Isaiah Chapter 61

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, &c.] According to the Targum, these are the words of the prophet concerning himself; and so say Aben Ezra and Kimchi; but the latter elsewhere saysf1201 they are the words of the Messiah, who should say, “because the Lord hath anointed me”, &c.; and another of their writersf1202 is in a doubt about them; either, says he, they are the words of the prophet with respect to the Messiah, or the words of the prophet concerning himself; but there is no doubt but the Messiah himself is the person speaking, as appears from (<420417>Luke 4:1721), on whom the Spirit of God was; not his…”

“MESSIAH'S OFFICES: RESTORATION OF ISRAEL. (Isa 61:1-11) is upon me; because . . . hath anointed me--quoted by Jesus as His credentials in preaching (Luk 4:18-21). The Spirit is upon Me in preaching, because Jehovah hath anointed Me from the womb (Luk 1:35), and at baptism, with the Spirit "without measure," and permanently "abiding" on Me (Isa 11:2; Joh 1:32; Joh 3:34; Psa 45:7; with which compare Kg1 1:39-40; Kg1 19:16; Exo 29:7). "Anointed" as Messiah, Prophet, Priest, and King. good tidings--as the word "gospel" means. the meek--rather, "the poor," as Luk 4:18 has it; that is, those afflicted with calamity,…”

“The Spirit of the Lord God - Hebrew, The Spirit of the Lord Yahweh.’ The Chaldee renders this, ‘The prophet said, the spirit of prophecy from the presence of Yahweh God is upon me.’ The Syriac, ‘The Spirit of the Lord God.’ The Septuagint, Πνεῦμα Κυρίου Pneuma Kuriou - ‘The Spirit of the Lord,’ omitting the word אדני 'ădonāy. So Luke quotes it in Luke 4:18. That this refers to the Messiah is abundantly proved by the fact that the Lord Jesus expressly applied it to himself (see Luke 4:21). Rosenmuller, Gesenius, and some others, suppose that it refers to Isaiah himself, and that the idea is, that the prophet…”

“Upon me - Though the prophet may speak of himself, yet it is principally to be understood of Christ. Anointed - Set me apart, both capacitating him with gifts, and commissioning him with authority; and yet more, as it is applied to Christ, a power to make all effectual, from whence he hath also the name of Messiah among the Hebrews, and of Christ among the Greeks; nay, Christ alone among the prophets hath obtained this name, Psa 45:7. The prophet describes first, who Christ is, and then what are his offices. Liberty - This appertains to Christ's kingly office, whereby he proclaims liberty from the dominion of…”

“61:1-3 The servant here proclaims the good news that his ministry will restore Zion. The Lord Jesus applied these words to his own mission (Luke 4:18-19). 61:1 The presence of God’s Spirit ensures the success of the servant’s mission (see 11:1-5; 42:1). • The servant will restore and heal the marginalized poor and the brokenhearted (see 25:4).”

“Spirit: Isa 11:2-5, Isa 42:1, Isa 59:21; Mat 3:16; Luk 4:18, Luk 4:19; Joh 1:32, Joh 1:33, Joh 3:34 anointed: Psa 2:6 \*marg. Psa 45:7; Dan 9:24; Joh 1:41; Act 4:27, Act 10:38; Heb 1:9 to preach: Isa 52:9; Psa 22:26, Psa 25:9, Psa 69:32, Psa 149:4; Mat 5:3-5, Mat 11:5; Luk 7:22 to bind: Isa 57:15, Isa 66:2; Psa 34:18, Psa 51:17, Psa 147:3; Hos 6:1; Co2 7:6 to proclaim: The proclaiming of perfect liberty to the bound, and the year of acceptance with Jehovah, is a manifest allusion to the proclaiming of the year of the jubilee by sound of trumpet; and our Saviour, by applying this text to himself, plainly declares…”

“The words of Jehovah Himself pass over here into the words of another, whom He has appointed as the Mediator of His gracious counsel. "The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is over me, because Jehovah hath anointed me, to bring glad tidings to sufferers, hath sent me to bind up broken-hearted ones, to proclaim liberty to those led captive, and emancipation to the fettered; to proclaim a year of grace from Jehovah, and a day of vengeance from our God; to comfort all that mourn; to put upon the mourners of Zion, to give them a head-dress for ashes, oil of joy for mourning, a wrapper of renown for an expiring spirit, that…”