The note of admonition struck in the foregoing prophecy is continued here, the sabbatical duties being enforced with especial emphasis as part of the general righteousness of life. "Thus saith Jehovah, Keep ye right, and do righteousness: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to reveal itself. Blessed is the mortal that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth fast hold thereon; who keepeth the Sabbath, that he doth not desecrate it, and keepeth his hand from doing any kind of evil." Jehovah and Israel have both an objective standard in the covenant relation into which they have entered: משׁפּט (right) is practice answering to this; ישׁוּעה (salvation) the performance promised by God; צדקה (righteousness) on both sides such personal activity as is in accordance with the covenant relation, or what is the same thing, with the purpose and plan of salvation. The nearer the full realization on the part of Jehovah of what He has promised, the more faithful ought Israel to be in everything to which it is bound by its relation to Jehovah. זאת (this) points, as in Psalm 7:4, to what follows; and so also does בּהּ, which points back to זאת. Instead of שׁמור or לשׁמר we have here שׁמר, the זאת being described personally instead of objectively. שּׁבּת is used as a masculine in Isaiah 56:2, Isaiah 56:6 (cf., Isaiah 58:13), although the word is not formed after the same manner as קטּל, but is rather contracted from שׁבּתת (a festive time, possibly with עת equals עדת understood), and therefore was originally a feminine; and it is so personified in the language employed in the worship of the synagogue.

(Note: According to b. Sabbath 119a, R. Chanina dressed himself on Friday evening in his sabbath-clothes, and said, "Come, and let us go to meet Queen Sabbath." And so did also Jannai, saying, "Come, O bride; come, O bride." Hence the customary song with which the Sabbath was greeted had נקבּלה שׁבּת פּני כּלּה לקראת דודי לכה as it commencement and refrain.)

Isaiah 56:8 Parallel Commentaries

which

Isaiah 11:11,12 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people...

Isaiah 27:12,13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall beat off from the channel of the river to the stream of Egypt...

Isaiah 54:7 For a small moment have I forsaken you; but with great mercies will I gather you.

Psalm 106:47 Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks to your holy name, and to triumph in your praise.

Psalm 107:2,3 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from the hand of the enemy...

Psalm 147:2 The LORD does build up Jerusalem: he gathers together the outcasts of Israel.

Jeremiah 30:17 For I will restore health to you, and I will heal you of your wounds, said the LORD; because they called you an Outcast, saying...

Jeremiah 31:10 Hear the word of the LORD, O you nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him...

Hosea 1:11 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head...

Micah 4:6 In that day, said the LORD, will I assemble her that halts, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted;

Zephaniah 3:18-20 I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of you, to whom the reproach of it was a burden...

Zechariah 10:8-10 I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased...

yet

Isaiah 43:6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;

Isaiah 49:12,22 Behold, these shall come from far: and, see, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim...

Isaiah 60:3-11 And the Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising...

Isaiah 66:18-21 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come...

Genesis 49:10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come...

John 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold...

John 11:52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

Ephesians 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven...

Ephesians 2:14-16 For he is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us...

beside those that are gathered. Heb. to his gathered