Isaiah 26

Wesley: In that day—when God shall do such glorious works, as are described in the foregoing chapter. Sung—in the church of God. A city—Jerusalem, or the church, which is often compared to a city. For walls—God’s immediate and saving protection shall be to his church instead of walls. A strong city; salvation as walls.

Judah’s song after Moab’s dust. Gospel church as city.

Calvin: in that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah. After the return from captivity they will be defended by God’s power; Jerusalem as safe as if surrounded by bulwarks. The song was composed before the calamity, that they might not despair in captivity, when they were like dead men (Ezekiel 37). We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.

The walls are still salvation, not stone. The song is sung in Judah.

Wesley: The gates—of the city, mentioned v. 1. The nation—the whole body of righteous men, whether Jews or Gentiles. For he seems to speak here, as he apparently did in the foregoing chapter, of the times of the gospel. Keepeth truth—which is sincere in the true religion. Where they meet: gates open for the righteous nation may enter: the one which keeps faith.

Jews and Gentiles who keep truth, gospel times—not a twenty-first-century border story.

Calvin: open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. This song was despised by many when published by Isaiah; the gates are opened not to the proud lofty city of v. 5, but to those who keep faith. The righteous nation is the remnant, then the church gathered by the same truth.

Entering is still by truth kept. Open the gates.

His for ever of v. 4 still names the stay: in all times and conditions. Neither side disputes this: perfect peace; mind stayed; trust.

The stayed mind is remnant faith, not a slogan. Trust does not invent a limited God; the keeper is the LORD.

Calvin: the thought is fixed; thou wilt keep peace, peace, because he trusted in thee. As the Hebrew word yetzer may denote thought or imagination, he means a mind stayed and fixed on God. Peace, peace: a doubled peace the Lord keeps for the one who trusts. This is not idleness; it is rest in the rock of v. 4.

Mind stayed; he trusts.

Wesley: For ever—in all times and conditions. Trust forever; everlasting rock.

The rock of 17:10 remembered.

Calvin: trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength, the rock of ages. As to the words, some read the second clause differently; the sense is that the God who keeps peace is a rock that does not wear out. Forever answers the captivity’s length.

The rock is still the LORD GOD. Trust forever.

Wesley: On high—he speaks not so much of height of place, as of dignity and power, in which sense also he mentions the lofty city in the next clause. Lofty city—which may be understood either of proud Babylon, or of all the strong and stately cities of God’s enemies. Height humbled; lofty city to the dust.

Babylon or enemy-cities of the oracles, not a living capital. The double lays-it-low is the Lord’s.

Calvin: for he will bring down the inhabitants of loftiness; the lofty city, he layeth it low, he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust. He now explains more fully why they should trust: the Lord unbuilds what v. 1’s salvation-walls replace. The lofty city matches Moab’s high fort in 25:12 and the enemy heaps of 25:2.

Laid low to the ground.

Wesley: The needy—God will bring it under the feet of his poor, and weak, and despised people. Both traditions hear: poor feet trample the lofty city.

The poor of Judah will walk over the ruined city. The needy of 25:4 now walk on the dust of v. 5.

Calvin: the foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy. God does not exalt the poor that they may become new tyrants; he brings the lofty under those who had no walls but salvation. The same needy he sheltered from the storm.

Agreed on both sides: poor and needy.

Wesley: Thou—O God, who art upright in all thy ways, and therefore a lover of uprightness, and of all upright men, dost weigh (examine) the path of the just, the course of his actions, and, which is implied, dost approve of them, and therefore direct them to an happy issue. A level path; the LORD makes the way even.

God weighs and levels the paths of the righteous. They might yet walk what he levels.

Calvin: straightnesses are the way of the righteous man. He does not praise the righteousness of men as if it were of themselves; thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just. God loves the straight because he is upright, and he makes the way even under the judgments of v. 8.

The level way is still his weighing. God makes the path of the righteous level.

Wesley (on v. 9): when others sleep, desires work toward God; judgments awaken men to duty. Wait in the path of judgments; name and remembrance desired.

Waiting is; the name is already known.

Calvin: yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. This verse contains a very beautiful doctrine: they wait in the path where he judges, not off it. Desire of the name answers the stayed mind of v. 3.

God’s name and renown are the desire of their souls.

Wesley: In the night—when others are sleeping, my thoughts and desires are working towards God. Early—betimes in the morning. For—good reason we should seek thee in the way of thy judgments, because this is the very design of thy judgments, that men should thereby be awakened to learn and return to their duty; and this is a common effect, that those who have been careless in prosperity, are made wiser and better by afflictions. Night-yearning; judgments teach righteousness.

Judgments are meant to teach righteousness. Wesley reads the verse as a model for seeking God in the night, while others sleep.

Calvin: my soul hath desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are on the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. A stronger expression of the former statement. Night and early seeking belong to the remnant; the design of judgments is that the world learn righteousness—the same design Wesley names.

Judgments in the earth; the world learns.