“For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.”
Rest, as long as God grants me life, or till I behold the Saviour; or Cyrus, the figure of Christ. (Calmet) — True preachers will not be silent on account of any threats, but will labour for the Church, 2 Timothy ii. (Worthington)
“And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.”
One. No profane historian mentions what Cyrus did for the Jews; but all the world knows how much Christ has favoured his Church. (Calmet) — Name. Thou shalt be no longer the rebellious Jerusalem, but the spouse and chosen people, the Church of Christ. (St. Ignatius of Antioch, ad Magnesians) (St. Jerome)
“Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.”
Hand. Chaldean, “before.” Hebrew, “by the protection.”
“Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. Hephzibah: that is, My delight is in her Beulah: that is, Married”
Forsaken. Yet the synagogue was again rejected, at the death of Christ. The promises naturally relate to his Church. (Calmet) — Inhabited. Protestants retain the Hebrew words Chephtsi-bah, “my delight in her,” and Beulah, (marginal note) “married.” (Haydock)
“For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee. as the: Heb. with the joy of the bridegroom”
Dwell. Hebrew, “marry.” They shall be attached to their country. — Thee. He shall love thee as a bridegroom does one whom he has lately married. Christ never abandons his virgin spouse. (Calmet) — Isaias speaks of some state of the Jews which has not yet taken place. (Houbigant)
“I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence, make: or, are the LORD's remembrancers”
Watchmen; priests and prophets, (Matthew ii. 1., and Psalm cxxxiii. 2.; Calmet) or angels. (St. Jerome; St. Bernard) — The synagogue has been long destitute of guides, but the Catholic Church has an uninterrupted succession of watchful pastors. — Mindful whose duty it is to remind him of his promises, and to recite the Church office. (Calmet) — Hebrew mazcirim, monitors, 2 Kings viii. 16. (Haydock) — In these faithful watchman the Church is always visible. (Worthington)
“The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured: Surely: Heb. If I give, etc”
Hand; inviolably, Deuteronomy xxxii. 40. The Persians deemed this oath most sacred. (Calmet) — Darius, just expiring, said to Polycrates, “By thee I give this right hand to Alexander,” (Plut.[Plutarch?]) that he may revenge my death. — Wine. The Church cannot be deprived of her faith or of her God.
“Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.”
People, that they may return to Judea, and be converted to Christ. (Calmet)
“Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. work: or, recompence”
Work the redemption of mankind. (Haydock) — Though Cyrus was a figure of Christ, he was as much beneath him as earth is below heaven, Zacharias ix. 9. (Calmet)