Commentari biblici

Ch. 66. The Eternal Blessedness of the True Israel; the Doom of the Apostates

This chapter continues the antithesis that runs through ch. 65, carrying it onward to its eschatological issues. The connexion of ideas is frequently extremely difficult to trace, and no two critics are agreed as to where the different sections begin and end. The contents of the passage, however, may be exhibited as follows:

i. Isaiah 66:1-4. The chapter begins with a remarkable declaration against a formal and unspiritual ceremonial. Addressing those who contemplate the erection of a Temple in His honour, Jehovah points out how inadequate any earthly house must necessarily be to His majesty, and reminds them that the only worship acceptable in His sight is that which proceeds from a humble, contrite and reverent spirit (Isaiah 66:1-2). How little this condition is fulfilled by those referred to is shewn by a rapid survey of the superstitious practices which, in direct defiance of the Divine Law, they seek to combine with the service of Jehovah (Isaiah 66:3). Sentence is pronounced against them on account of their disobedience (Isaiah 66:4).

ii. Isaiah 66:5-9. Turning from these, Jehovah speaks to those who comply with the requirement of Isaiah 66:2, assuring them of a speedy triumph over their insolent persecutors, and announcing, under the figure of a new birth, a sudden and marvellous increase of the population of Zion.

iii. Isaiah 66:10-14. Peace and joy shall reign in the new Jerusalem, and those who sympathise with and mourn for her present distress are invited to share in her future consolation.

iv. Isaiah 66:15-17. A renewed description of the judgement (expanding the thought of Isaiah 66:6). The judgement is universal (“with all flesh”), but special emphasis is laid on the fate of the apostates so often appearing in the last two chapters (Isaiah 66:17).

v. Isaiah 66:18-22. The judgement is followed by a manifestation of Jehovah’s glory to all nations (Isaiah 66:18). The survivors of the nearer nations, who have witnessed the catastrophe, shall be sent as messengers to the more distant countries (Isaiah 66:19); these shall then voluntarily bring back to Zion the dispersed Israelites (Isaiah 66:20); and from amongst them (the restored exiles or the converted heathen?) some shall be chosen as ministers of the sanctuary (Isaiah 66:21). Israel, thus reconstituted, shall be as enduring as the new heavens and earth which Jehovah is about to create (Isaiah 66:22).

vi. Isaiah 66:23-24. The universality of the true religion, expressed inadequately in terms of the old dispensation as a monthly and weekly pilgrimage of all nations to the sanctuary at Jerusalem (Isaiah 66:23); with a closing reference to the appalling fate reserved for the impenitent rebels against Jehovah (Isaiah 66:24).

1, 2. Jehovah, who fills and has created heaven and earth, “dwelleth not in temples made with hands.” Comp. the citation in Acts 7:48 ff., also 1 Kings 8:27; Jeremiah 23:24.

The heaven is my throne] Psalm 11:4; Psalm 103:19.

the earth is my footstool] Hence the Temple itself (or the ark) is spoken of as Jehovah’s footstool; Lamentations 2:1; Psalm 99:5; Psalm 132:7; 1 Chronicles 28:2.

where is the house &c.] Render: what manner of house will ye build unto me? and what manner of place is my resting place (Psalm 132:8; Psalm 132:14)?

2. all these things] i.e. the heavens and the earth, the whole visible creation. That the phrase refers to the Jewish community with its religious institutions (Duhm) is a thoroughly unnatural supposition. For have been read have come into being.

but to this man will I look (have regard) &c.] Cf. ch. Isaiah 57:15.

contrite is lit. “smitten”; it is the same word which is rendered “broken” or “wounded” (of the spirit) in Proverbs 15:13; Proverbs 17:22; Proverbs 18:14. In all the other passages where “contrite” is found in the E.V. (ch. Isaiah 57:15; Psalm 34:18; Psalm 51:17) it represents a formation from another root, meaning “to be crushed.”

trembleth at my word] Cf. Isaiah 66:5; Ezra 9:4; Ezra 10:3.

These two verses contain one of the most explicit declarations of the spirituality of religion to be found in the O.T., anticipating the principle enunciated by our Lord in John 4:24. It is not surprising that commentators have differed widely as to their precise significance in their present connexion. (1) The opinion of a few writers, that the prophet enters a protest against the rebuilding of the Temple at Jerusalem and desiderates a pure spiritual worship without sanctuary or sacrifice, is quite untenable. It is certain that no conception that would lead to a disparaging estimate of the Temple and its services can be attributed either to the second Isaiah or to any of his successors. (see to the contrary, ch. Isaiah 44:28, Isaiah 56:5; Isaiah 56:7, Isaiah 60:7, Isaiah 66:6; Isaiah 66:20 f. &c.) The idea suggested lies entirely beyond the most spiritual writers in the O.T.; and in the passages most nearly akin to this (e.g. Psalm 40:6; Psalm 50:8-15; Psalm 51:16 f.) there is no suggestion that a material sanctuary and ritual could be dispensed with. (2) Hitzig and some others have supposed a reference to a project entertained by some of the exiles to erect a Temple of Jehovah in Babylonia. Not only, however, is the assumption absolutely destitute of historical evidence, but it is almost incredible that such an intention should have entered the thoughts of any Jews in exile. (3) If the passage was written in the near prospect of a return to Palestine, there is but one explanation which is at all plausible. The prophet is thinking of the character of the mass of the people who are eagerly looking forward to the restoration of the national worship; and he warns them that Jehovah needs no temple, and that their whole service of Him will be vitiated by the want of a right religious disposition. In other words, the polemic is directed not against the existence of the Temple in itself, but against the building of it being undertaken by such men as those addressed. (4) If, on the other hand, the prophecy was written some time after the restoration, it seems impossible to evade the conclusion reached by Duhm and Cheyne, that the reference is to a design of the Samaritans to erect a rival temple to that of Jerusalem. This theory is perhaps less improbable than it may at first sight appear. In the first place we know that such a temple was actually erected on Mt. Gerizim some time after Nehemiah’s second reformation in Judæa (see Ryle’s note on Nehemiah 13:28); and it is to be supposed that the project had been talked of for some time previously. Nor is it any formidable objection to say that the argument here employed would tell equally against the pretensions of the sanctuary at Jerusalem. The prophet’s assertion must in any case be qualified by the fundamental principle of the Jewish religion that the validity of every act of worship rests on the positive enactment of Jehovah. While Jehovah needs no human service, He is graciously pleased to accept it if rendered in accordance with His expressed will. Now this sanction had been bestowed on the one sanctuary at Jerusalem, but could not possibly belong to any temple built elsewhere. The erection of such a temple could only be justified on the assumption that man could arbitrarily assign a dwelling-place to the Most High, and to show the futility of this assumption is the purpose of the prophet’s lofty declaration. The question turns largely on the interpretation of Isaiah 66:3. If that verse is rightly understood to mean that the worship of the parties spoken of was really infected by degrading superstitions, it may well be that the persons described are the Samaritans, and in that case it will follow almost of necessity that these are also addressed in Isaiah 66:1. At the same time, it must be admitted that if the erection of a schismatic Temple were referred to, we should have expected a much more explicit and vigorous condemnation of the project.

3. The first part of the verse runs literally thus: “The slaughterer of the ox, a slayer of a man; the sacrificer of the sheep, a breaker of a dog’s neck; the offerer of an oblation,—swine’s blood; the maker of a memorial of incense, one that blesseth vanity (i.e. an idol)”;—four legitimate sacrificial acts being bracketed with four detestable idolatrous rites. The first member of each pair is probably to be taken as subj., the second as pred., of a sentence. But this leaves open a choice between two interpretations. (a) That the legal sacrificial action is as hateful in the sight of God as the idolatrous rite, so long as it is performed by unspiritual worshippers. (b) That he who does the first series of actions does also the second, i.e. combines the service of Jehovah with the most hateful idolatries. It is extremely difficult to decide which is the true sense. The words “as if” in E.V. are of course supplied by the translators, but the rendering is a perfectly fair one. The one fact that favours the second explanation (b) is that the latter part of the verse speaks of those who “delight in their abominations.” Unless there be a complete break in the middle of the verse, which is unlikely, this would seem to imply that the abominations enumerated were actually practised by certain persons, who at the same time claimed to be worshippers of Jehovah. Cf. Isaiah 66:17, Isaiah 65:3-5, Isaiah 57:3-9.

as if he slew a man] The reference may be either to murder merely or to human sacrifice; most probably the latter, since every other member of the sentence expresses a religious act. That human sacrifice was actually perpetrated by those spoken of may be safely inferred from ch. Isaiah 57:5.

breaketh a dog’s neck] “This sacrifice … seems … to be alluded to as a Punic rite in Justin xviii. 1. 10, where we read that Darius sent a message to the Carthaginians forbidding them to sacrifice human victims and to eat the flesh of dogs: in the connexion a religious meal must be understood.” (W. R. Smith, Rel. of the Semites2, p. 291.) The whole paragraph should be consulted for other important references to the sacredness of the dog amongst the Semites. See also the note in Cheyne’s Commentary.

he that offereth an oblation (see on ch. Isaiah 1:13) (offereth) swine’s blood] See on ch. Isaiah 65:4.

burneth incense] R.V. marg. maketh a memorial of incense. The Hebr. verb (hizkîr) is connected with ’azkârâh, the technical name of the part of the meal offering which had to be burned with incense on the altar (cf. Leviticus 2:2; Leviticus 24:7).

blesseth an idol] Lit. “vanity,” but the rendering rightly expresses the sense; cf. ch. Isaiah 41:29.

Yea, they have chosen &c.] These clauses form the protasis to (Isaiah 66:4. Render: As they have chosen … (Isaiah 66:4) so will I choose &c.

I also will choose] with the same shade of meaning as in Isaiah 66:3 (“will find satisfaction in”). “The Orientals are fond of such antitheses” (Gesenius).

4. delusions] Perhaps insults; see on ch. Isaiah 3:4. Cheyne renders expressively “freaks of fortune,” remarking, “the word is very peculiar: it represents calamity under the figure of a petulant child.”

their fears] i.e. “that which they fear,” and strive to avert by their magical rites.

because when I called &c.] Repeated from ch. Isaiah 65:12.

5, 6. A promise to the believing Jews, that they shall speedily witness the discomfiture of their enemies and persecutors.

ye that tremble at his word]—thus fulfilling the condition of Isaiah 66:2. The “word” of the Lord is that spoken by the prophets, and the “trembling” of these devout hearers expresses their scrupulous anxiety to conform with its requirements.

your brethren] men of the same stock with yourselves. The term could not be applied to the known leaders of the Samaritan community, like Sanballat and Tobiah (Nehemiah 2:10 &c.), but might be used of the community as a whole, composed as it largely was of men of Israelitish descent and, in part, probably of Jews who had been spared in the general deportation of the people.

that hate you] as R.V. Cf. ch. Isaiah 57:4.

that cast you out] Perhaps “that put you far away” (in aversion). Comp. the use of the word in Amos 6:3 (“that put far away the evil day”). In later Hebr. it means to excommunicate.

said, Let the Lord &c.] Render: have said, Let Jehovah shew Himself glorious (pointing the verb as Niph.) that we may see your joy (cf. R.V.),—a sarcastic allusion to the enthusiastic hopes entertained by the pious Jews of a manifestation of Jehovah to their joy. Cf. ch. Isaiah 5:19.

but they shall be ashamed] Ch. Isaiah 65:13.

6. Description of the sudden outbreak of Jehovah’s destructive might from His city and sanctuary (cf. Amos 1:2; Joel 3:16; ch. Isaiah 33:14). A noise of uproar from the city! A noise from the temple! The noise of Jehovah rendering recompence (see on Isaiah 59:18) to His enemies! (those referred to in Isaiah 66:5). That these words presuppose the existence of the Temple is certainly the most natural interpretation. The thought of the verse is resumed in Isaiah 66:15-16; the verses immediately following pass abruptly to a different subject.

7–9. The sudden repopulation of the city by her children. The figure is taken from ch. Isaiah 49:17-21, Isaiah 54:1; the fact set forth being the instantaneous return of the exiled Israelites, by which, without effort, the poor and struggling Jewish community becomes at once a great nation.