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Isaiah 40

2 Remission of sinnes by Christ 3 The comming of John Baptist 18 The Prophet reproveth the idolaters and them that trust not in the Lord.
1.aComfort ye, comfort ye my people, will your God say.
2.Speak comfortably to Jerusalém, and cry unto her, that her bwarrefare is accomplished, that her iniquitie is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand cdouble for all her sinnes.
3.A dvoyce cryeth in the ewilderness, fPrepare ye the way of the Lord: make streight in the desert a path for our God.
4.Every valleie shalbe exalted, and every gmountain and hill shalbe made low: and the croked shalbe streight, and the rough places plain.
5.And the glorie of the Lord shalbe revealed, and all hflesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
6.A ivoyce said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the kgrace thereof is as the floure of the field.
7.The grass withereth, the floure fadeth, because the lSpirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
8.The grass withereth, the floure fadeth: but the mword of our God shall stand for ever.
9.¶ O Zión, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high nmountain: ô Jerusalém, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voyce with strength, lift it up, be not afraid: say unto the cities of Judáh, Behold oyour God.
10.Behold, the Lord God will come with power, and phis arm shall rule for him: behold, his wages is with him, and his work before him.
11.He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carie them in his bosome, and shall guide them with qyong.
12.Who hath measured the waters in his rfist? and counted heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure? and weighed the mountains in a weight, and the hills in a balance?
13.Who hath instructed the Spirit of the Lord? or was shis counselour or taught him?
14.Of whom took he counsel, and who instructed him and taught him in the way of judgement? or taught him knowledge, and shewed unto him the way of understanding?
15.Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the dust of the balance: behold, he taketh away the yles as a little dust.
16.And Lebanón is not sufficient for fire, not the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.
17.All nations before him are as tnothing, and they are counted to him, less then nothing, and vanity.
18.To whom then uwill ye liken God? or what similitude will ye set up unto him?
19.The workman melteth an image, or the goldsmith beateth it out in gold, or the goldsmith maketh silver plates.
20.Doeth not xthe poor chose out a tree that will not rot, for an oblation? he seeketh also unto him a cunning workman, to prepare an image, that shall not be moved.
21.Know ye nothing? have ye not heard yit? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understand it by the zfoundation of the earth?
22.He sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers, he stretcheth out the heavens, as a curtain, and spreadeth them out, as a tent to dwell in.
23.He bringeth the princes to nothing, and maketh the judges of the earth, as vanity,
24.As though they were not planted, as though they were not sowen, as though their stock took no root in the earth: for he did even ablow upon them, and they withered, and the whirl wind will take them away as stubble.
25.To whom now will ye liken me, that I should be like him, saith the holie one?
26.Lift up your eyes on high, and behold, who hath created these things, and bringeth bout their armies by number, and calleth them all by names? by the greatness of his power and mighty strength nothing faileth.
27.Why saiest thou, ô Jaakób, and speakest ô Israél, cMy way is hid from the Lord, and my judgement is passed over of my God.
28.Knowest thou not? or hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord hath created the dends of the earth? he neither fainteth, nor is weary there is no searching of his eunderstanding.
29.But he giveth strength unto him that fainteth, and unto him that hath no strength, he increaseth power.
30.fEven the young men shall faint, and be weary, and the young men shall stumble and fall.
31.But they that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength: they shall lift up the wings as the eagles: they shall run, and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Notes

1-a.
This is a consolation for the Church, assuring them that they shall be never destitute of Prophets, whereby he exhorts the true ministers of God that then were, and those also that should come after him, to comfort the poor afflicted, and to assure them of their deliverance both of body and soul.
2-b.
The time of her affliction.
2-c.
Meaning, sufficient, as ch. 61.7 and full correction, or double grace, where as she deserved double punishment.
3-d.
To wit, of the Prophets.
3-e.
That is, in Babylon, and other places where they were kept in captivity, and misery.
3-f.
Meaning, Cyrus and Darius which should deliver God’s people out of captivity, and make them a ready way to Jerusalem and this was fully accomplished, when John the Baptist brought tidings of Jesus Christ’s coming, who was the true deliverer of his Church from sin and Satan, Mat. 3.3
4-g.
Whatsoever may let or hinder this deliverance, shall be removed.
5-h.
This miracle shall be so great, that it shall be known through all the world.
6-i.
The voice of God, which spoke to the Prophet Isaiah.
6-k.
Meaning, all man’s wisdom & natural powers, John 1.10, 1 Pet. 1.24.
7-l.
The Spirit of God shall discover the vanity in all that seem to have any excellency of themselves.
8-m.
Though considering the frailty of man’s nature many of the Jews should perish and so not be partakers of this deliverance, yet God’s promise should be fulfilled, and they that remained, should feel the fruit thereof.
9-n.
To publish this benefit through all the world.
9-o.
He shows at one word the perfection of all man’s felicity, which is to have God’s presence.
10-p.
His power shall be sufficient without help of any other, and shall have all means in himself to bring his will to pass.
11-q.
He shall show his care and favour over them that are weak, & tender.
12-r.
Declaring that as God only has all power so does he use the same for the defence, and maintenance of his Church.
13-s.
He shows God’s infinite wisdom for the same end and purpose.
17-t.
He speaks all this to the intent that they should neither fear man nor put their trust in any, save only in God.
18-u.
Hereby he arms them against the idolaters, wherewith they should be tempted in Babylon.
20-x.
He shows the rage of the idolaters seeing that the poor that have not to suffice their own necessities, will defraud themselves to serve their idols.
21-y.
Have you not the word of God, which plainly condemns idolatry?
21-z.
Can you not learn by the visible creatures whom God has made to serve your use, that you should not serve them nor worship them?
24-a.
So that his power appears in every place wheresoever we turn our eyes.
26-b.
Who has set in order the infinite number of the stars.
27-c.
He rebukes the Jews, because they did not rest on the providence of God, but thought that he had forsaken them in their troubles.
28-d.
And therefore all power is in his hand to deliver when his time comes.
28-e.
Showing that man must patiently abide, and not curiously seek out the cause of God’s delay in our afflictions.
30-f.
They that trust in their own virtue, and do not acknowledge that all comes of God.