Isaiah 56

Rewards for Obedience to God

1 Thus says the LORD, "¹Preserve justice and do righteousness, For My ²salvation is about to come And My righteousness to be revealed.

2 "How ³blessed is the man who does this, And the son of man who ⁴takes hold of it; Who ⁵keeps from profaning the sabbath, And keeps his hand from doing any evil."

3 Let not the ⁶foreigner * who has joined himself to the LORD say, "The LORD will surely separate me from His people." Nor let the ⁷eunuch say, "Behold, I am a dry tree."

4 For thus says the LORD, "To the eunuchs who ⁸keep My sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And ⁹hold fast My covenant,

5 To them I will give in My ¹⁰house and within My ¹¹walls a memorial, And a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting ¹²name which ¹³will not be cut off.

6 "Also the ¹⁴foreigners * who join themselves to the LORD, To minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD, To be His servants, every one who ¹⁵keeps from profaning the sabbath And holds fast My covenant;

7 Even ¹⁶those I will bring to My ¹⁷holy mountain And ¹⁸make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on ¹⁹My altar; For ²⁰My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples."

8 The Lord GOD, who ²¹gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares, "Yet ²²others I will gather to them, to those already gathered."

9 All you ²³beasts of the field, All you beasts in the forest, Come to eat.

10 His ²⁴watchmen are ²⁵blind, All of them know nothing. All of them are mute dogs unable * to bark, Dreamers lying down, who love to slumber;

11 And the dogs are ²⁶greedy *, they are not satisfied *. And they are shepherds who have ²⁷no understanding; They have all ²⁸turned to their own way, Each one to his unjust gain, to the last one.

12 "Come," they say, "let us get ²⁹wine, and let us drink heavily of strong drink; And ³⁰tomorrow will be like today *, only more * so."

Isaiah 56 Commentary

Chapter 56

A charge to keep the Divine precepts. (1,2) Blessings promised. (3-8) Reproof to the careless watchmen, the teachers and rulers of the Jews. (9-12)

Verses 1-2 The Lord tells us what are his expectations of duty from us. Be honest and just in all dealings. Also strictly observe the sabbath day. To have the blessing of God upon employments all the week, make conscience of keeping the sabbath holy. Have nothing to do with sin. Blessed is the man that keeps his hand from all things displeasing to God and hurtful to his own soul. Those who, through the Spirit, wait for the hope of righteousness by faith, will be found walking in ways of holy obedience.

Verses 3-8 Unbelief often suggests things to discourage believers, against which God has expressly guarded. Spiritual blessings are unspeakably better than having sons and daughters; for children are a care, and may prove a grief and shame, but the blessings we partake of in God's house, are comforts which cannot be made bitter. Those who love the Lord truly, will serve him faithfully, and then his commandments are not grievous. Three things are promised. Assistance: I will not only bid them welcome, but incline them to come. Acceptance, and comfort: though they came mourning to the house of prayer, they shall go away rejoicing. They shall find ease by casting their cares and burdens upon God. Many a sorrowful spirit has been made joyful in the house of prayer. The Gentiles shall be one body with the Jews, that, as Christ says, ( John 10:16 ) , there may be one fold and one Shepherd. Thanks be to God that none are separated from him except by wilful sin and unbelief; and if we come to him, we shall be accepted through the sacrifice of our great High Priest.

Verses 9-12 Desolating judgments are called for; and this severe rebuke of the rulers and teachers of the Jewish church, is applicable to other ages and places. It is bad with a people when their shepherds slumber, and are eager after the world. Let us pray the Great Shepherd to send us pastors after his own heart, who will feed us with knowledge, that we may rejoice in his holy name, and that believers may be daily added to the church.

Cross References

• 1. Isaiah 1:17; Isaiah 33:5; Isaiah 61:8
• 2. Psalms 85:9; Isaiah 46:13; Isaiah 51:5
• 3. Psalms 112:1; Psalms 119:1, 2
• 4. Isaiah 56:4, 6
• 5. Exodus 20:8-11; Exodus 31:13-17; Isaiah 56:6; Isaiah 58:13; Jeremiah 17:21, 22; Ezekiel 20:12, 20
• 6. Isaiah 14:1; Isaiah 56:6
• 7. Deuteronomy 23:1; Jeremiah 38:7; Acts 8:27
• 8. Isaiah 56:2, 6
• 9. Isaiah 56:6
• 10. Isaiah 2:2, 3; Isaiah 56:7; Isaiah 66:20
• 11. Isaiah 26:1; Isaiah 60:18
• 12. Isaiah 62:2
• 13. Isaiah 48:19; Isaiah 55:13
• 14. Isaiah 56:3; Isaiah 60:10; Isaiah 61:5
• 15. Isaiah 56:2, 4
• 16. Isaiah 2:2, 3; Isaiah 60:11; Micah 4:1, 2
• 17. Isaiah 11:9; Isaiah 65:25
• 18. Isaiah 61:10
• 19. Isaiah 60:7
• 20. Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46
• 21. Isaiah 11:12
• 22. Isaiah 60:3-11; Isaiah 66:18-21; John 10:16
• 23. Isaiah 18:6; Isaiah 46:11
• 24. Ezekiel 3:17
• 25. Isaiah 29:9-14; Jeremiah 14:13, 14
• 26. Isaiah 28:7; Ezekiel 13:19; Micah 3:5, 11
• 27. Isaiah 1:3
• 28. Isaiah 57:17; Jeremiah 22:17
• 29. Is 5:11, 12, 22
• 30. Psalms 10:6; Luke 12:19, 20

Footnotes

• [a]. So DSS; M.T. reads "him"
• [b]. Heb "YHWH," usually rendered LORD
• [c]. Lit "him"
• [d]. So DSS; M.T. "Ravers"
• [e]. Lit "strong of soul/appetite"
• [f]. Lit "do not know satisfaction"
• [g]. So DSS and many versions; M.T. "me"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 56

This chapter contains a prophecy of the conversion of the Gentiles, and their accession to the church, and of the corrupt state of the church afterwards, especially of its rulers, which brought in men comparable to wild beasts to devour. It begins with an exhortation to the duties of judgment and justice, enforced by the nearness of Christ's salvation, and the clear relation of his righteousness in the Gospel, and by the blessedness of the man that does those duties, and lays hold on those blessings, and observes the whole of religion, instituted and moral, Isa 56:1,2, when encouragement is given to eunuchs, and strangers or Gentiles, sensible and religious persons, to hope for acceptance with God, and that they shall be welcome to his house, with an answer to their objections, and promises of special favours, Isa 56:3-7 to which is subjoined a promise or prophecy of future additions, both of Jews and Gentiles, to the church of God in the latter day, Isa 56:8 and then follows a call upon some savage people, comparable to wild beasts, to come and devour, which will be previous to the above prophecy, Isa 56:9, the reason of which is the sad corruption of the rulers of the church, their ignorance, negligence, avarice, and drunkenness, Isa 56:10-12.