Jesaja 26:9

9 Von Herzen begehre ich dein des Nachts; dazu mit meinem Geist in mir wache ich früh zu dir. Denn wo dein Recht im Lande geht, so lernen die Bewohner des Erdbodens Gerechtigkeit.

Jesaja 26:9 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 26:9

With my soul have I desired thee in the night
Either literally, when others were asleep: or figuratively, in the captivity; which, as Jarchi says, was like unto the night; or in the time of Jewish and Gentile darkness, preceding the coming of Christ; or rather in the time of latter day darkness, when the church is represented as heartily desirous of, and importunately praying for, the latter day glory, the rising of the sun of righteousness, the spiritual reign of Christ, the spread of his Gospel, and the setting up of his kingdom and glory in the world; so the Targum,

``my soul desireth to pray before thee in the night;''

her desires were expressed by prayer: yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early;
she determines to continue seeking the Lord night and day, with the greatest intenseness of spirit, and eagerness of soul, until she obtained and enjoyed what she sought for; namely, the presence of Christ, communion with him, the discoveries of his love, and larger measures of his grace, light, and knowledge; for when thy judgments [are] in the earth;
such as pestilence, famine, sword, and the like; especially the judgments of God on antichrist, and the antichristian states, which will be just and righteous; see ( Revelation 19:2 ) : the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness;
not the wicked inhabitants of the world, for the contrary is suggested in the following verses; but the saints that are in the world, the upright ones, the righteous before mentioned, the church and her members; these, by the judgments of God in the world, learn what a righteous Being he is, how unrighteous men are, on whose account these judgments come, and themselves too, as in his sight; and they learn the insufficiency of their own righteousness to justify them before him, and their need, the worth and value, of the righteousness of Christ: and also learn hereby to live soberly, righteously, and godly, ( Psalms 119:67 Psalms 119:71 ) ( 94:12 ) they learn to ascribe righteousness to God, and to fear and worship him, ( Revelation 15:3 Revelation 15:4 ) ( Revelation 16:5 Revelation 16:6 ) .

Jesaja 26:9 In-Context

7 Aber des Gerechten Weg ist schlicht; den Steig des Gerechten machst du richtig.

8 Denn wir warten auf dich, HERR, im Wege deiner Rechte; des Herzens Lust steht zu deinem Namen und deinem Gedächtnis.

9 Von Herzen begehre ich dein des Nachts; dazu mit meinem Geist in mir wache ich früh zu dir. Denn wo dein Recht im Lande geht, so lernen die Bewohner des Erdbodens Gerechtigkeit.

10 Aber wenn den Gottlosen Gnade widerfährt, so lernen sie nicht Gerechtigkeit, sondern tun nur übel im richtigen Lande, denn sie sehen des HERRN Herrlichkeit nicht.

11 HERR, deine Hand ist erhöht; das sehen sie nicht. Wenn sie aber sehen werden den Eifer um dein Volk, so werden sie zu Schanden werden; dazu wirst du sie mit Feuer, damit du deine Feinde verzehrst, verzehren.