Ésaïe 51

1 Écoutez-moi, vous qui poursuivez la justice, qui cherchez l'Éternel! Regardez au rocher d'où vous avez été taillés, à la carrière d'où vous avez été tirés!

2 Regardez à Abraham, votre père, et à Sara qui vous a enfantés; je l'ai appelé lorsqu'il était seul, je l'ai béni et l'ai multiplié.

3 Ainsi l'Éternel va consoler Sion, il a pitié de toutes ses ruines; il fera de son désert un Éden, et de sa terre aride un jardin de l'Éternel; la joie et l'allégresse se trouveront au milieu d'elle, la louange et le chant des cantiques.

4 Sois attentif, mon peuple; toi, ma nation, prête-moi l'oreille! Car la loi procédera de moi, et j'établirai mon jugement pour servir de lumière aux peuples.

5 Ma justice est proche, mon salut arrive, et mes bras jugeront les peuples. Les îles espéreront en moi, et se confieront en mon bras.

6 Élevez vos yeux vers les cieux, et regardez en bas vers la terre; car les cieux s'évanouiront comme une fumée, la terre s'usera comme un vêtement, et, comme des mouches, ses habitants périront: mais mon salut durera toujours, et ma justice ne passera point.

7 Écoutez-moi, vous qui connaissez la justice, peuple dans le cœur duquel est ma loi! Ne craignez pas l'opprobre des hommes, et ne soyez point effrayés de leurs injures.

8 Car la teigne les rongera comme un vêtement, et la gerce les rongera comme la laine; mais ma justice durera toujours, et mon salut d'âge en âge.

9 Réveille-toi, réveille-toi! Revêts-toi de force, bras de l'Éternel! Réveille-toi comme aux jours d'autrefois, comme aux âges anciens! N'est-ce pas toi qui mis en pièces Rahab, qui transperças le dragon?

10 N'est-ce pas toi qui fis tarir la mer, les eaux du grand abîme; qui fis des profondeurs de la mer un chemin pour y faire passer les rachetés?

11 Les rachetés de l'Éternel retourneront, et viendront à Sion avec des chants de triomphe; une allégresse éternelle sera sur leurs têtes; ils obtiendront la joie et l'allégresse; la douleur et les gémissements s'enfuiront.

12 C'est moi, c'est moi qui vous console. Qui es-tu, pour avoir peur de l'homme mortel, du fils de l'homme qui deviendra comme l'herbe;

13 Pour oublier l'Éternel, ton créateur, qui a étendu les cieux et fondé la terre, et pour trembler sans cesse, tout le jour, devant la fureur de l'oppresseur, lorsqu'il s'apprête à détruire? Où donc est-elle, la fureur de l'oppresseur?

14 Bientôt l'homme courbé sous les fers sera mis en liberté. Il ne descendra pas dans la fosse, et son pain ne lui manquera point.

15 Car je suis l'Éternel ton Dieu, qui frappe la mer et fais mugir ses flots, de qui le nom est l'Éternel des armées.

16 J'ai mis mes paroles dans ta bouche, et t'ai couvert de l'ombre de ma main, pour rétablir les cieux et fonder la terre, pour dire à Sion: Tu es mon peuple!

17 Réveille-toi, réveille-toi! Lève-toi, Jérusalem! qui as bu de la main de l'Éternel la coupe de sa colère, qui as bu et sucé jusqu'à la lie la coupe d'étourdissement.

18 Il n'y en a aucun pour la conduire, de tous les enfants qu'elle a enfantés; il n'y en a aucun pour la prendre par la main, de tous les enfants qu'elle a nourris.

19 Ces deux choses te sont arrivées, et qui te plaindra? la dévastation et la ruine, la famine et l'épée. Comment te consolerai-je?

20 Tes enfants sont défaillants, couchés à tous les carrefours des rues, comme un cerf dans un filet, chargés de la colère de l'Éternel et de l'indignation de ton Dieu.

21 C'est pourquoi, écoute ceci, toi qui es affligée, ivre mais non pas de vin.

22 Ainsi a dit l'Éternel, ton Seigneur, ton Dieu, qui défend la cause de son peuple: Voici j'ai pris de ta main la coupe d'étourdissement, le calice de ma colère, tu n'en boiras plus désormais.

23 Et je le mettrai dans la main de tes oppresseurs, de ceux qui disaient à ton âme: Prosterne-toi pour que nous passions! Et tu faisais de ton dos comme une terre, et comme une rue pour les passants.

Ésaïe 51 Commentary

Chapter 51

Exhortations to trust the Messiah. (1-3) The power of God, and the weakness of man. (4-8) Christ defends his people. (9-16) Their afflictions and deliverances. (17-23)

Verses 1-3 It is good for those privileged by the new birth, to consider that they were shapen in sin. This should cause low thoughts of ourselves, and high thoughts of Divine grace. It is the greatest comfort to be made serviceable to the glory of God. The more holiness men have, and the more good they do, the more gladness they have. Let us seriously reflect upon our guilt. To do so will tend to keep the heart humble, and the conscience awake and tender. They make Christ more precious to the soul, and give strength to our attempts and prayers for others.

Verses 4-8 The gospel of Christ shall be preached and published. How shall we escape if we neglect it? There is no salvation without righteousness. The soul shall, as to this world, vanish like smoke, and the body be thrown by like a worn-out garment. But those whose happiness is in Christ's righteousness and salvation, will have the comfort of it when time and days shall be no more. Clouds darken the sun, but do not stop its course. The believer will enjoy his portion, while revilers of Christ are in darkness

Verses 9-16 The people whom Christ has redeemed with his blood, as well as by his power, will obtain joyful deliverance from every enemy. He that designs such joy for us at last, will he not work such deliverance in the mean time, as our cases require? In this world of changes, it is a short step from joy to sorrow, but in that world, sorrow shall never come in view. They prayed for the display of God's power; he answers them with consolations of his grace. Did we dread to sin against God, we should not fear the frowns of men. Happy is the man that fears God always. And Christ's church shall enjoy security by the power and providence of the Almighty.

Verses 17-23 God calls upon his people to mind the things that belong to their everlasting peace. Jerusalem had provoked God, and was made to taste the bitter fruits. Those who should have been her comforters, were their own tormentors. They have no patience by which to keep possesion of their own souls, nor any confidence in God's promise, by which to keep possession of its comfort. Thou art drunken, not as formerly, with the intoxicating cup of Babylon's idolatries, but with the cup of affliction. Know, then, the cause of God's people may for a time seem as lost, but God will protect it, by convincing the conscience, or confounding the projects, of those that strive against it. The oppressors required souls to be subjected to them, that every man should believe and worship as they would have them. But all they could gain by violence was, that people were brought to outward hypocritical conformity, for consciences cannot be forced.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 51

This chapter gives the church and people of God reason to expect comfortable times and certain salvation, though they had many enemies. They are directed to look to Abraham and Sarah, signified by the rock and hole of the pit, and observe how he was called alone, blessed and increased; which should be improved as an argument to strengthen their faith, that God could and would bless and increase his church, though in a low estate, and bring it into a flourishing one, Isa 51:1-3. They are assured of the publication of the Gospel, expressed by the law, doctrine, and judgment of the Lord; by which means the righteousness and salvation of Christ should be brought nigh to them, as the object of their trust and confidence, Isa 51:4,5, and also of the perpetuity of his righteousness and salvation, when the heavens, and the earth, and the inhabitants of it, should decay, even their revilers and persecutors, and therefore they need not fear their reproaches and revilings, Isa 51:6-8, upon which follows a prayer of faith, that the Lord would exert his power as in former times, when he destroyed the Egyptians, and dried up the Red sea for Israel to pass through, the ransomed of the Lord; from whence it might be concluded, that the redeemed of the Lord would be brought into a very comfortable condition again, Isa 51:9-11 wherefore they had no reason to be afraid of men, since the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth, would deliver, comfort, and establish them, of which he assured them by his prophet, Isa 51:12-16, and though Jerusalem and her sons were, or would be, in a very distressed condition, through the sword and famine, which is described, Isa 51:17-20, yet they should be delivered out of it, and their persecutors should be brought into the same, Isa 51:21-23.