Isaiah 56:4

4 For the Lord saith these things to geldings, that keep my sabbaths, and choose what things I would, and hold (fast to) my bond of peace. (For the Lord saith these things to the eunuchs, who keep my sabbaths, and choose what things I would, and hold firm to my covenant.)

Isaiah 56:4 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 56:4

For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths,
&c.] That fear and serve the Lord; religiously observe all times of divine worship, and walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord; show regard to all the institutions of the Gospel, and perform all religious exercises, private and public, on Lord's days, and at other times: and choose the things that please me;
who do that which is wellpleasing unto God, which he has declared in his word to be acceptable to him; and do that from right principles, with right views, and of choice; not forced to it by those who have authority over them, or led to it merely by example and custom: and take hold of my covenant;
not the covenant of circumcision, as Kimchi; for what had eunuchs to do with that? but the covenant of grace, the everlasting covenant, the covenant of peace before spoken of ( Isaiah 14:10 ) ( 55:3 ) , made between the Father and the Son, on account of the elect; which may be said to be taken hold of when a person by faith claims his interest in God as his covenant God; comes to Christ as the Mediator of the covenant; and deals with his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice, for pardon, justification, and atonement; regards all the promises and blessings of the covenant as belonging to him and lives by faith on them, as such; so David by faith laid hold on this covenant, ( 2 Samuel 23:5 ) .

Isaiah 56:4 In-Context

2 Blessed is the man, that doeth this, and the son of (a) man, that shall take (hold of) this; keeping the sabbath, that he defoul not it, keeping his hands, that he do not any evil. (Blessed is the person, who doeth this, and those who shall take hold of this; keeping the sabbath, so that they do not defile it, and keeping their hands clean, so that they do not do any evil.)
3 And say not the son of a comeling, that cleaveth fast to the Lord, saying, By parting the Lord shall part me from his people; and a gelding, either a chaste man, say not, Lo! I am a dry tree. (And the son of a newcomer, or of a foreigner, who cleaveth firmly to the Lord, say not, By separating the Lord shall separate me from his people; and a eunuch, or a chaste man, say not, Lo! I am a dry tree.)
4 For the Lord saith these things to geldings, that keep my sabbaths, and choose what things I would, and hold (fast to) my bond of peace. (For the Lord saith these things to the eunuchs, who keep my sabbaths, and choose what things I would, and hold firm to my covenant.)
5 I shall give to them a place in mine house, and (with)in my walls, and the best name, (yea, better than that) of sons and daughters; I shall give to them a name everlasting, that shall not perish (I shall give them an everlasting name, that shall not perish).
6 And I shall bring in to bless the sons of a comeling, that cleave fast to the Lord, that they worship him, and love his name, that they be to him into servants; (to) each man keeping the sabbath, that he defoul it not, and holding (fast to) my bond of peace; (And also to the sons and daughters of the newcomers, or of the foreigners, who cleave firmly to the Lord, so that they worship him, and love his name, and so that they be his servants; to each person keeping the sabbath, so that they do not defile it, and holding firm to my covenant;)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.