Isaiah 32

Wesley: this seems to be a distinct prophecy from the former, and delivered before that which is related in the former chapters. The foregoing prophecy was delivered, not in the time of Ahaz—for he sent to the Assyrian, not the Egyptian, for help; it was Hezekiah who rebelled against the king of Assyria and was too prone to trust upon the staff of Egypt. But this seems to have been delivered in the time of Ahaz. A king—Hezekiah, a type of Christ, and Christ typified by him.

Both traditions read the righteous king in two steps: Hezekiah as the historical type, Christ as the one he foreshadows.

Calvin: God will still be gracious to his Church, so as to restore her entirely; the best method of restoring her is when good government is maintained. This prediction undoubtedly relates to Hezekiah and his reign, under which the Church was reformed; formerly it was wretched and ruinous. Ahaz, a wicked and disgraceful hypocrite, had overturned civil government and religion. He therefore promises another king, namely, Hezekiah. As this cannot be attained without Christ, this description undoubtedly refers to Christ, of whom Hezekiah was a type, and whose kingdom he foreshadowed. And princes shall rule: it would not be enough to be a good prince if he were not supported by upright ministers and counselors.

They share the same king—Hezekiah, then Christ. The princes stay with that court.

Wesley: a man—each of his princes. A hiding place—unto the people under their government. The wind—from the rage and violence of evil men. As rivers—no less refreshing. As the shadow—in a dry and scorched country, which is called weary, because it makes travellers weary; as death is called pale in other authors, because it makes mens faces pale.

Wesley reads “a man” as each of the righteous king’s princes. Good rulers become shelter for their people: shade in a scorched land, water in a dry place.

Calvin: and that man shall be. How great is the importance of well-regulated government. If this was said with truth concerning Hezekiah, much more may it be said concerning Christ, in whom we have our best, or rather, our only refuge in those storms by which we must be tossed about as long as we dwell in this world. Whenever, therefore, we are scorched by oppressive heat, let us learn to retire under his shadow; whenever we are tossed about by tempests, let us learn to betake ourselves to him as our safest harbour; he will speedily bring every storm to a calm.

The man is the king, and much more Christ. The hiding-place stays with Hezekiah’s reign and Christ’s.

Wesley: the eyes—the people, they shall not shut their eyes and ears against the good counsels and examples of their religious king and rulers, as they have done formerly: both princes and people shall be reformed.

Under a righteous king the people stop shutting their eyes and ears to good counsel. Wesley sees reform reaching princes and people alike.

Calvin: while the Prophet describes the reign of Hezekiah, he intends to lead us farther; here he discourses concerning the restoration of the Church, which indeed was shadowed out by Hezekiah, but has been actually fulfilled in Christ. This promise is contrasted with the dreadful threatening of ch. 29, that he would blind the Jews. He does not merely declare what men will do, but what God himself will do in men. These are extraordinary gifts of God. Out of Christ there is no spiritual life in the world.

The opened eyes are God’s work in the restored Church. The seeing stays with that restoration.”

Wesley: the rash—who were hasty in judging of things; which is an argument of ignorance and folly. The tongue—that used to speak of the things of God, darkly, and doubtfully; which though it was in part fulfilled in Hezekiah, yet was truly and fully accomplished only by Christ, who wrought this wonderful change in an innumerable company both of Jews and Gentiles.

Rash hearts learn and stammering tongues speak plainly. Wesley sees this partly in Hezekiah’s reform and fully in Christ’s work among Jews and Gentiles.

Calvin: as fools are commonly hasty and rash, so the Hebrew writers take haste as denoting folly. He promises that he will restore to these persons eyes, ears, a tongue, and understanding. Nothing is here promised which does not proceed from the grace of God; he does not merely declare what men will do, but what God himself will do in men. A tongue to speak, a mind to understand, and ears to hear, are restored to us through the kindness of Christ; formerly we were dull of apprehension, and were struck with frightful stupidity.

The distinct speech is grace in men, not their native skill. The stammerers stay with that restoration under Christ.

Wesley: the vile—base and worthless men. Liberal—shall no longer be reputed honourable, because of their high and honourable places, but wickedness shall be discovered where ever it is, and virtue manifested and rewarded. The churl—the sordid and covetous man; but under this one vice, all vices are understood, as under the opposite virtue of bountifulness all virtues are comprehended.

When justice rules, names match reality: rank no longer earns the title “noble,” and the scoundrel loses his reputation.

Calvin: everything will be restored to good order, so that vices will not, as formerly, be reckoned virtues. When the public government is wicked, covetous persons are in power, honoured because men judge of virtue by wealth and power. We ought to raise our minds somewhat higher, so as to view all this as relating to Christ, to whom it specially belongs to expose hidden vices by means of the gospel, which drags into light the disgraceful actions which were formerly concealed. This is the reason why the gospel is so much hated: no man can patiently endure to have his hidden thoughts revealed.

Christ the judge exposes the mask. The fool and the noble stay with that gospel light.

Wesley: villainy—men shall no longer be miscalled; for every one will discover what he is by his words and actions. Will work—he will, from time to time, be advising wickedness, that he may execute it when he hath opportunity. To practise—to do bad things, tho' with a pretence of religion and justice. To utter—to pass unjust sentence, directly contrary to the command of God. Cause the drink—whereby they take away the bread and the drink of the poor.

The fool’s religion is a mask: he speaks against the LORD while starving the hungry. Wesley notes the pretense of justice that covers the robbery of the poor.

Calvin: we might also render it, the wicked man will speak wickedly. He does not inquire what wicked men are, but declares that they shall be revealed under the reign of Christ. Others explain it as a proverbial saying in the present tense; but the Prophet means something higher: Christ is the Judge of the world; when he shall ascend the judgment-seat, he will shew what is the disposition of every person. The gospel is the sieve for separating the wheat from the chaff. Then cruelty: to snatch food from the hungry soul and drink from the thirsty; men so brutalized they are worse than the beasts themselves.

Not a proverb of what fools always do, but exposure under Christ’s reign. The hungry stay in that judgment.”

Wesley: lying words—with false and unrighteous decrees. Even—when their cause is just and good.

The scoundrel’s weapon is lying words—Wesley reads them as unjust decrees—aimed at the needy even when their case is right. A righteous king is measured by how the poor fare in his courts.

Calvin: the instruments of the covetous man are evil. We must always keep by the future tense; he does not inquire what wicked men are, but declares that they shall be revealed under the reign of Christ. Instruments include every kind of means, tricks, and cunning devices. Shameful circumstances: to deceive the simple, who cannot take care of themselves; blandishments under pretense of friendship; to deceive the poor, whose poverty we ought rather to have relieved; to lay snares in the very court of justice, which ought to be a refuge and becomes a den of robbers.

Christ brings those tricks to light. The poor stay in that court.

Wesley passes over this verse; the noble who plans noble things is the opposite of the churl in v. 7.

The noble man is known by what he plans and keeps doing. Under the righteous king, character rather than title defines nobility.

Calvin: but the liberal shall devise liberal things. These statements have a deeper meaning than is commonly supposed; he does not speak in the ordinary sense of the words, but treats of the reformation of the Church. This relates therefore to the regenerate, over whom Christ reigns; although all are called by the voice of the gospel, yet there are few who suffer themselves to be placed under his yoke. The Lord makes them truly kind and bountiful. In acting liberally he shall make progress: the liberal will never cease to perform acts of generosity; kum signifies to arise and grow. True liberality is not momentary or of short duration; they who possess that virtue persevere steadily.

All called, few under the yoke—Calvin’s own gospel note on the noble.