Isaiah · WEB-C
Isaiah
56
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The LORD says: “Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is near and my righteousness will soon be revealed. See also: Romans 13:11-14Psalms 85:9Isaiah 1:16-19Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast; who keeps the Sabbath without profaning it and keeps his hand from doing any evil.” See also: Exodus 31:13-16Isaiah 58:13Ezekiel 20:12Let no foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD speak, saying, “The LORD will surely separate me from his people.” Do not let the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.” See also: 1 Corinthians 6:17Acts 10:34Matthew 19:12-30For the LORD says, “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, choose the things that please me, and hold fast to my covenant, See also: Isaiah 27:5Joshua 24:15Luke 10:42I will give them in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name better than of sons and of daughters. I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off. See also: Revelation 3:12Revelation 3:51 John 3:1Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD to serve him, and to love the LORD’s name, to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath from profaning it, and holds fast my covenant, See also: Jeremiah 50:5Isaiah 58:13Isaiah 56:2-4I will bring these to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” See also: Mark 11:17Isaiah 2:2-3Malachi 1:11The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, “I will yet gather others to him, in addition to his own who are gathered.” See also: John 10:16Isaiah 60:3-11Isaiah 54:7All you animals of the field, come to devour, all you animals in the forest. See also: Jeremiah 12:9Isaiah 18:6Ezekiel 39:17His watchmen are blind. They are all without knowledge. They are all mute dogs. They can’t bark— dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber. See also: Isaiah 29:10Ezekiel 33:6Isaiah 58:1Yes, the dogs are greedy. They can never have enough. They are shepherds who can’t understand. They have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter. See also: Ezekiel 34:2-3Ezekiel 13:19John 8:43“Come,” they say, “I will get wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be as today, great beyond measure.” See also: Psalms 10:6Proverbs 27:1Luke 12:19-20
See also: Cross references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), derived in part from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
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Notes · Haydock (1859, public domain)8 notes
Notes in English 19th-century Catholic commentary by Fr. George Leo Haydock, shown as published.
These notes keep the polemics of their time: some speak harshly of the Jewish people or of other Christians. The Church teaches otherwise today. The Jewish people may not be blamed for the death of Christ (Nostra Aetate 4; Catechism 597–598), and Christians of other communities are our brothers and sisters in the Lord (Unitatis Redintegratio 3). Christian unity
Isaiah 56:1
Ver. 1. Judgment, the right resolution to do God's will, which justice executes.
C. xxxii. W. ---
My justice. Sept. "mercy." Christ is at hand. Prepare for your deliverance, by keeping the commandments.
↑ 1Isaiah 56:2
Ver. 2. Sabbath. All the Jewish festivals, (C.) as well as those of the Christian Church, (H.) and the whole law. W.
↑ 2Isaiah 56:3
Ver. 3. People. The Jews would not admit all nations to their communion. Deut.
xxxiii. 1. A little before Christ's coming, they began to make more proselytes; (Mat. xxiii. 15.) and the sacred books being translated, came to the knowledge of the Gentiles, who were thus induced by degrees to embrace the true faith.
The road to heaven was always open for those who kept the commandments, (v. 6. C.) though they might not receive circumcision. H. --- Christ has removed the wall of separation, (Eph. ii. 14. C.) and established one fold for all. Jo. x. H.
↑ 3Isaiah 56:4
Ver. 4. Eunuchs. It was ignominious to have no children among the Jews, as the propagation of the true religion depended much on their numbers. But now, since the Church is gathered from all nations, virginity is preferable to marriage, and those who keep the sabbath, or all the commandments, and choose this state freely, will receive greater glory than the other sons and daughters of God. Against this plain meaning, P. Martyr (de Cœlib.) asserts that God prefers eunuchs only because before those who transgress the law.
But he gives them a place better than his other sons, &c.! Prot. (Bib. 1603) understand that eunuchs shall be called after (or according to) God's people, and be of the same religion, which implies no preference at all. They add, therefore, yea, under Christ the dignity of the faithful shall be greater than the Jews were at that time; as if the comparison were between God's servants before and after Christ, and not between eunuchs and such as have children.
How much better is it for us to follow the holy Fathers, who hence commend those who make a vow of perpetual chastity? They shall possess an excellent dignity among the angels. S. Bas. virg. --- The rewards of continency are great, eximia. S. Cyr.
Alex. hic. --- "In the eternal mansion they are preferred before children." S.
Greg. past. iii. 29.
&c. W. --- Such spiritual eunuchs, as S. John the evangelist, are meant. "He hath chosen what the Lord would, that he should offer more than was commanded...He who is an eunuch, and performs all that is prescribed, shall have...the best place, so that he shall be a tower, and occupy the rank of a priest, and instead of children of the flesh, shall have many spiritual children."
S.
Jer. H. --- The law excluded eunuchs from the Church. Deut. xxiii. 1. But under the gospel, they may enter heaven. Mat. xix. and 1 Cor. vii. 32. &c. Daniel (i. 3.) and his companions were eunuchs, yet in high estimation; and virtuous eunuchs are commended. Wisd. iii. 13. C. ---
Choose. Observing the commandments and counsels, like religious men. M. ---
Those who choose to do more than is commanded, will have a greater reward.
W.
↑ 4Isaiah 56:7
Ver. 7. Prayer. So the temple is justly styled. H. --- This shall be open to all nations. After the captivity, the Jews condescended to let the Gentiles have a court, and they even suffered some princes to go into the court of the priests.
2 Mac. iii. 33. Physcon wished to penetrate into the inner sanctuary, (3 Mac.
Eccli. l.) which could not be granted.
↑ 7Isaiah 56:9
Ver. 9. Beasts. Here a fresh discourse begins to C. lxi. The Chaldees and Romans are invited to punish God's people for their sins, committed before the captivity. Zac. xiv. 2. C. --- The prophet foresees the negligence of some pastors, and denounces their rigorous chastisement. W.
↑ 9Isaiah 56:10
Ver. 10. Watchmen. Priests and prophets. C. --- We know (H.) only Jeremias who continued firm. Lam. ii. 14. In the days of Christ, the corruption was not diminished. C.
↑ 10Isaiah 56:11
Ver. 11. Last. The scribes devour the houses of widows, making long prayers.
Mat. xxiii. 14.
They are blind. Mat. xv. 14. H.
↑ 11License: Notes by Fr. George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), from the Douay-Rheims Bible with Haydock's commentary (first ed. Thomas Haydock, Manchester/Dublin, 1811–1814; New York: Edward Dunigan & Brother, 1859); New Testament notes compiled with Fr. Benedict Rayment. Public domain. Digital text: "The Haydock Bible", Internet Archive (archive.org/details/TheHaydockBible), uploaded 2011 under the Public Domain Mark. · Credits and licenses