Isa 59:19 | KD | STEP | The prophet now proceeds to depict the ישׁוּעה, the symbol of which is the helmet upon Jehovah’s head. “And they will fear the name of Jehovah from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun: for He will come like a stream dammed up, which a tempest of Jehovah drives away. And a Redeemer comes for Zion, and for those who turn from apostasy in Jacob, saith Jehovah.” Instead of ויראוּ, Knobel would strike out the metheg, and read ויראוּ, “and they will see;” but “seeing the name of Jehovah” (the usual expression is “seeing His glory”) is a phrase that cannot be met with, though it is certainly a passable one; and the relation in which stands to does not recommend the alteration, since attributes that general fear of the name of Jehovah (cf., ) and of His glory (see the parallel overlooked by Knobel, ), which follows the manifestation of judgment on the part of Jehovah, to the manner in which this manifestation occurs. Moreover, the true Masoretic reading in this passage is not ויראו (as in Mic 7:17), but וייראו (see Norzi). The two מן in ממּערב (with the indispensable metheg before the chateph , and a second to ensure clearness of pronunciation) and וּממּזרח־שׁמשׁ (also with the so-called strong metheg ) indicate the terminus a quo . From all quarters of the globe will fear of the name and of the glory of Jehovah become naturalized among the nations of the world. For when God has withdrawn His name and His glory from the world’s history, as during the Babylonian captivity (and also at the present time), the return of both is all the more intense and extraordinary; and this is represented here in a figure which recals ; (cf., ). The accentuation, which gives pashta to כנּהר, does indeed appear to make צר the subject, either in the sense of oppressor or adversary, as in , or in that of oppression, as in ; ; Isa 30:20. The former is quite out of the question, since no such transition to a human instrument of the retributive judgment could well take place after the לצריו חמה in Isa 59:18. In support of the latter, it would be possible to quote and , since צר is the antithesis to shâlōm . But according to such parallels as , it is incomparably more natural to take Jehovah (His name, His glory) as the subject. Moreover, בּו, which must in any case refer to כנהר, is opposed to the idea that צר is the subject, to which בו would have the most natural claim to be referred - an explanation indeed which Stier and Hahn have really tried, taking נוססח as in , and rendering it “The Spirit of Jehovah holds up a banner against him, viz., the enemy.” If, however, Jehovah is the subject to יבא, צר כנּהר must be taken together (like מכסּים ... כּמּים, ; טובה רוּחך, ; Ges. §111, 2, b ), either in the sense of “a hemming stream,” one causing as it were a state of siege (from tsūr , ; ), or, better still, according to the adjective use of the noun צר (here with tzakeph , צר from צרר) in ; ; 2Ki 6:1, a closely confined stream, to whose waters the banks form a compressing dam, which it bursts through when agitated by a tempest, carrying everything away with it. Accordingly, the explanation we adopt is this: Jehovah will come like the stream, a stream hemmed in, which a wind of Jehovah, i.e., (like “the mountains of God,” “cedars of God,” “garden of Jehovah,” , cf., Num 24:6) a strong tempestuous wind, sweeps away (בּו נססה, nōsesa - b - bô , with the tone drawn back and dagesh forte conj. in the monosyllable, the pilel of nūs with Beth : to hunt into, to press upon and put to flight) - a figure which also indicates that the Spirit of Jehovah is the driving force in this His judicially gracious revelation of Himself. Then, when the name of Jehovah makes itself legible once more as with letters of fire, when His glory comes like a sea of fire within the horizon of the world’s history, all the world form west to east, from east to west, will begin to fear Him. But the true object of the love, which bursts forth through this revelation of wrath, is His church, which includes not only those who have retained their faith, but all who have been truly converted to Him. And He comes (וּבא) a continuation of יבא) for Zion a Redeemer, i.e., as a Redeemer (a closer definition of the predicate), and for those who turn away from apostasy (פשׁע שׁבי, compare , and for the genitive connection Mic 2:8, מלחמה שׁוּבי, those who have turned away form the war). The Vav here does not signify “and indeed,” as in , but “more especially.” He comes as a Redeemer for Zion, i.e., His church which has remained true, including those who turn again to Jehovah from their previous apostasy. In the apostle quotes this word of God, which is sealed with “Thus saith Jehovah,” as a proof of the final restoration of all Israel; for יהוה (according to the Apocalypse, ὁ ὤν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος) is to him the God who moves on through the Old Testament towards the goal of His incarnation, and through the New Testament towards that of His parousia in Christ, which will bring the world’s history to a close. But this final close does not take place without its having become apparent at the same time that God “has concluded all in unbelief that He may have compassion upon all” ( ).

‏ Isaiah 59:19

The prophet now proceeds to depict the ישׁוּעה, the symbol of which is the helmet upon Jehovah’s head. “And they will fear the name of Jehovah from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun: for He will come like a stream dammed up, which a tempest of Jehovah drives away. And a Redeemer comes for Zion, and for those who turn from apostasy in Jacob, saith Jehovah.” Instead of ויראוּ, Knobel would strike out the metheg, and read ויראוּ, “and they will see;” but “seeing the name of Jehovah” (the usual expression is “seeing His glory”) is a phrase that cannot be met with, though it is certainly a passable one; and the relation in which Isa 59:19 stands to Isa 59:19 does not recommend the alteration, since Isa 59:19 attributes that general fear of the name of Jehovah (cf., Deu 28:58) and of His glory (see the parallel overlooked by Knobel, Psa 102:16), which follows the manifestation of judgment on the part of Jehovah, to the manner in which this manifestation occurs. Moreover, the true Masoretic reading in this passage is not ויראו (as in Mic 7:17), but וייראו (see Norzi). The two מן in ממּערב (with the indispensable metheg before the chateph, and a second to ensure clearness of pronunciation) ^{▼▼See the law in Bär’s Metheg-Setzung, §29.} and וּממּזרח־שׁמשׁ (also with the so-called strong metheg) ^{▼▼See idem, §28.} indicate the terminus a quo. From all quarters of the globe will fear of the name and of the glory of Jehovah become naturalized among the nations of the world. For when God has withdrawn His name and His glory from the world’s history, as during the Babylonian captivity (and also at the present time), the return of both is all the more intense and extraordinary; and this is represented here in a figure which recals Isa 30:27-28; Isa 10:22-23 (cf., Eze 43:2). The accentuation, which gives pashta to כנּהר, does indeed appear to make צר the subject, either in the sense of oppressor or adversary, as in Lam 4:12, or in that of oppression, as in Isa 25:4; Isa 26:16; Isa 30:20. The former is quite out of the question, since no such transition to a human instrument of the retributive judgment could well take place after the לצריו חמה in Isa 59:18. In support of the latter, it would be possible to quote Isa 48:18 and Isa 66:12, since צר is the antithesis to shâlōm. But according to such parallels as Isa 30:27-28, it is incomparably more natural to take Jehovah (His name, His glory) as the subject. Moreover, בּו, which must in any case refer to כנהר, is opposed to the idea that צר is the subject, to which בו would have the most natural claim to be referred - an explanation indeed which Stier and Hahn have really tried, taking נוססח as in Psa 60:4, and rendering it “The Spirit of Jehovah holds up a banner against him, viz., the enemy.” If, however, Jehovah is the subject to יבא, צר כנּהר must be taken together (like מכסּים ... כּמּים, Isa 11:9; טובה רוּחך, Psa 143:10; Ges. §111, 2,b), either in the sense of “a hemming stream,” one causing as it were a state of siege (from tsūr, Isa 21:2; Isa 29:3), or, better still, according to the adjective use of the noun צר (here with tzakeph, צר from צרר) in Isa 28:20; Job 41:7; 2Ki 6:1, a closely confined stream, to whose waters the banks form a compressing dam, which it bursts through when agitated by a tempest, carrying everything away with it.

Accordingly, the explanation we adopt is this: Jehovah will come like the stream, a stream hemmed in, which a wind of Jehovah, i.e., (like “the mountains of God,” “cedars of God,” “garden of Jehovah,” Isa 51:3, cf., Num 24:6) a strong tempestuous wind, sweeps away (בּו נססה, nōsesa-b-bô, with the tone drawn back and dagesh forte conj. in the monosyllable, the pilel of nūs with Beth: to hunt into, to press upon and put to flight) - a figure which also indicates that the Spirit of Jehovah is the driving force in this His judicially gracious revelation of Himself. Then, when the name of Jehovah makes itself legible once more as with letters of fire, when His glory comes like a sea of fire within the horizon of the world’s history, all the world form west to east, from east to west, will begin to fear Him. But the true object of the love, which bursts forth through this revelation of wrath, is His church, which includes not only those who have retained their faith, but all who have been truly converted to Him. And He comes (וּבא) a continuation of יבא) for Zion a Redeemer, i.e., as a Redeemer (a closer definition of the predicate), and for those who turn away from apostasy (פשׁע שׁבי, compare Isa 1:27, and for the genitive connection Mic 2:8, מלחמה שׁוּבי, those who have turned away form the war). The Vav here does not signify “and indeed,” as in Isa 57:18, but “more especially.” He comes as a Redeemer for Zion, i.e., His church which has remained true, including those who turn again to Jehovah from their previous apostasy. In Rom 11:26 the apostle quotes this word of God, which is sealed with “Thus saith Jehovah,” as a proof of the final restoration of all Israel; for יהוה (according to the Apocalypse, ὁ ὤν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος) is to him the God who moves on through the Old Testament towards the goal of His incarnation, and through the New Testament towards that of His parousia in Christ, which will bring the world’s history to a close. But this final close does not take place without its having become apparent at the same time that God “has concluded all in unbelief that He may have compassion upon all” (Rom 11:32).