Isa 52:1 Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor, Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again.
Isa 52:2 Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, Daughter Zion, now a captive.
Isa 52:3 For this is what the LORD says: “You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.”
Isa 52:4 For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “At first my people went down to Egypt to live; lately, Assyria has oppressed them.
Isa 52:5 “And now what do I have here?” declares the LORD. “For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who rule them mock,” declares the LORD. “And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed.
Isa 52:6 Therefore my people will know my name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Yes, it is I.”
Isa 52:7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
Isa 52:8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the LORD returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes.
Isa 52:9 Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.
Isa 52:10 The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.
Isa 52:11 Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the articles of the LORD’s house.
Isa 52:12 But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the LORD will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
He Was Pierced for Our Transgressions
Isa 52:13 See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
Isa 52:14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness—
Isa 52:15 so he will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.
The Lord’s Coming Salvation
Isa 52:1 Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor, Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again.
That is, garments of beauty and holiness (see Ex. 28:2). Zion had long been in a state of ignominy and obscurity. Now she was to awake and to resume her position of honour and glory.
Isa 52:2 Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, Daughter Zion, now a captive
Zion was to exchange the dust heap for the throne, a life of exile for one of royal splendour.
Isa 52:3 For this is what the LORD says: “You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.”
The Jews had “sold” themselves into the service of evil, and as a result had suffered at the hands of their heathen neighbours, the Assyrians, in Isaiah’s day, and were yet to be captives of Babylon. The bargain was shortsighted indeed, for thereby they exchanged virtue, honour, liberty, and peace for transgression, dishonour, bondage, and bloodshed. See Rom. 6:16.
Sold yourselves for nothing.
In the redemption of Israel from oppression at the hands of the nations round about, Isaiah sees a promise of eventual deliverance from the dominion of sin. As Cyrus was to deliver God’s people from Babylon (chs. 44:28 to 45:13), so Christ would deliver them from the bondage of sin (Rom. 3:24; 1 Peter 1:18, 19). God was not obliged to pay a ransom for His people, either to the prince of evil or to the nations that held them in captivity.
Isa 52:4 For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “At first my people went down to Egypt to live; lately, Assyria has oppressed them.
The Hebrews had settled in Egypt at the invitation of Pharaoh. The hardships the Egyptians inflicted upon them were unprovoked.
The Assyrian. This refers to such Assyrian kings as Tiglath-pileser III and Sennacherib. The Assyrians had no valid reason for treating the Hebrews as they did. Cruelty and greed prompted their course. At times, however, Bible writers use the terms “Assyria” and “Assyrian” in a broad sense to include the Babylonians (see on Ezra 6:22).
Isa 52:5 “And now what do I have here?” declares the LORD. “For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who rule them mock,” declares the LORD. “And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed.
Able to oppress the Hebrew people, the heathen thought their own gods must be stronger than Jehovah. This led them to despise and reproach Him as the true God.
Isa 52:6 Therefore my people will know my name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Yes, it is I.”
To know the name of God is to understand His will and to trust in Him (Ps. 9:10; 91:14).
Isa 52:7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
There is no more joyous message than that of deliverance and peace. To the Jews under an alien yoke nothing could bring greater rejoicing than assurance that the hour of deliverance was at hand. Paul applies these words of Isaiah to the proclamation of the gospel message (Rom. 10:15).
The deliverance here foretold was, first, that of literal Israel from the nations that oppressed them (see on Isa. 40:1; 44:28 to 45:13), and then the greater deliverance from sin and all evil through the suffering Servant of ch. 53, that is, the Messiah. It should be noted that ch. 52:7–15 constitutes an introduction to ch. 53.
Good news. That is, the gospel story (see on Mark 1:1; 2:10).
Your God reigns! God is still in control of the affairs of earth (see on Dan. 4:17) despite appearances to the contrary. His power to deliver His people, and later the triumph of the gospel prove that He, and not Satan, reigns (see Rev. 11:15).
Isa 52:8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the LORD returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes.
Isa 52:8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the LORD returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes.
The spiritual watchmen on the walls of Zion rejoice together at the approach of the messenger bearing tidings of deliverance.
From their watchtowers the sentinels see the Lord near at hand as He returns to reign (Isa. 52:7).
Isa 52:9 Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.
Isa 52:10 The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.
The power of God has been made manifest, bringing His people victory over their enemies (see Ps. 98:1, 2; cf. Eze. 4:7).
Isa 52:11 Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the articles of the LORD’s house.
Isaiah again looks forward to the time of restoration from Babylon. Compare the summons to “come out” of mystical Babylon. (Rev. 18:1–4).
It was because of iniquity that Israel had been harassed by the Assyrians, and would later go into captivity. The returning exiles were to be a pure people. Without reformation of heart and life the physical restoration of Israel to their homeland would be of little permanent value. Those who come out of mystical Babylon must also be clean (Rev. 18:4; 21:27; cf. 1 John 3:3).
The leaders of Israel were to be entrusted with the transfer of the sacred vessels of the Temple from Babylon to Jerusalem (Ezra 1:7, 8; 5:14, 15; 6:5). The priests and the Levites normally had charge of all things pertaining to the Temple (Num. 3:8, 38). They were to keep themselves free from all manner of pollution (Lev. 20:26; 21:1; 22:2, 32). Leaders in the church today have a most solemn responsibility before God to set an example in godly living.
Isa 52:12 But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the LORD will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
In haste. The Israelites had been compelled to depart from Egypt in haste (Ex. 12:33, 39), but it was not to be so with the return from Babylon (see 2 Chron. 36:22, 23; Ezra 1:1–4). The difference was that Pharaoh was not willing (see on Ex. 4:21), while Cyrus was (see Isa. 44:28 to 45:13; cf. PK 557).
Go before you. The Lord prepared Cyrus’ heart to issue the decree of restoration (chs. 44:28; 45:1–4, 13; PK 557).
He Was Pierced for Our Transgressions
Isa 52:13 See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
These are the introductory words of a new section that continues through ch. 53:12. The chapter division should come between vs. 12 and 13 rather than after v. 15, for ch. 53:1 continues the line of thought without interruption.
In this new section Messiah appears as the suffering Servant (see on chs. 41:8; 42:1). Nowhere in Scripture is there a more vivid presentation of the vicarious nature and atoning character of Christ’s death. It was God’s will that the work of restoration that began with the return from the Captivity should proceed apace and reach a certain climax in the coming of Messiah, who, through His sacrifice on Calvary, would provide deliverance from captivity to sin.
Deliverance from Babylon made possible by Cyrus, who defeated Babylon (see on chs. 44:28; 45:1), prefigured the greater deliverance from the dominion of sin made possible by Christ’s victory over the powers of darkness and death (see Col. 2:14, 15; Rev. 1:18).
As time went by, the Jews placed increasing emphasis on those prophecies that pointed to the triumph of Israel over the heathen, until the idea of material and literal salvation for Israel as a nation practically eclipsed the concept here set forth by Isaiah of the Messiah as One who must first deliver them individually from the power and penalty of sin (see DA 30; see on Luke 4:19).
What Israel needed was not so much a great military saviour to bring them victory over enemies without, as a Messiah to give them victory over sin. Messiah, the suffering Servant, would be successful in His mission (see Phil. 2:10, 11).
Lifted up and highly exalted.
Exalted and extolled. Messiah would humble Himself, but God would highly exalt Him (Phil. 2:6–10; see on Luke 14:11). The great men of earth would marvel that a man so insignificant by human standards could have so tremendous an influence on men’s thinking, on their lives, and on the course of history (see Isa. 52:14, 15). Today many millions consider it an honour to be known as Christians.
Isa 52:14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness—
Appalled at Him. Many were astonied. Men stand in amazement that one so highly honoured as the Son of God should have voluntarily humbled himself as Christ did in His mission to earth. Jesus veiled His divinity in humanity (see on Luke 2:48) in order that men might be attracted to Him, not because of outward glory, but because of the beauty of His character.
The Jews were perplexed that one who assumed no high honours, but lived the humble life that Jesus lived, could be the Messiah of prophecy. They saw in Him “no beauty,” no outward glory that led them to “desire him” (see on Isa. 53:2).
His appearance.
Upon returning from His conflict with Satan in the wilderness of temptation, and during the greater conflict with the powers of darkness in Gethsemane (DA 137, 689), Jesus was so altered in appearance that even His friends scarcely knew Him.
Isa 52:15 so he will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.
The world would be amazed that the humble suffering Servant, Messiah, should be “exalted and extolled, and be very high” (v. 13).
The great men of earth would stand speechless before Him, in awe and reverence (see Job 29:9; 40:4).