The Prophets · Old Testament
Isaiah 52
Isaiah 52: Zion told to awake, the messenger's feet, and the servant whose face is marred
General context
Zion is told to awake and put on her strength and beautiful garments, because the uncircumcised and unclean will no longer enter her. Jerusalem is to shake herself from the dust and loose the bands from her neck. The Lord says his people sold themselves for nothing and will be redeemed without money. He recalls that his people went down to Egypt to sojourn and that the Assyrian oppressed them without cause, and asks what he has here now that his people are taken away for nothing, their rulers making them howl and his name blasphemed every day. Therefore his people will know his name and know that he is the one speaking. A voice praises the feet of the one who brings good tidings on the mountains, publishes peace and salvation, and tells Zion that her God reigns. Her watchmen will sing together, seeing eye to eye when the Lord brings Zion back. The waste places of Jerusalem are told to break into joy, because the Lord has comforted his people and redeemed Jerusalem, and has bared his holy arm before all nations so that all the ends of the earth will see salvation. Those who bear the vessels of the Lord are told to depart, touch no unclean thing, and be clean; they will not leave in haste or by flight, because the Lord goes before them and the God of Israel is their rear guard. The chapter ends with the Lord's announcement that his servant will deal prudently and be exalted and very high; many were astonished at him because his face and form were marred beyond any man; and he will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths, seeing what they had not been told.
Cited passages: Isaiah 52:1, Isaiah 52:2, Isaiah 52:3, Isaiah 52:4, Isaiah 52:5, Isaiah 52:6, Isaiah 52:7, Isaiah 52:8, Isaiah 52:9, Isaiah 52:10, Isaiah 52:11, Isaiah 52:12, Isaiah 52:13, Isaiah 52:14, Isaiah 52:15
Isaiah 52 (KJV)
1Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
2Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
3For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.
4For thus saith the Lord God, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.
5Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.
6Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.
7How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
8Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.
9Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.
10The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
11Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.
12For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward.
13Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
14As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
15So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
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Historical context
Egypt and the Assyrian are named as past oppressors, the one a place of sojourning and the other an oppressor without cause; the present rulers who make the people howl are not named in this chapter, though the command to go out of the midst of her follows the earlier call to go forth from Babylon. The servant passage that begins at verse 13 names no one. The Lord says my servant and describes him as exalted, then as marred beyond any man, and the description continues without a break into the next chapter, where the speakers ask who has believed their report and describe him as despised and rejected. In chapter 49 the Lord called the servant Israel by name; here the text leaves him unnamed. The messenger on the mountains and the bearers of the vessels are also unnamed. Later New Testament writers quote this chapter: Romans 10 cites the beautiful feet of those who preach the gospel of peace as it is written, Romans 15 cites the line that those not told shall see, and 2 Corinthians uses the words come out from among them and touch not the unclean thing. The chapter gives no date and does not narrate an actual departure; the going out is commanded, not reported.
Cited passages: Isaiah 52:4, Isaiah 52:5, Isaiah 52:11, Isaiah 48:20, Isaiah 52:13, Isaiah 52:14, Isaiah 53:1, Isaiah 53:3, Isaiah 49:3, Romans 10:15, Isaiah 52:7, Romans 15:21, Isaiah 52:15, 2 Corinthians 6:17, Isaiah 52:12
Literary context
The chapter completes a pattern and reverses an earlier one. Awake, awake is spoken for the third time, now to Zion, after the arm of the Lord and Jerusalem. The dust Babylon was told to sit in is the dust Zion is told to shake off, and the captive daughter of Zion undoes the daughter of the Chaldeans. The phrase for nought is used twice, once for the selling and once for the taking away, and the redemption is priced to match: without money. The middle is a chain of voices widening outward: one messenger on the mountains, then watchmen singing together, then the waste places of Jerusalem, then all the ends of the earth seeing. The departure is set against haste; the command is doubled, depart ye, depart ye, but the leaving is unhurried because the Lord goes before and behind. The final three verses shift the address abruptly to my servant and move in one breath from very high to marred more than any man, ending with kings silenced by what they had not been told. The chapter thus ends by opening a passage rather than closing one.
Cited passages: Isaiah 52:1, Isaiah 51:9, Isaiah 51:17, Isaiah 47:1, Isaiah 52:2, Isaiah 52:3, Isaiah 52:5, Isaiah 52:7, Isaiah 52:8, Isaiah 52:9, Isaiah 52:10, Isaiah 52:11, Isaiah 52:12, Isaiah 52:13, Isaiah 52:14, Isaiah 52:15
Key moments
- Awake, Zion, put on strength (Isaiah 52:1). Zion is told to rise and dress in her beautiful garments as the holy city.
- Sold for nought, redeemed without money (Isaiah 52:3). The Lord says his people sold themselves for nothing and will be bought back for nothing.
- Beautiful feet on the mountains (Isaiah 52:7). A messenger brings good tidings and tells Zion that her God reigns.
- The holy arm made bare (Isaiah 52:10). The Lord acts in the sight of all nations so that the ends of the earth see salvation.
- Depart, but not in haste (Isaiah 52:11). The bearers of the Lord's vessels are told to leave clean, with the Lord before and behind them.
- My servant shall be very high (Isaiah 52:13). The Lord announces that his servant will deal prudently and be exalted.
- A face marred beyond any man (Isaiah 52:14). Many are astonished at the servant because his form is marred more than the sons of men.
For reflection
The people are told to depart but not with haste or by flight, because the Lord goes before them and behind them. What changes in a departure when the one leaving is not running from anything?
