Isaiah 57:14

Isa 57:14 And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.

Ver. 14. And they shall say.] Or, And it shall be said. This is further added, for the comfort of those that trusted in God, that they shall have a smooth and clear passage home. This is literally meant of their return from Babylon; but mystically of the recollection of the Church out of the captivity of the devil and power of sin.

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_57:14

And shall say, Cast ye up

God righteous, yet gracious

The second half of Isa_57:13 forms a transition to the next section, which is a promise of salvation to the true Israel.

In striking contrast to the menacing tone of Isa_57:3 f is the impressive and elevated language in which the prophet now sets forth the gracious thoughts of Jehovah towards His erring but repentant people. (Prof. J. Skinner, D. D.)

A round to God

In this passage the cry goes forth, not on behalf of a conqueror, or a sovereign, but on behalf of Gods people. They are the honoured procession for which a road is to be prepared. Cast up, cast up--that is, heap up, fill in, prepare the way, take up the stumbling-blockout of the way of My people. The figure, then, is striking. As royalty demanded for itself a smooth path, a road from which all dangers and obstructions were taken away, so a soul that is on its way to God has thrown over it, as it were, something of the sovereignty which it approaches, and a mysterious voice is heard, crying, Clear the way I heap up! heap up! cast out the stumbling-stones. (H. W. Beecher.)

Spiritual stumbling-blocks

1. The want of a true and large ideal of Christian life, as an inward, spiritual and Divine disposition, and the attempt to live in mere conformity to rules, and with a vague impression that if one conforms to the Church he shall in some way, he knows scarcely how, be saved, is itself one of the causes of perpetual stumbling. The attempt to live merely for the fulfilment of social moralities; the attempt to live so that all the rules which are prescribed by all those who are governing in the Lord, shall be obeyed; the attempt to live upon any such low conception as that of regulations, conventions, observances, is sure to make the Christian life poor, and the travel uncertain. For a new creature in Christ Jesus is the apostolic definition of a Christian. Our aspiration and effort will be in proportion to the dignity and the ideality, if I may, so say, of our conception of what religion is. If we suppose it to be simply not doing evil, we shall put forth but very little exertion, and we shall receive but very little stimulus.

2. The attempt to live the Christian life with a low tone of feeling is a reason why men do not make greater progress. In all the writings of the New Testament you will find that fervour, intensity is required in every feeling. We not only need to have moralities, but we need to have Christian graces, which are, as it were, orchids, epiphytes, and fed upon higher and purer things--light, and moisture, and other elements that the air contains. Now, none of these can thrive in our temperate climate. A temperate climate is good for temperate things; but for intensities it is not good. And many dominant and characteristic traits of Christian character are such as never can be brought out without fervour.

3. Lack of deep and continuous devotion. This is either from the want of a sense of the great spirit-world on whose border we live perpetually, or it is the result of excessive occupation, over-occupation, which crowds all the time, and prevents one from ripening in a true Christian devotion.

4. Another hindrance which men find on the road of progress in their Christian life, is their ignorance as to the effect of outward activity in developing inward fervour, and the effect of inward fervour in developing outward activity--as to the effect of the reciprocal action of the inward and the outward life. Men arc accustomed to separate these qualities, which should never be disjoined. Men should be active that they may be emotive; and they should be emotive, that emotion may work into activity.

5. A very common hindrance to Christian development is the attempt of men to perform their Christian work outside of their appropriate spheres. Wherever you are, there begin the battle; there subdue everything that stands in conflict with the law of conscience, and the law of love, and the law of purity, and the law of truth. Begin the fight wherever God sounds the trumpet, and He will give you grace that as your day is, so your strength shall be. But until we cease dividing our life into two parts--secular and religious--we never shall be very eminent and consistent as Christians; we never shall make any very great progress in the Christian life.

6. Too much companion ship is not good.

7. This stands closely connected with another social hindrance to the development of true Christian life, and that is, the addiction of men to pleasure. I mean not indulgence in wasting and disallowable pleasures, but an excessive addiction to recreation of any kind. We are bound to grow in grace. If we do not, grow, we are bound to know the reason why. (H. W.Beecher.)

The way of religion

The way of religion is now cast up; it is a highway; ministers business is to direct people in it, and to help them over the discouragements they meet with, that nothing may offend them. (M. Henry.)

The way of Christ prepared

I. THE STUMBLING-BLOCKS WHICH CHRISTIANS HAVE THROWN IN THE WAY OF THE JEWS.

1. Persecution.

2. Contempt.

3. Idolatry.

4. Neglect of the law of Moses.

5. Unbelief of the prophets.

II. THE STUMBLING-BLOCKS WHICH THE JEWS HAVE PUT IN THEIR OWN WAY.

1. Self-righteousness.

2. Traditions of men.

3. Covetousness.

4. A false view of God.

5. Unbelief in the Son of God.

III. THE BLESSED FRUITS OF THEIR REMOVAL. These fruits are set before us in the verses which follow our text.

1. Humiliation and contrition (Isa_57:15).

2. Revival and healing. The promise goes on thus: To revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. I have seen his ways and will heal him.

3. Comfort and peace. I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him (Isa_57:18-19).

4. Gladness and glory. To these the prophet calls our attention in the latter chapters (Isa_65:18-19; Isa_66:12). (E. Bickersteth.)

Roads cleared

What is the way, the way of salvation? Jesus Christ says, I am the way. This is the entrance into the way, and this is the track of that way even to the end--trust in Christ. Are not good works needed? says one. They always flow from faith in Christ. Such being the way, it is very simple. Straight as an arrow, is it not? And yet in this way there are stumbling-blocks.

I. LET US SHOW WHY THIS IS.

1. The way of believing is such an uncommon way. Men do not understand the way of trusting. They want to see, to reason, to argue. How very difficult it would be for a cow, that has always lived by the day the short life that can be fed on grass, if it had to live by reason, as men do. And when man has to live by faith he is as awkward at it as a cow would be at reasoning. He is out of his element.

2. Men, when they are really seeking salvation, are often much troubled in mind. They feel that if God be just He must punish them for their wrong-doing. And when they are told that if they believe in Jesus Christ all manner of sin and of blasphemy shall be forgiven, they wonder how it can be. Conscience makes unbelievers of us all; and stumbling-blocks are created by our trembling condition.

3. Besides this, men are often ignorant of the way of salvation. I am not speaking now as though I blamed them. I was brought up to attend the house of God regularly. Yet when I began to see the Lord, I did not know the way of salvation. I knew the letter of it, but not the real meaning: how can a man know it till the Spirit of God reveals it to him?

4. Satan is always ready to prevent souls from finding peace in Christ. Thus have I shown why there are so many stumbling-blocks.

II. Now I am going to TRY TO LIFT SOME OF THEM OUT OF THE WAY.

1. Here is one of them. One man says, I would fain believe in this Jesus Christ of whom you tell me, but if I were to come to God through Christ, would He receive me? Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. In all the history of the human race there never has been found a man that came to Jesus Christ whom Christ rejected yet.

2. But, says another, I am a very peculiar person. I could very well believe that any man in the world who trusted Christ would be saved except myself; but I cannot think that He would save me, for I am so odd. Ah, I am odd myself, and I had the same feeling that you have. I thought that I was a lot left out of the catalogue. If you knew other people you would find that there are other strange people besides yourself; and if God saves so many strange people, why should He not save you? He delights to do wonders. He will crowd heaven with curiosities of mercy.

3. But I hear another say, Sir, I have such a horrible sense of sin; I cannot rest in my bed! I cannot think that I shall be saved. Wait a bit there; let me speak to this person over here. What is your trouble? My trouble is, sir, that I have no sense of sin. I know that I am a sinner, and a great sinner; but I do not think that I shall be saved, for I have no horrible thoughts Will you change with the other man? Will he change with you? I should not advise either of you to make any change; for, in the first place, despairing thoughts-are--not necessary to salvation; and, in the second place, so long as you know yourself a sinner, and are willing to confess it, such thoughts are untrue. Despairing one, look to the Cross and live; and thou who dost not despair, look to the same Cross and live; for there is salvation for every eye that looks to Jesus crucified.

4. A trembler cries, I am afraid to come and trust Christ, because I do not know whether I am one of the elect. If you trust Jesus Christ I will tell you then that you are Go elect, to a certainty.

5. All, says another, person, I think I have committed this unpardonable sin. Do you long to he delivered from the power of sin? Then you have not committed the unpardonable sin, because it is a sin unto death, and after a man commits it he never has a living wish or desire after God from that moment.

6. Oh, but, says another person, my stumbling-block is this: that the whole thing seems too good to be true, that I, by simply believing in Jesus Christ, shall be saved. I confess that it does seem too good to be true, but it is not. God in Christ Jesus is clearly capable of marvellous deeds of grace. There are some stumbling-blocks that I cannot remove; they must always stand there, I am afraid.

7. An objector says to me. I would believe in Jesus; I have no fault to find with Him, but, then, look at His followers, many of them are hypocrites. We do look at His professed followers, and the tears are in our eyes, for the worst enemies He has are they of His own household. Suppose Judas does betray Christ, is Christ any the worse for that? You are not asked to trust in Judas, you are asked to trust in Christ. The reason why it pays to make bad sovereigns is because, good ones are so valuable; and that is why it pays certain people, as they think, to pass themselves off as Christians. If there were no real Christians, there would be no pretenders to that name.

8. But, says another, here is my stumbling-block: if I were to believe in Christ, and become a Christian, I should have to alter my whole life. Just so. There would have to be a turning of everything upside down, but then He that sits upon the throne says, Behold, I make all things new.

9. Oh, but, says one, I should have to run the gauntlet in my family if I became a Christian. Which is the better thing, do you think--to be sneered at for doing right or to be commended for doing wrong? (C. H.Spurgeon.)

Take up the stumbling-block

Stumbling-blocks

As a Conqueror the Messiah was coming, but there was great sin and unpreparedness. Hence the prophet cried, Take up, take up the stumbling-blocks. Christ is still advancing in power in the world. His truth is the direct and permanent way by which man may tread to heaven and immortality. Various stumbling-blocks of human placing need removal.

I. There is the stumbling-block of SELFISHNESS. This has always cumbered the way. Ananias and Judas yielded to it.

II. Close by this block is another, that of INTOLERANCE. The Church, strong outwardly, was impatient of divergence of opinion.

III. TERRORISM had also to be rolled out of the way. Figure was taken for fact. The great Father was presented in the guise of an implacable judge. Harsh representations of God and future punishment caused revolt.

IV. There is the stumbling-block of an ELABORATE CEREMONIAL SYSTEM.

V. The block of INDIFFERENTISM, on the other hand, also needs removal. Indifferentism is only another name for selfism. It should matter to each man if his fellow suffers.

VI. Some will say that all the stumbling-blocks mentioned are nothing compared with those formed by THE INCONSISTENCIES OF CHRISTIAN PEOPLE. The last is a conglomerate rock. Worldly attractions, amusements, desires, lusts, are often too strong for those who profess to be unworldly. Byron said, The inconsistencies of professing Christians made me an infidel. Was he alone? Conclusion: How are these evils, these blocks of offence to be removed, and a way made for the coming of our King Jesus? There must be more faith in the presence and potency of the Holy Spirit in the Church. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

The road-mender

(with Isa_58:12, the restorer of paths):--Few are the exceptionally gifted men and women whom God calls to be pioneers, discoverers and creators of new paths--road-makers. Primal needed work, to use Walt Whitmans phrase, is not possible for the majority of us. We have not the genius, the energy, the courage, the self-reliance, the independence of intellectual comradeship which characterize the select company who are able to hew their way, like Stanleys men in Darkest Africa, through forests, and force their way through wildernesses and deserts, thus opening up new highways for human thought and life, and action, and civilization, and new highways for God. But we can all be road-menders. We can all aid in removing the stumbling-blocks out of the way. We can all be restorers of paths. This is the humbler task. It demands fewer talents, less daring, less originality than pioneer work, but who can gauge its value? Who will venture to affirm that it is less honouring or less acceptable to God, and less of a boon to man and the world? Perhaps, after all, to mend the old roads, to restore the former paths which have fallen out of repair, and make them straighter, safer, and more comfortable to the feet of travel-worn pilgrims, is as noble and useful a vocation as any to which God calls His servants.

I. What need there is for road-menders and restorers of paths in THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL WORLD! To protect the widow and orphan; to stand by the oppressed; to ameliorate the lot of the starving poor and the slaves of the sweater; to grapple with the drink curse, the gambling curse, the curse of impurity, the curse of an inordinate love of gold and pleasure; the curse of preventable poverty, preventable disease, preventable premature old age and death--what a field of service for God and man!

II. What need there is for road-menders and restorers of paths in OUR NATIONAL AFFAIRS! As lovers of our country; as patriots who have a share in shaping the home and foreign policies of our Governments and moulding public thought and national conduct and character, let us do what we can to lead our nation into saner and safer and nobler paths.

III. What need there is for road-menders and restorers of paths in THE RELIGIOUS WORLD! Is not much of our Churchianity to-day an empty form, a mere show? How far removed from our professedly Christian life in the Church are our commercial life, our political life, our home life, our society life in the world! What an amount of nominal Church membership and formal Christianity there is nowadays!

IV. What need there is for road-menders and restorers of paths in THE SPHERE OF PERSONAL GOODNESS AND HELPFULNESS! After all, the best contribution any one of us can make to the glory of God and the welfare of man is that of a really good life; a life fashioned after the pattern given us by our Lord and Master; a life filled by the Holy Spirit, a life of friendship and filial fellowship with God. (R. Briggs, M. A.)

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

And shall say; rather, and one said. The prophet hears a voice, saying, Cast ye up, cast ye up; i.e. make a highway to the holy mountain by heaping up material; (Isa_62:10) and, having made it, remove every obstruction from the path of my (righteous) people. The voice is, probably, an angelic one.

Ver. 14. The ministry of angels.

Without intruding it on the reader"s attention, Isaiah is continually implying the interest which angels take in all God"s dealings with his Church, and the assistance which they render. Voices fill the heavenly sphere around him and about him, which can only be angelic utterances, and from time to time he records the sayings. Sometimes he records them openly as angelic; e.g. the seraph"s words, when he took the live coal from the altar in the court of heaven, and therewith touched the prophet"s lips. (Isa_6:7) But more often he names no speaker, but simply gives the words or introduces them impersonally with the phrase, "and one said". (see Isa_21:11 Isa_26:2 Isa_40:6, etc.) It is sometimes said that the Jews first learnt to believe in the existence of angels from the Babylonians. But Isaiah"s writings furnish a proof, if proof were needed, that this was not so. Isaiah shows us angels

I AS MINISTRANT TO GOD IS HEAVEN. Above the throne of God in heaven were seen by Isaiah, in vision, a number of seraphim, or winged creatures of the angelic class, attendant upon the great King, and ready at each moment to do his pleasure. (Isa_6:2) They "stood," to show respect and reverence; they had two of their wings outspread, to show readiness to fly at once whithersoever God should send them; they had two others veiling their faces, to indicate a sense of their unworthiness to look on the face of the Almighty. As they stood, they praised God, saying, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory". (Isa_6:3) The scene drawn reminds us of St. John"s vision in Patmos, (Rev_4:1-11) and also, to some extent, of the vision of Miciah the son of Imlah, in the First Book of Kings. (1Ki_22:19-22) The teaching of all these passages is consentient. God has always attendant upon him, in the courts of heaven, angelic beings of varied powers and capacities, who stand before him in adoration, and at the same time are eager to go whithersoever he may send them, and carry into effect his purposes.

II AS DOING SERVICE TO MEN ON EARTH. Angels are represented by Isaiah as interested in the life of God"s faithful ones, as watching God"s dealings with them, and occasionally showing their sympathy. Christians are expressly taught that all angels are "ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to them who are heirs of salvation". (Heb_1:14) Isaiah seems to have divined their functions in this respect. He "sees indeed through a glass darkly," and not yet "face to face"; (1Co_13:12) but still he not obscurely intimates from time to time their close relationship to man.. God places them upon the wails of the new Jerusalem to watch. (Isa_62:6) They stand there, and "take no rest." They are Jehovah"s "remembrancers," not reminding him of human sin or human shortcomings, but of his promises to his people, and of their need that he should give them succour (see Mr. Cheyne on Isa_62:6). It is, perhaps, a cry of the angels that rings out in the "splendid apostrophe," "Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord! awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old". (Isa_51:9) Angels exchange "cries" when the promise of Christ"s coming is given. (Isa_40:6-8) Angels are interested in a path being made by which the faithful ones may reach God"s holy city. (Isa_57:14) Angels call on their fellows to open to the saints the gates of heaven. (Isa_26:2) The dwellers in the empyrean are joined with the believers on earth in the bonds of charity and love, and form with them one community in the city of the living God. (Isa_62:6; comp. Heb_12:22-24)

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

The promise is now followed by a appeal to make ready the way which the redeemed people have to take. "And He saith, Heap up, heap up, prepare a way, take away every obstruction from the way of my people." This is the very same appeal which occurs once in all three books of these prophecies (Isa 40:3-4; Isa 57:14; Isa 62:10). The subject of the verb ('âmar) is not Jehovah; but the prophet intentionally leaves it obscure, as in Isa 40:3, Isa 40:6 (cf., Isa 26:2). It is a heavenly cry; and the crier is not to be more precisely named.

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.)

57:14-21 The Lord here promises to be present with the humble, to heal them, and to grant them his peace. The promise extends to all the citizens of Zion, both Jews and Gentiles. The Holy One comes to the humble with an all-inclusive offer of salvation, while dealing justly with the wicked.

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

God shall say to Darius and Cyrus.

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

shall say--The nominative is, "He that trusteth in Me" (Isa 57:13). The believing remnant shall have every obstacle to their return cleared out of the way, at the coming restoration of Israel, the antitype to the return from Babylon (Isa 35:8; Isa 40:3-4; Isa 62:10-11).

Cast . . . up--a high road before the returning Jews.

stumbling-block--Jesus had been so to the Jews, but will not be so then any longer (Co1 1:23); their prejudices shall then be taken out of the way.

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 14. And shall say - "Then will I say"] ואמר vaomer, to be pointed as the first person future. They are the words of God, as it is plain from the conclusion of the verse; my people, עמי ammi.

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

(14) And shall say . . .—Better, And one said. The prophet hears, as it were, a voice behind him, bringing an oracle from Heaven, which renews the cry of the herald in Isa_40:3. The verb, cast up, points to the construction of the “highway” of a spiritual return, from which all impediments are removed.

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

14. And shall say] or, And it shall be said (R.V. marg.). The speaker is Jehovah (“my people”), not one of the angelic beings of the Prologue. The expression means simply “the word shall go forth.”

The image of the highway of salvation is taken from ch. Isa_40:3 (see also Isa_62:10), but seems to be applied somewhat differently. There it meant an actual highway for the return of the exiles through the desert; here, as the context shews, it is only a figure for the removal of spiritual obstacles to the redemption of Israel (Isa_57:17). Such a modification of the conception, although of course no proof of post-exilic authorship, is certainly very intelligible on that hypothesis. After the return of the first band of exiles it became apparent that the inauguration of the Messianic age was not to take the form of a triumphal march of Jehovah and His people across the desert to Canaan. The prophet’s bold image of the miraculous highway necessarily lost its primary physical significance, and could be retained only as an emblem of the preparation for that larger deliverance to which the hopes of the post-exilic community were eagerly directed. It is applied, in short, in precisely the same way as at a later time to the preparatory mission of the Baptist (Mar_1:3; Joh_1:23).

14–21. In striking contrast to the menacing tone of Isa_57:3 ff. is the impressive and elevated language in which the prophet now sets forth the gracious thoughts of Jehovah towards His erring but repentant people.

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.

And shall say, cast ye up, cast ye up,.... A causeway, a highway, for the people of the Jews to return to their own land: this is either said by the Lord, as some supply it; or by the prophet, as Jarchi; or by him that putteth his trust in the Lord, as Kimchi; or rather by one, that is, the first of the living creatures, a set of Gospel ministers, that shall give to the angels, the Protestant princes and potentates, the seven last vials to pour out on the antichristian states, both Papal and Mahometan, and shall stir them up to do it; or the voice out of the temple, that shall order them to do their work; by which means way will be made for the return of the said people, Rev 15:7,

prepare the way; of the true doctrine and worship of God: the way of truth and holiness, of faith and practice:

take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people; the superstition, idolatry, and impiety of the church of Rome, are the great stumblingblock in the way of the conversion of the Jews, and the means of hardening that people in their disbelief of Christ and the Christian religion; wherefore the fall of antichrist, and a reformation everywhere from all corruption in doctrine and worship, in principle and practice, which also may be intended by these expressions, will prepare the way for their embracing the Christian religion, and so for their return to their own land. The Targum is,

"and he shall say, teach and admonish, prepare (or direct) the heart of the people to the right way, remove the stumblingblock of the wicked out of the way of my people.''

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

And shall say - Lowth, ‘Then will I say.’ Noyes, ‘Men will say.’ The word אמר 'âmar seems to be used here impersonally, and to mean, ‘One shall say;’ that is it shall be said. The Septuagint and the Syriac render it, ‘They shall say.’ The idea is, that the obstacles would be removed from the path of those who put their trust in God. The language is derived from the return from the exile, as if persons should go before them and should cry, ‘Cast ye up;’ or as if the cry of the people all along their journey should be, ‘Remove the obstacles to their return.’

Cast ye up, cast ye up - That is, remove the obstacles; level the hills; take up any obstruction out of the way (compare the notes at Isa 35:8; Isa 40:3-4). This cry is often heard before the coming of a distinguished prince or conqueror in the East. Joseph Wolff stated, in a lecture in Philadelphia (Sept. 18, 1837), that, on entering Jerusalem from the west, in the direction of Gaza, the road, for a considerable distance from Jerusalem, was so full of stones, that it was impracticable to ride, and those who were entering the city were obliged to dismount. When the Pasha (Ibrahim, son of Mehemet Ali) approached Jerusalem, it was customary for a considerable number of laborers to go before him, and remove the stones from the way. This was done amidst a constant cry, ‘Cast up, cast up the way; remove the stones, remove the stones.’ And on a placard, or standard, it was written, ‘the Pasha is coming;’ and everywhere the cry was heard, ‘the Pasha is coming, the Pasha is coming; cast up the way, remove the stones.’

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

And I. Seeing there is no aid in man, God will save his people for his own goodness’ sake. (Haydock)

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).

And shall say, Heb. And he shall say; or, And one shall say. God will raise up a man who shall say these words, and that with authority and efficacy, so as the thing shall be done.

Cast ye up; make causeways, where it is needful, for their safe and easy passage.

Take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people; remove all things which may hinder them in their return.

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

14. And shall say — Who shall say? The one who trusts in God, of the previous verse? This would be not in the costume of that verse. Better, indefinitely, one “shall say.”

Cast ye up… prepare the way — The call is, to clear the way to give opportunity for the righteous to come out from among the wicked, before they are visited with judgment, as surely they will be.

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

And he - God will raise up a man who shall say with authority and efficacy. Cast up - Make causeways, where it is needful, for their safe and easy passage, and remove all things which may hinder them in their return.

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

“And He shall say, Cast up, cast up, clear the way, take up the stumbling-block from the way of my people!” He who had long been silent speaks at last, and that to announce the restoration of His people. The image here presented, and the form of the expression, are the same as in Isa 35:8; Isa 40:3; Isa 49:11; Isa 62:10.

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

Jehovah Grants Salvation and Peace to the Repentant.

What the Lord had indicated at the end of the fast paragraph He now elaborates upon.

v. 14. And shall say, that is, a voice is heard to say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, in leveling, the path; prepare the way, take up the stumbling-block out of the way of My people, so they have free access to the deliverance of Jehovah.

v. 15. For thus saith the High and Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, He who occupies the throne of His majesty forever, whose name is Holy, He who dwells in the inaccessible light of perfect sanctity; I dwell in the high and holy place, in absolute exaltation and holiness, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, bowed down and humbled by deep repentance, to revive the spirit of the humble, by an infusion of new spiritual life, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones, so that they are filled with new life and courage, with hope and confidence in Jehovah.

v. 16. For I will not contend forever, in rebuking and punishing, neither will I be always wroth, being filled with anger which may overflow at any moment; for the spirit should fail before Me, He wants to dismiss His anger, and the souls which I have made, showing mercy to those that are of a contrite heart, since He has created them for life. The fact of creation is often made the basis of the mercy shown by God upon His works.

v. 17. For the iniquity of his covetousness, on account of the guilt of Israel, was I wroth and smote him, for the sin of avarice, the love of money, is properly called a root of all evil. I hid Me and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart, hardening himself against every influence for the better.

v. 18. I have seen his ways, the many paths of misfortune which Israel chose to go, and will heal him, taking the proper care of the wounds which are the consequence of sin; I will lead him also, namely, on the paths of righteousness, Psa 23:3, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners, so that, although the misery of this earthly life will remain, the sinners will feel the consolation of God’s mercy in His Word.

v. 19. I create the fruit of the lips, Peace, peace! to him that is far off and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him, that is, by sending out the Gospel-message into all the world the Lord offers the redemption gained by the Messiah, the healing of the Sun of Righteousness, to all men. Over against the deliverance of the righteous the prophet places the fate of the unbelievers.

v. 20. But the wicked are like the troubled sea, their rejection of the Lord’s salvation causing them to become like a storm-tossed ocean, when it cannot rest, whose waters, churning up the very floor of the sea, cast up mire and dirt, in endless sinning.

v. 21. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked, a hidden fear of the wrath of the Lord driving them about from one expedient to another, but only increasing their wickedness and heaping upon them new guilt. The ungodly may seem happy enough on the outside, as Asaph writes in Psalms 73, but their heart is not at rest, and they will be cast down into destruction.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Build, build! Clear a way! Remove all the stumbling blocks from the path of my people

Yahweh is emphatic and urgent that a clear and level road be available for the people to return to him and free of obstacles to worshiping Yahweh. This echoes Isaiah 40:3. (See: Metaphor)

For this is what the high and elevated One says

The words "high" and "elevated" have basically the same meaning here and emphasize Yahweh being exalted. See how you translated this in Isaiah 6:1 and Isaiah 33:10. See how you translated a similar phrase in Isaiah 52:13.

to revive the spirit of the humble ones, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones

These two phrases mean basically the same thing and emphasize that Yahweh will strengthen and encourage those who humble themselves before him. (See: Parallelism)

spirit ... heart

Here these refer to a person's thoughts and emotions, not the spirit and heart literally. (See: Metonymy)

translationWords

stumbling block

people of God

eternity

name

holy

exalt

holy place

humble

spirit

heart

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

And he shall say, “Pave, pave” So will the prophet say in My name to My people, “Pave, pave a paved highway, clear away the evil inclination from your ways.”

remove the obstacle Remove the stones upon which your feet stumble; they are wicked thoughts.

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.

ואמר And it will be said. Lit., and shall say the subject, האומר he who will say, הקורא he who will call, or הכרוז the proclamation is to be supplied.

סלו Remove the stones from the path. The repetition of סלו indicates, that this proclamation is to be made repeatedly.

My people, that is, those that worship the Lord; comp., there is no peace to the wicked (ver. 21).

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.