Isaiah 49:2

“And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword, &c.] Or, “he hath put his words in my mouth as a sharp sword,” as the Targum; namely, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and is sharper than a twoedged sword, and is said to come out of the mouth of Christ, (<490617>Ephesians 6:17 <580412>Hebrews 4:12 <660116>Revelation 1:16), with which he pierces into and cuts the hearts of men, and lays open all their sin and unrighteousness, and cuts down the worst and best in men, and slays all his enemies; so his mouth was as a sharp sword in the days of his flesh, to inveigh against the sins and to refute the errors of the Scribes and Pharisees; as it will be, in the latter day, to smite…”

“my mouth . . . sword-- (Isa 11:4; Rev 19:15). The double office of the Word of God, saving and damnatory, is implied (Isa 50:4; Joh 12:48; Heb 4:12). shaft-- (Psa 45:5). "Polished," that is, free from all rust, implies His unsullied purity. in . . . quiver . . . hid me--Like a sword in its scabbard, or a shaft in the quiver, Messiah, before His appearing, was hid with God, ready to be drawn forth at the moment God saw fit [HENGSTENBERG]; also always protected by God, as the arrow by the quiver (Isa 51:16).”

“And he hath made my mouth - The idea here is, that he had qualified him for a convincing and powerful eloquence - for the utterance of words which would penetrate the heart like a sharp sword. The mouth here, by an obvious figure, stands for discourse. The comparison of words that are pungent, penetrating, powerful, to a sword, is common. Indeed the very terms that I have incidentally used, ‘pungent,’ ‘penetrating,’ are instances of the same kind of figure, and are drawn from a needle, or anything sharp and pointed, that penetrates. Instances of this occur in the following places in the Scriptures: ‘The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies’…”

“A sword - As he made me the great teacher of his church, so he made my word, quick and powerful, and sharper than any two - edged sword. Hath he hid - He will protect me from all mine enemies. Made me - Like an arrow, whose point is bright and polished; which therefore pierceth deeper. Isaiah 49:3”

“49:2 my words of judgment: The servant’s mission would be prophetic (see 11:4; Eph 6:17; Heb 4:12; Rev 1:16; 2:12, 16; 19:15).”

“he hath made: Isa 11:4; Psa 45:2-5; Hos 6:5; Heb 4:12; Rev 1:16, Rev 2:12, Rev 19:15 in the: Isa 42:1, Isa 51:16; Psa 91:1; Luk 23:46 made me: The polished shaft, says Bp. Lowth, denotes the same efficacious word which is before represented by the sharp sword. The doctrine of the gospel pierced the hearts of its hearers, "bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." Isa 50:4, Isa 61:1-3; Psa 45:5; Jer 1:18, Jer 15:19, Jer 15:20 Isaiah 49:3”