And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick
That is, the inhabitant of Zion, or Jerusalem, the church of
Christ, ( Isaiah 33:20
) and such are they that are born again in Zion, and brought up
there; who are made free thereof by Christ; are brought to dwell
here by the Lord himself; and, under the influence of divine
grace, ask their way hither, and come willingly and cheerfully,
and settle here: these, at this time the prophecy refers to, even
the latter day, shall not be heard to say, not one of them, "I am
sick"; either with the sickness of sin, so as to say there is no
cure for them, or that they shall die of it, or even to complain
of it; for all their sicknesses and diseases of this kind will be
healed by the rising of the sun of righteousness upon them, with
healing in his wings; or with the sickness of affliction,
especially outward affliction of persecuting enemies, which will
be at an end; and such joy will attend them, on account of their
deliverance from them, that all their former sorrows and
sufferings will be forgot; and in the New Jerusalem church state
there will be neither one sickness nor another; no more sorrow,
pain, or death; the leaves of the tree of life will be for the
healing of the nations, ( Revelation
21:4 ) ( 22:2 ) :
the people that dwell therein [shall be] forgiven [their]
iniquity;
this shows that sin is the sickness meant; the manner in which
such a disease is cured, by forgiveness; and the perfect health
and soundness, as well as joy, and peace, and comfort, which
follows upon an application of pardoning grace and mercy. The
Targum refers this to the time when the Israelites shall return
to their own land; and Kimchi owns that some of their
interpreters apply it to the times of the Messiah.
Isaiah 33:24
