3 An imagination supported Thou fortifiest peace—peace! For in Thee it is confident. 4 Trust ye in Jehovah for ever, For in Jah Jehovah 'is' a rock of ages,
5 For He bowed down the dwellers on high, A city set on high He maketh low, He maketh it low unto the earth, He causeth it to come unto the dust, 6 Tread it down doth a foot, Feet of the poor—steps of the weak. 7 The path for the righteous 'is' uprightness, O upright One, The path of the righteous Thou dost ponder. 8 Also, 'in' the path of Thy judgments, O Jehovah, we have waited 'for' Thee, To Thy name and to Thy remembrance 'Is' the desire of the soul. 9 'With' my soul I desired Thee in the night, Also, 'with' my spirit within me I seek Thee earnestly, For when Thy judgments 'are' on the earth, The inhabitants of the world have learned righteousness. 10 The wicked findeth favour, He hath not learned righteousness, In a land of straightforwardness he dealeth perversely, And seeth not the excellency of Jehovah. 11 O Jehovah, high 'is' Thy hand—they see not, They see the zeal of the people, and are ashamed, Also, the fire—Thine adversaries, consumeth them.
12 O Jehovah, Thou appointest peace to us, For, all our works also Thou hast wrought for us.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Isaiah 26:3-12
Commentary on Isaiah 26:1-4
(Read Isaiah 26:1-4)
"That day," seems to mean when the New Testament Babylon shall be levelled with the ground. The unchangeable promise and covenant of the Lord are the walls of the church of God. The gates of this city shall be open. Let sinners then be encouraged to join to the Lord. Thou wilt keep him in peace; in perfect peace, inward peace, outward peace, peace with God, peace of conscience, peace at all times, in all events. Trust in the Lord for that peace, that portion, which will be for ever. Whatever we trust to the world for, it will last only for a moment; but those who trust in God shall not only find in him, but shall receive from him, strength that will carry them to that blessedness which is for ever. Let us then acknowledge him in all our ways, and rely on him in all trials.
Commentary on Isaiah 26:5-11
(Read Isaiah 26:5-11)
The way of the just is evenness, a steady course of obedience and holy conversation. And it is their happiness that God makes their way plain and easy. It is our duty, and will be our comfort, to wait for God, to keep up holy desires toward him in the darkest and most discouraging times. Our troubles must never turn us from God; and in the darkest, longest night of affliction, with our souls must we desire him; and this we must wait and pray to him for. We make nothing of our religion, whatever our profession may be, if we do not make heart-work of it. Though we come ever so early, we shall find God ready to receive us. The intention of afflictions is to teach righteousness: blessed is the man whom the Lord thus teaches. But sinners walk contrary to him. They will go on in their evil ways, because they will not consider what a God he is whose laws they persist in despising. Scorners and the secure will shortly feel, what now they will not believe, that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. They will not see the evil of sin; but they shall see. Oh that they would abandon their sins, and turn to the Lord, that he may have mercy upon them.
Commentary on Isaiah 26:12-19
(Read Isaiah 26:12-19)
Every creature, every business, any way serviceable to our comfort, God makes to be so; he makes that work for us which seemed to make against us. They had been slaves of sin and Satan; but by the Divine grace they were taught to look to be set free from all former masters. The cause opposed to God and his kingdom will sink at last. See our need of afflictions. Before, prayer came drop by drop; now they pour it out, it comes now like water from a fountain. Afflictions bring us to secret prayer. Consider Christ as the Speaker addressing his church. His resurrection from the dead was an earnest of all the deliverance foretold. The power of his grace, like the dew or rain, which causes the herbs that seem dead to revive, would raise his church from the lowest state. But we may refer to the resurrection of the dead, especially of those united to Christ.