel. With this phrase, so characteristic of Isaiah, the section is brought to an end.”

Marvelous! Payne writing only recently did not even mention the former position of critics, but completely ignored them as he should have done. We truly believe that, as time passes, discerning commentators will more and more stop wasting their time by repeating, and discussing the allegations of unbelievers. A great many faithful and discerning scholars today are doing that very thing. Homer Hailey should be added to this list already.

The last three verses here carry repeated instructions to God’s people of all ages: (1) give thanks to Jehovah; (2) call upon his name; (3) declare his doings among the people; (4) make mention that his name is exalted; (5) sing unto Jehovah; (6) God hath done excellent things; let this be known in all the earth; (7) Cry aloud and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion; for great in the midst of thee is the Holy One of Israel.

All of this adds up to an elaboration of the Biblical injunction, "Let the redeemed of Jehovah say so" (Psalms 107:2).

The Messianic import of the chapter is further indicated by the expression, "With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." On the great day (the last day) of the feast of tabernacles, there was a ceremony connected with drawing water from the Pool of Siloam in a golden pitcher and pouring it upon the sacrifices that day with great rejoicing. Obviously the text in the hymn does not apply to anything ordained in the Law of Moses. And what is said here "can hardly be understood of any benefits provided by the Mosaic dispensation. Our Saviour applied Isaiah’s words here to himself and to the effusion of the Holy Spirit" (John 7:37 ff).

This brings us to the conclusion of the first great division of Isaiah’s prophecy; and in these brief chapters there has emerged the great majority of the themes that Isaiah will discuss throughout the book, "line upon line, here a little and there a little" as noted in the introduction. Such things as the apostasy of Israel, their rejection as the chosen people, the ruin and captivity of Israel, the return of a remnant, God’s judgments upon wicked nations, the salvation of an obedient remnant, the accomplishment of that redemption by the hand of Immanuel (the Messiah), the coming of the Messiah through the Davidic line, the virgin birth of Messiah, the Messiah’s character, his endowment, his ability, the nature of God’s kingdom, the calling of the Gentiles and their reception into God’s fellowship and kingdom along with a remnant of the Jews, etc. etc.

(The End of Division I)

Isaiah 12:1-6 PRAISE IMMANUEL: This is one of the most beautiful peans of praise in all the Bible! In the day that Immanuel shall make His advent into the world of man and shall conquer man’s enemies and shall set up His kingdom, the Church, God’s remnant (those who believe and are redeemed) will be able to give thanks and praise Jehovah’s name for His grace. It will be by His grace that God will satisfy His wrath upon His Son and turn His wrath away from man. In the substitutionary death of the Messiah men will find comfort and strength and salvation. It will be a work of salvation totally initiated by God and not by man, Man’s response will be to trust and enter into covenant relationship through the covenant terms revealed by God.

Water is a beautiful figure of salvation, especially for a people of a dry and arid land. (Cf. Isaiah 41:17-18; John 4:14). There is an interesting practice attendant to the Feast of Tabernacles in Jesus day in connection with Isaiah 12:3. Each day of the feast the people would come with palm branches and limbs of willows to the temple. They held these branches over the great altar of burnt offering until they formed a sort of roof and the people marched around the altar. While the people were thus marching, one of the priests went, according to the ceremony, to the pool of Siloam and filled a golden pitcher with about two pints of water. As he returned through the Water Gate, the people chanted Isaiah 12:3 . . . “With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” The figure of water for Messianic salvation permeates the Old Testament (Cf. Isaiah 35:7; Isaiah 49:10; Isaiah 55:1; Psalms 42:1; Psalms 36:9; Jeremiah 2:13; Jeremiah 17:13; Ezekiel 47:1-12; Zechariah 13:1; Zechariah 14:8; John 4:7-26; John 7:37-38).

When men enjoy the blessings of salvation they must make known the glories of their discovery. In John 7:37-38 Jesus says, “If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.” Perhaps Jesus meant that those who drink from the wells of salvation will also become, as it were, “springs” of salvation to others. When men proclaim the Living Water and direct men’s hearts to Him they have, by their preaching, become secondary sources of the Water of Life.

Notice carefully that the content of true praise and preaching of God is to praise and preach His doings. The church does not exist to give the opinions of men, or to teach that all religions are equally good, or to beg men to unite with her, or to “psych” them into joining her by emotionally-charged entertainments and mass-hypnotic salesmanship methods. Her one supreme task is to cause men to praise the name of God through the direction of their minds to the record of His doings! A part of that proclamation may be done through singing His praises.

The inhabitant of Zion is the member of the new covenant people. Zion is the church of Christ (Cf. Hebrews 12:22). The Holy One of Israel dwells in His church which is His temple (Cf. Ephesians 2:11-22). Isaiah will have a great deal more to say about the glory of Zion (chapters 60 through 66 especially), which is all future to Isaiah’s day and cannot refer to anything but the Church.