Jesaja 54:8

8 Ich habe mein Angesicht im Augenblick des Zorns ein wenig vor dir verborgen, aber mit ewiger Gnade will ich mich dein erbarmen, spricht der HERR, dein Erlöser.

Jesaja 54:8 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 54:8

In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment
This signifies much the same as before, when God hides his face from his people, withdraws his gracious presence, and does not grant the discoveries of his love; or they are under the frowns of his providence, and have not the smiles of his face and the light of his countenance as formerly, then they think they are forsaken by him; though all this is but for a moment, a small period of time; and though it seems to be in "wrath", it is but "little wrath"; and this wrath is no other than the displeasure of a loving and tender hearted father. The Syriac version renders it, "great wrath"; and so Schultens ^F15 thinks the word signifies "overflowing wrath" ^F16, and the vehemency of it; to which agrees R. Menachem ^F17, who interprets it, "the heat of wrath"; so the Lord's suffering such a scene of bloody persecutions to attend his church in the first ages of Christianity might seem to be: but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord
thy Redeemer;
all the dealings of God with his people, however dark and dismal they be, whatever appearances there are in them of wrath and displeasure, they are all agreeable to, and do not contradict, his everlasting love; and sooner or later he will make it manifest, he has mercy in store for his people, which he does and will exercise towards them; this mercy flows from his love and kindness to them, which kindness is everlasting, and continues in and through all states and conditions into which they come; the consideration of which is very comfortable and encouraging, and of which they may be assured from the relation the Lord stands in to them as their Redeemer; for, having redeemed them at the expense of his blood, he will effectually gather them by grace in calling, and will never lose them, or suffer them to perish here or hereafter.

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 Animadv. in Job, p. 145, 146.
F16 (Puq Puvb) "pauxillo irae exundantis, [vel] exiguo irae ebullientis", Vitringa.
F17 Apud Jarchi, Kimchi, & Ben Melech, in loc.

Jesaja 54:8 In-Context

6 Denn der HERR hat dich zu sich gerufen wie ein verlassenes und von Herzen betrübtes Weib und wie ein junges Weib, das verstoßen ist, spricht dein Gott.

7 Ich habe dich einen kleinen Augenblick verlassen; aber mit großer Barmherzigkeit will ich dich sammeln.

8 Ich habe mein Angesicht im Augenblick des Zorns ein wenig vor dir verborgen, aber mit ewiger Gnade will ich mich dein erbarmen, spricht der HERR, dein Erlöser.

9 Denn solches soll mir sein wie das Wasser Noahs, da ich schwur, daß die Wasser Noahs sollten nicht mehr über den Erdboden gehen. Also habe ich geschworen, daß ich nicht über dich zürnen noch dich schelten will.

10 Denn es sollen wohl Berge weichen und Hügel hinfallen; aber meine Gnade soll nicht von dir weichen, und der Bund meines Friedens soll nicht hinfallen, spricht der HERR, dein Erbarmer.