
Text -- Isaiah 66:7 (NET)




Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics



collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)
Wesley -> Isa 66:7
Wesley: Isa 66:7 - -- The whole verse is expressive of a great and sudden salvation, which God would work for his church, like the delivery of a woman, and that of a man - ...
The whole verse is expressive of a great and sudden salvation, which God would work for his church, like the delivery of a woman, and that of a man - child, before her travail, and without pain. Doubtless it refers to the coming of Christ, and the sudden propagation of the gospel.
Zion.

JFB: Isa 66:7 - -- The accession of numbers, and of prosperity to her, shall be sudden beyond all expectation and unattended with painful effort (Isa 54:1, Isa 54:4-5). ...
The accession of numbers, and of prosperity to her, shall be sudden beyond all expectation and unattended with painful effort (Isa 54:1, Isa 54:4-5). Contrast with this case of the future Jewish Church the travail-pains of the Christian Church in bringing forth "a man child" (Rev 12:2, Rev 12:5). A man child's birth is in the East a matter of special joy, while that of a female is not so; therefore, it here means the manly sons of the restored Jewish Church, the singular being used collectively for the plural: or the many sons being regarded as one under Messiah, who shall then be manifested as their one representative Head.
Calvin -> Isa 66:7
Calvin: Isa 66:7 - -- 7.Before she travailed, she brought forth Having formerly comforted believers, that they might not be discouraged by the insolence and contempt of br...
7.Before she travailed, she brought forth Having formerly comforted believers, that they might not be discouraged by the insolence and contempt of brethren, whom he would at length punish, and having thus commanded them to wait for the coming of the Lord with a steady and resolute heart, the Lord at the same time adds, that he will punish them in such a manner that, by their destruction, he will provide for the safety of believers. Nor does he speak of one or two men, but of the whole Church, which he compares to a woman. The same metaphor has already been sometimes employed by him; for God chiefly aims at gathering us into one body, that we may have in it a testimony of our adoption, and may acknowledge him to be a father, and may be nourished in the womb of the Church as our mother. This metaphor of a mother is therefore highly appropriate. It means that the Church shall be restored in such a manner that she shall obtain a large and numerous offspring, though she appear for a time to be childless and barren.
Before her pain came upon her He repeats the same statement which he has already employed on other occasions; but he expresses something more, namely, that this work of God shall be sudden and unexpected; for he guards believers against carnal views, that they may not judge of the restoration of the Church according to their own opinion. Women carry a child in the womb for nine months, and at length give birth to it with great pain. But the Lord has a very different manner of bringing forth children; for he says that he will cause the child to see the light, before it be possible to perceive or discern it by any feeling of pain. On this account he likewise claims the whole praise for himself, because a miracle sets aside the industry of men.
She brought forth a male He expressly mentions “a male,” in order to describe the manly and courageous heart of these children; for he means that they shall be a noble offspring, and not soft or effeminate. In like manner we know that believers are regenerated by the Spirit of Christ, that they may finish, with unshaken fortitude, the course of their warfare; and in this sense Paul says that they “have not the spirit of timidity.” (Rom 8:15.)
TSK -> Isa 66:7

collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)
Barnes -> Isa 66:7
Barnes: Isa 66:7 - -- Before she travailed, she brought forth - That is, Zion. The idea here is, that there would be a great and sudden increase of her numbers. Zion...
Before she travailed, she brought forth - That is, Zion. The idea here is, that there would be a great and sudden increase of her numbers. Zion is here represented, as it often is, as a female (see Isa 1:8), and as the mother of spiritual children (compare Isa 54:1; Isa 49:20-21). The particular idea here is, that the increase would be sudden - as if a child were born without the usual delay and pain of parturition. If the interpretation given of Isa 66:6 be correct, then this refers probably to the sudden increase of the church when the Messiah came, and to the great revivals of religion which attended the first preaching of the gospel. Three thousand were converted on a single day Acts 2, and the gospel was speedily propagated almost all over the known world. Vitringa supposes that it refers to the sudden conversion of the Gentiles, and their accession to the church.
She was delivered of a man child - Jerome understands this of the Messiah. who was descended from the Jewish church. Grotius supposes that the whole verse refers to Judas Maccabeus, and to the liberation of Judea under him before anyone could have hoped for it! Calvin (Commentary in loc .) supposes that the word male here, or manchild, denotes the manly or generous nature of those who should be converted to the church; that they would be vigorous and active, not effeminate and delicate (generosam prolem, non mollem aut effeminatam). Vitringa refers it to the character and rank of those who should be converted, and applies it particularly to Constantine, and to the illustrious philosophers, orators, and senators, who were early brought under the influence of the gospel. The Hebrew word probably denotes a male, or a man-child, and it seems to me that it is applied here to denote the character of the early converts to the Christian faith. They would not be feeble and effeminate; but vigorous, active, energetic. It may, perhaps, also be suggested, that, among the Orientals, the birth of a son was deemed of much more importance, and was regarded as much more a subject of congratulation than the birth of a female. If an allusion be had to that fact, then the idea is, that the increase of the church would be such as would be altogether a subject of exultation and joy.
Poole -> Isa 66:7
Poole: Isa 66:7 - -- The whole verse is expressive of a great and sudden salvation, which God would work for his church, like the delivery of a woman, and that of a
man...
The whole verse is expressive of a great and sudden salvation, which God would work for his church, like the delivery of a woman, and that of a
man child before her travail, and without pain . The only doubt is, whether it referreth to the deliverance of the people out of Babylon, or the world’ s surprisal with the Messiah, and the sudden and strange propagation of the gospel, and it is a question not easily determined. The delivery of the Jews out of Babylon, indeed, was without strugglings or any pain; not like their deliverance from Egypt, after the wasting of their enemies by ten successive plagues, but by the kind proclamation of Cyrus. But it seems not to have been sudden, only as to the day, and hour, and manner; for Daniel understood by books that the time was come, Dan 9:2 , and the people had a prospect of it seventy years before, Jer 25:12 29:10 . The prophecy therefore seems rather to refer to the coming of Christ, and the sudden propagation of the gospel. The popish interpreters applying it to the Virgin Mary bringing forth Christ, is like other of their fond dreams.
Haydock -> Isa 66:7
Haydock: Isa 66:7 - -- Before, &c. This relates to the conversion of the Gentiles, who were born as it were all on a sudden to the Church of God. (Challoner) ---
Sion fu...
Before, &c. This relates to the conversion of the Gentiles, who were born as it were all on a sudden to the Church of God. (Challoner) ---
Sion furnished the first preachers of the Gospel. (Haydock)
Gill -> Isa 66:7
Gill: Isa 66:7 - -- Before she travailed, she brought forth,.... That is, Zion, as appears from the following verse: lest it should be thought that the interest of Christ...
Before she travailed, she brought forth,.... That is, Zion, as appears from the following verse: lest it should be thought that the interest of Christ would be swallowed up and lost in the destruction of the Jews, this, and what follows, are said concerning the conversion of many of that people, both in the first times of the Gospel, and in the latter day, as well as concerning the calling of the Gentiles, and the uniting of both in one church state. Zion, or the church of God, is here compared to a pregnant woman, that brings forth suddenly and easily, without feeling any pain, or going through any travail, or having any birth throes; at least, feeling very little pain and travail, and having very few pangs, and those, as soon as they come, are gone, and an immediate delivery ensues:
before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child; like a woman before she is scarcely sensible of any pain; as soon as ever she perceives the least uneasiness of this kind, is delivered of a son, to her great joy, and the joy of all about her. This is to be understood, not of the sudden and easy deliverance of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, by the proclamation of Cyrus, which occasioned great joy; much less of the birth of Christ, of the Virgin Mary at the inn, and in the stable, which is the sense of some Popish interpreters; much better do some Jewish writers interpret it of the birth and appearance of Christ, before the troubles of their nation came on; so the Targum,
"before distress comes to her, she shall be redeemed; and before trembling comes upon her, her King shall be revealed;''
that is, the King Messiah; and so some copies have it, according to Galatinus r; who also makes mention of another exposition of this passage, by R. Moses Haddarsan, if it may be depended on,
"before he should be born that should bring Israel into the last captivity, the Redeemer should be born;''
that is, as he explains it, before the birth of Titus, who destroyed the temple and city of Jerusalem, the Messiah should be born; but the passage refers not to his natural but mystical birth, or the regeneration of a spiritual seed in his church; or of the conversion of the first Christians both in Judea and in the Gentile world; who were like a man child, strong and robust, able to bear and did endure great hardships for the sake of Christ, and do him much work and service, in which they persevered to the end; see Gal 4:26, as the first Christians did through various persecutions, until the times of Constantine, by whom they were delivered from them, and who is prophesied of as the church's man child, as in Rev 12:2.

expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

expand allCommentary -- Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis -> Isa 66:1-24
TSK Synopsis: Isa 66:1-24 - --1 The glorious God will be served in humble sincerity.5 He comforts the humble by shewing the confusion of their enemies;7 with the marvellous growth,...
MHCC -> Isa 66:5-14
MHCC: Isa 66:5-14 - --The prophet turns to those that trembled at God's word, to comfort and encourage them. The Lord will appear, to the joy of the humble believer, and to...
Matthew Henry -> Isa 66:5-14
Matthew Henry: Isa 66:5-14 - -- The prophet, having denounced God's judgments against a hypocritical nation, that made a jest of God's word and would not answer him when he called ...
Keil-Delitzsch -> Isa 66:7-9
Keil-Delitzsch: Isa 66:7-9 - --
All of these fall victims to the judgment; and yet Zion is not left either childless or without population. "Before she travailed she brought forth...
Constable: Isa 56:1--66:24 - --V. Israel's future transformation chs. 56--66
The last major section of Isaiah deals with the necessity of livin...

Constable: Isa 63:1--66:24 - --C. Recognition of divine ability chs. 63-66
The third and final subdivision of this last part of the boo...

Constable: Isa 65:17--Jer 1:1 - --2. The culmination of Israel's future 65:17-66:24
As the book opened with an emphasis on judgmen...
