L6 s¹ 1,2. The Land.
t¹ 3-6-. The People.
s² -6-8-. The Land.
t² -8. The People.
s³ 9-. The Land.
t³ -9,10. The People.
649-588 B.C.
Isaiah 35)
1 The wilderness and the solitary place (i.e. the land of Edom referred to in 34:9-16. While Edom becomes a waste, the Land becomes a paradise; and the way of the return to that place a peaceful highway) shall shall rejoice over them (as in the first occ. See Deut.28:63; 30:9, and Jer.32:41. "Them" i.e. the noise-some creatures of 34:14-16, which were the evidences of the vengeance of 34:8 and the glorious results as seen in 35:4. The former portrays one aspect of it, and the latter the other. The wilderness is glad for the removal of the Edomites, of which removal the presence of the wild creatures [34:13-17] was the token); but (giving the contrast) the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. (the description in this chapter leaves little to be interpreted. It requires only to be believed. No amount of spiritual blessing through the preaching of the Gospel can produce these physical miracles)
2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon (see 33:9), they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.
3 Strengthen you all the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. (quoted in Heb.12:11,12)
4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart (or mind), ”Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; He will come and save you.”
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. (When Messiah came, these miracles [not miracles qua miracles] were the evidence that He had indeed come to save His People [Matt.11:1-6], but they rejected Him. Hence, this with other similar prophecies are in abeyance. John had based his own claims on 40:3, while the Lord based His claims on 35:5,6)
6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing:
for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
7 And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
8 And a highway shall be there (see 7:3), and a way, and it shall be called the set apart (holy) road;
the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those (i.e. yet for those very persons it will exist): the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not go astray.
9 No lion shall be there (see Lev.26:6), nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there;
but the redeemed shall walk there:
10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads (fig., put for the whole person): they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (see 21:2. Chapter 40 takes up this theme, after the historical episode of chapters 36-39, which is necessary for the understanding of the references to the Assyrian invasion)