Isaiah 52:1
עוּרִ֥י עוּרִ֛י לִבְשִׁ֥י עֻזֵּ֖ךְ צִיּ֑וֹן לִבְשִׁ֣י׀ בִּגְדֵ֣י תִפְאַרְתֵּ֗ךְ יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ עִ֣יר הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ כִּ֣י לֹ֥א יוֹסִ֛יף יָבֹא־בָ֥ךְ ע֖וֹד עָרֵ֥ל וְטָמֵֽא׃
Isaiah 52:2
הִתְנַעֲרִ֧י מֵעָפָ֛ר ק֥וּמִי שְּׁבִ֖י יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם הִתְפַּתְּחוּ מוֹסְרֵ֣י צַוָּארֵ֔ךְ שְׁבִיָּ֖ה בַּת־צִיּֽוֹן׃ס
Isaiah 52:3
כִּֽי־כֹה֙ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה חִנָּ֖ם נִמְכַּרְתֶּ֑ם וְלֹ֥א בְכֶ֖סֶף תִּגָּאֵֽלוּ׃
Isaiah 52:4
כִּ֣י כֹ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה מִצְרַ֛יִם יָֽרַד־עַמִּ֥י בָרִֽאשֹׁנָ֖ה לָג֣וּר שָׁ֑ם וְאַשּׁ֖וּר בְּאֶ֥פֶס עֲשָׁקֽוֹ׃
Isaiah 52:5
וְעַתָּ֤ה מִי־לִי פֹה֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה כִּֽי־לֻקַּ֥ח עַמִּ֖י חִנָּ֑ם מֹשְׁלוֹ יְהֵילִ֙ילוּ֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וְתָמִ֥יד כָּל־הַיּ֖וֹם שְׁמִ֥י מִנֹּאָֽץ׃
Isaiah 52:6
לָכֵ֛ן יֵדַ֥ע עַמִּ֖י שְׁמִ֑י לָכֵן֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא כִּֽי־אֲנִי־ה֥וּא הַֽמְדַבֵּ֖ר הִנֵּֽנִי׃
Isaiah 52:7
מַה־נָּאו֨וּ עַל־הֶהָרִ֜ים רַגְלֵ֣י מְבַשֵּׂ֗ר מַשְׁמִ֧יעַ שָׁל֛וֹם מְבַשֵּׂ֥ר ט֖וֹב מַשְׁמִ֣יעַ יְשׁוּעָ֑ה אֹמֵ֥ר לְצִיּ֖וֹן מָלַ֥ךְ אֱלֹהָֽיִךְ׃
Isaiah 52:8
ק֥וֹל צֹפַ֛יִךְ נָ֥שְׂאוּ ק֖וֹל יַחְדָּ֣ו יְרַנֵּ֑נוּ כִּ֣י עַ֤יִן בְּעַ֙יִן֙ יִרְא֔וּ בְּשׁ֥וּב יְהוָ֖ה צִיּֽוֹן׃
Isaiah 52:9
פִּצְח֤וּ רַנְּנוּ֙ יַחְדָּ֔ו חָרְב֖וֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם כִּֽי־נִחַ֤ם יְהוָה֙ עַמּ֔וֹ גָּאַ֖ל יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
“Shout! rejoice together!” Oh desolate Jerusalem, “for YHWH has compassion on His people; He has redeemed Jerusalem.”
Paraphrase: “Now join the city’s guards and shout for joy,” Oh people of Jerusalem. “The Great King, the Creator of heaven and earth has comforted His people; He has paid the price for their deliverance.”
Comments:
Isaiah 52:10
חָשַׂ֤ף יְהוָה֙ אֶת־זְר֣וֹעַ קָדְשׁ֔וֹ לְעֵינֵ֖י כָּל־הַגּוֹיִ֑ם וְרָאוּ֙ כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָ֔רֶץ אֵ֖ת יְשׁוּעַ֥ת אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ס
YHWH has uncovered the arm of His holiness to the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.
Paraphrase: Then YHWH will roll up His sleeves and show the world who is the real Sovereign of heaven and earth. His awesome power and transcendent holiness will be seen by all the nations of the earth. All mouths will be shut. (Romans 3:19) Even the most remote tribes will see and marvel at the salvation which our God brings.
Comments:
To make bare the arm is an open and visible display of God’s power. Eadie (very top left of p156): “To make bare the arm is a lively and beautiful figure, representing the removal of all encumbrances from the most powerful limb of the body, that it may be put forth in its utmost strength.”
Isaiah 52:11
ס֤וּרוּ ס֙וּרוּ֙ צְא֣וּ מִשָּׁ֔ם טָמֵ֖א אַל־תִּגָּ֑עוּ צְא֣וּ מִתּוֹכָ֔הּ הִבָּ֕רוּ נֹשְׂאֵ֖י כְּלֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃
Turn away! turn away! Get out from there! The unclean thing do not touch. Get out from among her; purify yourself you who are carrying the vessels of YHWH.
Paraphrase: Get out! Get out! Leave this wretched country! Do not touch all the unclean things laying about you. Leave this ungodly nation behind and begin the journey home. Keep yourself pure especially those of you who have the responsibility of carrying those items which are used in YHWH’s worship in the temple.
Comments:
The nifal often has a reflexive nuance.
Isaiah 52:12
כִּ֣י לֹ֤א בְחִפָּזוֹן֙ תֵּצֵ֔אוּ וּבִמְנוּסָ֖ה לֹ֣א תֵלֵכ֑וּן כִּֽי־הֹלֵ֤ךְ לִפְנֵיכֶם֙ יְהוָ֔ה וּמְאַסִּפְכֶ֖ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ס
for not in haste you will depart and in flight, you will not go, for YHWH is going before you and your rearguard is the God of Israel.
Paraphrase: Yes, you will then begin the journey home, but your departure from Babylon will not be in a rush or in a panic. You will walk out of that country with your head held high just as the Israelites did when they left the land of Egypt. YHWH will lead you out of that land just as He led His people by going before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. (Exodus 13:21) Nor will your enemies be able to strike you from behind as the Amalekites did. (Deuteronomy 25:17-18) God will be both in front and behind you to see that no harm comes to you.
Comments:
Isaiah 52:13
הִנֵּ֥ה יַשְׂכִּ֖יל עַבְדִּ֑י יָר֧וּם וְנִשָּׂ֛א וְגָבַ֖הּ מְאֹֽד׃
Behold, My Servant will act prudently; He will be high, and He will be lifted up, and He will be very high.
Paraphrase: Yes, My people will return to their land in triumph. At their head, will be My Servant. He will lead them out of bondage just as Moses led My people out of Egypt. My Servant will lead them with great wisdom and prudence. I will exalt Him to an unparalleled glory; He will be exalted and lifted up as the One who conquers (Revelation 6:2) all those who lift up their hand against Me and My Anointed. (Psalm 2:9)
Comments:
Hengstenberg (p264) sheds light on שָׂכַל by noting its use in 1 Samuel 18:14-15; 1 Kings 2:3; Psalm 101:2; and 2 Kings 18:7. He does not allow the meaning “success” or “succeed.” He writes:
He shall act wisely refers to the administration of government, and is equivalent to: He shall rule wisely like his ancestor David.
He equates He shall act wisely with the words in the next chapter: “The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper by His hand,” Isaiah 53:10.
Keil (p305): If we consider that רוּם signifies not only to be high, but to rise up (Proverbs 11:11) and become exalted, and also to become manifest as exalted (Psalm 21:14), and that נִשָּׂא, according to the immediate and original reflective meaning of the nifal, signifies to raise one’s self, whereas גָּבַהּ expresses merely the condition, without the subordinate idea of activity, we obtain this chain of thought: he will rise up, he will raise himself still higher, he will stand on high. The three verbs (of which the two perfects are defined by the previous future) consequently denote the commencement, the continuation, and the result or climax of the exaltation; and Stier is not wrong in recalling to mind the three principal steps of the exaltatio in the historical fulfilment, viz., the resurrection, the ascension, and the sitting down at the right hand of God.
Isaiah 52:14
כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר שָׁמְמ֤וּ עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ רַבִּ֔ים כֵּן־מִשְׁחַ֥ת מֵאִ֖ישׁ מַרְאֵ֑הוּ וְתֹאֲר֖וֹ מִבְּנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃
Just as many were appalled because of you; so battered; more than any man; the sight and form more than the sons of man,…
Paraphrase: Many, however, will see My Servant and will recoil in disgust. They will be appalled at the awful picture He presents. His face is bruised and covered in blood (Matthew 27:30); His hands are punctured; blood flows from His wounded side (John 19:34). No one has ever been so terribly abused and beaten as this man. How could this Man be the One to lead God’s people out of bondage?
Comments:
Comparative clauses often use כַּאֲשֶׁר to introduce the first part of the comparison and כֵּן the second part.
Isaiah 52:15
כֵּ֤ן יַזֶּה֙ גּוֹיִ֣ם רַבִּ֔ים עָלָ֛יו יִקְפְּצ֥וּ מְלָכִ֖ים פִּיהֶ֑ם כִּ֠י אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־סֻפַּ֤ר לָהֶם֙ רָא֔וּ וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־שָׁמְע֖וּ הִתְבּוֹנָֽנוּ׃
…so He will sprinkle many nations; the kings will shut their mouths because what was not recounted to them, they will see and what they did not hear, they will consider diligently.
Paraphrase: In the same way, many kings will also be shocked, this time not in disgust but in joyful astonishment. They will be amazed that My Servant would submit to such abuse and punishment for their sake. They will marvel at the goodness and mercy of God who is willing to open a fountain for their cleansing. (Zechariah 13:1) They will rejoice to follow My Servant as he leads them back to the promised land. Furthermore, many more people will join them coming from all directions, from the east and west, from the north and south and will sit down at My table in My kingdom. (Luke 13:29) My Servant will wash each of them by splashing pure water on them and removing all their sin. Just as My people were cleansed from sin by having water splashed on them (Numbers 19:9), so these foreign peoples will have their sin forgiven by coming under the cleansing which My Servant will provide also for them. (1 John 1:9) Look at His bleeding, battered body! Why did He endure all this? Was it for sin which He had committed? Certainly not! He took on Himself the punishment which these people deserved. He was wounded as an atonement for their transgressions and was bruised to remove their guilt; the punishment which they deserved was inflicted on Him, and this punishment now brings them reconciliation and peace with God. (Isaiah 53:5) When they hear this news, the kings of the earth will have nothing more to say; they will stand speechless. (Job 29:9, 22) Can it really be true? They had never been told of God’s offer of mercy and forgiveness before. They can hardly believe that this good news is for them. Then, they will hear, and will come with joy to draw water from the wells of salvation. (Isaiah 12:3)
Comments:
The verb נזה always means sprinkle when it is used elsewhere. Many understand the word to mean startle in this context; see Brown (p192). Smith notes that many who defend this idea find this word’s meaning in an Arabic word that is very similar. Smith, however, argues against this idea making the point that even this Arabic word does not mean “to be startled.” Isaiah 40-66, p439. Hengstenberg argues for “sprinkle” here (p267).