Isaiah 55:4-6 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. 1. Most modern authorities hold that the person spoken of in ver. 4. is the historical David, and that vers. 4, 5 institute a parallel between the position he occupied in the heathen world of his time and that which Israel shall occupy in the future; the thought expressed, therefore, is that the Messianic hope is transferred from the dynasty to the nation. The view is thus succinctly stated by Driver: "As David became ruler of subject nations (2 Samuel 8.), a knowledge of his religion, however imperfect, spread among them; thus he was a 'witness' to them. This position of David is idealized in Isaiah 18:43 ('Thou makest me a head of nations; a people whom I have not known shall serve me'); and the position, as thus idealized, is here enlarged, and extended in a spiritual sense to Israel (ver. 5)." 2. Others think that the reference in ver. 4 is to the future Messianic king (who is called David in Jeremiah 30:9; Ezekiel 34:23f.), so that the two verses represent under two aspects the future greatness of Israel. 3. An intermediate position is taken by some, viz. that ver. 4 goes back to the promise made to David, but regards it as one destined to be fulfilled in the person of his Son, the Messiah. It is very difficult to decide between these conflicting explanations. The third view seems on the whole the best; the original covenant guarantees an endless dominion to the family of David, and after the restoration this will assume a spiritual character and expand into universal empire in the reign of the Messiah. (Prof. J. Skinner, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.WEB: Behold, I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander to the peoples. |
    |