Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

Rejoice for ever in that which I create "Exult in the age to come which I create" - So in Isaiah 9:5; עד אבי abi ad, πατηρ του μελλοντος αιωνος, "the father of the age to come," Sept. See Bishop Chandler, Defence of Christianity, p. 136.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

But be ye glad and rejoice - (See the notes at Isaiah 51:11).

Forever - It is not to be momentary happiness - like a bright morning that is soon overcast with clouds. The joy of God‘s people is to endure for ever, and they shall have ceaseless cause of praise and thanksgiving.

I create Jerusalem a rejoicing - A source of rejoicing; or a place of rejoicing.

And her people a joy - That is, in themselves joyful, and a source of joy to all others. The idea is, that the church would be a place of the highest happiness, and that they who were redeemed would have occasion of perpetual joy. The Saviour did not come to minister gloom, nor is the true effect of religion to make his people melancholy. Religion produces seriousness; but seriousness is not inconsistent with permanent happiness. Religion produces deep thought and soberness of deportment and conversation; but this is not inconsistent with a heart at ease, or with a good conscience, or with permanent joy. Religion fills the mind with hope of eternal life; and the highest happiness which the soul can know must be in connection with the prospect of unchanging blessedness beyond the grave.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

But be you glad, and rejoice for ever in that which I create,.... This may refer either to persons converted, both at the beginning of the Gospel, and in the latter day, whether Jews or Gentiles; who are the Lord's creation, or new creatures, being made new men; having new hearts and spirits given them, or created within them; new principles of life, light, grace, and holiness, wrought in them, which are the produce of almighty and creating power; and all such instances are matter of joy, as to the angels in heaven, so to the saints on earth, and especially to the ministers of the Gospel; because of the grace bestowed on men, the glory brought to God, and their own ministry blessed and succeeded, and so their hands and hearts strengthened: or else this refers to the state of things under the Gospel dispensation, in every age of it, and especially in some periods of it, particularly the first and last; and the whole indeed is a new world or state of God's creating, and is matter of joy to all the people of God. The Targum renders it,

"rejoice in the world of worlds, which I create:'

agreeably to which is the version of Bishop Chandler^F7Defence of Christianity, c. 2. sect. 2. ,

"rejoice for the age to come, that I create;'

the world to come, Hebrews 2:5, which Christ is said to be the father of, in the Septuagint version of Isaiah 9:6, the Gospel dispensation, the Messiah's future world, as opposed to the legal dispensation.

For, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy; that is, do that for them, through the mighty power of his grace, as will justly occasion joy to them, and to all others well affected to them; the conversion of the Jews will be matter of joy to the Gentiles; and that, and the bringing in of the fulness of the Gentiles, as well as the destruction of antichrist, which will occasion a new face of things in the world, will be matter of joy to the whole church; see Revelation 18:20.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Jerusalem — (Isaiah 51:11). “Everlasting joy  …  Zion.” Spiritually (1 Thessalonians 5:16).

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.

You — The church, as well under the gospel, as under the law.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

Isaiah 65:18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever [in that] which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.

Ver. 18. But be glad and rejoice for ever.] What can ye be less than everlastingly merry when you consider your gospel privileges, which are such as may well swallow up all discontents, and make you "more than conquerors," and that is triumphers?

For, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing.] Creo talem Ierusalem ut sit ei nomen tripudium, et populus eius vocetur gaudium. (a) Hence it appeareth that these things are not to be taken according to the letter, but of "Jerusalem which is above, that mother of us all."

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

You that are my people, though you cannot rejoice with that degree of joy that attendeth a present fruition of good; yet be glad, and rejoice with the

rejoicing of hope, for the thing is certain what I am already doing. Nor let your present state, or the discouragements you have from seeming improbabilities, spoil your joy; for it is not a work to be produced in an ordinary course, or by an ordinary power, but by the power of me, who bring something out of nothing, or out of what hath no fittedness to such a production; and I will create

Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy: by Jerusalem here must be meant the church, as well under the gospel as under the law (because the gospel church is grafted into that olive); or else this prophecy must be understood as fulfilled in the coming of Christ, Luke 2:10; or else it referreth to a more full calling of the Jews than we have yet seen or heard of.

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable

This new creation is a cause for ceaseless hope and rejoicing among God"s people. The New Jerusalem would be a place of rejoicing, in contrast to present mourning, and its people would be eternally happy (cf. Revelation 21:9 to Revelation 22:5).

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

for ever. Chaldee Targum renders it "in the world of worlds": i.e. the most glorious world.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.

Rejoice forever (in that) which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing (Isaiah 51:11 ) - spiritually ( 1 Thessalonians 5:16).

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(18) I create Jerusalem . . .—From the prophet’s stand-point, as elsewhere, both in 1 and 2 Isaiah, the earthly city, transformed and transfigured, occupies the central place in the new creation. In the New Testament we note the transfer of the promise to the unseen eternal city, the Jerusalem which is above (Galatians 4:26; Revelation 21:10).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.

12:4-6; 42:10-12; 44:23; 49:13; 51:11; 52:7-10; 66:10-14; Psalms 67:3-5; Psalms 96:10-13; 98:1-9; Zephaniah 3:14; Zechariah 9:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:16; Revelation 11:15-18; Revelation 19:1-6

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 6:41 - thy saints;  Psalm 86:4 - Rejoice;  Psalm 90:15 - Make;  Psalm 104:31 - rejoice;  Isaiah 9:3 - they joy;  Isaiah 30:19 - thou shalt;  Isaiah 45:8 - I the Lord;  Isaiah 52:9 - Break;  Isaiah 66:13 - ye shall;  Jeremiah 31:13 - for;  Zechariah 2:10 - and rejoice;  Zechariah 14:2 - shall not;  John 16:22 - and your;  2 Corinthians 5:17 - old;  Galatians 4:26 - Jerusalem;  Revelation 21:4 - neither sorrow

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

18.But rejoice ye and be glad for ever. He exhorts believers to rejoice, in such a manner as they ought, on account of such a benefit bestowed by God. And this was added for the sake of amplification; because men do not adequately consider God’s other benefits, and especially that which is the highest and most excellent of all; for either they disregard them altogether, or value them less than they ought to do. On this account believers must be aroused and urged by such exhortations as these, that they may not chew themselves to be unthankful or unmindful, or think that it ought to be lightly passed by, that, having been redeemed by the hand of Christ, they carry in their hearts the pledge of eternal and heavenly life. That is the reason why Isaiah chews that believers do not give due praise for redemption in any other way than by continuing their joy through the whole course of their life, and employing themselves in celebrating the praises of God.

For, lo, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. At first sight this might be thought harsh; but an excellent meaning is obtained, that the ground of joy in the deliverance of the Church shall be so great as to remove every cloud of sadness. And, indeed, since even afflictions aid our salvation, (Romans 8:28,) we have good reason for rejoicing in them.