Isaiah 62:8

The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(8) The Lord hath sworn . . .—The principle of the Epistle to the Hebrews (Hebrews 6:13) is recognised here. Jehovah can swear by nothing less than that which is the symbol of His own greatness, identified with Himself.

I will no more give thy corn . . .—The words throw us back upon the early history of Israel, subject at any time to the desolating attacks of Midianites (Judges 6:4; Judges 6:11), Assyrians (Isaiah 16:9), and Philistines (2Chronicles 28:18). The new blessing stands in special contrast with the curse of Deuteronomy 28:33; Deuteronomy 28:51.

Benson Commentary

Isaiah 62:8-9. The Lord hath sworn by his right hand — “Lifting up the hand was a ceremony used in swearing, Deuteronomy 32:40; Ezekiel 20:5; Ezekiel 20:15. And here God swears by that very hand which used to be held up at the taking of an oath; that is, he swears by his power and might, as it follows, that the enemies of his people should not interrupt that peace and plenty which he should give them, but that they should quietly enjoy his blessings with hearts full of thankfulness for them. This must relate to some happier condition than the Jews enjoyed after their return from captivity, when their enemies frequently invaded them, and, at last, the Romans destroyed both their temple and nation.” — Lowth. The passage is undoubtedly metaphorical; and is to be understood of the free and undisturbed enjoyment of the spiritual blessings of religion, which God will grant the Christian Church in the latter days: and “the oath which ushers in this promise proves that it will be exactly and punctually performed.” See Joel 2:24; and Joel 3:18; Jeremiah 31:12; Zechariah 9:17. The expressions in the next verse, particularly in the latter part of it, allude to the ordinances of the law, which required the people to spend their first-fruits, and other hallowed things, at the temple, in a thankful acknowledgment to God for his blessings, Deuteronomy 12:11; and Deuteronomy 14:23; Deuteronomy 14:26.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

62:6-9 God's professing people must be a praying people. He is not displeased with us for being earnest, as men commonly are; he bids us to cry after him, and give him no rest, Lu 11:5,6. It is a sign that God is coming to a people in mercy, when he pours out a spirit of prayer upon them. See how uncertain our creature-comforts are. See also God's mercy in giving plenty, and peace to enjoy it. Let us delight in attending the courts of the Lord, that we may enjoy the consolations of his Spirit.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The Lord hath sworn by his right hand - An oath was taken in various forms among the ancients. It was usually done by lifting up the hand toward beaten and appealing to God. As God could swear by no greater Hebrews 6:13, he is represented as swearing by himself (see the notes at Isaiah 45:23). Here he is represented as swearing by his right hand and by his arm - the strong instrument by which he would accomplish his purposes to defend and save his people. The sense is, that he solemnly pledged the strength of his arm to deliver them, and restore them to their own land.

Surely I will no more give - Margin, as in Hebrew, 'If I give.' That is, I will not give.

Thy corn to be meat - The word 'corn' in the Scriptures means all kinds of grain - especially wheat, barley, etc. The word 'meat' was formerly used to denote all kinds of food, and was not restricted as it is now usually to animal food. The meaning is, that they should not be subjected to the evils of foreign invasion and conquest.

And the sons of the stranger - Foreigners, Isaiah 60:10.

Shall not drink thy wine - The productions of your toil shall be safe, and you shall enjoy them yourselves. All this denotes a state of safety and prosperity, such as there would be if they were allowed to cultivate the soil without interruption, and were permitted to enjoy the fruit of their labors.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

8. sworn by … right hand—His mighty instrument of accomplishing His will (compare Isa 45:23; Heb 6:13).

sons of … stranger—Foreigners shall no more rob thee of the fruit of thy labors (compare Isa 65:21, 22).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

This and the next verse are much to the same purpose, wherein the prophet, to encourage them to their industrious endeavours, tells them that the Lord had

sworn to see to the prosperity of Jerusalem; and he names the

hand, to signify his faithfulness, as the giving of our hand notes our fidelity; and arm, to signify his power,

the arm of his strength, i.e. his strong arm: these being eminently to be engaged and put forth for his people, he swears by them.

Surely I will no more give; or, If I give; a usual aposiopesis; an abrupt form of swearing, implying something of an imprecation, as great as can be expressed: q.d. Never account me faithful or almighty, if I accomplish not this.

The sons of the stranger: see Isaiah 61:5.

Shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured: the meaning is, That meat, and drink, and all necessaries that thou hast laboured for, the Babylonians took away from thee; but now it shall be so no more, he will not give thee up to the will of thine enemies.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

The Lord hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength,.... By Christ, say some, who is the arm of the Lord, the power of God, by whom he made the world, and upholds all things; but though he sometimes is said to swear unto him, and concerning him, yet is never said to swear by him; rather the attribute of omnipotence is here designed; as God is sometimes said to swear by his holiness, so here by his almighty power; the consideration of which itself is a great encouragement to faith, to believe the fulfilment of promises, because God is able; but his swearing by it is a further confirmation of it; it is as if he had said, let me not be thought to be the omnipotent God I am, if I do not do so and so; or as sure as I have such a right hand, and arm of strength, what follows shall certainly be accomplished:

surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the strangers shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured: this was threatened to the people of Israel, in case of sinning against God, and revolting from him; and was accomplished in the times of their captivity in Babylon, Deuteronomy 28:33 but here it is promised, and the strongest assurance given, it should be so no more; which cannot respect the deliverance of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity; for it is certain that after that their enemies did eat their corn, and drink their wine; the Romans came and took away their city and nation, as they feared, and all their good things; wherefore this must refer to future times, to times yet to come, when this people, being converted, shall be restored to their own land, and enjoy great plenty of good things, and never more be disturbed by their enemies: though all this may be understood in a spiritual sense of the "corn" and "wine" of the Gospel, and the ministration of it; which was first provided for them, and they were invited to partake of it; and in preparing which the apostles and first ministers of the word, being Jews, "laboured"; but they rejecting it, it was carried to the Gentiles, who had been their "enemies", and were "aliens" from the commonwealth of Israel, which they gladly received and fed upon; but now it is promised, that the Gospel, being again brought unto them, should no more be taken from them, but ever continue with them; even all the means of grace, and ordinances of the Gospel, for the comfort and refreshment of their souls.

Geneva Study Bible

The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

8. The Lord hath sworn by his right hand &c.] i.e. so surely as He has the power to help. Cf. ch. Isaiah 45:23, Isaiah 54:9.

the sons of the stranger] R.V. strangers.

thy wine] Lit. “new wine,” must.

8, 9. Jehovah has sworn that the Israelites shall no longer be spoiled by their enemies, but shall be secured in the peaceful enjoyment of the fruits of the ground. The phrase “no longer” seems to imply that at the time of writing the community was exposed to the depredations of its hostile neighbours. This would be an additional indication of post-exilic authorship, which is confirmed by the mention of the Temple courts in the end of Isaiah 62:9.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 8. - The Lord hath sworn. In answer to the representations of the "remembrancers," God solemnly binds himself by an oath to come to the relief of the people, to restore them to their own land, and to give them the enjoyment of its fruits in peace. By his right hand. God commonly swears "by himself" (Genesis 22:16; Isaiah 45:23; Jeremiah 49:13; Jeremiah 51:14; Amos 6:5), or "by his holiness" (Psalm 89:35; Amos 4:2). Once he swears "by his great Name" (Jeremiah 44:26), and once "by the excellency of Jacob" (Amos 8:7). There is no other place in Scripture where he swears "by his right hand and arm" - emblems of his power to act. Thy corn... thy wine; i.e. the fruits of thy land. Hitherto, even when Israel was in possession of Palestine, its fruits were constantly destroyed, or carried off, by the raids of hostile neighbours. Henceforth this plundering should cease. Isaiah 62:8

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The following strophe expresses one side of the divine promise, on which the hope of that lofty and universally acknowledged glory of Jerusalem, for whose completion the watchers upon its walls so ceaselessly exert themselves, is founded. "Jehovah hath sworn by His right hand, and by His powerful arm, Surely I no more give thy corn for food to thine enemies; and foreigners will to drink thy must, for which thou hast laboured hard. No, they that gather it in shall eat it, and praise Jehovah; and they that store it, shall drink it in the courts of my sanctuary." The church will no more succumb to the tyranny of a worldly power. Peace undisturbed, and unrestricted freedom, reign there. With praise to Jehovah are the fruits of the land enjoyed by those who raised and reaped them. יגעתּ (with an auxiliary pathach, as in Isaiah 47:12, Isaiah 47:15) is applied to the cultivation of the soil, and includes the service of the heathen who are incorporated in Israel (Isaiah 61:5); whilst אסּף (whence מאספיו with ס raphatum) or אסף (poel, whence the reading מאספיו, cf., Psalm 101:5, meloshnı̄; Psalm 109:10, ve-dorshū, for which in some codd. and editions we find מאספיו, an intermediate form between piel and poel; see at Psalm 62:4) and קבּץ stand in the same relation to one another as condere (horreo) and colligere (cf., Isaiah 11:12). The expression bechatsrōth qodshı̄, in the courts of my sanctuary, cannot imply that the produce of the harvest will never be consumed anywhere else than there (which is inconceivable), but only that their enjoyment of the harvest-produce will be consecrated by festal meals of worship, with an allusion to the legal regulation that two-tenths (ma‛ăsēr shēnı̄) should be eaten in a holy place (liphnē Jehovah) by the original possessor and his family, with the addition of the Levites and the poor (Deuteronomy 14:22-27 : see Saalschtz, Mosaisches Recht, cap. 42). Such thoughts, as that all Israel will then be a priestly nation, or that all Jerusalem will be holy, are not implied in this promise. All that it affirms is, that the enjoyment of the harvest-blessing will continue henceforth undisturbed, and be accompanied with the grateful worship of the giver, and therefore, because sanctified by thanksgiving, will become an act of worship in itself. This is what Jehovah has sworn "by His right hand," which He only lifts up with truth, and "by His powerful arm," which carries out what it promises without the possibility of resistance. The Talmud (b. Nazir 3b) understand by עזו זרוע the left arm, after Daniel 12:7; but the ו of ובזרוע is epexegetical.