以賽亞書 54:11

11 你 這 受 困 苦 、 被 風 飄 蕩 不 得 安 慰 的 人 哪 ， 我 必 以 彩 色 安 置 你 的 石 頭 ， 以 藍 寶 石 立 定 你 的 根 基 ；

以賽亞書 54:11 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 54:11

O thou afflicted, tossed with tempests, and not comforted,
&c.] Or, "O thou poor" ^F19 church; for the first Christian churches chiefly consisted of poor persons, not many mighty and noble being called; and which were greatly "afflicted" with false teachers, who broached errors and heresies, and made schisms among them; and "tossed with tempests" like a ship at sea; or "stormed" ^F20 with the rage and fury of violent persecutors, such as the Roman emperors were; and not "comforted", having none to administer any external comfort or relief to them; none of the kings or princes of the earth, or any civil magistrate to protect and defend them; what comfort they had was internal and spiritual; what they had from Christ and his Spirit, and by the word and ordinances; or rather this may describe the state of the church under Papal tyranny and persecution, which brings it nearer to the times of peace and prosperity after promised: behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours;
or, "with paint" ^F21; such as women used to paint their faces or eyes with, ( 2 Kings 9:30 ) ( Jeremiah 4:30 ) . The Targum is,

``behold, I will lay with paint the stones of thy pavement;''

and the words seem plainly to design the stones of a pavement, and perhaps by an hypallage or transposition may be rendered, I will lay thy pavement with glistering stones;
so the word is translated ( 1 Chronicles 29:2 ) or, "with stones of paint" ^F23; which are of the colour of the "stibium", or paint before mentioned, and which was of a black colour; and Aben Ezra says the word here signifies a precious stone of a black colour; perhaps black marble is meant, a stone fit for pavements; but, be these stones what they will, they design in the spiritual sense the materials of a Gospel church, those "lively stones" which are built up a spiritual house,
and which are beautified with the gifts and graces of the Spirit of God; and may also denote that the lowest and meanest of the Lord's people, pointed out by stones of the pavement, should be thus adorned: and lay thy foundations with sapphires;
a precious stone of a white colour, according to R. Saadiah Gaon; but, according to Aben Ezra, of a red colour; though the sapphire is usually said to be of a sky colour, shining with specks of gold. The Targum renders it, "with precious stones"; and so the foundation of the wall of the New Jerusalem is said to be garnished with all manner of precious stones, ( Revelation 21:19 Revelation 21:20 ) , this may respect Christ, the sure foundation God has laid in Zion, the foundation of the apostles and prophets; the one and only foundation of the church of Christ, and all true believers, who is more precious than sapphires, or all the most precious stones; he always has been the foundation of his church in all ages; but the meaning is, that he shall now appear most clearly and manifestly to be the foundation, and to be a firm, rich, and glorious one; see ( Exodus 24:10 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 (hyne) V. L. Munster, Pagninus; "O paupercula", Tigurine version; "inops", Cocceius.
F20 (hrewo) "tempestate obruta"; Munster, Vatablus, Forerius.
F21 (Kwpb) "in fuco", Tigurine version; "in stibio", Sanctius.
F23 "Stibinis lapidibus", Forerius.

以賽亞書 54:11 In-Context

9 這 事 在 我 好 像 挪 亞 的 洪 水 。 我 怎 樣 起 誓 不 再 使 挪 亞 的 洪 水 漫 過 遍 地 ， 我 也 照 樣 起 誓 不 再 向 你 發 怒 ， 也 不 斥 責 你 。

10 大 山 可 以 挪 開 ， 小 山 可 以 遷 移 ； 但 我 的 慈 愛 必 不 離 開 你 ； 我 平 安 的 約 也 不 遷 移 。 這 是 憐 恤 你 的 耶 和 華 說 的 。

11 你 這 受 困 苦 、 被 風 飄 蕩 不 得 安 慰 的 人 哪 ， 我 必 以 彩 色 安 置 你 的 石 頭 ， 以 藍 寶 石 立 定 你 的 根 基 ；

12 又 以 紅 寶 石 造 你 的 女 牆 ， 以 紅 玉 造 你 的 城 門 ， 以 寶 石 造 你 四 圍 的 邊 界 （ 或 譯 ： 外 郭 ） 。

13 你 的 兒 女 都 要 受 耶 和 華 的 教 訓 ； 你 的 兒 女 必 大 享 平 安 。