Isaiah 61

Isaiah 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66

 


Isa 61:1

ר֛וּחַ אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִ֖ה עָלָ֑י יַ֡עַן מָשַׁח֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֹתִ֜י לְבַשֵּׂ֣ר עֲנָוִ֗ים שְׁלָחַ֙נִי֙ לַחֲבֹ֣שׁ לְנִשְׁבְּרֵי־לֵ֔ב לִקְרֹ֤א לִשְׁבוּיִם֙ דְּר֔וֹר וְלַאֲסוּרִ֖ים פְּקַח־קֽוֹחַ׃

The Spirit of Lord YHWH is on me; because YHWH anointed me to announce good news for the poor; He sent me to bandage up those being broken of heart; to call to captives liberty and an amnesty. 

Paraphrase:  The Holy Spirit from YHWH has come down upon Me.  YHWH has anointed Me with His Spirit so that I am now empowered to announce good news.  Listen you are in distress, you who are living in a foreign land where there is nothing but sorrow and disappointment.  You who have given up on ever seeing the promises of God fulfilled.  Listen up!  YHWH has appointed me to be the herald of good news.  I am going to bandage up the broken hearts of God’s people;  I am going to call God’s exiled people out of bondage and to bring them back into their land where they will be at liberty and free from all oppression.

Comments:

Gesenius says that פְּקַח־קֽוֹחַ is to be understood as one word meaning “liberation.”  source

 


Isa 61:2

לִקְרֹ֤א שְׁנַת־רָצוֹן֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה וְי֥וֹם נָקָ֖ם לֵאלֹהֵ֑ינוּ לְנַחֵ֖ם כָּל־אֲבֵלִֽים׃

to proclaim the year of YHWH’s favor and the day of our God’s vengeance; to comfort all the mourners.

Paraphrase:  The wait is over!  The time has finally arrived.  This is the year when YHWH will look down with favor on His oppressed people.  This is the day when YHWH will again be the great warrior on behalf of His people.  The Captain of heaven’s armies will appear on behalf of His people and deliver them from all who oppress them.  Dry your tears!  Weep no longer; the time has come!  Stand up and see what God will do!

Comments:

I understood both lameds (on YHWH and God) as showing ownership.

 


Isa 61:3

לָשׂ֣וּם׀ לַאֲבֵלֵ֣י צִיּ֗וֹן לָתֵת֩ לָהֶ֨ם פְּאֵ֜ר תַּ֣חַת אֵ֗פֶר שֶׁ֤מֶן שָׂשׂוֹן֙ תַּ֣חַת אֵ֔בֶל מַעֲטֵ֣ה תְהִלָּ֔ה תַּ֖חַת ר֣וּחַ כֵּהָ֑ה וְקֹרָ֤א לָהֶם֙ אֵילֵ֣י הַצֶּ֔דֶק מַטַּ֥ע יְהוָ֖ה לְהִתְפָּאֵֽר׃

to establish the mourners in Zion; to give to them a headdress in place of ashes; oil of rejoicing in place of mourning; a coat of praise in place of the spirit of fainting, and it will be called to them trees of righteousness, a planting of YHWH for His own glorification.

Paraphrase:  Then the mourners will be settled in their homeland again.  I will give them a beautiful headdress in place of their ash heap.  I will sprinkle oil upon them as a sign of prosperity and happiness.  No more weeping tears; on the contrary, praise and worship of God will become as routine as the clothes we wear.  My people will take off the spirit of despair and fainting which they have worn for so long.  I will bring them back to their land and settle them there.  I will give them a new heart and a new spirit; they will practice righteousness and all the nations will see it and know that I am the Great King, YHWH, and these are My people.

Comments:

 


Isa 61:4

וּבָנוּ֙ חָרְב֣וֹת עוֹלָ֔ם שֹׁמְמ֥וֹת רִֽאשֹׁנִ֖ים יְקוֹמֵ֑מוּ וְחִדְּשׁוּ֙ עָ֣רֵי חֹ֔רֶב שֹׁמְמ֖וֹת דּ֥וֹר וָדֽוֹר׃

and they will rebuild the ancient ruins; the places destroyed previously they will raise; the cities of ruin and desolation generation and generation.

Paraphrase:  My people will return to their land.  They will rebuild all cities that were destroyed.  All the places that were destroyed by the Babylonians will be built up again.  For generations, these cities have set desolate and empty.  Now they will be restored once again to thriving metropolises. 

Comments:

 


Isa 61:5

וְעָמְד֣וּ זָרִ֔ים וְרָע֖וּ צֹאנְכֶ֑ם וּבְנֵ֣י נֵכָ֔ר אִכָּרֵיכֶ֖ם וְכֹרְמֵיכֶֽם׃

and strangers will stand and pasture your flocks and sons of foreigners your plowmen and gardeners.

Paraphrase:  Then the surrounding nations will no longer be at war with you.  Instead, they will present themselves to you and offer to pasture your flocks, to plow your fields and to tend to your vineyards.  There will be complete peace between you and the foreigners.

Comments:

Young says that “all thought of hostility is lacking” in these verses; see his commentary on this verse.  Alexander writes:

The simplest explanation of the verse is that which understands it as descriptive not of subjugation but of intimate conjunction, as if he had said, those who are now strangers and foreigners shall yet be sharers in your daily occupations, and entrusted with your dearest interests.   source

 


Isa 61:6

וְאַתֶּ֗ם כֹּהֲנֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ תִּקָּרֵ֔אוּ מְשָׁרְתֵ֣י אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ יֵאָמֵ֖ר לָכֶ֑ם חֵ֤יל גּוֹיִם֙ תֹּאכֵ֔לוּ וּבִכְבוֹדָ֖ם תִּתְיַמָּֽרוּ׃

and you, priests of YHWH, you will be called; ministers of our God, it will be said about you.  Great wealth, you will eat and into their glory, you will enter.

Paraphrase:  You will all be priests of YHWH; all of you will be ministers commissioned and empowered by God almighty.  The nations will see you and note that you are now anointed by God to perform these offices.  They will come and spread their wealth at your feet.  You will trade with them and eat from their bounty.  You will participate in all their wealth and glory.

Comments:

 


Isa 61:7

תַּ֤חַת בָּשְׁתְּכֶם֙ מִשְׁנֶ֔ה וּכְלִמָּ֖ה יָרֹ֣נּוּ חֶלְקָ֑ם לָכֵ֤ן בְּאַרְצָם֙ מִשְׁנֶ֣ה יִירָ֔שׁוּ שִׂמְחַ֥ת עוֹלָ֖ם תִּֽהְיֶ֥ה לָהֶֽם׃

Isa 61:8

כִּ֣י אֲנִ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֹהֵ֣ב מִשְׁפָּ֔ט שֹׂנֵ֥א גָזֵ֖ל בְּעוֹלָ֑ה וְנָתַתִּ֤י פְעֻלָּתָם֙ בֶּאֱמֶ֔ת וּבְרִ֥ית עוֹלָ֖ם אֶכְר֥וֹת לָהֶֽם׃

Isa 61:9

וְנוֹדַ֤ע בַּגּוֹיִם֙ זַרְעָ֔ם וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶ֖ם בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעַמִּ֑ים כָּל־רֹֽאֵיהֶם֙ יַכִּיר֔וּם כִּ֛י הֵ֥ם זֶ֖רַע בֵּרַ֥ךְ יְהוָֽה׃ס

Isa 61:10

שׂ֧וֹשׂ אָשִׂ֣ישׂ בַּֽיהוָ֗ה תָּגֵ֤ל נַפְשִׁי֙ בֵּֽאלֹהַ֔י כִּ֤י הִלְבִּישַׁ֙נִי֙ בִּגְדֵי־יֶ֔שַׁע מְעִ֥יל צְדָקָ֖ה יְעָטָ֑נִי כֶּֽחָתָן֙ יְכַהֵ֣ן פְּאֵ֔ר וְכַכַּלָּ֖ה תַּעְדֶּ֥ה כֵלֶֽיהָ׃

Isa 61:11

כִּ֤י כָאָ֙רֶץ֙ תּוֹצִ֣יא צִמְחָ֔הּ וּכְגַנָּ֖ה זֵרוּעֶ֣יהָ תַצְמִ֑יחַ כֵּ֣ן׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה יַצְמִ֤יחַ צְדָקָה֙ וּתְהִלָּ֔ה נֶ֖גֶד כָּל־הַגּוֹיִֽם׃

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