Isaiah 59:20

Isa 59:20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.

Ver. 20. And the Redeemer.] Shall come to the Israel of God.

That turn from transgression.] See Rom 11:26. {See Trapp on "Rom 11:26"}

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_59:20-21

And the Redeemer shall come to Zion

The Redeemer coming to His Church

I.

THE PERSON OF WHOM THE FATHER SPEAKS, AND HIS COMING.

1. The Redeemer, the kinsman, who, by assuming our nature, is nearly related to us (Heb_2:11; Heb_2:17). To Him, as our kinsman, the right of redemption belongs.

2. Shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob. The coming which is here spoken of is for the above purposes, and not chiefly His coming in the flesh, which does not so well suit the context. It is His spiritual coming which is meant; His coming in His kingdom. To the Jews, as a people, to turn away ungodliness from Jacob, as the LXX read it, and St. Paul in Rom_11:26. To His Church in general, often called Zion, Jacob, and Israel; to introduce the millennium, and spread religion through all the world (Rev_19:11-16). To the hearts of His people (Joh_14:18-19; Joh_14:23; Rev_3:20). Then have we Christ in us the hope of glory; Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith Eph_3:14; Eph_3:17; Gal_2:20-21).

II. THE BLESSINGS CONSEQUENT ON HIS COMING IN THESE SENSES, My Spirit that is upon Thee, and My words which I have put in Thy mouth, shall not depart out of Thy mouth, etc. These are the words of the Father to the Redeemer.

III. THE PERSONS TO WHOM THESE BLESSINGS ARE PROMISED; THE WAY IN

WHICH THEY ARE OBTAINED; AND THE CERTAINTY OF OBTAINING THEM IN THAT WAY. They are promised to those that are in Jacob, members of Christs Church. To those that turn from transgression. To those who are the seed of Christ by faith (Gal_3:9; Gal_3:26). The certainty of obtaining them may be found in Gods Covenant. (J. Benson. D. D.)

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

Isa 59:20-21. And, or, moreover, the Redeemer shall come to Zion — To Jerusalem, or to his church, often signified by Zion, namely, Christ shall come, of whom the apostle expounds it, Rom 11:26; the prophets usually concluding their promises of temporal deliverances with the promises of spiritual, especially such, of which the temporal were evident types. And unto them that turn from transgression, &c. — As he will come in the flesh, and tabernacle among his people; so he will come, by his Spirit, to those of them who turn from their sins unto God, (see Joh 14:15-23,) and will dwell in their hearts, (Eph 3:17,) so that they shall have Christ in them, the hope of glory, Col 1:27; Christ living in them, Gal 2:20. This is my covenant with them — What I have promised to them that turn from their iniquities. My Spirit that is upon thee — Namely, upon Christ: see Isa 11:1-3. The Spirit promised to the church was first upon him, and from him, the head, that precious ointment descends to the skirts of his garments. And my word that I have put into thy mouth — Which thou hast uttered by virtue of my Spirit; shall not depart out of thy mouth — But thou shalt continue to be the Word made flesh, the wisdom of God incarnate, the great teacher of thy people, and the light of the world, till the consummation of all things. Nor out of the mouth of thy seed, &c. — But it shall dwell richly in them in all wisdom, capacitating them to teach, admonish, reprove, rebuke, exhort, and comfort one another, speaking with grace in their hearts: from henceforth and for ever — Always, even unto the end of the world; for the world being permitted to stand for the sake of the church, we may be sure that as long as it doth stand, Christ will have a church in it. Upon the whole, the meaning of this promise is, that God will give and continue his word and Spirit to his people, throughout all generations. 1st, There shall be some in every age, in whose hearts he will work, and in whom he will dwell, and thus the Comforter shall abide with the church for ever, Joh 14:16. 2d, The word of Christ shall always continue in the mouths of the faithful, that is, there shall be some in every age who, believing with the heart unto righteousness, shall, with the tongue, make confession unto salvation: and there shall still be a seed to speak Christ’s holy language, and profess his holy religion. Observe well, reader, the Spirit and the word go together, and by them the church is upheld. The word in the mouths of our ministers, nay, in our own mouths, will not profit us, unless the Spirit work with the word, and give it efficacy to enlighten, quicken, renew, and comfort us. The Spirit, however, doth his work by the word, and in concurrence with it; and whatever is pretended to be a dictate of the Spirit must be tried by the Scriptures. On this foundation the church is built, stands firm, and shall stand for ever; Christ himself being the chief corner- stone.

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

Whereby he declareth that the true deliverance from sin and Satan belongeth to none, but to the children of God, whom he justifieth.

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

to Zion-- Rom 11:26 quotes it, "out of Zion." Thus Paul, by inspiration, supplements the sense from Psa 14:7 : He was, and is come to Zion, first with redemption, being sprung as man out of Zion. The Septuagint translates "for the sake of Zion." Paul applies this verse to the coming restoration of Israel spiritually.

them that turn from-- (Rom 11:26). "shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob"; so the Septuagint, Paul herein gives the full sense under inspiration. They turn from transgression, because He first turns them from it, and it from them (Psa 130:4; Lam 5:21).

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 20. Unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob - "And shall turn away iniquity from Jacob"] So the Septuagint and St. Paul, Ro 11:26, reading instead of לשבי leshabey and ביעקב beyaacob, והשיב veheshib and מיעקב meyaacob. The Syriac likewise reads והשיב veheshib; and the Chaldee, to the same sense, ולהשיב ulehashib. Our translators have expressed the sense of the present reading of the Hebrew text: "And unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob."

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

(20) And the Redeemer shall come . . .—The picture of the Theophany is continued—Jehovah comes as a Redeemer (Goel, as in Isa_41:14; Isa_43:1, Job_19:25) to the true Zion, to those who have turned from their transgression. The verse is noticeable as being quoted, with variations, by St. Paul in Rom_11:26.

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

20. The consequences for Israel.

And the redeemer shall come] Rather And he shall come as a redeemer (ch. Isa_41:14).

and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob] LXX. has “and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob,”—a different and more expressive text. So also in the quotation, Rom_11:26, where the words are applied in a Messianic sense.

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 the Redeemer shall come to Zion,.... Not Cyrus, as some; but the Messiah, as it is applied in the Talmud (m) and in other Jewish writers (n), and as Aben Ezra rightly interprets it; and so Kimchi, who also understands by the enemy, in the preceding verse, Gog and Magog; and this must be understood not of the first coming of Christ to redeem his people by his blood from sin, Satan, and the law; but of his spiritual coming to Zion to the church of God in the latter day, at the time of the conversion of the Jews, as appears from the quotation, and application of it by the apostle, Rom 11:25 and with it compare Rev 14:1,

and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord; that is, to such among the Jews, the posterity of Jacob, who repent of their sins, and turn from them; and particularly their sin of the rejection of the Messiah, and the disbelief of him, and turn to him, and believe in him as their Saviour and King. The Targum is,

"and the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and to turn the transgressors of the house of Jacob to the law;''

but rather the turn will be to the Gospel of Christ.

(m) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 98. l. & Yoma, fol. 86. 2. (n) Echa Rabbati, fol. 47. 2.

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

And the Redeemer shall come - On the meaning of the word rendered here ‘Redeemer,’ see the notes at Isa 43:1. This passage is applied by the apostle Paul to the Messiah Rom 11:26; and Aben Ezra and Kimchi, among the Jews, and Christians generally, suppose that it refers to him.

To Zion - On the word ‘Zion,’ see the notes at Isa 1:8. The Septuagint renders this, Ἔνεκεν Σιὼν Heneken Siōn - ‘On account of Zion.’ The apostle Paul Rom 11:26, renders this, ‘There shall come out of Zion (ἐκ Σιὼν ek Siōn) the Deliverer,’ meaning that he would arise among that people, or would not be a foreigner. The idea in Isaiah, though substantially the same, is rather that he would come as a deliverer from abroad; that is, he would come from heaven, or be commissioned by God. When it is said that he would come to Zion, it is not meant that he would come exclusively to the Jews, but that his mission would be primarily to them.

And unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob - There is much variety in the interpretation of this passage. Paul Rom 11:26 quotes it thus, ‘and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob;’ and in this he has literally followed the Septuagint. The Vulgate renders it as in our translation. The Chaldee, ‘And shall turn transgressors of the house of Jacob to the law.’ The Syriac, ‘To those who turn iniquity from Jacob.’ Lowth has adopted the rendering of the Septuagint, and supposes that an error has crept into the Hebrew text. But there is no good authority for this supposition. The Septuagint and the apostle Paul have retained substantially, as Vitringa has remarked, the sense of the text. The main idea of the prophet is, that the effect of the coming of the Messiah would be to turn people from their sins. He would enter into covenant only with those who forsook their transgressions, and the only benefit to be derived from his coming would be that many would be thus turned from their iniquities.

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

To Sion. Septuagint, "from Sion, and will turn away iniquity from Jacob. (21.) And this," &c. (Haydock) --- St. Paul hence proves that the Jews will at last be converted, Romans xi. 26. The return of the captives prefigured this event. (Calmet)

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, moreover, or to wit; and being here not so much copulative as expositive.

The Redeemer: the word notes a redemption with power, viz.

1. Cyrus, the instrument for the efficient, viz. God the Redeemer, Isa 43:14; 45:13. Or,

2. Christ, of whom the apostle expounds it, Rom 11:26; the prophets usually concluding their promises of temporal deliverances with the promises of spiritual, especially such of which the temporal were evident types.

To Zion, viz. Jerusalem, to which though Cyrus came not in person, yet his favours, and the good effects of his conquest over Babylon, reached it, setting free the citizens of Zion, as Christ also his church, which is often called by the name of Zion, and Jacob, and Israel, &c. In Jacob, viz. among the Jews, who were the children of Jacob; and he describes to whom of these, namely, to them, and none else, that

turn from transgression; such only whose hearts God touched, and turned to righteousness; and so to come to Zion here by the prophet, and out of Zion by the apostle, is one and the same thing; See Poole "Deu 33:2"; for the Hebrew lamed is not only an article of the dative case, but put often for mim, of or from, so that letsion is out of Zion; and for Christ to be given a Redeemer to Zion is the same thing as his coming to take iniquity from Jacob. And so the apostle doth by this expound that, taking an apostolical liberty not only to quote, but to expound this text; and so by laying them together, and making them one, would teach us that God must do for us what he requireth of us, Act 3:26; or else, which is the opinion of some, he takes the last clause from some other text, or texts, as Isa 4:4. I incline to the former, partly because there is no need of searching for any other text, and partly because, as the apostle quoteth it, it is agreeable to the LXX., which he frequently makes use of; and this the apostle improves as an allegory to prove that the Jews toward the end of the world shall he converted and saved, when the fulness of the Gentiles shall be brought in: q.d. As this people of old were delivered out of a dark and dolesome estate, when they seemed as it were extinct; so toward the end of the world the remnant of the Jews, that seem to be rejected, God will again bring home unto himself. Saith the Lord; or, thus it is decreed and determined by the Lord: the prophets are wont to set down these words as a sacred seal of certainty, security, or confirmation of such signal promises as this is of the Redeemer, like to that of the apostle, 1Ti 1:15.

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

20. Redeemer… to Zion — The apostle Paul refers to this text as proof that when the Gentiles throughout the world shall have come into acceptance of the Christian religion, then apostate Israel shall also be converted thereto. Rom_11:25.

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

And the Redeemer shall come to Zion; rather, and there shall come a Redeemer for Zion, and for those who turn, etc. When the "adversaries and the "enemies" shall have been punished, repentant Israel shall be saved by the coming of Messiah. As usual, the prophet does not note, or perhaps see, intervals of time, but blends events of various periods into one glorious vision of triumphant deliverance, redemption, and prolonged spiritual life in the Redeemer"s kingdom.

Vers. 20, 21. The Church indefectible.

The Church of God, being a body of men and women, each one of whom is weak, fallible, and liable to fall from the truth, ay, even to apostasy, must, by the nature of things, be of itself and in itself detectible. A weakness which attaches to all the individuals of a body must attach to the body which those individuals make up. The Church, therefore, is not, per se, indefectible. If indefectible in fact, it can only be so by the will of God, and can only be by us known to be so if God had declared to us his will. But this has been done

I GOD DECLARED BY THE PSALMISTS AND THE PROPHETS THAT HE WOULD SET UP ON EARTH AN IMPERISHABLE KINGDOM, CITY, OR COMMUNITY OF MEN. A promise to this effect was first given to David. God said to him, by the mouth Of:nathan, "I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever"; (2Sa_7:12, 2Sa_7:13) and again, "Thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever". (2Sa_7:16) Hence David himself spake of "the city of the Lord of hosts, which God would establish for ever". (Psa_48:8) And Ethan the Ezrahite spoke of the promise as a "covenant" to which God had "sworn:" "His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven". (Psa_89:34-37) Isaiah"s declarations as to a coming kingdom are to the same effect. "Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever". (Isa_9:6, Isa_9:7) And the declaration of the present chapter: "My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words that I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed"s seed... from henceforth and for ever.

II God ATTACHED THESE PROMISES, THROUGH THE DECLARATIONS OF HIS SON, TO THE PARTICULAR COMMUNITY WHICH HE CALLED HIS CHURCH. "Thou art Peter," said our blessed Lord, "and upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it"; (Mat_16:18) "Go,... teach all nations," our Lord said again, "and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world". (Mat_28:19, Mat_28:20) The apostles are confident, therefore, that the Church will always continue. St. Paul, in his directions concerning the Eucharist, declares that, through their partaking of it, Christians do show the Lord"s death till he come". (1Co_11:26) And he speaks of the members of the Church who are living at the last day as "caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air". (1Th_4:17) St. John traces the fortunes of the Church from his own time to the consummation of all things, and finds a remnant of faithful ones upon the earth to the last, who give testimony for Jesus. (Rev_2:21) Christians are therefore justified in believing that the Church of Christ is practically, if not ideally, indefectible that in point of fact, it will never fail, but will continue to the end of the world Christ"s great witness upon earth, testifying to his Godhead, to his redeeming love, and to the sufficiency of his one sacrifice.

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

The Redeemer - Christ, of whom the apostle expounds it, Rom. xi, 26, the prophets usually concluding their promises of temporal deliverances with the promises of spiritual, especially such, of which the temporal were evident types.

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

“Then shall come for Zion a Redeemer, and for the converts of apostasy in Jacob, saith Jehovah.” The expression ‘converts of transgression or apostasy’ is perfectly intelligible, though unusual and perhaps without example; since according to analogy the phrase would seem to mean those relapsing into apostasy, the impossibility of which conspires with the context to determine as the true sense that which every reader spontaneously attaches to it.

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

Redeemer

Redemption: Kinsman type, summary. The goel, or Kinsman-Redeemer, is a beautiful type of Christ.

(1) The kinsman redemption was of persons, and an inheritance Lev 25:48; Lev 25:25; Gal 4:5; Eph 1:7; Eph 1:11; Eph 1:14

(2) The Redeemer must be a kinsman Lev 25:48; Lev 25:49; Rth 3:12; Rth 3:13; Gal 4:4; Heb 2:14; Heb 2:15.

(3) The Redeemer must be able to redeem Rth 4:4-6; Jer 50:34; Joh 10:11; Joh 10:18

(4) Redemption is effected by the goel paying the just demand in full Lev 25:27; 1Pe 1:18; 1Pe 1:19; Gal 3:13. (See Scofield "Exo 14:30") See Scofield "Rom 3:24"

come to Zion

The time when the "Redeemer shall come to Zion" is fixed, relatively, by Rom 11:23-29 as following the completion of the Gentile Church. That is also the order of the great dispensational passage, Act 15:14-17.

In both, the return of the Lord to Zion follows the outcalling of the Church.

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And a redeemer shall come to Zion As long as Zion is in ruins, the redeemer has not yet come.

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.

גואל Redeemer, that is, Messiah.

Unto them that turn from transgression. Comp. Every one that shall be found written in the book (Dan. 12:1)

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.