ap. iii. 1-3; v. 7, has
preceded our Prophet: "The daughter of Zion, in her restlessness,
endeavours to bring about, by worldly, rebellious doings, the Messianic
salvation. It is in vain; what she is seeking she does not find, but
the heavenly watchmen find her."

CHAPTER LI. 1-16.

Ver. 1. "_And I put my words in thy mouth, and cover thee in the shadow
of mine hand, that thou mayest plant the heaven and lay the foundation
of the earth, and say unto Zion: Thou art my people._"

The discourse in chap. li. to lii. 12 is not addressed to the whole of
Israel, but to the _election_. They are, in chap. li. 1, called those
that follow after righteousness, that seek the Lord; in ver. 7, those
who know righteousness, in whose heart is the law of the Lord. These
the Prophet seeks to comfort and strengthen by pointing to the future
glorious mercies of the Lord.

The Section chap. li. 4-8 comforts the elect by the coming of the
salvation, by the dominion of the people of God over the whole world;
points to the foundation of these successes, viz., the eternity of the
salvation and righteousness for the Church; and exhorts them that,
having this eternal salvation before them, they might patiently bear
the temporal reproach of the world given over to destruction.

In vers. 9-11, the Church calls upon the Lord to do as He had promised;
and this prayer, founded upon His almighty love, which in times past
had so gloriously manifested itself, passes over, at the close, into
hope and confidence.

In vers. 12-16 follows the answer of the Lord, who exhorts the Church
to be stedfast, by reminding her that her opponents are weak mortals,
while the omnipotent God is her protector; and announces that, with the
same omnipotence which He manifests in nature, He would soon bring
about her deliverance, [Pg 258] and that Ho would do so by His Servant,
in whom all His promises should be Yea and Amen, and whom at the close
Ho addresses, committing to Him the work of redemption. According to
the current opinion, the discourse in ver. 16 is addressed to the
people. But, in that case, we must also make up our minds to view the
Infinitive with [Hebrew: l] a Gerund, "planting," or "by planting,"--a
supposition which is beset with great difficulties. It was only by an
inconsistency that _Stier_, who, in chap. xlix. rejects this view,
could here agree to it. And, farther, it is obvious that the words at
the close: "T