Isaiah 26:12

12 You will give us prosperity, Lord; everything that we achieve is the result of what you do.

Isaiah 26:12 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 26:12

Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us
Dispose, order, give it to us, outward and inward, spiritual and eternal: chiefly respect is had to that peace and prosperity the church will have in the latter day, which the zeal of the Lord of hosts, before mentioned, will perform for her, ( Psalms 72:8 ) ( Isaiah 9:7 ) and which she expresses her faith in, when it goes ill with the wicked, and that for the following reason: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us;
or "to us", or "for us" ^F2; all that had been done for them before were done by the Lord, came of his hands, were owing to his goodness, grace, and power and not to be ascribed unto themselves; all their mercies and deliverances, all that had been done for them in nature, providence, and grace; all that had been done for the church and people of God in all ages and periods of time, the glory of all was due to him; and since he had done so many and such great things for them, they had reason to believe he would grant them that peace and prosperity promised and expected in the latter day. The work of grace upon the heart is peculiarly the work which God works in his people, and is thought by some to be here meant; this is God's work, and not man's; and it is an internal one, something wrought in the heart, and which, being begun, will be performed; and may be expressed in the plural number, because of the excellency of it, it is the work of works; it includes others, and from whence all good works done by good men spring; and, besides, it consists of various parts, each of which is a work; as the work of faith, the labour of love, and perfect work of patience; and the fruit of this is peace here, and men on account of it may expect eternal peace hereafter; for this is the saints' meetness for glory, and which is inseparably connected with it. Abarbinel ^F3 interprets this "peace" of the times of the Messiah, and of the redemption wrought out by him; and "our works", of the troubles that came upon the Jews in captivity, which were all from the Lord, as well as their mercies and deliverance.

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 (wnl) "in nobis", Munster; "nobis", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
F3 Mashmia, Jeshua, fol. 16. 1.

Isaiah 26:12 In-Context

10 Even though you are kind to the wicked, they never learn to do what is right. Even here in a land of righteous people they still do wrong; they refuse to recognize your greatness.

11 Your enemies do not know that you will punish them. Lord, put them to shame and let them suffer; let them suffer the punishment you have prepared. Show them how much you love your people.

12 You will give us prosperity, Lord; everything that we achieve is the result of what you do.

13 Lord our God, we have been ruled by others, but you alone are our Lord.

14 Now they are dead and will not live again; their ghosts will not rise, for you have punished them and destroyed them. No one remembers them any more.

Footnotes

• [a]. everything that . . . do; [or] you treat us according to what we do.