Isaiah 62:6

“I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, &c.] Not angels, as Jarchi; nor kings, as Kimchi; nor princes and civil magistrates, as others; nor the mourners in Zion, as Aben Ezra; but ministers of the Gospel; as the prophets of the Old Testament are called watch men, (<232111>Isaiah 21:11,12 <260317>Ezekiel 3:17), so ministers of the New, (<235208>Isaiah 52:8) who are to watch in all things over themselves, and for the souls of men; for their good, and to guard them against that which is evil, pernicious, and dangerous, both in principle and practice, (<550405>2 Timothy 4:5 <581317>Hebrews 13:17). The allusion is to watchmen on the walls of cities, whose business is to keep their place…”

“I--Isaiah speaking in the person of the Messiah. watchmen upon . . . walls--image from the watches set upon a city's wall to look out for the approach of a messenger with good tidings (Isa 52:7-8); the good tidings of the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon, prefiguring the return from the present dispersion (compare Isa 21:6-11; Isa 56:10; Eze 3:17; Eze 33:7). The watches in the East are announced by a loud cry to mark the vigilance of the watchmen. ye that . . . mention . . . Lord--Hebrew, "ye that are the Lord's remembrancers"; God's servants who by their prayers "put God in remembrance" of His promises (Isa 43:26); we are required to remind God, as if God could, which He cannot,…”

“I have set watchmen upon thy walls - (See the notes at Isaiah 21:6-11). The speaker here is undoubtedly Yahweh; and by watchmen he means those whom he had appointed to be the instructors of his people - the ministers of religion. The name ‘watchmen’ is often given to them (Ezekiel 3:17; Ezekiel 33:7; see the notes at Isaiah 52:8; Isaiah 56:10). Which shall never hold their peace - The watches in the East are to this day performed by a loud cry as they go their rounds. This is done frequently in order to mark the time, and also to show that they are awake to their duty. “The watchmen in the camp of the caravans go their rounds, crying one after another, ‘God is one; He is merciful’; and often…”

“Day nor night - There shall be a vigilant and industrious ministry. Ye - That is, are his servants. And here especially are meant his servants in ordinary, his remembrancers, such as put God in mind of his promise, and such as make the Lord to be remembered, putting his people in mind of him. Isaiah 62:7”

“62:6-7 The watchmen probably represent the prophets. • they will pray day and night: They will continually seek the full restoration and blessing of Zion, unlike the destructive watchmen of 56:10.”

“set watchmen: Isa 52:8, Isa 56:10; Ch2 8:14; Sol 3:3, Sol 5:7; Jer 6:17; Eze 3:17-21, Eze 33:2-9; Co1 12:28; Eph 4:11, Eph 4:12; Heb 13:17 which: Isa 62:1; Psa 134:1, Psa 134:2; Rev 4:6-8 make mention of the Lord: or, are the Lord's remembrancers, Isa 43:26; Gen 32:12; Num 14:17-19; Psa 74:2, Psa 74:18; Act 10:4, Act 10:31 keep: Gen 32:26; Mat 15:22-27; Luk 11:5-13, Luk 18:1-8, Luk 18:39; Th1 5:17; Rev 6:10 Isaiah 62:7”

“Watchmen stationed upon the walls of Zion (says the third strophe) do not forsake Jehovah till He has fulfilled all His promise. "Upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, have I stationed watchmen; all the day and all the night continually they are not silent. O ye who remember Jehovah, leave yourselves no rest! And give Him no rest, till He raise up, and till He set Jerusalem for a praise in the earth." As the phrase hiphqı̄d ‛al signifies to make a person an overseer (president) over anything, it seems as though we ought to render the sentence before us, "I have set watchmen over thy walls." But hiphqı̄d by itself may also mean "to appoint" ( Kg2 25:23), and therefore עלח־ומתיך may indicate the place…”