Isaiah 52

Cheer for Prostrate Zion

1 ¹Awake, awake, Clothe yourself in your strength, O Zion; Clothe yourself in your ²beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the ³holy city; For the uncircumcised and the ⁴unclean Will no longer * come into you.

2 Shake yourself ⁵from the dust, ⁶rise up, O captive Jerusalem; ⁷Loose yourself from the chains around your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

3 For thus says the LORD, "You were ⁸sold for nothing and you will be ⁹redeemed ¹⁰without money."

4 For thus says the Lord GOD, "My people ¹¹went down at the first into Egypt to reside there; then the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.

5 "Now therefore, what do I have here," declares the LORD, "seeing that My people have been taken away without cause?" Again the LORD declares, "Those who rule over them howl, and My ¹²name is continually blasphemed all day long.

6 "Therefore My people shall ¹³know My name; therefore in that day I am the one who is speaking, 'Here I am.' "

7 How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings ¹⁴good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, "Your ¹⁵God reigns!"

8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their ¹⁶voices, They shout joyfully together; For they will see with their own eyes When the LORD restores Zion.

9 ¹⁷Break forth, shout joyfully together, You ¹⁸waste places of Jerusalem; For the LORD has comforted His people, He has ¹⁹redeemed Jerusalem.

10 The LORD has bared His holy ²⁰arm In the sight of all the nations, That ²¹all the ends of the earth may see The salvation of our God.

11 ²²Depart, depart, go out from there, ²³Touch nothing unclean; Go out of the midst of her, ²⁴purify yourselves, You who carry the vessels of the LORD.

12 But you will not go out in ²⁵haste, Nor will you go as fugitives; For the ²⁶LORD will go before you, And ²⁷the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

The Exalted Servant

13 Behold, My ²⁸servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly ²⁹exalted.

14 Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His ³⁰appearance was marred more than any man And His form more than the sons of men.

15 Thus He will ³¹sprinkle many nations, Kings will ³²shut their mouths on account of Him; For ³³what had not been told them they will see, And what they had not heard they will understand.

Isaiah 52 Commentary

Chapter 52

The welcome news of Christ's kingdom. (1-12) The humiliation of the Messiah. (13-15)

Verses 1-12 The gospel proclaims liberty to those bound with fears. Let those weary and heavy laden under the burden of sin, find relief in Christ, shake themselves from the dust of their doubts and fears, and loose themselves from those bands. The price paid by the Redeemer for our salvation, was not silver or gold, or corruptible things, but his own precious blood. Considering the freeness of this salvation, and how hurtful to temporal comfort sins are, we shall more value the redemption which is in Christ. Do we seek victory over every sin, recollecting that the glory of God requires holiness in every follower of Christ? The good news is, that the Lord Jesus reigns. Christ himself brought these tidings first. His ministers proclaim these good tidings: keeping themselves clean from the pollutions of the world, they are beautiful to those to whom they are sent. Zion's watchmen could scarcely discern any thing of God's favour through the dark cloud of their afflictions; but now the cloud is scattered, they shall plainly see the performance. Zion's waste places shall then rejoice; all the world will have the benefit. This is applied to our salvation by Christ. Babylon is no place for Israelites. And it is a call to all in the bondage of sin and Satan, to use the liberty Christ has proclaimed. They were to go with diligent haste, not to lose time nor linger; but they were not to go with distrustful haste. Those in the way of duty, are under God's special protection; and he that believes this, will not hasten for fear.

Verses 13-15 Here begins that wonderful, minute, and faithful description of the office, character, and glory of the Messiah, which has struck conviction to many of the most hardened unbelievers. Christ is Wisdom itself; in the work of our redemption there appeared the wisdom of God in a mystery. Those that saw him, said, Surely never man looked so miserable: never was sorrow like unto his sorrow. But God highly exalted him. That shall be discovered by the gospel of Christ, which could never be told in any other way. And Christ having once shed his blood for sinners, its power still continues. May all opposers see the wisdom of ceasing from their opposition, and be made partakers of the blood of sprinkling, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost; obeying him, and praising his salvation.

Cross References

• 1. Isaiah 51:9, 17
• 2. Exodus 28:2, 40; 1 Chronicles 16:29; Psalms 110:3; Isaiah 49:18; Isaiah 61:3, 10; Zechariah 3:4
• 3. Nehemiah 11:1; Isaiah 48:2; Isaiah 64:10; Zechariah 14:20, 21; Matthew 4:5; Revelation 21:2-27
• 4. Isaiah 35:8
• 5. Isaiah 29:4
• 6. Isaiah 60:1
• 7. Isaiah 9:4; Isaiah 10:27; Isaiah 14:25; Zechariah 2:7
• 8. Psalms 44:12; Jeremiah 15:13
• 9. Isaiah 1:27; Isaiah 62:12; Isaiah 63:4
• 10. Isaiah 45:13
• 11. Genesis 46:6
• 12. Ezekiel 36:20, 23; Romans 2:24
• 13. Isaiah 49:23
• 14. Isaiah 40:9; Isaiah 61:1; Nahum 1:15; Romans 10:15; Ephesians 6:15
• 15. Psalms 93:1; Isaiah 24:23
• 16. Isaiah 62:6
• 17. Psalms 98:4; Isaiah 44:23
• 18. Isaiah 44:26; Isaiah 51:3; Isaiah 61:4
• 19. Isaiah 43:1; Isaiah 48:20
• 20. Psalms 98:1-3; Isaiah 51:9; Isaiah 66:18, 19
• 21. Isaiah 45:22; Isaiah 48:20
• 22. Isaiah 48:20; Jeremiah 50:8; Zechariah 2:6, 7; 2 Corinthians 6:17
• 23. Numbers 19:11, 16
• 24. Leviticus 22:2; Isaiah 1:16
• 25. Exodus 12:11, 33; Deuteronomy 16:3
• 26. Isaiah 26:7; Isaiah 42:16; Isaiah 49:10, 11
• 27. Exodus 14:19, 20; Isaiah 58:8
• 28. Isaiah 42:1; Isaiah 49:1-7; Isaiah 53:11
• 29. Isaiah 57:15; Philippians 2:9
• 30. Isaiah 53:2, 3
• 31. Numbers 19:18-21; Ezekiel 36:25
• 32. Job 21:5
• 33. Romans 15:21; Ephesians 3:5

Footnotes

• [a]. Heb "YHWH," usually rendered LORD
• [b]. Or "well-being"
• [c]. Lit "good"
• [d]. Or "is King"
• [e]. Lit "eye to eye"
• [f]. Lit "And...earth will see"
• [g]. Lit "in flight"
• [h]. Or "very high"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 52

This chapter is a prophecy of the glorious state of the church in the latter day, typified by the deliverance of the Jews from Babylon. The church, under the names of Zion and Jerusalem, is exhorted to awake and clothe herself with strength, and with beautiful garments, to shake off her dust, and loose her bands, since she should become a pure and separate people, Isa 52:1,2 and whereas the Lord's people had been afflicted formerly by the Egyptians, and more lately by the Assyrians, a free redemption is promised them; and the rather they might expect it, since the Lord was no gainer by their affliction, but a loser in his name and honour, as well as they distressed, Isa 52:3-5. And it is suggested, that the knowledge of the Lord should be spread, the good tidings of peace and salvation be delightfully published, and that the ministers of the Gospel should have clear light, and be harmonious and unanimous in the publishing of it, Isa 52:6-8. Upon which the waste places of Jerusalem are called upon to rejoice, both because of the restoration of the Jews, and the conversion of the Gentiles, Isa 2:9,10. And the people of God are called to go out of Babylon, the manner of their departure is directed, and something said for their encouragement, Isa 52:11,12. And the chapter is concluded with some account of the Messiah, of his humiliation and exaltation, and of his work and office, Isa 52:13-15, and which are enlarged upon in the next chapter, which ought properly to begin with these last verses.