Chapter Fifty-Two

1-2. The second appeal of the prophet to Zion and Jerusalem. 3-6. The disclosure of the power of Divine protection of Jerusalem through its internal impotence. 7-8. The reborn Zion sends messengers of salvation to all ends of the earth. 9-12. A solemn hymn of thanksgiving to God for the restoration and glorification of Jerusalem. 13-15. A prologue to the following chapter—about the glorification of the Messiah, heretofore humiliated, who appeared in the form of a servant.

Isa 52:1-2. All this chapter, with the exception of only the last three verses, is a continuation of the preceding speech (from Isa 51:17 verse)—about the restoration of Jerusalem. In particular, the first two verses of this chapter especially vividly depict the main theme of the speech. Zion in them is personified in the likeness of a dishonored woman, cast down into the dust, dressed in rags and bound in chains; and here to this utterly humiliated and disgraced woman the prophet announces a complete, reverse metamorphosis—victorious rising, garments of glory, and the destruction of all traces of slavery.

Isaiah 52:1. Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for the uncircumcised and unclean shall come into you no more. Isaiah 52:2. Shake yourself from the dust; arise, captive Jerusalem! Remove the fetters from your neck, captive daughter of Zion! Isaiah 47:1. “Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion! Shake yourself from the dust, captive daughter of Zion.” Curiously, the future glorification of Zion is described in such features that constitute almost a complete antithesis to the future disgrace of Babylon: “Come down and sit on the dust, maiden, daughter of Babylon; sit on the earth” (Isaiah 47:1). Concerning what should be understood by the bridal attire of Zion, we have already spoken above (see commentary on Isa 49:18). Ezekiel 44:9. “O Jerusalem, holy city! for the uncircumcised and unclean shall no longer enter you.” Jerusalem is called a “holy” city (literally, the city of holiness or sanctuary) because the temple was in it (cf. in Hebrew prayer, Jerusalem kadosh). As in a holy city, there should be no place for the uncircumcised and unclean (cf. Ezekiel 44:9; Zech 14—St. Petersburg Professor). But since all this prophecy undoubtedly has a messianic meaning, it is evident that in its speech about Jerusalem, about circumcision and cleanliness, are nothing more than images or symbols for expressing higher ideas—spiritual and moral holiness and purity, that is, that which in the language of Holy Scripture is called “circumcision of the heart” (Acts 7:51; Rom 2:28-29; Blessed Jerome, Saint Cyril of Alexandria). It should also be noted the very close kinship of this prophecy, not only in content but also in letter, with some of the earlier (Isaiah 35, see our commentary). Isaiah 52:3. For thus says the Lord: You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money. “For nothing you were sold, and without money shall you be redeemed.” To depict the picture of the future spiritual triumph of Zion, the prophet, as is his custom, uses colors from different periods of the life (past, present, and even future) of historical Israel. Thus, in this verse he, as a fitting image, takes the fact of Babylonian captivity and liberation from it, emphasizing one feature in both—their disinterested character. “For nothing you were sold.” To properly understand these words, they should be compared with the earlier ones: “To which of My creditors did I sell you? Behold, you are sold for your iniquities.” (Isa 50:1). The other half of the phrase “and without money shall you be redeemed” is even clearer, though it also has an enlightening parallel (Isa 45:13). By all this it is clearly described the disinterested-majestic character of the Most High’s relationship to spiritual Israel, which becomes even more obvious when juxtaposed with New Testament texts: “You were redeemed not with perishable things such as silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless” (1 Pet 1:18-19). Isa 52:4-5. Here it is said that in neither the past nor the present of historical Israel there was anything that would testify to the internal stability and viability of this nation and that would make it possible to suppose its independent power. On the contrary, we have only opposite knowledge from history, which, though silent, nevertheless eloquently testifies that if this nation still exists, then obviously not by its own power, but by the help of God.

Isaiah 52:5. And now, what do I have here? declares the Lord. For My people are taken away for nothing, and those who rule over them mock, declares the Lord, and all day long My name is despised. “Those who rule over them act insolently... and continually... My name is despised.” Whom should be understood here as the rulers—the Babylonian or Jewish government? Although most exegetes (Orelli, Dillmann, The Pulpit Commentary, Vlastov, etc.) are inclined to see here a reference to the Babylonian authorities; but we do not think this is correct, and prefer to find here a characterization of the complete internal disintegration of the Jewish nation, which led it to external political collapse as well (cf. Isa 28:14—St. Petersburg Professor, Bp. Peter, Blessed Jerome and others). Through such behavior of the high priests and leaders of the Jewish nation and through the general sad political fate of Israel, the name of the Lord—the protector of this nation—undoubtedly should have been subjected to strong reproaches from all pagans, who everywhere explained the defeat of one or another nation by the victory of some deities over others (Ezek 36:20).

Isaiah 52:6. Therefore My people shall know My name, therefore in that day they shall know that I am He who speaks; here I am. “Therefore My people shall know My name... shall know in that day.” Transition from the realm of history into the sphere of prophecy. “Therefore, having firmly established themselves both in their external impotence and in their internal disintegration, the best representatives of the people of Israel shall know My name... shall recognize Me as the Messiah, in that day,” that is, in the day of the revelation of the new, gracious kingdom. “I am He who spoke: here I am.” From these words it is evident that the concepts “Messiah,” “My Servant,” “Lord” are identical with one another and all equally point to the Eternal, Almighty, and Unchanging in His promises God. Isa 52:7-8. They paint a joyful picture of the future restoration of Jerusalem. At the head of a whole host of heralds of salvation and peaceful prosperity of Jerusalem is the great Evangelist, authoritatively proclaiming to Zion the revelation of its new kingdom. He is accompanied by a multitude of other preachers who spread this good news to all ends of the earth and who at the same time are the best witnesses—eyewitnesses of what they preach.

Isaiah 52:7. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings good tidings of good and proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns! “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the herald of good tidings, announcing peace, announcing good news, proclaiming salvation.” These words, literally repeated once more by one of the post-exilic prophets (Nah 1:15), undoubtedly should be referred to the Messiah, as is evident from earlier passages of the same prophet Isaiah (Isa 41:27; Isa 40:9 and others), as well as from his well-known messianic text: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor” (Isa 61:1). “Your God reigns!” While Israel was in captivity and Jerusalem lay in ruins, the Lord—the ever-present protector and defender of the Jewish people—on that time as it were withdrew from it. But now He appears again to His people and takes upon Himself the duties of king over them.

Isaiah 52:8. The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for they see eye to eye the return of the Lord to Zion. “The voice of your watchmen... and they all rejoice together.” The immediate comrades of the great Herald accomplishing His mission will be a whole host of His helpers, apostles, and evangelists (Acts 20:28), to whom the apostle Paul extends what was said about the Herald Himself (Rom 10:15). The designation of these companions as “watchmen” reveals the meaning of the image here. Among the Hebrews, as among many other peoples, there existed special watchtowers from which special watchmen watched for approaching danger and announced it to one another in a loud voice. Here it appears that the Herald Himself used these same towers and watchmen to announce great joy. And the voice of the watchmen echoed loudly with joyful sound throughout all Jerusalem (cf. Isa 40:9). Isa 52:9-12. There follows the customary solemn hymn of thanksgiving to God for giving such great joy. The joy announced by the Herald and His guards is so great and extraordinary that, according to the word of the Savior, “the very stones cry out” (Luke 19:40)—namely, the ruins of the holy city, on whose behalf this hymn of thanksgiving and praise to God the Redeemer is offered.

Isaiah 52:9. Break forth into joy, sing together, O ruins of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted His people, has redeemed Jerusalem. “Break forth, sing together, O ruins of Jerusalem.” Earlier the prophet Isaiah called to a similar rejoicing all faithful Israel (Isa 44:23); now he repeats the same to Jerusalem, understanding, as in the first case, only worthy citizens of Jerusalem who accepted the Messiah and found in Him their salvation. All poetic images for this prophetic allegory are taken from actual history. It is known that Jerusalem was turned into ruins (Isa 44:26; Isa 49:19; Isa 64:10) and that these ruins were more or less restored after the return from captivity. “For the Lord has comforted His people—has redeemed Jerusalem.” Although comfort and redemption of Jerusalem are here spoken of in the past tense, this is the customary prophetic past in Isaiah, testifying only to the deep conviction of the certainty of the future.

Isaiah 52:10. The Lord has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. “And all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” This expression has a twofold meaning: first of all, it is an antithesis to the content of verse 5. Just as there it was said that the humiliation of Jerusalem, by pagan understanding, was at the same time a disgracing of the divinity which its inhabitants worshipped; so here, obviously, there is revealed the thought that the rising and salvation of Jerusalem will at the same time be the victorious triumph of the Lord before the face of all the pagan world. But, penetrating into the depth of this image and comparing it with the context (verse 6), we have the right to see in it also a hint of the universal character of that salvation which is to issue from the renewed Jerusalem: “Their voice goes out to all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” (Ps 18:5, Cf. Ps 97:2-3; Ps 125:2; Isa 41:5; Isa 45:6; Jer 16:19). Isa 52:11-12. They conclude by adding a new detail to the prophetic picture, based on historical recollections—the long-past fact of the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt and their wandering in the Arabian Desert, and the future, relative to the prophet’s contemporaries, but also already past relative to the age of which the prophet is speaking, event—the exodus of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity. Even blessed Jerome complained that the Jewish rabbis of his time paraphrased the text of these two verses in such a way: “Go forth from Babylon and leave the idols of Babylon. Go forth from among them and carry the vessels which Nebuchadnezzar brought away when he captured Jerusalem (2 Sam 25:13-14) back to the temple after the liberation of the captives by Cyrus with Zerubbabel and Ezra (Ezra 1:7); go forth from Babylon not as you fled from Egypt—with haste and fear, but in peace and by the will of the king of Persia and Media, in which was manifested the will of the Lord, who protected and gathered you” (Blessed Jerome, pages 303-304). But blessed Jerome himself, as well as blessed Theodoret, Saint Cyril of Alexandria, based on the context of the speech (verses 7, 10), understand here either believers in general, or, more specifically, the apostles and evangelists—“the holy ones of Jerusalem,” to whom God commands to leave Jerusalem as a godless city and go forth with a preaching of Christ to all lands. Personally we think that the most correct understanding of this passage will be the combination of both these interpretations, and the transfer of the center of gravity from the historical to the moral ground. Having announced in the preceding verse the opening of universal salvation of the Messiah’s kingdom, that is, the New Testament Church, the prophet invites the true citizens of faithful Jerusalem to enter this kingdom; but he warns that entrance into this kingdom requires the observance of necessary conditions—purification from all moral corruption, complete detachment from sinful past, preservation in the integrity and purity of one’s own heart’s sanctuary (“the vessels of the Lord”) and entire devotion to the good and perfect will of God (“the Lord goes before you and... will be your rearguard”). But, indeed, all these moral truths the prophet teaches under the veil of symbols and allegories, partly borrowed from the history of the Hebrews’ exodus from Egypt, but chiefly from the circumstances of their exodus from Babylonian captivity. This, of course, does not exclude the significance of the patristic commentary—about the gradual departure of the first preachers of Christianity from Jerusalem. From verses 13-15 begins the most important and remarkable of all Old Testament prophecies—the prophecy of Isaiah about the sufferings and glorification of the Messiah (Isa 52—Isa 53 chapters). “The end of chapter 52—according to the justified opinion of one special exegete of it—presents as it were a brief summary of all of chapter 53, when in few words it depicts the humiliation of the Messenger of God and the ensuing wondrous glorification, expressed in the form of the homage of kings and peoples” (I. Grigoriev, “Prophecies of Isaiah about the Messiah and His Kingdom,” page 203, Kazan, 1902). The logical connection of this new prophecy with the earlier one is quite clear: the historical fate of Israel and Jerusalem serve as a type in the history of the Messiah Himself. Just as Israel and his holy city first came to a state of extreme humiliation (one in captivity, the other in ruins), and then, according to the meaning of the prophecy given to them, are to achieve universal fame and glory (verses 9-10); so the Messiah is first destined to a state of extreme humiliation, and then to the greatest glorification.

Isaiah 52:13. Behold, My Servant shall be prosperous, He shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be made very high. Isaiah 42:1. “Behold, My Servant shall be prosperous, shall be exalted and lifted up, and made very high.” This is the same person of whom all the preceding has spoken, namely the Messiah (Isaiah 42:1; Isa 49:1-3; Isa 50:1-10. Cf. also Zech 3:8). Thus did all ancient Jewish and Christian tradition understand and interpret these words (See at the end of chapter 53). Instead of shall be prosperous the Septuagint and Slavic translate: “Behold, He shall understand.” In the selection of synonymous verbs—shall be exalted, shall be lifted up, and made very high—exegetes discern a whole gradation of the gradual ascension of the Messiah from glory to glory; some quite ingeniously, corresponding to the three given concepts—nisa, nasch, ga’a—distinguish three main moments of glorification: the Resurrection of the Messiah, His Ascension to heaven, and His sitting at the right hand of God the Father (Dillmann). Verses 14-15 form one comparative period in which verse 14 is the protasis (heightening), and verse 15 is the apodosis (lowering). The logical subject of this period is the one of whom in the preceding verse the Lord said—“My Servant.” Here, in this period, more concretely is revealed the thought of verse 13 about the exaltation of the Messiah in the consciousness of mankind. The degree of such exaltation corresponds to the degree of mankind’s amazement before the personality of the Son of God, as contemplated at the moment of His humiliation (Commentary, St. Petersburg Professor).

Isaiah 52:14. Just as many were appalled at you, so marred was His appearance beyond any human being, and His form beyond that of the sons of men. Isaiah 8:14. “Just as many were appalled.” Indeed, the state of extreme humiliation and even shameful death which the Messiah voluntarily took upon Himself for our salvation served as the chief stone of stumbling and scandal for many, because it sharply conflicted with the widely-held sensual views about the Messiah and His kingdom (Isaiah 8:14; Luke 2:34). As a parallel to this verse, we cannot but point to Isa 50:6, as well as to the beginning of the following chapter 53 (Isa 53:2-9). Isaiah 52:15. So shall He astonish many nations; kings shall shut their mouths before Him, for they shall see what had not been told them, and shall understand what they had not heard. “Thus shall He sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of Him.” Again amazement, but now of a completely opposite character, concerning the wondrous transformation of the humiliated Servant into the greatest Sovereign. All peoples and their kings will be so struck by this new marvel that they will not be able to open their mouths for astonishment to express it in words (cf. Job 29:9). The whole force of the antithesis here lies in the juxtaposition of the concepts: “Servant” and “king.” The mention of king involuntarily draws our thoughts to an earlier narrative of the same prophet where it was said that kings and queens will first bow to Christ and lead their peoples to Him (Isa 49:23, as well as verse 7).