Isaiah 33:21

21 But there Yahweh will be with us in majesty, a place of broad rivers and streams, in which shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.

Isaiah 33:21 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 33:21

But there the glorious Lord [will be] unto us a place of
broad rivers [and] streams
Egypt had its Nile, and Babylon its Euphrates, but Jerusalem had no such river for its convenience, commerce, and defence; but God promises to be that to his Jerusalem, his church and people, as will answer to, and be "instead" F7 of, a river that has the broadest streams; which is expressive of the abundance of his grace, and the freeness of it, for the supply of his church, as well as of the pleasant situation and safety of it; see ( Psalms 46:1-4 ) ( Ezekiel 47:1-4 ) where the Lord appears "glorious"; where he displays the glorious perfections of his nature, his power, faithfulness, truth, holiness, love, grace, and mercy; where his glorious Gospel is preached; where he grants his gracious and glorious presence; and where saints come to see his glory, do see it, and speak of it; see ( 2 Samuel 6:20 ) ( Psalms 63:1 Psalms 63:2 ) ( 29:9 ) : wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ships
pass thereby:
this advantage literal Jerusalem had, that, though it had no river for its pleasure, profit, and protection, yet no enemy could come up to it in that way; and the Lord, though he is indeed instead of a broad river to his people for their supply and safety, yet such an one as will not admit any enemy, great or small, signified by the "galley with oars", and the "gallant ship", to come near them; and in the New Jerusalem church state, when there will be new heavens and a new earth, there will be no sea, ( Revelation 21:1 ) and so no place for ships and galleys. The design of these metaphors is to show that the church of Christ at this time will be safe from all enemies whatsoever, as they must needs be, when the Lord is not only a place of broad rivers, but a wall of fire round about them, and the glory in the midst of them, ( Zechariah 2:5 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F7 (Myrxn Mwqm) "loco fluviorum", Junius & Tremellius; (Mwqm) pro (txt) "non in talione, sed saltem ut significat loco ac vice, Deus ecclesiae est pro fluminibus", Gusset. Ebr. Comment, p. 740.

Isaiah 33:21 In-Context

19 You shall not see the fierce people, a people of a deep speech that you can not comprehend, of a strange language that you can not understand.
20 Look on Zion, the city of our solemnities: your eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tent that shall not be removed, the stakes whereof shall never be plucked up, neither shall any of the cords of it be broken.
21 But there Yahweh will be with us in majesty, a place of broad rivers and streams, in which shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.
22 For Yahweh is our judge, Yahweh is our lawgiver, Yahweh is our king; he will save us.
23 Your rigging is loosed; they could not strengthen the foot of their mast, they could not spread the sail: then was the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame took the prey.
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