51:1 The command to listen is at the heart of this section, for humans must respond to God’s righteousness—his total faithfulness and holiness of character—in repentance and faith. This is no mere abstract pursuit of right doctrine but a relationship of faith, as shown by the parallel clause “seek the Lord” (cf. 55:6). This is addressed to people who seriously desire a relationship with the Lord and are “pursuing” it with all their hearts. They are urged to explore their past and “look” to it, just as Abraham looked to the skies and saw in the innumerable stars a picture of his descendants (Gen. 15:5). The “rock” and “quarry” both have implications of labor and careful craftsmanship, reflecting the skill and loving care lavished on their creation and preservation.

51:2 The history of Abraham and Sarah is particularly relevant not only because of their ancestral importance but because of their long wait to see the fulfillment of God’s promises and the apparent impossibility of childbearing at their age. It was belief in the promises of God that sustained Abraham during the long days of waiting, especially his belief in a further fulfillment beyond this world (Heb. 11:8–16). These promises remain true for Isaiah’s day and for ours. God’s people will ultimately be an uncountable host.

51:3 Yet even before Abraham, God was working. Zion will one day become Eden, the garden of the Lord. The curse of Genesis 3:18 will be removed from the earth, leading to rejoicing and praise. The “comfort” (Isa. 40:1) will not be temporary. The whole world is in view here, not simply the city of Jerusalem; it is characteristic of Isaiah to move continually between the local and the universal, between the present and the future.

51:4 The repetition of “my” in this verse and the next is significant as it underlines God’s personal commitment to his purposes. “People” suggests the individuals who constitute God’s family, and “nation” suggests the organized community through whom his purposes are to be carried out. The Torah of Yahweh will be the lifestyle flowing from his Word, which will be for the whole world, the “peoples,” and will bring them light (echoing 2:2–5). The law of Yahweh that expresses his justice will be the light to the nations. This is partially realized when people “walk in the light” (2:5) even in this present world and will be fully recognized in the world to come.

51:5 The worldwide nature of this promise is emphasized by the use of “coastlands” (cf. comment on 40:15). The return from Babylon is not merely evidence that God keeps his promises; it is also a preview for something far greater yet to come. “Righteousness” is the character of God that he imparts to his people (50:1); “salvation” is the manner in which he brings this about. This is an active process, indicated by the verbs “draws near” and “gone out.” A study of Christian mission from Acts 1:8 onward illustrates the unstoppable nature of the gospel. The “arms” of God—a plural of intensification—reveal the worldwide nature of what God’s arm has already done for Israel. In the immediate context this may seem low-key, as relatively small numbers return (cf. Ezra 2), but the promise is to result eventually in a “great multitude that no one could number” (Rev. 7:9).

51:6 Yet it is the length of time that passes before the fulfillment of these promises that causes many to falter in their faith. The answer to this lies in the eternity of God, whose commitment to his people outlasts even the heavens and the earth (cf. Ps. 102:25–28). The human environment and human lives may be transient, but the eternal God remains. Smoke that vanishes and clothes that wear out are images suggestive of the fleeting nature of this present world. Yet God’s plan of salvation will never fail, and his kingdom will last forever.99

51:7–8 The emphasis on righteousness continues as the righteous—those who know God and whose hearts are committed to him—are encouraged not to fear transient mortals (echoing Isa. 51:6). Here the emphasis is on both verbal and physical decay, inescapable parts of life in the present. The truth of God will outlast these mortals, however, so to choose the way of salvation is to share in God’s eternity.

51:9 The cry for God to intervene on the people’s behalf is reminiscent of lament psalms (e.g., Psalm 77) in which the speaker remembers the mighty deeds of God in the past and longs to see evidence of these in the present. This is not unbelief but faith seeking reassurance. As such it is vastly different from complaint, which is condemned in Psalm 95:7–11, in which people doubt that God has blessed them in the past and believe him to be impotent in the present.

Here the “arm of the Lord,” so active in the past, especially at the exodus, is described in imagery that evokes mythological nuances. “Rahab” has already been used as a name for Egypt in Isaiah 30:7; it is also used in Job 9:13; 26:12 and in Psalm 87:4. The word itself is of uncertain origin but may relate to the verb rahab (“to act stormily, angrily”). The term appears to be another name for Leviathan, the sea monster who is a prominent figure in rabbinic legend.100 The reference here to the “dragon” is akin to Psalm 74:12–15, in which the Creator and Lord of history is praised for his saving acts, one of which is his destruction of the sea monster. The sea typifies the powers of chaos and darkness subdued by Yahweh (Job 38:8–11). Why do the biblical writers use this pagan imagery? On one level they are simply alluding to stories familiar to many of their listeners, just as Paul quotes from Greek poets (Acts 17:28) and as modern preachers might refer to contemporary novels or films.

But there is a deeper issue here. Some commentators, notably Oswalt,101 are at pains to point out that the prophet would not have believed in these myths; this is true, but it somewhat misses the point. The biblical authors are very much aware that behind human sin and evil are spiritual powers of darkness. The battle initiated by the Lord God in Genesis 3:15 rages throughout human history, at both an individual and a national level (cf. esp. Daniel 10). Thus historical events, notably the exodus, are not simply human events but the judgment of Yahweh on evil powers, such as those represented by the gods of Egypt (Ex. 12:12). So here, the drying up of the waters of the great deep and of the depths of the sea are real events in time and space but also an outcropping of the battle between Satan and the descendant of the woman. Seen in that light, the awestruck question of the disciples on the Sea of Galilee gains even deeper significance: “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:41). None of this denies the historicity of the events; rather, an extra dimension is added (cf. comments on Isa. 14:12–21; 27:1). The redeemed are those who have been rescued from the dragon and saved by the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 12:7–11).

51:10 This celebration of the crossing of the sea echoes the Song of Moses (Ex. 15:4–8), which itself echoes the Holy Spirit’s brooding over the lifeless deep (Gen. 1:2). Similarly, Daniel sees the “four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea” (Dan. 7:2), a poetic picture of the Spirit’s involvement in the rise and fall of nations. Again we see the emphasis that something beyond the historical events of that day are in view; throughout history Satan battles for world domination.

51:11 This verse is virtually identical with Isaiah 35:10 and shows that, however long the journey, all God’s children will make it home in the end, with rejoicing. If some see a slight incongruity between this and the cry of 51:9–10, we must remember that faith trembles while it believes; this verse is a song of faith anticipating what is to come.

51:12 This is the Lord’s response to the cry of verses 9–10, as he continues to draw on the contrast of mortality and eternity. “I, I am he,” with its echo of the divine name, is a reminder to Israel that their God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. This comfort (40:1) is a reminder that the Lord has not forgotten his people. The reminder that mortals are like grass is a further echo of 40:6–8. The empires of Assyria, Babylon, and all the rest will fade as if they had never been. The word for “man” here is the poetic ʿenosh, which suggests frail or mortal man, while “son of man” suggests humans shut up to their own resources, without divine help. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but the fear of mortals brings crippling paralysis.

51:13 The antidote to such fear is to remember who God is; Isaiah regularly combats human weakness by placing it in the context of divine power. The covenant Lord made all mankind, with all the suggestions of careful planning and loving care that such an act entails, and in his majesty he also made heaven and earth. It is not that the anger and cruelty of the oppressors is not real—it is, and it causes intense suffering (cf. v. 23)—but in the sight of God they are impotent. This theme has already emerged earlier: Ahaz capitulated to Assyria, whereas Hezekiah trusted in the living God.

51:14 The oppressors have deprived God’s people of freedom and reduced them to starvation, but God will not allow them to perish. The Lord will deliver and protect them from all dangers.

51:15 This freeing from prison and famine will come because of God’s covenant relationship with his people. His power to do so shows that he is indeed the one who cut Rahab to pieces. In language reminiscent of Psalm 93 the Lord is enthroned above the raging waves he holds in his hand (cf. 40:12).

51:16 The Lord turns now to address the servant, the one who speaks his words and is sheltered by God until the time comes for him to be revealed. This is another indication that the servant must not be confined to the four Songs in this portion of the book. God’s creating power is again emphasized: the heavens were “planted” (ESV mg.), suggesting a growing and ongoing work, while the foundations of the earth suggest a stable and solid base on which to build. “Saying to Zion” shows the integral nature of God’s people to the fulfilling of his purpose.

51:17 This is further answer to the cry of Isaiah 51:9–10: it is Zion, not God, who must wake up. The verb here is reflexive (“wake yourself”) because Zion must respond. The real reason for her humiliation is not the power of the nations but the judgment of God, here vividly described as the “cup of his wrath.” Zion must shake off her drunken stupor and face reality. Yet even here there is hope: Zion has drunk the cup of God’s anger to its dregs, and because he now calls her to wake he must have further purposes for her.

51:18–19 Zion is helpless, a widow whose sons are no more. Both her present and her future are bleak. If she is to stand, she will need help from outside herself, and there is only one who can provide it. The “two things” are likely widowhood and barrenness. But “two things” can also suggest totality—we may compare Pharaoh’s double dream that provided the certainty of what was to occur (Gen. 41:32). The city is destroyed and the people are killed or starved, with no one to comfort. Yet we know there is one who comforts (Isa. 51:12); in him is hope for the future.

51:20 The scene is bleak; the language of this verse anticipates Lamentations 2:19 and is similar to Amos 8:13. The emphasis here is on total vulnerability. Again the Lord’s wrath is mentioned, and also his rebuke. Israel lies impotent, like a deer in a trap.

51:21 Great calamity requires great rescue; Israel has been “afflicted” and has lost all that made her great. The only way out of this impasse is for her to listen and obey. Zion has drunk deeply of the cup of God’s anger, and her cause is desperate.

51:22 The remedy is at hand, and it is the Judge himself who will be the Savior. He is sovereign and cannot be hindered; he is the Lord, related to them by covenant, and the Advocate for his people. He made them drink the cup because of their sin, but such sin is now fully pardoned (Isa. 40:2). He will now take away the cup of wrath, demonstrating that the matter is fully in the past. His anger is satisfied; the people are justified.

51:23 However, there are others who deserve to drink from that cup: the enemies of God’s people, who have treated them with barbaric savagery, grinding them to the earth. At the Passover God punished Egypt and its gods; in Isaiah’s time Assyria was the rod of his anger, and in a later generation Habakkuk was perplexed at God’s using the Chaldeans to punish his own people. In each of these and countless similar cases the avenging powers thought they were self-sufficient and behaved as if they were God.

52:1 Here is another wake-up call for Zion, but one of a very different kind. The people are now asked to respond to what they had called God to do in 51:9. He is clothed in strength, but they now must shake off their slumbers and become what God in grace has made them. Clothing is often used as a metaphor of inward character, as here: Zion’s new clothes express inward strength and beauty. There is an echo here of 4:2–6, in which God speaks of the new Zion as “beautiful and glorious,” reflecting his character. There is a further echo of the garments of Aaron and his sons, which were “for glory and for beauty” (Ex. 28:2, 40). God’s people were always intended to be priests (Ex. 19:6). The culmination of this imagery is when the bride of the Lamb is dressed “with fine linen, bright and pure” (Rev. 19:8). The community of the faithful is separated from those who will not return to the Lord.

52:2 Unlike Babylon, who sits in the dust (Isa. 47:1), Zion is called to get up and to sit, presumably on a throne. She is rescued by the Lord but must respond by obeying the command to get dressed, rise from the dust, and throw away her chains. We cannot break our chains ourselves but can remove them once God has broken them. Zion must learn to be free and to seize the opportunity.

52:3 This verse begins to address the question of how it is possible for Zion to put on her new clothes and enjoy her new status (hence the initial “for”). Picking up from 50:1, the Lord says that no creditor has any claim on Israel; no money has changed hands. Money will not be paid by the Redeemer, but we learn in 52:13–53:12 what the true cost of Zion’s redemption will be.

52:4 These next verses develop the reality of what this redemption involves. The title “Lord God” reminds us that the speaker is the one who holds all power in his hands. He recounts a minihistory of oppression, beginning in Egypt and culminating in Assyria in Isaiah’s own lifetime. The people were sold to Egypt but went there of their free will and with the blessing of God (Gen. 46:3). Similarly, Assyria had no rights over them.

52:5 If God was not compelled to let his people go, what is he going to do about it now? The rulers of the people wail helplessly; God’s name and reputation are held in contempt. This contempt is habitual and extended, “continually all the day.”

52:6 The answer is twofold: God’s people will have a new appreciation of who he really is, and his word will come in fresh power. The character of God and the giving of his word are closely linked, for it is the speaking of his word that reveals his character. If he is speaking, that word will not be empty (Isa. 55:11).

52:7 The triumph of God will be greeted not with silence but, as so often in Isaiah, with a song of praise that spreads wider and wider. As Zion waits breathlessly for good news, a lone runner appears with glorious news. How appropriate it is that beautiful Zion should have this message brought by beautiful feet. This news is breathtakingly comprehensive: peace has dawned, true happiness arrived, and sinners are saved. Surely this can mean only one thing: the reign of God has begun. The third voice in Isaiah 40:10 declared, “Behold, the Lord God comes with might,” and this is now taking place. This is the universal reign of God that will bring all promised blessings.

52:8 A single voice hailed the coming of the messenger, but now the watchmen join the song. The atmosphere is electric: not only is a messenger coming, but behind him comes the Lord himself. “Eye to eye” in our idiom means to be in agreement but here more probably suggests seeing with clarity that the promises are being fulfilled. Right in front of the watchmen’s eyes Yahweh is returning to his city.

52:9 Unsurprisingly we find a call for all Jerusalem to join the song. Even if Zion is a wasteland, the coming of Yahweh will transform it. In a sense Zion is a symbol here of the whole earth under the curse (Gen. 3:18), an earth that will be transformed into Eden (Isa. 51:3). The “comfort” of 40:1 is no intangible dream but a victory the redeemed celebrate with shouts of joy. The final realization of this is in the future, but it can already be anticipated by faith. When we sing our songs of praise, we are affirming our belief that our God reigns and that one day all the world will see that reign.

52:10 This victory is not simply the defeat of a great power by an even greater one but the defeat of evil and the enthronement of righteousness. It is God’s “holy arm” that is bared; his victory establishes righteousness and peace, not tyranny or oppression. His victory means freedom from slavery and sin and a kingdom in which love reigns—not just in Jerusalem but throughout the whole world. The metaphor of baring the arm is of taking off a cloak to be ready for battle; our expression “rolling up sleeves” conveys a similar idea. This will be a visible manifestation of the Lord’s coming. John expresses the same idea in different words, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him” (Rev. 1:7).

52:11–12 Plainly, as elsewhere in this section, these verses contain a reference to leaving Babylon, which occurs in time not as a hurried flight, as in the exodus, but in a mass movement with the blessing of the authorities. Yet the language cannot be limited to that departure but must refer to a much greater rescue, of which return from exile is only a faint picture. God’s holy arm opens prison doors wherever salvation comes and wherever there is the response of faith. To this action of God there must be two responses: leaving the doomed place and embracing holiness. The call is to exercise the freedom that has been won for God’s people and to embrace the lifestyle that flows from this reality. “Bear the vessels of the Lord” need not be taken literally but may be understood as a continuation of the metaphor of priestly garments of Isaiah 52:1. This was indeed what the revelation at Sinai was all about; the return from Babylon is seen as a new exodus and a new start.

Unlike in the exodus, from Babylon there will be no need for flight from a capricious tyrant who is reluctant to let them go and may attempt all too soon to bring the people back. Yet there is a more positive echo of the exodus narrative in verse 12, which refers to the episode in which the angel of the Lord, who had been leading Israel’s army, withdrew and came behind them to protect them from the pursuing Egyptians (Ex. 14:19–20). The exodus motif not only runs through the OT but is prominent in the NT as well, not least in Luke 9:30–31, as Jesus speaks with Moses and Elijah about the “departure” (Gk. exodos) he will accomplish at Jerusalem. We shall see in the next section how the sacrifice of the servant will be the way in which the salvation of Zion and of the world will be carried out.