For thy Maker [is] thine husband; the LORD of hosts [is] his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
5. thy Maker is thine husband ] Rather, thy husband is thy Maker: He who has entered into this closest and tenderest of relations is none other than He who made thee. “Husband” in the original is a partic.; lit. “he who marries thee”; and both nouns are in the plural after the analogy of words like dnm (= lord, the so-called plural of majesty).
thy redeemer ] See on Isa 41:14.
shall he be called ] Perhaps, is he called, parallel to “is his name.” The ground of comfort lies in the thought that He who acknowledges Zion as His wife is the God of the whole earth, the ruler of all the forces of the universe.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For thy Maker is thine husband – Both these words, maker and husband, in the Hebrew are in the plural number. But the form is evidently the pluralis excellentiae – a form denoting majesty and honor (see 1Sa 19:13, 1Sa 19:16; Psa 149:2; Pro 9:10; Pro 30:3; Ecc 12:1; Hos 12:1). Here it refers to Yahweh of hosts, necessarily in the singular, as Yahweh is one Deu 6:4. No argument can be drawn from this phrase to prove that there is a distinction of persons in the Godhead, as the form is so often used evidently with a singular signification. That the words here properly have a singular signification was the evident understanding of the ancient interpreters. Thus Jerome Quia dominabitur tui qui fecit te – Because he shall rule ever thee who made thee So the Septuagint, , … Hoti kurios ho poion se, etc. For the Lord who made thee, the Lord of Sabaoth, etc. So the Chaldee and the Syriac. Lowth renders it, For thy husband is thy Maker. The word rendered husband, from baal, denotes properly the lord, maker, or ruler of anyone; or the owner of anything. It often, however, means, to be a husband Deu 21:13; Deu 24:1; Isa 62:5; Mal 2:11, and is evidently used in that sense here. The idea is, that Yahweh would sustain to his people the relation of a husband; that he who had made them, who had originated all their laws and institutions, and moulded them as a people (see the note at Isa 43:1), would now take his church under his protection and care (see the notes at Isa 62:5).
And thy Redeemer – (See Notes on Isa 43:1-3.)
The God of the whole earth – He shall no more be regarded as uniquely the God of the Jewish people, but shall be acknowledged as the only true God, the God that rules over all the world. This refers undoubtedly to the times of the gospel, when he should be acknowledged as the God of the Gentiles as well as the Jews (see Rom 3:29).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Isa 54:5
For thy Maker is thine Husband
The Lord peoples husband
I.
CONSIDER SOME THINGS WHICH ARE IMPLIED IN THIS RELATION WHEREIN CHRIST STANDS TO HIS PEOPLE, THAT NATURALLY TEND TO ENCOURAGE THEIR FAITH AND JOY IN HIM.
1. This relation intimates that nearness and union which there is between Christ and His Church. Among men the marriage union is the nearest and most strict of any that can possibly be. And because there is no higher allusion whereby to express the union of believers to Christ, the Holy Ghost useth this to give us the more lively apprehension of this admirable privilege (Eph 5:30); 1Co 6:17).
2. In this relation is implied the greatest love and tenderest affection.
3. The utmost care of and concern for those who are espoused.
4. The utmost pity and sympathy.
5. The having all convenient supplies which are in the power of a tender husband to give.
6. The relation of a husband gives his spouse a right to have with him everything that is properly his.
II. SHOW THE GROUND OR REASON WHICH HIS PEOPLE HAVE TO DEPEND UPON HIS ANSWERING TO THEM ALL THAT IS THUS INCLUDED UNDER THIS RELATION OF A HUSBAND.
III. MAKE PROPER IMPROVEMENT OF THE WHOLE.
1. This affords us an admirable instance of the riches of Divine grace, and the wonderful condescension of the Son of God, that He should demean Himself in such a manner as not to be ashamed of being styled a husband to such sinful worms as the best of His people are.
2. If it be the happiness of all Gods people that their Maker is their Husband; how much does it stand us in stead to examine whether we are of this number?
3. Does Christ stand in this relation to His people? This may administer matter of great comfort and joy to them at all times, and under all circumstances.
4. If believers are Christs spouse, how heinous and aggravated must their wilful trangressions be?
5. From the relation believers stand in to Christ we learn that the most ardent affection is due to Him from all His chosen.
6. This also teaches us how highly it concerns every Christian to pay a just regard to all the ordinances of our glorious Redeemer, and to take great satisfaction in yielding obedience to Him therein. How pleasant is it to a loving and an affectionate wife to wait in those paths in which her kind and absent spouse had appointed to meet her.
7. This relation Christ stands in to His people calls for their cheerful dependence upon Him. (E. Walker.)
The Divine Husband
I. THE DOCTRINE THESE WORDS CONTAIN.
1. Husband means house-band–the head and band of the family. Hence the word denotes unison, community of interests, and special affection.
2. We learn that the Maker of all things, who fainteth not, condescends to bear to His creatures the closest and most sacred relationship. In Hos 2:19-20, He says–I will betroth thee unto Me for ever. And the Christian in reply says, My Beloved is mine and I am His. The parallel is carried on in the New Testament (Mat 9:14-15). St. Paul refers to it-Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church.
3. Observe that in the original the word is in the plural–Thy Makers are thy Husband, evidently alluding to the Trinity. We learn, then, that the love of the Father, the atonement of the Son, and the comfort of the Holy Ghost, all pertain to saving, blessing, and comforting those who love God.
II. THE APPLICATION OF THE TRUTHS TO OURSELVES.
1. The wonderful sympathy of our God. He feels for our woes. We see a picture of widowhood, orphanage, a woman bereaved, forsaken in spirit. What volumes of suffering are depicted in the words mourning, solitude, and woe! So with orphanage, want of protection, and love. To them our Redeemer speaks, and Christ repeats the promises, for He says to His disciples, I will not leave you orphans. The Divine Being cannot see His children suffer. He will be their Husband, Friend, and Protector.
2. The wonderful efficacy of our Gods assistance. He will be the Husband of His people. This indicates nearness of relationship. It also indicates His right to help. The husband is the natural protector, stay, and support of his wife. It is he who makes all things conduce to the safety and happiness of his household.
3. The wonderful efficiency of our Gods protection. Thy Maker is Thy Husband. It is as if He said, He who is able to create thee is also able to preserve. And, oh, what is implied in that word Maker! What power, what skill, what marvellous foresight! And all is concentrated also in human preservation. Here is a word to the bereaved, the sorrowing, the tried, the longing. Here is a fulness for him that craves for sympathy and yearns for love. Here is blessedness for him that desires peace and protection. (Homilist.)
Christ the Husband of His Church
I. THE DIGNIFIED CHARACTER OF THE BRIDEGROOM.
1. His creating power. Thy Maker.
2. His glorious sway. The Lord of hosts is His name.
3. His redeeming love. Thy Redeemer.
4. His spotless holiness. The Holy One of Israel.
5. His universal dominion. The God of the whole earth.
II. THE INTERESTING NATURE OF THE UNION.
1. Its qualities.
(1) It is gracious in its origin.
(2) Powerful in its accomplishment.
(3) Spiritual in its nature.
(4) Permanent in its duration.
2. Its privileges.
(1) Communion.
(2) Riches.
(3) Protection.
3. Its terms.
(1) Undivided affection.
(2) Mutual consent.
Conclusion:
1. I hail those who are married to the Lord.
2. I would address such as are wedded to sin. What profit? etc. (E. Temple.)
God as Husband
If I marry the Merchant, the old Puritans said in their quaint and homely fashion, all His wares shall be mine.
The God of the whole earth
The mission of the Jewish nation
A candle does not belong to the candlestick that holds it, but to every one in the room where it shines; and the knowledge of God, the preciousness of the Divine revelation, does not belong to the nation in which it is first and most clearly disclosed. They hold it as a torch; but it is that all may have the benefit of its shining. (H. W.Beecher.)
The God of the whole earth
If God is the God of the whole earth, He must be the God of the whole earth just as it is; and I remark that while believers in the true God were tribal and national, the natural mistake which was made, and which should put us on our guard lest we fall into it again in substance, was that of supposing that God was in a special manner the God of a particular class. So let us not forget that if He is the God of the whole earth He is the God of all those physical conditions under which men are born. He is the God of those laws of descent which make the character of the parent go down to the children through many generations. He is the God of those decrees by which the drunkards children inherit the drunkards proclivities; by which deceit propagates deceit; by which honour breeds honour; by which motives brought to bear upon parents have an effect on the welfare of their children reaching down to the depths of futurity. He is the God of the climate in which every person lives–of that climate which drives the Esquimaux under ground during most of the months of the year, and that climate which brings the swarthy African all the year into the open air, without clothes and without a swelling. If He is the God of all the earth, then He is the God that establishes those laws which determine the occupations of men, and their characters, in a large degree. He is the God of the physical globe, in this sense: that whatever affects men by its nature, by its unconscious and continuous influence upon them, is of His ordination. Being the God of the whole earth, He is the God of the mountains and of the valleys; of the winter and of the summer; of industry and of commerce; of all the arrangements of life by which men are influenced. Mens places of abode, and their nature, are largely determined by their circumstances; and these circumstances are Gods decrees. (H. W.Beecher.)
An unchristian patriotism
God is the God of all nations. The Bible says that He is the God of all the earth, and I suppose there are people enough in other nations besides our own to occupy a considerable part of His sympathy and heart and attention. Well, patriotism is a good thing, but when patriotism is the influence that separates us from the other nations of the earth, it is a very narrow, mean thing, it is only another name for selfishness. (H. W. Beecher.)
All nations and all classes belong to God
All nations and all classes belong to God, the superior and the inferior; the men of knowledge belong to Gods sympathy and care, the men of virtue, the men of great acquisitions, the men of great capacity to acquire, the active, the popular, the administrative, the successful men; they are all the Lords because they are men. And the poor, and the lower classes, the lowest, the very slaves are all Gods. I have sometimes, thought that He reveals, more of Himself to them than He does to their superiors. In other words, their utter helplessness, the necessity of leaning upon something to support them in their weakness, has brought them into such moods of mind, that God has shown some elements and attributes of His character to them, to true Christian slave mothers and fathers, that other men have not had. There are things that happen among them that look as much like miracles as those in the Gospels. There are things that happen among them that look almost as if God had opened the heavens and had personally spoken to them. It agrees with the exhibition of the sympathy of God, to give ourselves to the lower rather than to the higher, because they need it most. (H. W. Beecher.)
Gods four-fold relationship
There are four great names by which Almighty God is most commonly called in Christendom–Creator, King, Judge, Father. The first and last, Creator and Father, are probably absolute and literal descriptions of Him; there is no other Creator but He, and all parentage but shadows the great fact of His Fatherhood. The other two names, King and Judge, are figurative and illustrative only. But all four are revealed names; authorized names; names given by God Himself to the yearning, importunate inquiries of men who, like wrestling Jacob, cry to Him, Tell me I pray Thee, Thy name. We must know God by more than His names if we are in any true sense to know Him; we must realize His presence; be quickened by His life; the presence everywhere revealed; the life everywhere felt. Yet on a consideration of each of His names we may find some interpretation of what is meant by the declaration that He is the God of the whole earth.
I. He is the God as being the Creator of the whole earth. The earth would not have come into existence, and would not be to-day, but for the will, the power, the goodness of God. In the architecture of the whole earth there is Gods design; in the structure there is Gods might; in both there is Gods love.
II. He is the God as being the King of the whole earth. Kingship is often a very conventional conception; royalty often a very conventional idea. Back of it all, in essential reality, is intended, not pomp and splendour, not rank and arbitrary authority, but genuine supremacy, the supremacy that must govern, that ought to control, and the glory that is inherent in such supremacy. We do not find much help to understanding the government of God in the kings and queens whose empire is but as an inch, whose reign n hour. Christs kingship, and not Caesars, nor Alexanders, nor Solomons, nor Pharaohs, is the true specimen of monarchy, of Divine sovereignty. He is Lord of a moral dominion, King of a spiritual empire, and yet, when He willed it, His sceptre controlled material nature, multiplying the handful of loaves and fishes into a sudden harvest by a touch, and calming the tempestuous winds and waves by a word.
III. He is the God as being the JUDGE of the whole earth. A world in which there is iniquity demands a Judge. Nay, the necessities of Gods own righteous nature compel Him to be a Judge. The whole earths God must be a universal Judge; between nations like France and Madagascar, between man and man, and between man and law, the God of all must be the supreme Judge. Unerring in His all-pervading knowledge, righteous in His infinite inspiration, infallible in His verdicts, shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
IV. He is the God as being the FATHER of the whole earth. The heart of humanity cries, Show us the Father and it sufficeth us, and Jesus, by the words of His lips and by the works of His hands–yet more exceedingly by His Cross, by His character, and by His Spirit is ever revealing the Father. (U. R. Thomas, B. A.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Thy Maker; he who made thee out of nothing, and therefore can easily fulfil all these promises, how unlikely soever they seem to be; and he who made thee a people, and, which is far more and better, his people, and therefore will not easily nor utterly forsake thee.
Is thine husband; he will own thee for his spouse, and will do the part of a husband to thee.
The Lord of hosts; who hath the sovereign command of all men and creatures, and therefore can subdue the Gentiles to thee, and can make thee to increase and multiply in so prodigious a measure, even in thine old age, notwithstanding thy barrenness in the days of thy youth, of which he speaketh in the foregoing verse.
The God of the whole earth; the God and Father of all nations; whereas formerly he was called only
the God of Israel, and the Gentiles had no special relation to him, nor interest in his covenant and favour, as was observed, Psa 147:19,20, and elsewhere.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. (Isa 62:5;Jer 3:14). That God was Israel’s”Maker,” both as individuals and as the theocratic kingdom,is the pledge of assurance that He will be her Redeemer (Isa43:1-3). Hebrew, “makers . . . husbands“;plural for singular, to denote excellency.
of Israel . . . wholeearthNot until He manifests Himself as God of Israelshall He appear as God of the whole earth (Psa 102:13;Psa 102:15; Psa 102:16;Zec 14:5; Zec 14:9).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For thy Maker [is] thine Husband,…. That is, Christ, the Husband of the church, and of every true believer; who secretly betrothed them to himself in eternity, having asked him of his father; and, being given to him, openly espouses them in conversion, one by one, as a chaste virgin; which he will do more publicly in a body at the last day, when the marriage of the Lamb will be come, when he will appear as the bridegroom of his people; and to which character he acts up, by loving them with a love of complacency and delight, most affectionately and constantly; by sympathizing with them in all their troubles; by nourishing and cherishing them as his own flesh, and interesting them in all he is and has. It is, in the Hebrew text k “thy Makers, thy Husbands”, Father, Son, and Spirit; though the relation of a husband is more peculiar to Christ; and the words are a reason of the church’s fruitfulness, and why she need not fear the performance of what was promised her; and which is wonderful and amazing; he who stands in such a near and endearing relation to his church and people, is the “Maker” of all things, yea, their Maker, both as creatures, and as new creatures:
the Lord of hosts is his name; of armies above and below, in heaven, and in earth; how great therefore must this their Husband be! to what honour and dignity are they advanced! how safe must they be under his protection! nor need they fear any enemy:
thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; he who is the church’s Husband is her Redeemer; and who so fit as he to redeem her from sin, Satan, and the law, and every enemy; who is of the same nature with her, so dearly loves her, and so able to save her? for which he is also abundantly qualified, being holy in both his natures, in his person and offices, in his birth, life, and death; for this seems greatly to respect him as man, as he was a descendant of the Israelitish nation, and of the seed of Abraham:
the God of the whole earth shall he be called: not of Israel only, but of all the nations of the world, of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews; the earth was made by him; the world and all that are in it are his: he is the Governor among the nations; and in the latter day will appear to be the King over all the earth, and will be owned as such; so great and illustrious a Person is the church’s Husband. These words are applied by the Jews to the times of the Messiah l.
k Heb. “mariti tui, factores tui”, Piscator; “qui crearunt te, habent te in matrimonio”, Cocceius. l Shemot Rabba, sect. 15. fol. 102. 4.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
It was no real widowhood, however, but only an apparent one (Jer 51:5), for the husband of Jerusalem was living still, “For thy husband is thy Creator; Jehovah of hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; God of the whole earth is He called.” The plurals and (see at Isa 22:11) are to be explained from the plural ‘Elohm , which is connected with plural attributes in Jos 24:19; 1Sa 17:26, Ps. 58:12 (compare in Isa 10:15), and with plural predicates in Gen 20:13; Gen 35:7, and 2Sa 7:23. By such expressions as these, which represent all the plurality of the divine nature as inherent in the One, the religion of revelation, both Israelitish and Christian, exhibits itself as embodying all that is true in polytheism. He who has entered into the relation of husband to Jerusalem ( , not , Isa 1:3) is the very same through whom she first came into existence, the God whose bidding the heavenly hosts obey; and the Redeemer of Jerusalem, the Holy One of Israel, is called the God of the whole earth, and therefore has both the power and the means to help her, as prompted by the relation of love which exists between them.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
5. For thy Maker is thy husband. He assigns the reason why she will forget all the distresses and calamities which she formerly endured. It is because God will again receive her into favor; for captivity might be said to be a kind of divorce, as we formerly saw. (Isa 1:1) He now says, “He who created thee shall be thy husband;” for such is the import of the words. He calls himself the “Maker” of his Church, not only because he created the Church as he created other men, but because he condescended to adopt her as his heritage; and this privilege may be regarded as a new life. Although the Jews fell from their dignity, as men are speedily led to revolt, (63) if they are not renewed by the Spirit of strength, yet their spiritual creation was not wholly extinguished, for the remembrance of the covenant remained, and hence also God created them anew.
Whose name is Jehovah of hosts. This refers to his power, that we may be permitted to glory in it., seeing that we are his children; for the greater the power of God, and the more honorable his name, so much the greater is our boasting, so long as we are his children and do not boast of an empty title. Now, the Prophet magnifies this kindness of God, that he condescends to have us instead of a wife, that we may be able to glory in his power and strength.
Thy Redeemer. He calls himself the “Redeemer,” in order that he may more fully confirm the people in that hope; that, although the former deliverance appeared to be cancelled, because the people were again led into captivity, yet they shall be restored in such a manner as to know that the grace of God is not without effect.
Shall be called. The verb, יקרא (yikkare) “shall be called,” may refer either to the name “Redeemer,” or to the name “Holy One,” or to both I willingly connect both together in this manner, “The Holy One of Israel shall be called thy Redeemer, and the God of the whole earth.” (64) He employs the expression, the whole earth, because the name of God had formerly been, in some respects, confined to Judea, but, by the preaching of the Gospel, the Gentiles have been called to the same hope of salvation. (Psa 76:2) The Lord is “the God of the Gentiles” (Rom 3:29) as well as “of the Jews;“ for the Gentiles, though formerly “far off,” (Eph 2:13,) have been united to the Jews under his government.
(63) “ Comme les hommes sont incontinent destournez du droit chemin.” “As men are quickly turned aside from the right path.”
(64) “ Le Sainct d’Israel, qui est ton Redempteur, sera appele le Dieu de toute la terre, ou, Le Sainct d’Israel sera appele ton Redempteur et Dieu de toute la terre.” “The Holy One of Israel, who is thy Redeemer, shall be called the God of the whole earth, or, The Holy one of Israel shall be called thy Redeemer, and God of the whole earth.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
GODS DESIGNATION OF HIMSELF
Isa. 54:5. The Holy One of Israel thy Redeemer (R. V.).
This subject requires to be approached with the utmost reverence, and with a deep consciousness of the imperfection of our powers.
I. THE HOLINESS OF GOD. The Bible is full of declarations of His holiness.
1. The nature of Divine holiness.
(1.) It is underived.
(2.) It is absolutely perfect. He is incapable of impurity (Hab. 1:13). If we could conceive of God in any other character than this, we should revolt at the very idea of His existence and character, and our minds would be in perpetual anxiety and apprehension respecting His dealings toward us. But He always does right, and is always opposed to wrong. He is perfectly just and truethese are the two great branches of this attribute (Deu. 32:4).
(3.) It is the glory of His nature (Exo. 15:11; 2Ch. 20:21; 2Ki. 19:22; Isa. 4:4; Eph. 4:18). He represents Himself more frequently in this character than in any other.
(4.) It is the basis of His blessedness.
2. The demonstration of the Divine holiness. It appears
(1.) In creating man holy (Ecc. 7:29; Col. 3:10).
(2.) In the law by which He governs humanity (Rom. 7:12).
(3.) In the infliction of punishment upon man when he sinned.
(4.) In the restoration of man (2Co. 3:18; Heb. 7:26). The economy of grace is devised that polluted man may be restored to holiness. The cross of Christ is the highest possible expression of Gods love of holiness. Our justification is not by the imperfect works of creatures, but by an exact and infinite righteousness (Rom. 3:25-26). See p. 295.
What a foundation for the trust and confidence of His people! How great is the sin of unbelief and pride. How earnestly we should long to be ever growing in likeness to Him, for His holiness is the reason and the standard of ours (1Pe. 1:16). How terrible is Gods infinite holiness to the ungodly! Who can stand before this Holy Lord God?
II. THE UNITY OF GOD. Contrary to the many gods of the heathen. Polytheism has been far more common than Atheism. How deplorable is the blindness of the heathen, who, instead of the one true God, worship innumerable deities. Some of the heathens had better notionsEpictetus, Plato, &c.
1. The nature of the Divine unity.
(1.) It is simple or uncompounded. He has no partsHis perfect nature admits of no composition.
(2.) It is singular and unshared unity. He is not one of a genus or kind. He admits of no rivalno partner of His peculiar nature: it is an absolutely exclusive unity.
2. The scriptural proof of the Divine unity.
3. The corroborative evidence of the Divine unity.
(1.) The self-existence of God. Two prime and original causes of all things are unimaginable. If there is not one only God, there is no God.
(2.) The infinite perfections of God. An absolutely perfect being must be one, &c.
(3.) The supreme dominion of God: there can only be one supreme governor of the world.
(4.) The analogy of nature. Everywhere signs of a monarchy. The unity of design observable in all the works of God.
The practical application of this subject is found in Deu. 6:5, compared with Mar. 12:29-30.
III. THE GRACIOUS RELATION WHICH THIS GLORIOUS BEING SUSTAINS TOWARD HIS PEOPLE. Thy redeemervindicator or deliverer.
1. The need of redemption. The Babylonians had taken Israel into captivity, and oppressed them, &c. Man is enslaved by sin, led captive by the devil; his spiritual enemies are numerous, and subtle, and powerful; and he is unable to overcome them, &c. He needs an emancipatora redeemer.
2. The nature of redemption. May be considered both negatively and positivelywhat we are redeemed from, and what we are redeemed to. The spiritual Israel are redeemed, from the love and practice of sin, to the love and practice of holiness; from death to life; from the service of Satan to the service of God; from misery to bliss; from hell to heaven, &c.
3. The author of redemption. The doctrine of redemption is often underestimated and undervalued, from an inadequate conception of the majesty of its author. In the heart of God our redemption took its rise. Effected by the sacrifice of THE SON OF GOD (see p. 438). Redemption was made possible for all Israel, but it was open to any to reject the privileges it involved. So Christ has died for all, yet the benefits of His death will be secured only to those who believe.
No other way of deliverance from the deadly evils in which sin has involved you (H. E. I. 443).A. Tucker.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
(5) The Lord of Hosts . . . the Holy One of Israel.We note the combination of the two names so prominent in 1 Isaiah. The Redeemer in this context suggests the idea of the next of kin (such, e.g., as Boaz was to Ruth), taking on himself the kinsmans duty of protection (Rth. 4:4-6).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5. The Lord of hosts is his name Jehovah is thy husband as well as thy Maker, thy Redeemer, and the Sovereign of the earth. Barrenness and widowhood which mean dishonour for a languishing cause are no more to be feared. Protection such as a husband with these august names shall give, saves utterly from all occasions of fear.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Isa 54:5. For thy Maker is thine husband See Jer 3:20. In the original the verse may be divided into a stanza of four lines; for it is undoubtedly poetry, in which the first and third, and the second and fourth, are to be connected together. This will make the sense run thus: For thy Maker is thine husband, and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel: the Lord of Hosts is his name; the God of the whole earth shall he be called. See Bishop Lowth.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
DISCOURSE: 977
OUR MAKER OUR HUSBAND
Isa 54:5. Thy Maker is thine Husband: the Lord of Hosts is his name.
IN circumstances whether of personal or public difficulty it is well to bear in remembrance, that there is one who ordereth all things according to his own sovereign will, and who will never fail those who trust in Him. Doubtless the Jewish Church, at the time that the Prophet Isaiah wrote, and especially in the prospect of the Babylonish captivity which he predicted, was at a low ebb: but the prophet calls upon her to take comfort, in the sure and certain hope that God would fulfil to her all his promises, and enlarge her borders by the accession of unnumbered converts from among the Gentiles, who, in due season, should be received into her bosom, and aggrandize her in the eyes of the whole world. She might be assured of this; because, notwithstanding the bill of divorce which God had given her, he still considered himself as her husband; and because He, who was her God, was also the God of the whole earth. In this promise we are interested, both as it respects ourselves and the world at large. I will therefore endeavour to unfold it to your view; and, for that end, will consider,
I.
The general idea here suggested
There is a peculiarity in the original which does not appear in the translation, which yet it is of great importance to observe. In the original it is, Thy Makers are thine husband. It must be remembered, that, at the first creation of man, it was said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness [Note: Gen 1:26.]. In that passage it seems as if the formation of man was a matter in which the Three Persons of the Godhead concurred: and the same idea is evidently suggested in the passage before us. The same peculiarity occurs also in the Book of Ecclesiastes; where it is said, Remember thy Creators in the days of thy youth [Note: Ecc 12:1.]. Now, though these expressions mark a plurality of Persons in the Godhead, I should not think them of themselves sufficient to establish the doctrine of a Trinity in Unity: but when I find that doctrine so fully declared in other portions of Holy Writ, I cannot but regard these as very strongly confirming it. I feel that I can then account for, and explain, these peculiarities; which, without such a solution, must be utterly inexplicable.
But, not to dwell on the mere words, I will call your attention to the great subject contained in them: which indeed deserves the more attention, because there is not any one image in which our relation to God is more frequently or more strongly marked, than in that of marriage.
Look at it as stated in general terms
[Both the Old Testament and the New alike abound with this figure. God declares, that he was the Husband of his Church in the wilderness [Note: Jer 31:32.]. And, after he had put her away for her adulteries, he recalls her to him, saying, Return unto me; for I am married unto you [Note: Jer 3:14.]. When our God incarnate came, even our Lord Jesus Christ, his forerunner, John the Baptist, pointed him out as the Bridegroom of his Church [Note: Joh 3:29.]: and our Lord himself also assumed it as a title which he bore, and a character he sustained: Can the children of the bridechamber fast whilst the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them: and then shall they fast in those days [Note: Mat 9:15.]. St. Paul enters into the subject at large, drawing a parallel between the duties of the marriage relation, as subsisting amongst men, and those which we owe to Christ as the Husband of the Church: and lest we should confine our attention exclusively to the former, which appeared to be primarily, if not solely, in his contemplation, he particularly adds, This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and his Church [Note: Eph 5:32.]. But, to dwell on particular passages is needless; because a defection from God is, throughout the whole Scripture, called adultery; it being an alienation of heart from Him, whose right to it, as the Husband of his Church, is unalienable and universal.]
But look at it as move minutely and distinctly marked
[Not to enter too minutely into a subject of such delicacy, we may notice his first choice of us, in order to the forming of this connexion with us. Verily, Gods choice of us was altogether the result of his sovereign will and pleasure, without the slightest measure of respect to any goodness or worthiness in us [Note: Deu 7:7-8.]. Having made us the objects of his choice, he betrothed us to himself, in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies: yea, he even betrothed us to himself in faithfulness [Note: Hos 2:19-20.], engaging, that he would be for us only and exclusively, as we also should be exclusively for him [Note: Hos 3:3.]. We have a further account of the very nuptials, and the feast attending them [Note: Mat 22:2; Mat 25:10.], and the consequent union consummated and confirmed [Note: Son 2:4.]. Further, the end of this union is declared; We are married to Christ, that we may bring forth fruit unto God [Note: Rom 7:4.].
All this is spoken of as commenced on earth: but it is yet further represented as completed in heaven; Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come: (and, Blessed are they which are called to the marriage-supper of the Lamb [Note: Rev 19:7; Rev 19:9.]:) and, Come hither, and I will shew thee the Bride, the Lambs Wife [Note: Rev 21:9.].]
I conceive that this is sufficient to shew how largely this subject is treated of in the Holy Scriptures; and, consequently, how much we are concerned to investigate,
II.
The important particulars contained in it
Of course we shall confine ourselves to those great and leading particulars which will best mark the dignity and importance of the subject. The relation, then, of Jehovah as a Husband to his Church, may be considered as comprehending,
1.
His union with us
[By the constitution of marriage, as formed by God himself in Paradise, the husband and wife were declared to be one flesh [Note: Gen 2:24.]. So, by virtue of this relation, as subsisting between Christ and his Church, we are not only one flesh with him, (for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones [Note: Eph 5:30.],) but we are one spirit with him; as it is written, He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit [Note: 1Co 6:17.]. Now this is an union far closer than any other that can subsist on earth. Indeed it most resembles that which subsists in heaven between the different persons of the Godhead: as our Lord Jesus Christ has said; I pray for them, that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us . that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one [Note: Joh 17:21-22.]. There is between him and them a mutual indwelling, such as no language can describe, and no finite imagination can conceive [Note: Joh 6:56.].]
2.
His interest in us
[Persons united in the marriage-bond have a mutual property in each other, and a mutual interest in every thing belonging to them. And thus it is between Christ and his believing people. The believer is Christs [Note: 1Co 3:23.]: and every thing which he possesses is Christs. In no respect whatever is he his own [Note: 1Co 6:19.]: from the moment of his union with Christ by faith, he was altogether in spirit, soul, and body, sanctified unto the Lord [Note: 1Th 5:23.]. The Lord Jesus Christ, also, has given himself over to the believing soul. The very weakest believer is authorized to say, My Beloved is mine, and I am his [Note: Son 2:16.]. Yes, verily, so it is; for God is not ashamed to be called our God [Note: Heb 11:16.]. In truth, all that the Lord Jesus Christ is, and all that he has, becomes the property of the believing soul, and is all employed for his benefit. The wisdom, the power, the grace of the Lord Jesus are exerted in regulating the whole universe for his peoples good [Note: Eph 2:22.]. Yea, the very glory which his Father gave to him, he gives to them [Note: Joh 17:22.]: his throne is their throne, his crown their crown, his kingdom their kingdom [Note: Rev 3:21.]: they are in every thing heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ [Note: Rom 8:17.].]
3.
His feelings towards us
[Not only will love be exercised by a husband in a way of fond endearment, but it will shew itself in all its diversified operations, according as circumstances shall arise to call it forth. Thus will the Lord Jesus Christ evince his love to us in every possible way. Not only will he delight in us, und rejoice over us to do us good [Note: Jer 32:41.]; but he will sympathize with us in all our troubles [Note: Heb 4:15.], being himself afflicted in all our afflictions [Note: Isa 63:9.], no less than participating in all our joys [Note: Zep 3:17.]. Certainly I feel, that, in speaking these things, there may appear to be a danger of exceeding the bounds of sobriety and truth: but God himself has taken the very image, and drawn the very parallel; and that so strongly, that we are in danger rather of falling short by reason of our ignorance and unbelief, than of exceeding through an over-heated imagination. Thou shall no more be termed, Forsaken; neither shall thy land be any more termed, Desolate: but thou shall be called. Hephzi-bah; and thy land, Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee [Note: Isa 62:4-5.].]
Address
1.
Those who, through grace, have been brought into this relation to the Deity
[What terms can ever express the congratulalions that are due to you? Would it be deemed a just ground of congratulation, if you were united in the nuptial bond to an earthly monarch? How then must I felicitate you on having for your Husband, your Maker, the Lord of hosts, the God of the whole earth [Note: ver. 5.]? O! what honour has been conferred on you! and what blessings await you, both in time and in eternity! Remember what ye were when first he chose you: Verily, your father was an Amorite, and your mother an Hittite: and in the day of your nativity you were cast out in the open field to the lothing of your person, in the day that you were born. And when he passed by you, and saw you polluted in your own blood, he said to you, Live: and then he entered into covenant with you, and made you his [Note: Eze 16:3-8.]. Think, too, how often you have given him occasion to put you away for your unfaithfulness towards him, and by a bill of divorce to dismiss you for ever from his presence. But he is a God of all grace, and, for his own great names sake, has borne with you even to the present hour [Note: Eze 20:9; Eze 20:14; Eze 20:22.]. Now, therefore, prepare to fulfil your duties towards him, and to walk before him in newness of heart and life. Whilst you reflect on your privileges, be mindful also of your duties. And be careful never more to grieve his Holy Spirit, or to provoke him to jealousy, by even the appearance of evil. Remember what even a creature expects from her to whom he is joined in these sacred bonds; and let your every action, every word, and every thought, be such as shall approve itself to Him who searcheth the heart, and trieth the reins. In a word, be ye altogether his, even as ye would that he should be wholly and altogether yours.]
2.
Those who know him not yet under this endearing character
[O that I could prevail on every one of you to accept his gracious offers this day! Did Abraham send his servant to seek a wife for his son Isaac? Methinks I bear a similar commission from the God of heaven unto you. St. Paul says to the Corinthians, I have espoused you to one Husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ [Note: 2Co 11:2.]. And this is the object of my address to you this day. O that ye knew who it is that often himself to you by my voice; and that ye considered how worthy He is of your affections! What is there that any one of you would desire in a husband? Do you admire wisdom? The Lord Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God himself [Note: 1Co 1:24.]. Would you wish for beauty? He is fairer than ten thousand, and altogether lovely [Note: Son 5:10; Son 5:16.]. Have riches or honours any attractions in your eyes? His riches are unsearchable [Note: Eph 3:8.]; and all the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth in him bodily [Note: Col 2:9.]. What is there in the whole creation that can vie with him? What is there that is in any degree worthy to be compared with him? Behold, it is He who now stands at the door of your hearts, and knocks [Note: Rev 3:20.], and seeks admission into them. Know ye then the clay of your visitation. Refuse not Him who now speaks to you by my voice [Note: Heb 12:25.], and says, Give me thine heart [Note: Pro 23:26.]. This only he requires, that you should renounce all others, and cleave unto him with full purpose of heart. These are his very words, by which he now addresses you: Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear: forget also thine own people, and thy fathers house: so shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him [Note: Psa 45:10-11.]. Accept his offers, beloved friends, and give yourselves unreservedly to him: so shall the very angels in heaven clap their wings with joy [Note: Luk 15:7; Luk 15:10.], and all the glory of heaven be made over to you as your everlasting inheritance.]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 54:5 For thy Maker [is] thine husband; the LORD of hosts [is] his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
Ver. 5. For thy Maker is thine husband. ] a Heb., Thy Makers. Job 35:10 See Trapp on “ Job 35:10 “ De sancta Trinitate dictum, saith Junius. Isaac hath the name of the most loving husband we read of in holy writ; but his love to Rebecca was not comparable to this of Christ to his Church, Eph 5:25-26 where I doubt not but the apostle Paul had respect to this passage in Isaiah.
The Lord of hosts is his name.
The God of the whole earth.
a Mariti tui factores tui.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Maker. Hebrew, plural. Reference to the triune Jehovah.
the LORD of hosts. See note on 1Sa 1:3. thy Redeemer = thy kinsman-Redeemer. Reference to Pentateuch (Gen 48:16. Exo 6:6; Exo 15:13). App-92.
the Holy One of Israel. See note on Isa 1:4.
The God of the whole earth. This is-the title connecting Jehovah with universal dominion. Compare “The Lord of the whole earth” in Jos 3:11, Jos 3:13. Zec 6:5.
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
husband
Wife (of Jehovah). Jer 31:32; Isa 54:5; Hos 2:1-23
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
thy Maker: Psa 45:10-17, Jer 3:14, Eze 16:8, Hos 2:19, Hos 2:20, Joh 3:29, 2Co 11:2, 2Co 11:3, Eph 5:25-27, Eph 5:32
the Lord: Isa 48:2, Isa 51:15, Jer 10:16, Jer 51:19, Luk 1:32
The God: Zec 14:9, Rom 3:29, Rom 3:30, Rev 11:15
Reciprocal: Jos 3:11 – the Lord 2Sa 6:2 – whose name Job 19:25 – I know Job 35:10 – my Psa 19:14 – redeemer Psa 24:10 – The Lord Psa 45:11 – Lord Psa 50:1 – even Psa 59:13 – and let Psa 72:11 – all nations Psa 83:18 – the most Psa 95:6 – our Psa 97:5 – the Lord of Psa 149:2 – rejoice Son 2:6 – General Son 4:9 – my spouse Isa 35:4 – fear not Isa 37:16 – thou art Isa 41:14 – saith Isa 43:1 – Fear Isa 43:14 – the Lord Isa 44:6 – his redeemer Isa 44:24 – thy redeemer Isa 47:4 – our redeemer Isa 48:17 – the Lord Isa 54:8 – the Lord Isa 62:4 – Beulah Isa 63:16 – General Jer 31:32 – although I was Jer 31:35 – The Lord Jer 50:34 – Redeemer Hos 2:16 – Ishi Zec 4:14 – the Lord Zec 6:5 – the Lord Mal 1:11 – my name Mat 25:1 – the bridegroom Mar 2:20 – the bridegroom Luk 5:34 – bridegroom Rom 7:4 – that ye 1Jo 5:20 – This is Rev 3:7 – he that is holy Rev 11:4 – the God Rev 12:1 – a woman Rev 21:2 – as
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
54:5 For thy {f} Maker [is] thy husband; the LORD of hosts [is] his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole {g} earth shall he be called.
(f) That regenerated you by his Holy Spirit.
(g) His glory will shine through the whole world, which seemed before to be shut up in Judea.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The cause of this reversal of fortunes is the husband of this woman, God. He created her and redeemed her. Since He made her, He could remake her. He took up the role of the kinsman-redeemer to provide children for this barren wife (cf. Boaz). He is the Almighty Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel (the transcendent yet immanent God), the God over the whole earth.