Bible Commentary

Isaiah 18:4

Isaiah 18:4

John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible · John Gill (1697–1771) · Public Domain

For so the Lord said unto me,.... The prophet Isaiah, both what goes before, and follows after:I will take my rest; these are not the words of the prophet, as some think, like those of Habakkuk, but of the Lord himself, signifying that he would, as he always did, enjoy himself, amidst all the commotions that were in the world; or that he would take up his rest among his people in Zion, of which he had said, this is my rest for ever, or rather that he would be still and quiet, and as one asleep and at rest, that took no notice of what was doing, nor interpose between parties preparing for war, and laying schemes for the ruin of each other; not help the one nor hinder the other, but let them go on a while with their designs:and I will consider in my dwelling place: in heaven, what is to be done; for though the Lord may seem sometimes to take no notice of what is done on earth, yet he sees and knows all things, and considers in his own mind what is fit and proper that he should do, who works all things after the counsel of his own will: or, "I will look upon my dwelling place" ; Jerusalem, Mount Zion, the temple, the sanctuary, where his Shechinah dwelt; here he promises to look in a way of grace and favour, with delight and pleasure, to comfort and refresh his own people; so the Targum paraphrases this and the preceding clause,"I will make my people to rest, I will make them to rest, and I will delight in my holy habitation to do them good:''like a clear heat upon herbs; or "after rain", as Aben Ezra and Kimchi, see 2Sa 23:4 when then the sun shines forth brightly after a shower of rain, which revives the plants and herbs, and makes them grow:[and] like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest; which is very desirable and welcome, which cools the air, refreshes the earth, plumps the corn, and is very grateful to the harvestman; and both metaphors may signify how grateful is the appearance of God to and for his people, his presence with them, the light of his countenance on them, and his protection of them; see and so the Targum,"blessings and consolations will I bring to them quickly, as heat burning by means of the sun, and as a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest:''though the whole may be understood in a very different sense, as it is by some, thus; that though the Lord for a while may seem to take no notice of what is doing below, yet he in heaven beholds what is done, and looks in a way of wrath and anger upon his enemies, as the sun looks with its scorching heat upon the herbs, and dries them up; and as a cloud which brings a large dew or rain with it, which is very hurtful in harvest time; and this sense seems most agreeable to the context.

The Daily Devotional

One devotional. Every morning.

The full reading, the passage behind it, and where to go deeper — in your inbox before the day starts. No ads, ever.

We'll send one email to confirm it's really you. Unsubscribe in one tap, any time.

Continue tomorrow

Turn Bible study into a daily habit

Read today's devotional, save your progress, and receive a gentle daily reminder.

Recommended reading

More for Isaiah 18:4

Continue with other commentaries and DiscipleDeck content connected to this verse, chapter, or topic.

Other commentaries

Isaiah 18 — OverviewIsaiah 18 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleWhatever country it is that is meant here by "the land shadowing with wings," here is a woe denounced against it, for God has, upon his people's account, a quarrel with it. I. They threaten God's people, ver.…Isaiah 18 — OverviewIsaiah 18 · Treasury of Scripture KnowledgeIsaiah 18:1, God, in care of his people, will destroy the Ethiopians; Isaiah 18:7, An accession thereby shall be made to the church.Isaiah 18 — OverviewIsaiah 18 · John Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThis chapter is a prophecy of the desolation of a land or country, described by the wings with which it was shaded, and by the rivers by which it was situated, Isa 18:1 by its messengers and message to another nation,…Isaiah 18:1-7Isaiah 18:1-7 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleInterpreters are very much at a loss where to find this land that lies beyond the rivers of Cush. Some take it to be Egypt, a maritime country, and full of rivers, and which courted Israel to depend upon them,…Isaiah 18:1-4Isaiah 18:1-4 · The Pulpit CommentaryThe contrast of Divine calm with human bustle, hurry, and excitement. When men take a matter in hand wherein they feel an interest, and set themselves either to carry out a certain design of their own, or to frustrate…Isaiah 18:1-6Isaiah 18:1-6 · The Pulpit CommentaryThe patience of power. The most striking and distinctive truth this chapter contains is that of the patience of Divine power, which permits evil to rise and to mature, and which, at the right moment, effectually…