Isaiah 40 Commentary

“Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: straight: or, a straight place plain: or, a plain place”

Plain. For the captives, or the conversion of the world, Baruch v. 6.

“And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.”

Glory. God will rescue his people. Christ will redeem mankind.

“The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:”

Field. On the downfall of the empire of Babylon, the Jews were liberated.

“O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! O Zion: or, O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion O Jerusalem: or, O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem”

Thou, female. How beautiful are the feet of those who announce good tidings! (Romans x. 15.) (Haydock) — Thus a feminine noun is applied to Solomon, Ecclesiastes i. Prophets make known to all the coming of the Saviour. (Calmet) — Christ preaches from the mountain, and his apostles over the world. (Worthington)

“Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. with strong: or, against the strong his work: or, recompence for his work”

Him. Christ will reward and punish, Jeremias xxxi. 16., and Luke ii. 34.

“He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. that: or, that give suck”

Young, or have lately had young lambs, fœtas. Jesus is the good shepherd, John x. 14.

“Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? a measure: Heb. a tierce”

Who. He now proceeds to shew the difference between God and idols. — Fingers, is not expressed in Hebrew, which may denote the epha, Psalm lxxix. 6. (Calmet) — God’s power and goodness in the works of the creation, shew what he will do for man. (Worthington)

“Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.”

Dust. Hebrew caddak, (Haydock) “as dok fallen.” (Symmachus) — It may signify an atom. (St. Jerome) — If all nations be only like a drop, what portion of it do I occupy? (Calmet; ver. 17.)

“To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?”

Image. Catholics never pretend to represent the Deity, when they depict the Father as a venerable old man, &c. They do not adore pictures, as our adversaries would insinuate. If we were disposed to cavil, we might bring the same charge against them. For a few weeks ago, “a beautiful altar-piece, painted and presented by the lady of major general Cheney, was put in Hornsea church, representing Christ blessing the bread and wine.” But Protestants can confine such things to their proper use, and Catholic must adore them. (Haydock) — “Such things the Jew, Apella, may believe: not I.” (Horace)

“The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.”

Silver. Is God like these idols? (Haydock) — Who knows not that the workman is better than they are? (Wisdom xiii. 11.) (Calmet)

“He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved. is so: Heb. is poor of oblation”

Wood. Hebrew hamsuccan, (Haydock) which Septuagint, Chaldean, and St. Jerome explain of a sort of wood used for idols. Moderns take it to be “a rich,” or rather “a poor man. He who is mean in his offering, chooses wood that,” &c. (Calmet) (Protestants)

“Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?”

Beginning, by the light of nature, and (Worthington) has not Moses declared that God alone created the world? (Haydock) — His power and goodness herein convince us that he will not deny grace. (Worthington)

“It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: It is: or, Him that”

Locusts, compared with the greatest animals. — Nothing. Hebrew, “a curtain.” Septuagint, Syriac, “vault, (Calmet) or chamber,” kamaran.

“That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.”

Searchers. Hebrew, “princes to nothing.” (Protestants) — Philosophers know nothing independently of God, nor can they subsist without him. (Worthington)

“Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.”

Host of heaven, the stars, &c., Genesis ii. 1., and Psalm cxlvi. 4.

“Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?”

Judgment, or conduct, (Genesis xl. 13.; Calmet) as if God minded not our affairs.

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. renew: Heb. change”

Eagles, who grow young, when they get new feathers, Psalm cii. 5. (St. Jerome) — In this and the following 26 chapters the prophet chiefly comforts his people, as he had rebuked them for their crimes in the first part. (Worthington)