Isaiah 66:2

2 omnia haec manus mea fecit et facta sunt universa ista dicit Dominus ad quem autem respiciam nisi ad pauperculum et contritum spiritu et trementem sermones meos

Isaiah 66:2 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 66:2

For all those things hath mine hand made
The heavens and the earth, which are his throne and footstool; and therefore, since he is the Creator of all things, he must be immense, omnipresent, and cannot be included in any space or place: and all those things have been, saith the Lord;
or "are" F12; they are in being, and continue, and will, being supported by the hand that made them; and what then can be made by a creature? or what house be built for God? or what need of any? but to this man will I look.
The Septuagint and Arabic versions read, by way of interrogation, "and to whom shall I look?" and so the Syriac version, which adds, "in whom shall I dwell?" not in temples made with hands; not in the temple of Jerusalem; but in the true tabernacle which God pitched, and not man; in Christ the antitypical temple, in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily, and in whom Jehovah the Father dwells personally; see ( Hebrews 8:2 ) ( John 2:19 ) ( Colossians 2:9 ) ( John 14:10 ) as also in every true believer, who is the temple of the living God, later described, for these words may both respect Christ and his members; the characters well agree with him: even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my
word;
Christ was poor literally, and his estate and condition in this world was very low and mean, ( 2 Corinthians 8:9 ) , or "afflicted" F13, as some render it, as he was by God, and by men, and by devils; or "humble" {n}, meek and lowly, as the Septuagint and Targum; it was foretold of him that he should be lowly; and this character abundantly appeared in him, ( Zechariah 9:9 ) ( Matthew 11:29 ) and he was of a "contrite" or broken spirit, not only was his body broken, but his spirit also; not through a sense of sin, and consciousness of it, but through his sorrows and sufferings: he also trembled at the word of God;
that is, had a suitable and becoming reverence of it; it was at the word of the Lord he assumed human nature; and according as his Father taught, and gave him commandment, so he spake; and, agreeably to it, laid down his life, and became obedient to death: and now the Lord looks, to him; he looks to him as his own Son, with a look of love, and even as in human nature, and is well pleased with all he did and suffered in it; he looked to him as the surety of his people, for the payment of their debts, and the security and salvation of their persons; and he now looks to his obedience and righteousness, with which he is well pleased, and imputes it to his people, and to his blood, sacrifice, and satisfaction, on account of which he forgives their sins, and to his person for the acceptance of theirs; and he looks to them in him, and has a gracious regard for them: they also may be described as "poor"; poor in spirit, spiritually poor, as they see and own themselves to be, and seek to Christ for the riches of grace and glory, which they behold in him, and expect from him; and are both "afflicted and humble", and become the one by being the other; and of a contrite spirit,
their hard hearts being broken by the Spirit and word of God, and melted by the love and grace of God; and so contrite, not in a mere legal, but evangelical manner: and such tremble at the Word of God;
not at the threatenings of wrath in it, or in a servile slavish manner; but have a holy reverence for it F15, and receive it, not as the word of man, but as the word of God: and to such the Lord looks; he looks on these poor ones, and feeds them; on these afflicted ones, and sympathizes with them; on these contrite ones, and delights in their sacrifices, and dwells with them, and among them; see ( Psalms 51:17 ) ( Isaiah 57:15 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F12 (wyhyw) sunt, Forerius, Gataker.
F13 (yne la) "ad afflictum", Pagninus, Montanus.
F14 "Ad humilem", Calvin, Tigurine version, Vitringa; "qui est pauper vel humilis", Munster.
F15 Gussetius observes, that the word does not design a mere trembling, but care, pains, and labour to serve, as one friend has for another; and, when applied to the service of God, is no other than a generous fear, flowing from love. Vid. Ebr. Comment. p. 285.

Isaiah 66:2 In-Context

1 haec dicit Dominus caelum sedis mea et terra scabillum pedum meorum quae ista domus quam aedificabitis mihi et quis iste locus quietis meae
2 omnia haec manus mea fecit et facta sunt universa ista dicit Dominus ad quem autem respiciam nisi ad pauperculum et contritum spiritu et trementem sermones meos
3 qui immolat bovem quasi qui interficiat virum qui mactat pecus quasi qui excerebret canem qui offert oblationem quasi qui sanguinem suillum offerat qui recordatur turis quasi qui benedicat idolo haec omnia elegerunt in viis suis et in abominationibus suis anima eorum delectata est
4 unde et ego eligam inlusiones eorum et quae timebant adducam eis quia vocavi et non erat qui responderet locutus sum et non audierunt feceruntque malum in oculis meis et quae nolui elegerunt
5 audite verbum Domini qui tremetis ad verbum eius dixerunt fratres vestri odientes vos et abicientes propter nomen meum glorificetur Dominus et videbimus in laetitia vestra ipsi autem confundentur
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.