Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the
waters
These are the words not of the prophet, but of the Lord, as what
follows throughout the chapter shows; and are directed to the
Gentiles, as Aben Ezra thinks: and indeed their conversion is
manifestly spoken of in it; and who, Kimchi says, after the war
of Gog and Magog, shall know that the Lord reigns, and shall come
and be desirous of learning his judgments and laws. The word "ho"
is expressive of calling, as the Jewish commentators rightly
observe; and carries in it an invitation, in which there seems to
be a commiseration of the case of the persons called and it is
delivered in indefinite terms, and very openly and publicly; and
has in it the nature of a Gospel call or invitation, to persons
described as "thirsty"; not in natural, much less in a sinful
sense, but in a spiritual one; thirsting after forgiveness of sin
by the blood of Christ; after justification by his righteousness;
after salvation by him; after more knowledge of him, more
communion with him, and more conformity to him; and after the
milk of the word, and breasts of ordinances; being sensible of
sin and danger, and having a spiritual appetite, and a desire
after spiritual things. Such as these are persons made alive; are
in distress, and sensible of it; and have desires formed in them
after divine things: and these are invited and encouraged to
"come to the waters"; by which are meant not Christ, though he is
as "rivers of water"; and sensible sinners are directed to come
to him, and that as in a starving and famishing condition, and
having nothing to help themselves with; and such things are to be
had of him, which like water are refreshing and reviving, as his
grace, and the blessings of it; and which serve to extinguish
thirst, and free from it; yet not he, nor the grace of the
spirit, are intended, which is often signified by water in
Scripture; but rather the ordinances of the Gospel, which are the
means of conveying grace, and of refreshing and comforting
distressed minds; in order to which, such may come and hear the
word, come and partake of all ordinances. The allusion seems to
be to such places by the waterside, where ships, laden with
provisions, come and unlade; and where persons, by a public
crier, are informed of it, and are called to come and buy. So
water means the water side, ( Judges 7:4 ) . Aben
Ezra, Jarchi, and Kimchi, interpret them of the law, and the
doctrines of it; and so the Targum,
``ho, everyone that would learn, let him come and learn;''but the Gospel, and the doctrines and ordinances of that, seem rather designed: and he that hath no money;
``he that hath no silver, come, hear and learn; come, hear and learn, without price and money, doctrine better than wine and milk.''