Precisely that region of land which up to now had always been the most despised will be the first, and in the highest fullness, to receive the messianic blessings.
Is 8:23. “In the former time the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali was held in contempt, but in the latter it shall be highly honored: the way by the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.”
“Primo tempore” (“in the former time”) embraces the entire present period up to that wondrous change of affairs which Isaiah now proclaims. Hence the perfect tense is used, not the pluperfect (alleviata erat), and we may paraphrase: up to now, in our present time, it has been so. Already the contrast with novissimo (“in the latter [time]”), which designates the messianic period, shows us the meaning of primo tempore; for, as has been said, the prophets know only two ages (cf. II:1).
“To lighten” (alleviare) and “to make heavy” (aggravare)—both concepts transferred, according to Hebrew linguistic usage, into the spiritual realm—mean “to despise, to esteem lightly” and “to honor, to hold in high esteem”: קלל (qalal, “to be small, despised”) and כָּבֵד (kābēd, “to be honored”).
Zebulun lay on the western border of the Sea of Gennesaret; Naphtali lay north of it and extended as far as Lebanon. “The way of the sea” is the maritime road; “beyond the Jordan” refers to the eastern border of the lake, so that the entire region surrounding the lake is designated. “The land of Galilee of the nations” is the northernmost tip of these regions, but on this side of the Jordan, so called because of the mixture with pagan inhabitants.
This entire district had from earliest times been the least protected. Solomon had already given part of it to King Hiram, and it was always exposed to the first hostile attacks. It was therefore a province that was surrendered earliest, because little value was placed on its possession.
Is 9:1. “The people who walked in darkness see a great light; upon those who dwelt in the valley of the shadow of death a bright light shines.”
General description of that honor.
“To walk in darkness” refers both to the spiritual and to the material
condition of these provinces. “To see light,” in contrast to darkness,
denotes salvation, help, and deliverance, both spiritual and bodily. “To
dwell in the shadow of death” is a stronger expression for “to walk in
darkness,” with the additional notion that hope for a coming day has
already been abandoned. Lux sol, lux magna: the sun has risen for them; for them a full, sunlit day has dawned.
Is 9:2. “You made the people many, but did not increase their joy. They rejoice before you as one rejoices at the harvest, as victors exult after gaining booty, when the spoil is divided.”
Closer explanation.
Already the ancients were divided as to whether one should read לא (lōʾ, ketiv) or לו (lô, qere). The Septuagint reads the latter; Jerome the former, though he also notes their rendering with the words: in obscuris locis utramque editionem ponimus (“in obscure places we give both readings”). His explanation runs: multiplies gentem, hoc est replesti omnes gentes notitia tui, sed non magnificasti laetitiam (“you multiplied the nation, that is, you filled all nations with the knowledge of you, but you did not magnify the joy”), according to which the Apostle says that he has continual sorrow for his brothers who are Israelites.
This interpretation, however, we can scarcely adopt, since it lacks any immediate connection with the overall train of thought. There remains, first, the expedient of connecting non magnificasti with what follows: multiplicasti gentem, et quorum non magnificasti, magnificaveras laetitiam; laetabuntur. “Not to magnify” would then be a litotes: to humble, to visit with affliction, to cause sorrow. “You made many from this people of yours, and those whom you deeply humbled—those who were always the most despised—they shall rejoice,” and so on.
But since, according to the Latin text, we have no right to assume such an ellipsis, we maintain instead—more fittingly—that Isaiah, analogously to verse 1, intended by non magnificasti and laetabuntur to mark the contrast between the present time and the messianic future, namely: in the former time you multiplied the nation and did not increase the joy; in the latter they shall rejoice before you. Thus he takes up again the description of verse 1 and develops it from a second angle, something he generally likes to do.
“Multiplicasti gentem et non magnificasti laetitiam” contains an allusion to the condition of the people in Egypt, where, as the number of the people increased, so too did their misery. That province which in the present time resembles Egypt both spiritually and materially will, in the messianic period, possess the highest joy. Now Zebulun and its region are the most despised; then they will be the most honored. Now Zebulun and its region are in the deepest misery and oppression; then they will be the happiest people.
The entire difficulty, to be sure, disappears if one reads לו (lô): “You made this people many; you increased its joy.” Yet even among more recent scholars many adhere to the ketiv (לא), though with very different attempts at explanation.
Is 9:3. “For the yoke of his burden, the staff upon his shoulder, and the rod of his oppressor, you break as on the day of Midian.”
“Yoke of his burden” means the yoke that lay heavily upon him. “Yoke and staff of the taskmaster” stand for harsh slavery; the taskmaster or driver recalls Egypt (cf. exactor in Isaiah III:12). “As on the day of Midian” means: as on the day of deliverance from the hand of Midian through Gideon. Isaiah also alludes to this again in X:26 and at the same time connects it with the deliverance from Egypt, which we may also supply here in thought, though he leaves it unexpressed because the following description attaches itself more directly to the victory over Midian.
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