Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859 edition.

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ISAIAS - Chapter 61

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Isaias lxi.

Notes & Commentary:

Ver. 1. Lord. Hebrew adds, "God." Adonai seems to have been inserted to prevent the pronunciation of Jehovah, (Kennicott) which alone occurs in the Septuagint, Arabic, and in St. Luke, iv. 18. (Haydock) --- Thus Elohim may have been substituted for Jehovah, Genesis xxii. 8., as [in] [Genesis xxii.] ver. 14, "Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah jireh, because he had said that day on the mount: Jehovah will provide" a victim, even Jesus Christ in the same place. Perhaps no part of the Bible is "so absurdly translated" as this, (Kennicott) by Protestants. (Haydock) --- St. Luke follows the Septuagint in his quotation, only instead of to preach a, &c., he has an explanation, to set at liberty them that are bruised. Isaias may here speak of himself, (Chaldean) yet only as a figure of Christ. The Jews admit that the Messias is meant. Christ had received the Holy Spirit at the Jordan, John i. 32. He performed these works, (Luke vii. 22.) particularly addressing his discourse to the meek and poor, Sophonias iii. 12., and Zacharias xi. 7., and 1 Corinthians i. 26. (Calmet) --- He was not anointed with oil, like Aaron, but with the Holy Ghost; so that of his fullness others must receive, Acts x. 39., &c. (Worthington)

Ver. 2. Year of Jubilee, (Jeremias xxv. 11.) when the Jews should be delivered, as a figure of Christ's redemption. --- Vengeance, when the Chaldeans, &c., should perish, (Calmet) and all obstinate sinners, at the day of judgment. (Haydock)

Ver. 3. Glorify. The rulers shall act with justice, chap. lx. 17, 21.

Ver. 4. Ruins, as the Jews did, chap. lviii. 12. The apostles preached to the Gentiles, who had been long neglected.

Ver. 5. Vines. Bishops were soon chosen from among the Gentiles. The Machabees subdued the neighbouring nations, 1 Machabees xv. 28.

Ver. 6. Priests. They were greatly honoured, (Exodus xix. 6.) so that the sons of David had the appellation. The Jews had still to labour as before. Christians become heirs to these promises, and are styled a royal priesthood, 1 Peter ii. 9., and Apocalypse i. 6. They have received the Scriptures from the Jews, and employ human sciences for the advancement of religion. The wisest pagans yield to the force of truth.

Ver. 7. Part: God, or the land. Converts shall bless God for having withdrawn them from the crowd of infidels, and they will rejoice in suffering for his sake, (Calmet) preferring their lot before that of unbelievers. Before this change the apostles grieved. (Worthington)

Ver. 8. Holocaust. The pagans saw such things were improper victims. (Eusebius, pręp. iv. 14.) --- Septuagint, "hate unjust plunder." (Haydock) --- Therefore will I subject the strangers to you, ver. 5. --- Truth. I will grant a sure reward. --- Covenant. These of Nehemias and the Machabees were soon forgotten: but Christ's covenant shall abide for ever.

Ver. 9. Blessed. The Jews are visibly the reverse. The Church flourishes in spite of domestic and foreign enemies.

Ver. 10. Jewels. Apocalypse xxi. 2. Jerusalem, or rather the Church, praises God.

Ver. 11. Nations, whose conversion is implicitly foretold. All behold the justice which God has treated both his people and their oppressors. (Calmet)


Bible Text & Cross-references:

The office of Christ: the mission of the apostles: the happiness of their converts.

1 The *spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me: he hath sent me to preach to the meek, to heal the contrite of heart, and to preach a release to the captives, and deliverance to them that are shut up.

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God: *to comfort all that mourn:

3 To appoint to the mourners of Sion, and to give them a crown for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, a garment of praise for the spirit of grief: and they shall be called in it the mighty ones of justice, the planting of the Lord to glorify him.

4 *And they shall build the places that have been waste from of old, and shall raise up ancient ruins, and shall repair the desolate cities, that were destroyed for generation and generation.

5 And strangers shall stand and shall feed your flocks: and the sons of strangers shall be your husbandmen, and the dressers of your vines.

6 But you shall be called the priests of the Lord: to you it shall be said: Ye ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and you shall pride yourselves in their glory.

7 For your double confusion and shame, they shall praise their part: therefore shall they receive double in their land, everlasting joy shall be unto them.

8 For I am the Lord that love judgment, and hate robbery in a holocaust: and I will make their work in truth, and I will make a perpetual covenant with them.

9 And they shall know their seed among the Gentiles, and their offspring in the midst of peoples: all that shall see them, shall know them, that these are the seed which the Lord hath blessed.

10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, and my soul shall be joyful in my God: for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation: and with the robe of justice he hath covered me, as a bridegroom decked with a crown, and as a bride adorned with her jewels.

11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth her seed to shoot forth: so shall the Lord God make justice to spring forth, and praise before all the nations.

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*

1: Luke iv. 8.

2: Matthew v. 5.

4: Isaias lviii. 12.