Isaiah 49:8-15
Chapter 49
You will say to the captives: Come out, and to those in darkness: Show yourselves. They will feed along the road and find pasture on barren hills.
They will neither hunger nor thirst nor will the scorching wind or the sun beat upon them; for he who has mercy on them will guide them and lead them to water springs.
I will turn all my mountains into roads and raise up my highways.
See, they come from afar, some from the north and west, others from the land of Sinim.”
Sing, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth; break forth into song, O mountains: for the Lord has comforted his people and taken pity on those who are afflicted.
Consolation of Zion
But Zion said: “The Lord has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me.”
Can a woman forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child of her womb? Yet though she forgets, I will never forget you.
Commentaries
Second Song of the Servant: The Mission.
The servant of the Lord has the characteristics of the Messiah: he is chosen before he is born and remains hidden until his revelation (cf. Is 30:20). He is the man hidden for generations (2), revealed by John the Baptist, who will come to free all creation (Jn 1:26-34). The title “Servant of Yahweh” is sometimes used for Israel as a whole (Is 41:8-9; 43:10). However, repeatedly in Isaiah, as well as in other prophets and the book of Exodus (Ex 17:3-4; 32:9), the people are shown as rebellious and stubborn. The servant here, on the other hand, is a person whom the Lord is proud of (3) and who will redeem Israel (7). Also, in verses 5-7, the people and the servant are described as two separate entities: a) the servant, who is tasked with gathering, restoring, and redeeming; b) Israel, which benefits from the servant’s actions.
of Zion.
Personified as a woman abandoned by her husband, Jerusalem complains to the Lord (14). God assures Zion that her complaint is unfounded because his love and tenderness for her are even stronger than that of a mother for her child (15). Verse 17 addresses the exiles who return and face difficulties and hostility as they rebuild the city. They are as precious to the Lord as a bride’s jewels (18). God will bless them with many descendants (20), to the extent that the city will be amazed (21).