Isaiah 25:4

Isa 25:4 For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones [is] as a storm [against] the wall.

Ver. 4. For thou hast been a strength to the poor,] &c. That is, thou hast protected thy poor people from the persecution of the Antichristian rout, saith Piscator. Great is God’s mercy in succouring his oppressed ones. This is here set forth by a double comparison: first,

A refuge from the storm, a shadow {a} from the heat, &c.] Where the Church’s enemies are compared to raging waters, that bear down all before them; God to a place of refuge to fly unto. Secondly,

{a} Christ is a shadow, &c., whereas all worldly comforts are but as so many burning glasses to scorch the soul more.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Isa_25:4

For Thou hast been a strength to the poor

Poor and needy

Among the names applied to Gods people there are three which were destined to play an enormous part in the history of religion.

In the English version these appear as two: poor and needy; but in the original they are three. In Isa_25:4 : Thou has been astronghold to the poor and a stronghold to the needy, poor renders a Hebrew word, dal, literally, wavering, tottering, infirm, then slender or lean, then poor in fortune and estate; needy literally renders the Hebrew ebhyon, Latin egenus. In Isa_26:6 : The foot of thepoor and the steps of the needy, needy renders dal, while poor renders ani, a passive form--forced, afflicted, oppressed, then wretched, whether under persecution, poverty, loneliness, or exile, and so tamed, mild, meek. These three words, in their root ideas of infirmity, need, and positive affliction, cover among them every aspect of physical poverty and distress. (Prof. G. A. Smith, D. D.)

Poverty in the East

In the East poverty scarcely ever means physical disadvantage alone; in its train there follow higher disabilities. A poor Eastern cannot be certain of fair play in the courts of the land. He is very often a wronged man, with a fire of righteous anger burning in his breast. Again, and more important, misfortune is to the quick, religious instinct of the Oriental a sign of Gods estrangement. With us misfortune is so often only the cruelty, sometimes real, sometimes imagined, of the rich; the unemployed vents his wrath at the capitalist, the tramp shakes his fist after the carriage on the highway. In the East they do not forget to curse the rich, but they remember as well to humble themselves beneath the hand of God. With an unfortunate Oriental the conviction is supreme, God is angry with me; I have lost His favour. His soul eagerly longs for God. (Prof. G. A. Smith, D. D.)

Israels poverty of heart

These were four aspects of Israels poverty of heart, a hunger for pardon, a hunger for justice, a hunger for home, and a hunger for God. (Prof. G. A. Smith, D. D.)

A refuge from the storm

A refuge from the storm

The conditions of our earth, and its varied phenomena, are employed by the sacred writers to represent many circumstances of human life. Troubles, especially when heavy and expressive of Divine displeasure, are represented in Holy Scripture as storms.

I. THIS IS A WORLD WHERE STORMS OFTEN GATHER AND TEMPESTS ON THIS PLANET ARE NEVER OUT OF PLACE. The storm has its mission as well as the calm. Among men, adversity of all kinds is a powerful agent in accomplishing necessary spiritual operations.

II. THIS IS A TIME OF STORMS AND TEMPESTS HERE ARE NOT OUT OF SEASON. The days of man upon earth are as the winter of his life. Death is the seed time, and immortality is the spring and summer and harvest. When the spring and summer have come, snow and hail are out of season; but during the winter of our being, hail and snow and rain are in season.

III. EVERY STORM IS RAISED AND GUIDED UNDER THE EYE AND HAND OF GOD. The stormy wind does not surprise Him. He determined that it should blow at such a moment, from such a quarter, with such a force, and with particular effects. Neither does it master Him. The stormy wind simply accomplishes His word.

IV. THE OBJECT OF EVERY STORM IS GOOD, ALTHOUGH THE PRESENT EXPERIENCE OF IT IS NOT JOYOUS, BUT GRIEVOUS. Hence the need of a refuge to the man of God. Have you marked how frequently God is spoken of as a refuge?

V. A PLACE TO BE A REFUGE MUST BE OUT OF THE STORM, OR, IF IN THE MIDST OF IT, MUST BE STRONGER THAN THE STORM. But how is it that we children of men come to take refuge in God? The Gospel reaches us with its wooing voice. In the mediation of Jesus, in His sympathy, love, and power we find refuge. And we come to make all the covenants and promises of God distinct refuges. There is a harbour or haven at every point of danger. Do you come to poverty? There are promises to the poor. Are you a widow? There are promises to the widow. And all the hopes which these covenants awaken become in turn so many refuges. In this world, quietness of mind and heart is a thing utterly impossible to a man who does not rest in his God. If you feel the need of a refuge, you may in that sorrow which another professes to despise find the very refuge which you seek in your God. And why? Say that your sensitiveness springs from weakness. Well, God has sympathy with your weakness. (S. Martin.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The rage of the wicked is furious, till God break the force thereof.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

the poor . . . needy--the Jews, exiles from their country (Isa 26:6; Isa 41:17).

heat--calamity (Isa 4:6; Isa 32:2).

blast--that is, wrath.

storm--a tempest of rain, a winter flood, rushing against and overthrowing the wall of a house.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 4. As a storm against the wall - "Like a winter - storm."] For קיר kir, read קור kor: or, as עיר ir from ערר arar, קיר kir from קרר karar. - Capellus.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(4) Thou hast been a strength . . .—Literally, a fortress. The fierceness of the oppressor is represented by the intolerable heat, and the fierce tornado of an eastern storm, dashing against the wall, threatening it with destruction. From that storm the faithful servants of the Lord should find shelter as in the castle of the great King.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4, 5. Its happy consequences nor Israel. The “for” may refer back to Isa_25:1 or to Isa_25:3; in either case the judgment on the oppressive city is regarded as a signal proof of Jehovah’s protecting care over His people.

For strength render stronghold, as in R.V.

when the blast … wall] Lit., “for the blast of the terrible ones is as rain of a wall.” The construction is too condensed to be natural. A better rendering would be “as rain of winter” (reading qôr for qîr). But the whole clause is justly suspected by some critics of being a gloss, on account of its prosaic character, and its doubtful appropriateness in the context.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress,.... The people of God, who are poor and needy, both in a literal and in a spiritual sense; and especially when under afflicted circumstances, in times of desertion, temptation, bodily affliction, and persecution from men, which may be here chiefly intended; to whom the Lord is a strength: he strengthens their hearts, and his own grace in them; he sheds abroad his love in their hearts, which makes their mountain to stand strong; he directs them to Christ, in whom is strength, as well as righteousness; he strengthens them by his Spirit, his promises, word, and ordinances. Christ may be more especially meant; and it may refer to the strength and power he will give to his people in the latter day; when a small one shall be a strong nation; when the feeble shall be as David, and the house of David as the angel of the Lord; when they shall have got the victory over the beast, his mark and image, Isa 60:21,

a refuge from the storm; or tempestuous rain, or overflowing flood; as Christ is a refuge from the tempest and storm of divine wrath and vengeance, by his satisfaction and righteousness, Isa 32:2 so from the flood of persecution, by his power and providence, Rev 12:15,

a shadow from the heat; which gives refreshment and rest, and is a protection from the scorching beams of the sun. Christ, as he is the shadow from the heat of a fiery law, from the flaming sword of justice, from the wrath of God, and the fiery darts of Satan's temptations; so from the violence of persecution, which heat shall now be no more, antichrist being destroyed, Rev 7:15,

when blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall; these terrible ones are either Satan and his principalities, who are very terrible to the Lord's people; and whose temptations are like a strong wind, which beat against them as against a wall, but they stand, the Lord being their strength, refuge, and shadow; see Isa 49:24 or rather antichrist and his persecuting princes, the kings of the earth, that have joined him, and persecuted the saints, and have been terrible to them; and whose persecutions have been like a blustering strong wind, threatening to carry all before them; but the Lord has been their protection, and made them to stand as a wall, firm and immovable, against them. The Targum is,

"so the words of the wicked are to the righteous, as a storm that dasheth against a wall.''

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

For thou hast been a strength to the poor - Thou hast sustained and upheld them in their trials, and hast delivered them. God is often spoken of as the strength of his people. Isa 26:4 : ‘In the Lord Yahweh is everlasting strength.’ Psa 27:1 : ‘The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?’ Psa 28:8; Psa 29:11; Psa 31:2; Psa 46:1; Isa 45:24. By the ‘poor’ and the ‘needy’ here undoubtedly are mean; the captive Jews who had been stripped of their wealth, and carried from their homes, and confined in Babylon.

A refuge - A place of safety; a retreat; a protection. God is often spoken of as such a refuge; Deu 33:27 : ‘The eternal God is thy refuge.’ 2Sa 22:3; Psa 9:9; Psa 14:6; Psa 46:1, Psa 46:7, Psa 46:11; Psa 57:1; Psa 59:16)

From the storm - This word (זרם zerem) usually denotes a tempest of wind and rain. Here it is put for calamity and affliction. The figure is common in all languages.

A shadow from the heat - (See Isa 4:6, note; Isa 16:3, note; compare Isa 32:2.)

When the blast of the terrible ones - Of the fierce, mighty, invading enemies. When they sweep down all before them as a furious tempest does.

Is as a storm against the wall - For ‘wall’ here (קיר qiyr), Lowth proposes to read קוּר qûr, from קרר qârar, to be cold or cool, and supposes that this means a winters storm. In this interpretation also Vitringa and Cappellus coincide. But there is no need of supposing an error in the text. The idea is, probably, that of a fierce driving storm that would prostrate walls and houses; meaning a violent tempest, and intending to describe in a striking manner the severity of the calamities that had come upon the nation.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Poor; Juda, whom Nabuchodonosor’s fury could not exterminate.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

For thou hast been a strength to the poor, & c.; for thou hast defended thy poor and helpless people against the fiercest assaults of their enemies.

When the blast of the terrible one is as a storm against the wall; or, for (as this particle commonly signifies; or rather, therefore, as it is frequently used, because thou art their defender)

the blast of the terrible, or strong, or violent one, was like a storm (of hail, or rain, or wind) against a wall, which makes a great and terrible noise, but without any effect, for the wall stands firm in spite of it. It is probable the prophet in these words had a special respect to that miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem from the rage and attempt of Sennacherib; although the words be general, and include other deliverances of a like nature.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

4. For — Another reason for a song of triumph is, that God came down to the low estate of his own suffering people. Of this, also, shall the nations take note. The people of God in captivity are the poor and the needy. The figures of heat and the storm are used to indicate persecutions which God’s people suffered.

Blast of the terrible ones — These words express the violence of the persecutions from Chaldea’s tyrants.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The poor... the needy. The "poor and needy" are especially the afflicted saints, whom the ungodly of the earth have so long injured and oppressed. God is ever a "Strength" and "Refuge" to such. (comp. Isa_14:30 Isa_29:19; and see also Psa_72:12-14) A Refuge from the storm. (comp. Isa_4:6; and the Psalms passim) A Shadow from the heat. The idea is a little enlarged in Isa_32:2. Its germ is, perhaps, to be found in Psa_121:5, Psa_121:6. No writer accumulates striking images with such force and beauty as Isaiah. Primarily, the entire imagery has reference to what God will have done for his people when the final consummation arrives. Secondarily, a precious encouragement is held out to all who are undergoing their earthly trial and probation, who are taught where to look for a sure refuge in time of trouble.

God our Shadow.

"For thou hast been... a Shadow from the heat." The prophet sees, in God"s mercifulness to his people, a reason why the nations around, the masses of the people, should fear him. We man understand why the word "fear" is employed. God"s deliverings and defendings of his people involve judgments on the great kingdoms that were oppressing Israel; and judgments are striking and impressive to masses of people, who must act upon fear rather than upon love, or even upon a sense of duty, for they are like children who are only learning the superior power of moral motives, and meanwhile must be subject to force, and put into right ways. The figures in this verse are very forcible. The storm" is in the original a "storm which overthrows a wall," or a storm so violent that it sweeps down walls before it (Matthew Arnold). In Eastern countries the value of a shade from the blazing sunshine is well understood; anti Thomson tells of a terrible boated day when he escaped from the burning highway into a dark vaulted room at the lower Beth-heron, and realized what Isaiah pictured. Another traveler says, "About midday, when the heat was very oppressive, a small cloud, scarcely observable by the eye, passed over the disc of the burning sun. Immediately the intense heat abated, a gentle breeze sprang up, and we felt refreshed." As a figure for God this may be variously applied and illustrated. We suggest three lines of illustration.

I GOD IN HISTORY HAS OFTEN PROVED A SHADOW. Points may be obtained from such reviews of history as are given in Ps 105 Ps 106 Ps 107. The key-note is, "Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.

II GOD NEEDS TO BE A SHADOW IN OUR TIMES OF PROSPERITY. For then all that is good and great in us is in grave danger of being burned up in the blazing heat. Few of us can stand long in the sun of prosperity. Woe unto us when all men speak well of us! and woe unto us when all things go well with us! It is most gracious in God that he flings his shadow across, and gives us times of quietness and peace; bumbling times they must be, when self is put down from his boastful place.

III GOD IS SURE TO BE A SHADOW IN OUR TIMES OF ADVERSITY. So David found, and when new trouble came he could say, "I flee unto thee to hide me." Our earthly anxieties come in part from circumstances, in part from enemies, and in part from our own evil selves. It may be shown that, for each kind of trouble, the only true shelter is in God. Close with this idea where the shadow is, God, who throws it, must be near; then, if we keep well within the shadow, we must be close to God, and so quiet and safe. R.T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For - For thou hast defended thy poor and helpless people. As a storm - Makes a great noise, but without any effect.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

“For Thou hast been a strength (or stronghold) to the weak, a strength (or stronghold) to the poor in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible (or of the tyrants) was like a storm against a wall.” The nations shall reverence Jehovah, not merely as the destroyer of Babylon, but as the deliverer of His people, for whose sake that catastrophe was brought about. ‘Weak’ and ‘poor’ are epithets often applied to Israel considered as a sufferer. The two figures of extreme heat and a storm of rain are combined to express the idea of persecution or affliction. The last phrase in the Hebrew naturally signifies precisely what the English Version has expressed, to wit, a storm against a wall, denoting the direction and the object of the violence, but not its issue. As a storm of rain beats upon a wall, so the Babylonian persecution beat upon the captive Jews.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Prophecies of Isaiah (1846–1847; New York: Scribner, 1870–1878) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

you have been a place of safety ... a shelter ... a shelter from the storm ... a shade from the heat

Yahweh protecting his people is spoken of as if he were a place that the people could go to be safe and comforted. (See: Metaphor)

When the breath of the ruthless was like a storm against a wall

Ruthless people oppressing the people of God is spoken of as if they were a storm beating against a wall. (See: Simile)

When the breath

"When the wind" or "When the blast"

the ruthless

This is a nominal adjective. AT: "ruthless people" or "those who are ruthless" (See: Nominal Adjectives)

like heat in a dry land

This compares the enemies of God's people to the heat that dries up the land. This emphasizes how much the enemies cause the people of God to suffer. (See: Simile)

as the heat is subdued ... ruthless ones is answered

Yahweh stopping ruthless people from singing and boasting is compared to a cloud providing shade on a hot day. This emphasizes that Yahweh comforts his people by stopping those who cause them to suffer. (See: Simile)

as the heat is subdued by the shade of a cloud

This can be stated in active form. AT: "just like when a cloud passes overhead and subdues the heat" (See: Active or Passive)

the song of the ruthless ones is answered

This can be stated in active form. AT: "you will stop the ruthless people from singing" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

refuge

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

a shelter from pouring rain a covering of a tent to save from pouring rain and a shade to protect from heat. Now, what is that pouring rain? A spirit of tyrants, for their spirit is like a stream that floods the wall and causes it to fall.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

For thou hast been, etc. It is wonderful how all well fortified towns were taken, and the city of the poor, that is, Jerusalem, escaped. A refuge from the showers, from the enemy who is compared to showers of water.

For the blast of the terrible ones is as showers against the wall. This phrase is to explain the expression from the showers.

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.