βThe Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted , to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;β
Lord. Hebrew adds, βGod.β Adonai seems to have been inserted to prevent the pronunciation of Jehovah, (Kennicott) which alone occurs in the Septuagint, Arabic, and in St. Luke, iv. 18. (Haydock) β Thus Elohim may have been substituted for Jehovah, Genesis xxii. 8., as [in] [Genesis xxii.] ver. 14, βAbraham called the name of that place Jehovah jireh, because he had said that day on the mount: Jehovah will provideβ a victim, even Jesus Christ in the same place. Perhaps no part of the Bible is βso absurdly translatedβ as this, (Kennicott) by Protestants. (Haydock) β St. Luke follows the Septuagint in his quotation, only instead of to preach a, &c., he has an explanation, to set at liberty them that are bruised. Isaias may here speak of himself, (Chaldean) yet only as a figure of Christ. The Jews admit that the Messias is meant. Christ had received the Holy Spirit at the Jordan, John i. 32. He performed these works, (Luke vii. 22.) particularly addressing his discourse to the meek and poor, Sophonias iii. 12., and Zacharias xi. 7., and 1 Corinthians i. 26. (Calmet) β He was not anointed with oil, like Aaron, but with the Holy Ghost; so that of his fullness others must receive, Acts x. 39., &c. (Worthington)
βTo proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;β
Year of Jubilee, (Jeremias xxv. 11.) when the Jews should be delivered, as a figure of Christβs redemption. β Vengeance, when the Chaldeans, &c., should perish, (Calmet) and all obstinate sinners, at the day of judgment. (Haydock)
βTo appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.β
Glorify. The rulers shall act with justice, chap. lx. 17, 21.
βAnd they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.β
Ruins, as the Jews did, chap. lviii. 12. The apostles preached to the Gentiles, who had been long neglected.
βAnd strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.β
Vines. Bishops were soon chosen from among the Gentiles. The Machabees subdued the neighbouring nations, 1 Machabees xv. 28.
βBut ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.β
Priests. They were greatly honoured, (Exodus xix. 6.) so that the sons of David had the appellation. The Jews had still to labour as before. Christians become heirs to these promises, and are styled a royal priesthood, 1 Peter ii. 9., and Apocalypse i. 6. They have received the Scriptures from the Jews, and employ human sciences for the advancement of religion. The wisest pagans yield to the force of truth.
βFor your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.β
Part: God, or the land. Converts shall bless God for having withdrawn them from the crowd of infidels, and they will rejoice in suffering for his sake, (Calmet) preferring their lot before that of unbelievers. Before this change the apostles grieved. (Worthington)
βFor I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.β
Holocaust. The pagans saw such things were improper victims. (Eusebius, prΔp. iv. 14.) β Septuagint, βhate unjust plunder.β (Haydock) β Therefore will I subject the strangers to you, ver. 5. β Truth. I will grant a sure reward. β Covenant. These of Nehemias and the Machabees were soon forgotten: but Christβs covenant shall abide for ever.
βAnd their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed.β
Blessed. The Jews are visibly the reverse. The Church flourishes in spite of domestic and foreign enemies.
βI will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. decketh: Heb. decketh as a priestβ
Jewels. Apocalypse xxi. 2. Jerusalem, or rather the Church, praises God.
βFor as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.β
Nations, whose conversion is implicitly foretold. All behold the justice which God has treated both his people and their oppressors. (Calmet)