Behold the Lord hath proclaimed - Proclamation is made to all nations that Yahweh is about to come and rescue his people.

Say ye to the daughter of Zion - To Jerusalem (see the notes at Isaiah 1:8).

Thy salvation cometh - Lowth renders this, 'Lo!, thy Saviour cometh.' So the Vulgate, the Septuagint, the Chaldee, and the Syriac. The Hebrew word properly means salvation, but the reference is to God as the Deliverer or Saviour. The immediate allusion is probably to the return from Babylon, but the remote and more important reference is to the coming of the Redeemer (see the notes at Isaiah 40:1-10).

Behold, his reward is with him - See these words explained in the notes at Isaiah 40:10.

Unto the end of the world - אל קצה הארץ el ketseh haarets - Instead of אל el, to, עד ad, Unto, is the reading of two of Kennicott's MSS.; and one of mine has מקצה mikketseh, "From the end of the earth."

Behold, thy salvation cometh "Lo, thy Savior cometh" - So all the ancient Versions render the word ישעך yishech.

Behold, his reward - See note on Isaiah 40:10, Isaiah 40:11. This reward he carries as it were in his hand. His work is before him - he perfectly knows what is to be done; and is perfectly able to do it. He will do what God should do, and what man cannot do; and men should be workers with him. Let no man fear that the promise shall not be fulfilled on account of its difficulty, its greatness, the hinderances in the way, or the unworthiness of the person to whom it is made. It is God's work; he is able to do it, and as willing as he is able.

Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world,.... This is not to be interpreted of the proclamation by Cyrus, giving liberty to the people of the Jews to return to their own land, for that did not reach to the end of the world; but of the proclamation of the Gospel, which, as when first published, the sound of it went into all the earth, and the words of it to the ends of the world, Romans 10:18. So it will be in the latter day, when it shall be preached to all nations, from one end of the world to the other, Revelation 14:6,

Say ye to the daughter of Zion, behold, thy salvation cometh; or "thy Saviour" (l), or "thy Redeemer", as the Targum, Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions; and which is to be understood not of his first coming, or of his incarnation, though that is sometimes foretold in much such language, Zechariah 9:9 and the same things are said of him with respect to that, as follows: "behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him"; See Gill on Isaiah 40:10, but of his spiritual coming, of which notice is given to the church, the congregation of Zion, as the Targum renders it: who will come in a spiritual manner, and do a great work in the world; destroy antichrist; convert Jews and Gentiles; take to himself his great power and reign; and give a reward to his servants the prophets, his saints, and them that fear his name, 2 Thessalonians 2:8. The Targum is,

"behold, a reward to them that do his word is with him, and all their works are manifest before him.''

The word behold is three times used in this verse, to raise attention to what is said, and as pointing out something wonderful, and to express the certainty of it.

(l) "tuus Salvator", V. L. Munster, Tigurine version.

Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed to the end of the world, {m} Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and {n} his work before him.

(m) You prophets and ministers show the people of this their deliverance: which was chiefly meant of our salvation by Christ, Zec 9:9, Mt 21:5.

(n) He will have all power to bring his purpose to pass, as in Isa 40:10.

62:11 Zion - To Jerusalem, or the church. Thy salvation - Thy saviour. Reward - The reward due to the work.

work: or, recompence

11. salvation-embodied in the Saviour (see Zec 9:9).

his work-rather, recompense (Isa 40:10).

62:10-12 Way shall be made for Christ's salvation; all difficulties shall be removed. He brings a reward of comfort and peace with him; but a work of humiliation and reformation before him; and they shall be called, The holy people, and, The redeemed of the Lord. Holiness puts honour and beauty upon any place or person, makes them admired, beloved, and sought after. Many events may have been part fulfilments of this, as earnests of more glorious times yet to come. The close connexion between the blessedness of the Jews and of the Gentiles, runs through the Scriptures. The Lord Jesus will complete his work, and he never will forsake one whom he has redeemed and sanctified.