611 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted ; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted e , To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners ; 2 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord And the day of vengeance of our God ; To comfort all who mourn , 3 To grant those who mourn in Zion , Giving them a garland instead of ashes , The oil of gladness instead of mourning , The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting . So they will be called oaks of righteousness , The planting of the Lord , that He may be glorified .
4 Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins , They will raise up the former devastations ; And they will repair the ruined cities , The desolations of many generations . 5 Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks , And foreigners e will be your farmers and your vinedressers . 6 But you will be called the priests of the Lord ; You will be spoken of as ministers of our God . You will eat the wealth of nations , And in their riches you will boast . 7 Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion . Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land , Everlasting joy will be theirs . 8 For I, the Lord , love justice , I hate robbery in the burnt offering ; And I will faithfully give them their recompense And make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Then their offspring will be known among the nations , And their descendants in the midst of the peoples . All who see them will recognize them Because they are the offspring whom the Lord has blessed .
10 I will rejoice greatly in the Lord , My soul will exult in my God ; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation , He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness , As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland , And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels . 11 For as the earth brings forth its sprouts , And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise To spring up before all the nations .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Isaiah 61:1-12
Commentary on Isaiah 61:1-3
(Read Isaiah 61:1-3)
The prophets had the Holy Spirit of God at times, teaching them what to say, and causing them to say it; but Christ had the Spirit always, without measure, to qualify him, as man, for the work to which he was appointed. The poor are commonly best disposed to receive the gospel, James 2:5; and it is only likely to profit us when received with meekness. To such as are poor in spirit, Christ preached good tidings when he said, Blessed are the meek. Christ's satisfaction is accepted. By the dominion of sin in us, we are bound under the power of Satan; but the Son is ready, by his Spirit, to make us free; and then we shall be free indeed. Sin and Satan were to be destroyed; and Christ triumphed over them on his cross. But the children of men, who stand out against these offers, shall be dealt with as enemies. Christ was to be a Comforter, and so he is; he is sent to comfort all who mourn, and who seek to him, and not to the world, for comfort. He will do all this for his people, that they may abound in the fruits of righteousness, as the branches of God's planting. Neither the mercy of God, the atonement of Christ, nor the gospel of grace, profit the self-sufficient and proud. They must be humbled, and led to know their own character and wants, by the Holy Spirit, that they may see and feel their need of the sinner's Friend and Saviour. His doctrine contains glad tidings indeed to those who are humbled before God.
Commentary on Isaiah 61:4-9
(Read Isaiah 61:4-9)
Promises are here made to the Jews returned out of captivity, which extend to all those who, through grace, are delivered out of spiritual thraldom. An unholy soul is like a city that is broken down, and has no walls, like a house in ruins; but by the power of Christ's gospel and grace, it is fitted to be a habitation of God, through the Spirit. When, by the grace of God, we attain to holy indifference as to the affairs of this world; when, though our hands are employed about them, our hearts are not entangled with them, but preserved entire for God and his service, then the sons of the alien are our ploughmen and vine-dressers. Those whom He sets at liberty, he sets to work. His service is perfect freedom; it is the greatest honour. All believers are made, to our God, kings and priests; and always ought to conduct themselves as such. Those who have the Lord for their portion, have reason to say, that they have worthy portion, and to rejoice in it. In the fulness of heaven's joys we shall receive more than double for all our services and sufferings. God desires truth, and therefore hates all injustice. Nor will it justify any man's robbery to say, it was for burnt-offerings; and that robbery is most hateful which is under this pretence. Let the children of godly parents be such, that all may see the fruits of a good education; an answer to the prayers for them, in the fruit of God's blessing.
Commentary on Isaiah 61:10-11
(Read Isaiah 61:10-11)
Those only shall be clothed with the garments of salvation hereafter, that are covered with the robe of Christ's righteousness now, and by the sanctification of the Spirit have God's image renewed upon them. These blessings shall spring forth for ages to come, as the fruits of the earth. So duly, so constantly, and with such advantage to mankind, will the Lord God cause righteousness and praise to spring forth. They shall spread far; the great salvation shall be published and proclaimed, to the ends of the earth. Let us be earnest in prayer, that the Lord God may cause that righteousness to spring forth among us, which constitutes the excellence and glory of the Christian profession.