Isaiah 40:10

Isa 40:10 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.

Ver. 10. Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand.] Or, The Lord God will come against the mighty {a} - i.e., Christ against the devil and his agents, whom he shall vanquish, and give them their due. See 1Jn 3:6 Mat 12:29 Joh 12:31 Col 2:15 Heb 2:14).

And his arm shall rule for him.] Or, His arm shall rule over him - i.e., over Satan.

{a} Piscat., Diod.

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_40:10-12

Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand

Power and tenderness

The beauty and peculiarity of these words consist in the combination of the might of Adonai-Jehovah (Isa_40:10), with the gentleness of the Shepherd, carrying in His bosom the weak and weary of the flock (Isa_40:11).

I. Behold your God, FULL OF MIGHT AND MAJESTY (Isa_40:10). To Christ all power has been committed. He is the arm of God (Isa_51:9), the Man of Jehovahs right hand, etc. (Psa_80:17). His name is Immanuel.

II. HE COMBINES WITH THE POWER OF THE VICTORIOUS KING, THE GENTLENESS OF THE TENDER AND LOVING SHEPHERD. He shall feed His flock. That word is a comprehensive one. It means that He shall act all the part of a shepherd towards them; leading them, protecting them, providing alike the green pastures and the still waters, Nay, as if this were not enough, He is beautifully represented as gathering the lambs in His arms;--making a pillow for them in the folds of the loose abbeh, or shepherds mantle, as they nestle close in His bosom. And while thus He deals with the tender lambs, He is equally merciful and considerate not to overdrive their nursing mothers. Exult in this twofold word of comfort, Behold thy King cometh, meek and lowly. Behold your God! Behold your Shepherd!, strong to smite, strong to save. (J. R. Macduff, D. D.)

Characteristics of the great Saviour

These words exhibit to our view some of the most lively characteristics of that illustrious Saviour by whose incarnation our fallen race are become again entitled to that long-lost inheritance which had been forfeited by sin, and by whose redeeming process in their souls they are rendered capable of enjoying it. The illuminated prophet proceeds to point out the personal character of this great Deliverer.

1. Behold! the LORD GOD shall come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him. The mistaken Israelites vainly ascribed to these words a temporal interpretation, and looked for a deliverer whose conquering arm should effectually rescue them from the earthly powers to which they were tributary. But the true children of faithful Abraham wait for the spiritual accomplishment of this prophecy in their hearts; and see and feel the strong hand of their Redeemer in that inward opposition which He raises in their breasts to all the evil desires and corrupt passions of human nature.

2. Behold! His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. This work is no other than the complete deliverance of man from the captivity of sin and Satan. This reward is no other than the glorious acquisition of those lost or wandering souls, who were originally His by creation, and are now doubly so by redemption. The prophet seems to dwell upon the power and majesty of this Deliverer. He represents Him as coming with a strong hand: and indeed, such is usually His first appearance in the sinners heart. David speaks of this first appearance in the most alarming terms: The arrows of the Almighty stick fast in me, and His hand presseth me sore. The first feelings of an awakened and convicted conscience are agonising indeed; for they are the breaking forth of heavens majestic light upon the benighted soul, which shakes nature to her very centre, and discloses every hidden recess to which conscious guilt flies from its approach. But when viewed with composure, and received with cheerfulness, it soon becomes as mild and sweet as the radiance of the risen day after a dark and tempestuous night. Hence it is that in the next verse we find the dignity and majesty of this august Personage sweetly tempered with condescension and love, and melting into heavenly meekness, gentleness, and compassion.

3. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd, etc.

(1) The flock here mentioned can be no other than our whole fallen race, who by virtue of that incorruptible seed that was inspoken into the first Adam, are put into a capacity of regaining eternal life through the redeeming power of Christ, their second Adam.

(2) But though the Shepherds love is thus universal, and all men are the objects of His pastoral care; though they are all His children by redemption, yet all do not alike follow the Shepherd s voice; all are not equally willing to be fed with His bread of life.

(3) Let the humble-minded Christian lift up his head and look up. He need not, as the Psalmist expresses it, run here and there for food; and grudge, because he is not satisfied: the wants he feels, reason, he well knows, cannot supply; the comforts he aspires after, are such as the world cannot give. Wherever his Shepherd leads, he is content to follow: he is sensible of His presence, in darkness as well as in light. The evils by which he is oppressed he is satisfied to bear because his Deliverer is ever at his side. (J. Duche, M. A.)

The magnitude and tenderness of Divine dealings

We find frequent reference in Scripture to the Divine hand, arm, and bosom, by which God is brought the nearer to the level of our comprehension, and within touch of our love and confidence. In these verses there is a striking combination in the use made of these figures.

I. THE MAGNITUDE OF GODS POWER AND RULE. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out heaven with the span? etc. The reference to the Divine hand is essentially human, man being the only creature on Gods earth who has a hand. How wonderful is its construction! It is marvellously adapted for skill, power, and authority. It is that which in happy combination with other endowments gives man dominion over creation. It is his hand which, in more senses than one, sways the sceptre. It is his hand that asserts his royal nature, his power and authority to rule. Again, the arm is that which gives leverage to the hand, and without which the hand would be useless. The hand and arm of God are spoken of here. We read elsewhere that the heavens are the work of His fingers, that in His hands are the deep places of the earth, and that His hands formed the dry land. Here we read, Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out heaven with the span? The great Architect and Framer of the universe is represented as forming and adjusting earth, sea, and sky with His hand. This is the graphic representation of the Divine Worker at work. The one implement used is the hand of the Great Worker--its hollow for the seas, its span for the heavens! What sublime poetry descriptive of creative skill! The illustrations are taken from primitive life. The truest poetry comes from primitive simplicity.

1. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand? What is the sublime truth which this richly figurative speech conveys? One truth at least is the self-sufficiency of God in His creative work. He needed not to go beyond Himself. All creation is the outcome of His own power and skill, independent of the shifts of machinery and tools. When this has been stated, the prophet proceeds to draw other figures from, primitive life in the simplicity of its operations to describe Gods creative work. Comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure that is a tierce, or the third of an ephah. It is the same word as that used in Psa_80:5, Thou givest them tears to drink in great measure. As Delitzsch beautifully expresses it, it is a small measure for the dust of the earth, but a great measure for tears. Weighed the mountains in scales, that is, a steel-yard, that by which the greater loads are weighed; and the hills in a balance--the tradesmans balances which weigh smaller things, but with greater accuracy than the steel-yard. Nothing has been done by haphazard. Every world has been balanced, and the equilibrium of the universe adjusted with infinite wisdom and skill. Astronomical observation leads to this conclusion; Isaiah asserted it with regard to this earth before astronomy was born.

2. So far we have dwelt upon Isaiahs statement of what God had done. Now we notice the prophetic announcement of what God would do. The former refers to His creative power, the latter to His providential rule. The Lord God will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him. There is here a prediction of a special Divine advent in power, but I take this as typical of all Divine advents and interventions throughout the ages. We have read of the Divine hand in the record of God forming and adjusting the earth, but now we read of the Divine arm in His personal advent and providential rule. There is a Providence as well as a creation. God has not completed His work by His creative skill and power. He worketh hitherto. The hand that formed and adjusted is moved by the arm that rules and governs. It is the arm that wields the hand. The Scriptures abound with emphatic references to the Divine arm. Hast thou an arm like Job_40:9) asked God out of the whirlwind of Job. Thou hast a mighty arm (Psa_89:13), exclaimed the Psalmist; and again, His holy arm hath gotten Him the victory (Psa_98:1). Isaiah wrote, The Lord hath sworn by the arm of His strength (Isa_62:8), and again, Therefore His arm brought salvation (Isa_59:16). In these andsimilar passages the arm of God is the symbol of His power in providential and redemptive works. His arm shall rule for Him,--that is, shall bring all foes submissive, and make all subjects obedient to His sovereignty and command. It is instructive to notice the different names applied to God in the Scriptures to show various aspects of His character and work. Observe the names by which God is called here. The Lord God (Adonai-Jehovah)--a combination of the two greatest names by which God was knownunder the Old Dispensation. The consequent announcement is that of the advent of the Mighty One (R.V.). Yet these words, expressive of power and dominion, are followed by others which have all the tenderness and grace of a pastoral symphony.

II. THE TENDERNESS OF HIS SHEPHERDLY CARE. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd, etc. The hand that meted out the heavens and measured the waters of the deep is that which feeds the flock, and the arm that rules for Him is the arm that gathers the lambs. And carry them in His bosom. Ah! I have not read of His bosom in this context before now. I heard no mention of His bosom when He was spoken of as measuring the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meting out heaven with the span; it is only when the prophet speaks of the lambs that he mentions not only Gods arm but also His bosom. The hollow of His hand is good enough for the waters, His span for the heavens, His arm for His subjects, but only His bosom for the lambs. This is a tenderness specially adapted to the peculiar need. And shall gently lead those that are with young, or. those that give suck (R.V.). The great Shepherd will not forget motherhood with its cares and burdens. God s omnipotence can only be equalled by His compassion. He is not only Almighty, but also Almighty to save. Our God who created the heavens has also lifted up the Cross. (D. Davies.)

The grandeur and pathos of theology

In those words, His arm shall rule for Him, we have the grandeur of theology; but in these words, He shall feed His flock like a Shepherd, we have the pathos of theology. (D. Davies.)

Consolation from the thought of Gods omnipotence

In his autobiography, Goethe tells us that the earthquake in Lisbon fairly stumbled his faith and awakened his alarm at the time when he first heard the news of it. The notion of Divine reliability fell under his suspicion; how could anyone trust a God who would suffer that 70,000 people should be overwhelmed by one awful tide of the ocean, rushing up and back as the earth rose in imperious strength of upheaval; where was His goodness? What might He not do next? The young man was frightened at the manifestation of so much almightiness. Later on in life he saw how fine it was to have for his God a being who could rock the world at His will. (C. S.Robinson, D. D.)

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

Isa 40:10-11. Behold, the Lord God will come with a strong hand — With invincible strength, to deliver his people from their most powerful enemies; and his arm shall rule for him — His own power shall be sufficient, without any other help, to overcome all opposition. His reward is with him — He comes furnished with recompenses, as well of mercy and blessings for his friends and followers, as of justice and vengeance for his enemies: or, “the reward and the recompense which he bestows, and which he will pay to his faithful servants, he has ready at hand with him, and holds out before him to encourage those who trust in him, and wait for him; and his work before him — He is ready to execute what he hath undertaken; or, he carries on his work effectually; for that is said in Scripture to be before a man which is in his power. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd, &c. — He shall perform all the offices of a tender and faithful shepherd toward his people, conducting himself with great wisdom, condescension, and compassion to every one of them, according to their several capacities and infirmities. And shall gently lead those that are with young — Or, those that give suck, as the word עלות, may be rendered. Bishop Lowth translates the clause, The nursing ewes shall he gently lead; observing, that “it is a beautiful image, expressing, with the utmost propriety, as well as elegance, the tender attention of the shepherd to his flock.”

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

In Isa 40:10 the prophet goes back from the standpoint of the fulfilment to that of the prophecy. "Behold the Lord, Jehovah, as a mighty one will He come, His arm ruling for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His retribution before Him." We must not render the first clause "with strong," i.e., with strength, as the lxx and Targum do. The Beth is Beth essentiae (cf., Isa 26:4; Ges. 154, 3, a). He will come in the essence, strength, and energy of a strong one; and this is still further defined by the participial, circumstantial clause, "His arm ruling for Him" (brachio suo ipsi dominante). It is His arm that rules for Him, i.e., that either brings into subjection to Him, or else overthrows whatever opposes Him. Nevertheless, Isa 40:10 does not present Him merely in one aspect, namely as coming to judge and punish, but in both aspects, viz., that of the law and that of the gospel, as a righteous rewarder; hence the double name of God, Adonai Jehovah (compare Isa 3:15; Isa 28:16; Isa 30:15, all in the first part), which is used even in the Pentateuch, and most frequently by Amos and Ezekiel, and which forms, as it were, an anagram. פּעלּה is already met with in Lev 19:13 as a synonym of שׂכר, passing from the general idea of work to that of something earned and forfeited. Jehovah brings with Him the penal reward of the enemies of His people, and also the gracious reward of the faithful of His people, whom He will compensate for their previous sufferings with far exceeding joys (see Isa 62:11).

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

40:10 The Lord’s rule is not like that of the unjust and powerless rulers whom he will judge. It is compassionate, just, righteous, and powerful. • with a powerful arm: God manifested his power in events such as the defeat of the Egyptians (63:12), the judgment of his enemies (30:30; 48:14; 51:9), and the rescue of his people (59:16).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

His power shall be sufficient without help of any other, and shall have all means in himself to bring his will to pass.

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

with strong hand--or, "against the strong"; rather, "as a strong one" [MAURER]. Or, against the strong one, namely, Satan (Mat 12:29; Rev 20:2-3, Rev 20:10) [VITRINGA].

arm--power (Psa 89:13; Psa 98:1).

for him--that is, He needs not to seek help for Himself from any external source, but by His own inherent power He gains rule for Himself (so Isa 40:14).

work--or, "recompense for his work"; rather, "recompense which He gives for work" (Isa 62:11; Rev 22:12).

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 10. His reward is with him, and his work before him. - "His reward is with him, and the recompense of his work before him."] That is, the reward and the recompense which he bestows, and which he will pay to his faithful servants; this he has ready at hand with him, and holds it out before him, to encourage those who trust in him and wait for him.

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

(10) The Lord God.—Adonai Jehovah; each word commonly translated Lord. The combination is characteristic both of 1 and 2 Isaiah (Isa_3:15; Isa_28:16; Isa_30:15).

With strong hand.—Literally, with, or in strength of hand, as the essence of His being. The “arm” of the Lord is a favourite phrase of Isaiah (Isa_51:5; Isa_51:9; Isa_52:10) for His power.

His reward is with him . . .—The noun “work” has also the sense of recompense for the faithful worker (Lev_19:13; Deu_24:15, and is rightly taken in that sense here and in Isa_62:11).

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

10. with strong hand] R.V. as a mighty one; lit., “in (the capacity of) a strong one” (Bêth essentiae). The chief ancient versions vocalised the word as an abstract noun bìhôzeq (“with strength”), which yields an even better sense. and his arm shall rule] or His arm ruling;—the “arm,” the symbol of strength.

For work render recompence (as R.V.) (see Lev_19:13). The idea is somewhat uncertain. It might mean, (1) the reward (lit. “hire”) which Jehovah has earned by His victory over the Chaldæans, in which case the redeemed exiles themselves are the reward, which He brings with Him through the desert (Isa_40:11). Or (2) it may refer to the reward which Jehovah is prepared to bestow on His people,—the blessings of His salvation. The last is perhaps the better sense, and is supported by the similar passage, ch. Isa_62:11.

10, 11. These words are spoken by the prophet in his own person.

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.

Behold, the Lord God will come with a strong hand,.... Some understand this of the second coming of Christ, which coming is certain, such assurances being given of it by promise and prophecy; and will be attended with power, which will be requisite to raise the dead, summon all nations before him, and pass and execute the proper sentence on them; when his arm shall openly bear rule, he will take to himself his great power, and reign; when his reward will be with him, to give to every man according to their works; and his own work will be before him, to judge the world in righteousness: see Rev 22:12, but it is more agreeable to the context, which foretells the coming of John the Baptist, points out the ministers of the Gospel, and describes Christ in his office, as a shepherd feeding his flock, to understand it of his first coming; for not God the Father, but the Son of God, is meant by the Lord God, who is truly God, and so able to save, and which was the end of his coming. He is said to come "with a strong hand", or with great power, which his work required; which was to fulfil the law, satisfy divine justice, atone for sin, grapple and conflict with innumerable enemies, undergo the death of the cross, bear the curse of the law, and the wrath of God, and all in order to obtain eternal redemption for his people; for this he came from heaven to earth, not by change of place, but by assumption of nature. Some render it, "against a strong one" (p); the strong man armed, the devil, whose head he came to break, whose works he came to destroy, with whom he fought, and whom he conquered and destroyed. Jarchi's note is,

"against the wicked, to take vengeance on them;''

but Aben Ezra and Kimchi supply the word hand, as we do:

and his arm shall rule for him; or he shall have sufficient power of himself to do the work he comes about; his own arm or power wrought salvation for him and for his people; see Isa 63:5. Some render it, "over him (q)"; that is, over the strong and mighty one, against whom he came, whom he conquered, subdued, and ruled over:

behold, his reward is with him; to give to those that trust in him, as Kimchi; or to those that do his word, as the Targum; that believe in him, embrace his Gospel, and act according to it: or this may respect his own reward, which should follow his work; which he was as sure of as if it was in his hands; namely, his exaltation in his human nature, his glory with his Father, and the enjoyment of his spiritual seed to all eternity:

and his work before him; the work of redemption and salvation, which he was called unto, sent to do, and which, being given him, he agreed to do, was very toilsome and laborious, yet he took great delight in it, and has finished it; this is said to be "before him", being proposed in council, and cut out in covenant for him, was well known unto him, and in his power to effect, and what he could easily do, and did. The Targum understands this of the works of men being before him, for whom he has a reward.

(p) "contra robustum", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Vitringa. (q) "in illum", ibid.

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

Behold, the Lord God will come - (See the note at Isa 40:3) Applied to the condition of the Jews in exile, this means that God would come to deliver them. Applied to the times of the Messiah, it means that God would manifest himself in a powerful manner as mighty to save.

With strong hand - (בחזק bechâzâq). Margin, ‘Against the strong.’ So Vitringa and others understand it; and regard it as referring to the mighty enemies of the people of God, or, as Vitringa particularly supposes, to the great foe of God and his people - the prince of darkness - the devil. Lowth also translates it in this manner, ‘Against the strong one.’ The Septuagint renders it, Μετά ἰσχύος Meta ischuos - ‘With strength.’ This is the more probable meaning - that the Lord would come with the manifestation of strength and power, able to subdue and vanquish all the enemies of his people, and to effect their complete and final salvation.

And his arm - The arm is a symbol of strength, because it is by that that we accomplish our purposes; by that a conqueror slays his enemies in battle, etc. Thus, ‘Break thou the arm of the wicked;’ that is, diminish or destroy his power Psa 10:15. ‘I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt’ (Eze 30:21; compare Jer 48:25). Thus it is said of God, ‘Thou hast a mighty arm’ Psa 89:13, and, ‘His holy arm hath gotten him the victory’ (Psa 98:1; compare Exo 6:6). The metaphor is taken from the act of stretching out the arm to fight in battle, where the arm is the effective instrument in subduing an enemy.

Shall rule for him - Lowth renders the phrase, לו lō, ‘for him,’ ‘over him:’ - ‘And his arm shall prevail over him;’ that is, over the strong and mighty foe. The Septuagint renders it, Μετά κυρίας Meta kurias - ‘With dominion.’ But the meaning seems to be, ‘God is mighty by himself; his power resides in his own arm; he is not dependent on others; he will accomplish the deliverance in such a manner that it shall be seen that he did it alone; and he shall rule for himself, without any aid, and so that it shall be manifest that he is the sovereign.’ In the deliverance of his people from their captivity, he so directed it, that it was manifest that he was their deliverer and sovereign; and in the redemption of man, the same thing is apparent, that the arm of God effects the deliverance, and that it is his own power that establishes the dominion.

Behold, his reward is with him - He will be ready to confer the appropriate reward on his own people. The idea seems to be taken from the custom of a conqueror, who distributes rewards among his followers and soldiers after a signal victory. This was always done in ancient wars, apparently because it seemed to be an act of justice that those who had gained the victory should share also in the result, and this participation of the booty was a stimulus to future effort, as well as a compensation for their valor. The rewards distributed consisted generally of that which was taken from the conquered; gold, and silver, and raiment, as well as captives or slaves (see Gen 49:7; Exo 15:9; 1Sa 30:26; and particularly Jdg 5:30):

Have they not sped?

Have they not divided the prey;

To every man a damsel or two’;

To Sisera a prey of divers colors,

A prey of divers colors of needle-work,

Of divers colors of needle-work on both sides,

Meet for the necks of them that take the spoil.

The idea here is -

1. That Yahweh would bestow appropriate rewards on his people.

2. That they would be conferred on his coming, and not be delayed.

3. That it should be done by the hand of God himself.

This language was applicable to the interposition of God to save his people from their long exile, and the ‘reward’ would be ample in the restoration to their own land, and the re-establishment of his worship. It is applicable in a higher sense to the coming of the Messiah to bless the world. His reward was with him. He blessed his faithful followers on earth; he will bless them more abundantly in heaven. It will be assuredly applicable to him when he shall come to gather his people to himself in the great and last day, and the language before us is used with reference to that: ‘And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be’ Rev 22:12.

And his work - Margin, ‘Recompense for his work.’ The margin here is the correct rendering. The Hebrew word strictly indeed denotes work, labor, business; but it also denotes the wages for work Lev 19:13; Psa 109:20.

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

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

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).

With strong hand; with invincible strength, conquering all his enemies. The word hand or arm may very well be understood out of the following clause.

His arm shall rule for him; he shall need no succours, for his own power shall be sufficient to govern his people, and to destroy his adversaries.

His reward is with him; he comes furnished with recompences, as well of mercy and blessings for his friends and followers, as of justice and vengeance for his enemies.

His work before him; he carrieth on his work or design effectually, so as none can hinder him; for that is said in Scripture to be before a man which is in his power, as Gen 20:15; 24:51, &c. Or work is here put for the reward of the work, as it is Isa 49:4; 65:7, and elsewhere. And so the same thing is repeated in other words, as is very usual.

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

10, 11. Behold — Serious attention is again challenged. Amplification of last words in preceding verse.

With strong hand — The Lord is coming “against the strong,” (see margin;) — soon his great power shall appear — “hand” is evidently implied, and is in itself the symbol of power: “strong hand” is extra power. “Behold” him and trust in him. He is, as it were, commended here as a trustful and safe leader to his returning people; as himself the Almighty Strongest One, and will show himself to be such. Adversaries, earthly or spiritual, shall not stand before him.

His reward — “Reward,” taken in a good sense, is freely to be bestowed on his purified ones returning from exile.

His work — Taken in an evil sense, “his work” is to be exercised in the way of punishing those who antagonize him. Though absolutely strong, and a powerful ruler, he is gentle as a tender shepherd to the weak and dependent of the flock which he is to conduct across the arid wastes to Jerusalem and Zion.

Lambs — Children.

With young — Tender women soon to be mothers, or who have lately become such. How beautiful the image!

The theory respecting the turn which the thought now takes (Isa_40:12-26) is that of Nagelsbach, and it is one most easy to approve. It is this: “The exceedingly comforting introduction, (Isa_40:1-11,) does not at once cheer up Israel. Doubts arise. Is the Lord in earnest when he promises? and, Can he do it? Shall He that did not uphold us when we stood, lift us up again when we have fallen?” The thought is, God’s infinite incomparableness with any other being possible to conceive of; and hence his infinite ability and willingness to do what he promises leave no ground for doubt.

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

The Lord God; literally, the Lord Jehovah. With strong hand; or, with strength. His arm shall rule for him. Kay translates, "His arm shall get him rule;" i.e. the manifestation, which he shall make of his power, shall cause his kingdom to be extended far and wide upon the earth. "The Lord"s arm," "the Lord"s hand," are favourite expressions of Isaiah"s. (Isa_5:25 Isa_9:12 Isa_10:4 Isa_11:11 Isa_31:3 Isa_51:9 Isa_53:1 62:3, etc.) His reward is with him, and his work before him; rather, his wage is with him, and his recompense before him a case of synonymous parallelism. The phrase is repeated in Isa_62:11. Mr. Cheyne understands "the reward which God gives to his faithful ones" to be meant. But perhaps it is better to understand, with Dr. Kay, that in the "little flock" which he restores to Palestine God finds his own reward and recompense the compensation for all his care and trouble.

Present reward.

"His reward is with him." There is a glory to be revealed. There is a day of the manifestation of the sons of God a day of august solemnity, when the King shall say, "Come, ye blessed." But the Christian dispensation is not fairly represented when its rewards and punishments are declared to be future only. These words speak of a present reward.

I CHRIST JESUS HAD HIS REWARD HERE. SO says the prophet, speaking here of Christ. And the apostle says, "For the joy set before him he endured the cross;" and Jesus gives this legacy to his disciples: "My joy." We are apt to think of Jesus only as the "Man of sorrows." And so our artists have painted him. In their pictures there is often no light of triumph in his eye. How he went about doing good! What a reward it was, every day to comfort the mourner and to heal the broken-hearted! Think of all that Jesus said in the synagogue of Nazareth that he came to do, and you will understand that beneath this sorrow and suffering there was a still deeper joy. His reward was with him. So it was, even on the cross, strange as that may appear. Still the prophet says," When thou shall make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed,... the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied.

II CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE ENDORSES THIS TRUTH. The Christian"s reward is with him. True duty is not discharged for the sake of reward. Men in this world never get happiness by seeking for it alone. It must come, not as an end, but as an accompaniment of duty. Besides, we should be open to the criticism that the gospel appealed to selfishness if we invited men and women to become Christians for the sake of heaven. No; we invite them to take up their cross and follow him, and therein they will find their reward. Strange as it may seem, they too will find blessedness where they least expected it in doing the will of God; and then heaven will come as the culmination and perfection of sacrificial and spiritual life. W.M.S.

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

His arm - He shall need no succors, for his own power shall be sufficient to govern his people, and to destroy his adversaries. His reward - He comes furnished with recompences as well of blessings for his friends, as of vengeance for his enemies. His work - He carries on his work effectually: for that is said in scripture to be before a man which is in his power.

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

“Lo, the Lord Jehovah will come (or is coming) in (the person of) a strong one, and His arm (is) ruling for Him. Lo, His hire is with Him and His wages before Him. The double ‘lo’ represents the object as already appearing or in sight. What God is said to do Himself in one case, He is represented in the other as accomplishing by means of a powerful instrument or agent, which, however, is defined no further. The essential meaning is that Jehovah was about to make a signal exhibition of His power. The participle ruling, in the next clause, is expressive of continuous action. The clause is a poetical description of the arm as acting independently of its possessor, and as it were in His behalf. The two verses may be readily connected, without any change of figure, by supposing that the lost sheep which He has recovered are the recompense referred to in the verse before us. Thus understood, the passage may have furnished the occasion and the basis of our Savior’s beautiful description of Himself as the true shepherd, who lays down His life for the sheep, as well as the figure drawn from the recovery of a lost sheep to illustrate the rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner. It is probable, not only that Jehovah is here represented as receiving a reward, but that there is special reference to the recompense of the Messiah’s sufferings and obedience by the redemption of His people. According to the view which has been taken of the nexus between these two verses, ‘before Him’ may possibly contain an allusion to the shepherd’s following his flock; but it admits of a more obvious and simple explanation, as denoting that His recompense is not only sure but actually realized, being already in His sight or presence, and with Him, (i.e., in immediate possession).

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

shall come with a strong [hand] to mete out retribution upon the heathens. ([Mss. read:] Upon the nations.)

behold His reward is with Him It is prepared with Him for the righteous.

and His recompense [lit. His deed,] the recompense for the deed, which He is obliged to give them.

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.

בחזק With strong hand, יד hand is to be supplied; as to the use of יד as a masculine noun, comp. Ez. 2:9.

שכרו His reward, that is, the reward which He will give to him that hopes for Him. ופעלתו And his wages. Comp. פעלת שכיר the wages of him that is hired; פעלה lit. work signifies also the wages for the work.—I think that this explanation is not supported by the context, and that the sense of the sentence is: God does not ask for any wages; He is not like a hired shepherd, but כרעה עדרו (next verse) like one, that feeds his own flock.

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.