Isaiah 25

Praise to the LORD

1 LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.

2 You have made the city a heap of rubble, the fortified town a ruin, the foreigners’ stronghold a city no more; it will never be rebuilt.

3 Therefore strong peoples will honor you; cities of ruthless nations will revere you.

4 You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall

5 and like the heat of the desert. You silence the uproar of foreigners; as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled.

6 On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines.

7 On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations;

8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.

9 In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

10 The hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain; but Moab will be trampled in their land as straw is trampled down in the manure.

11 They will stretch out their hands in it, as swimmers stretch out their hands to swim. God will bring down their pride despite the cleverness^[a] of their hands.

12 He will bring down your high fortified walls and lay them low; he will bring them down to the ground, to the very dust.

PREVIOUS Isaiah 24 NEXT Isaiah 26

Images for Isaiah 25

Isaiah 25 Commentary

Chapter 25

A song of praise. (1-5) A declaration of the gospel blessings. (6-8) The destruction of the enemies of Christ's church. (9-12)

Verses 1-5 However this might show the deliverance of the Jews out of captivity, it looked further, to the praises that should be offered up to God for Christ's victories over our spiritual enemies, and the comforts he has provided for all believers. True faith simply credits the Lord's testimony, and relies on his truth to perform his promises. As God weakens the strong who are proud and secure, so he strengthens the weak that are humble, and stay themselves upon him. God protects his people in all weathers. The Lord shelters those who trust in him from the insolence of oppressors. Their insolence is but the noise of strangers; it is like the heat of the sun scorching in the middle of the day; but where is it when the sun is set? The Lord ever was, and ever will be, the Refuge of distressed believers. Having provided them a shelter, he teaches them to flee unto it.

Verses 6-8 The kind reception of repentant sinners, is often in the New Testament likened to a feast. The guests invited are all people, Gentiles as well as Jews. There is that in the gospel which strengthens and makes glad the heart, and is fit for those who are under convictions of sin, and mourning for it. There is a veil spread over all nations, for all sat in darkness. But this veil the Lord will destroy, by the light of his gospel shining in the world, and the power of his Spirit opening men's eyes to receive it. He will raise those to spiritual life who were long dead in trespasses and sins. Christ will himself, in his resurrection, triumph over death. Grief shall be banished; there shall be perfect and endless joy. Those that mourn for sin shall be comforted. Those who suffer for Christ shall have consolations. But in the joys of heaven, and not short of them, will fully be brought to pass this saying, God shall wipe away all tears. The hope of this should now do away over-sorrow, all weeping that hinders sowing. Sometimes, in this world God takes away the reproach of his people from among men; however, it will be done fully at the great day. Let us patiently bear sorrow and shame now; both will be done away shortly.

Verses 9-12 With joy and praise will those entertain the glad tidings of the Redeemer, who looked for him; and with a triumphant song will glorified saints enter into the joy of their Lord. And it is not in vain to wait for him; for the mercy comes at last, with abundant recompence for the delay. The hands once stretched out upon the cross, to make way for our salvation, will at length be stretched forth to destroy all impenitent sinners. Moab is here put for all adversaries of God's people; they shall all be trodden down or threshed. God shall bring down the pride of the enemies by one humbling judgment after another. This destruction of Moab is typical of Christ's victory, and the pulling down of Satan's strong holds. Therefore, beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; for your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Cross References 41

1. S Isaiah 7:13
2. S Psalms 145:2; S Isaiah 12:1,4
3. Isaiah 11:5
4. Psalms 40:5; Psalms 98:1; Joel 2:21,26
5. Numbers 23:19; S Isaiah 14:24; Isaiah 37:26; Isaiah 46:11; Ephesians 1:11
6. Isaiah 17:1; Isaiah 26:5; Isaiah 37:26
7. S Isaiah 17:3
8. S Deuteronomy 13:16
9. S Isaiah 13:22
10. S Job 12:14
11. S Exodus 6:2; S Psalms 22:23; S Isaiah 11:14
12. S Isaiah 13:11
13. S 2 Samuel 22:3; S Psalms 118:8; S Isaiah 4:6; Isaiah 17:10; Isaiah 27:5; Isaiah 33:16; Joel 3:16
14. S Isaiah 3:14
15. S Isaiah 14:30; Isaiah 29:19
16. S Psalms 55:8
17. Isaiah 29:5; Isaiah 49:25
18. Jeremiah 51:55
19. S Psalms 18:44
20. S Isaiah 13:11
21. S Isaiah 2:2
22. S Genesis 29:22; 1 Kings 1:25; Isaiah 1:19; Isaiah 55:1-2; Isaiah 66:11; Joel 3:18; Matthew 8:11; Matthew 22:4; Revelation 19:9
23. S Psalms 36:8; S Proverbs 9:2
24. 2 Corinthians 3:15-16; Ephesians 4:18
25. S Job 4:9
26. Isaiah 26:19; Hosea 13:14; 1 Corinthians 15:54-55*
27. Isaiah 15:3; Isaiah 30:19; Isaiah 35:10; Isaiah 51:11; Isaiah 65:19; Jeremiah 31:16; Revelation 7:17; Revelation 21:4
28. S Genesis 30:23; S Psalms 119:39; Matthew 5:11; 1 Peter 4:14; Revelation 7:14
29. S Isaiah 7:7
30. S Isaiah 2:11; S Isaiah 10:20
31. Isaiah 40:9
32. S Psalms 22:5; S Isaiah 12:2
33. Psalms 20:5; Psalms 145:19; Isaiah 19:20; Isaiah 33:22; Isaiah 35:4; Isaiah 43:3,11; Isaiah 45:15,21; Isaiah 49:25-26; Isaiah 60:16; Isaiah 63:8; Jeremiah 14:8
34. S Deuteronomy 32:43; S Psalms 9:2; Isaiah 9:3; Isaiah 35:2,10; Isaiah 41:16; Isaiah 51:3; Isaiah 61:7,10; Isaiah 66:14
35. S Psalms 13:5; S Isaiah 12:2
36. S Isaiah 2:2
37. S Genesis 19:37; S Numbers 21:29; S Deuteronomy 23:6; S Isaiah 11:14; Amos 2:1-3
38. Isaiah 5:25; Isaiah 14:26; Isaiah 16:14
39. S Leviticus 26:19; S Job 40:12
40. S Isaiah 2:15
41. S Job 40:11; S Isaiah 15:1; S Jeremiah 51:44

Footnotes 1

[a]. The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 25

This chapter contains a thanksgiving, or a triumphant song, upon the destruction of antichrist, and the antichristian states, for benefits and blessings bestowed upon the church, and for the setting up of the glorious kingdom of Christ in the Jerusalem state. It begins with a form of praise, and the reason of it in general, Isa 25:1 the particular instances of wonderful things are, the ruin of a certain city described, Isa 25:2 which will issue in the fear and glory of God, Isa 25:3 the great appearance of the Lord for his poor people, in being strength, refuge, and a shadow to them, Isa 25:4,5 a rich feast made for them, Isa 25:6 the removal of the veil from all people, Isa 25:7 the abolition of death, and every affliction, Isa 25:8 the personal appearance of Christ unto salvation, Isa 25:9 the protection of the church, and the certain and utter destruction of her enemies, under the name of Moab, Isa 25:10-12