Isaiah 61:10

"Attention to this peculiarity in sacred poetry will frequently lead to the meaning of many passages in the poetical parts of Scripture, in which it perpetually occurs, as the one line of a couplet, or member of a sentence, is generally a commentary on the other. Thus: -

The Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah,

And a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.

Isaiah 61:10I will greatly rejoice in the Lord - These may be the words of the Jews now converted, and brought into the Church of Christ, and with the Gentiles made fellow heirs of the blessings of the new covenant.

As a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments "As the bridegroom decketh himself with a priestly crown" - An allusion to the magnificent dress of the high priest, when performing his functions; and particularly to the mitre, and crown or plate of gold on the front of it, Exodus 29:6. The bonnet or mitre of the priests also was made, as Moses expresses it, "for glory and for beauty, "Exo 28:40. It is difficult to give its full force to the prophet's metaphor in another language. The version of Aquila and Symmachus comes nearest to it: ὡς νυμφιον ἱερατευομενον στεφανῳ· "as a bridegroom decked with a priestly crown." - L.

Compare Revelation 19:8, and Paul's beautiful description in Ephesians 6:13-17. In like manner, vice and wickedness are sometimes represented as so closely adhering to a man as to be a part of his very clothing; Psalm 109:18-19 :

He clothed himself with cursing, like as with a garment.

Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him,

And for a girdle, wherewith he is girded continually.

The Chaldee renders this, 'And the just shall be round about him on every side - סחור סחור sehôr sehôr - and the servants of truth shall come near to him.' The idea is, that he shall be distinguished for justice and truth, and that a zeal for these shall make him strong and active in executing the purposes of his reign. This closes the description of the "personal" qualities of the Messiah. The account of the effects of his reign follows in the subsequent verses.

Isaiah 61:10I wilt greatly rejoice in the Lord - This is the language of the prophet in the name of the church; or, as Vitringa supposes, the language of a chorus introduced here by the prophet. The Chaldee regards it as the language of Jerusalem, and renders it, 'Jerusalem said, I will surely rejoice in the Lord.' The sentiment is, that the prosperity and enlargement of Zion is an occasion of joy, and should lead to thanksgiving and praise. The phrase, 'I will rejoice in the Lord,' means that the joy would arise from the view of the faithfulness and perfections of Yahweh manifested in the redemption of his people. See similar expressions of joy in the song of Mary Luke 1:46-47.

For he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation - That is, Jerusalem or the church.

He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness - The word rendered 'robe' here means mantle, or a large and loose garment thrown over the other parts of the dress. Such garments are for protection and for ornament, and the image is that of the church defended and ornamented by God (see the notes at Isaiah 49:18).

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61:10 I will - This is spoken in the person of the church.Garments, &c. - With salvation as with a garment, and with righteousness as with a robe.