5 For as a young man marries a virgin, so your sons shall marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so your God will rejoice over you.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
For as a young man marrieth a virgin. This verse contains nothing more than an explanation and confirmation of the preceding verse. Now there appears to be a sort of contradiction in this respect, that in the latter clause he makes God the only Husband of the Church, while in the former clause he assigns to her many husbands. But the solution is easy; for, when this marriage of the Church is spoken of, there is but one Husband, that is, God, who always claims for himself that title; and that is fulfilled in Christ, to whom, as Paul says, the pastors "espouse the Church as a chaste virgin." (2-Corinthians 11:2.) Yet this does not prevent the metaphor of marriage from being employed to describe that unity of faith which all the children of God have with their mother, the Church. Nay more, it is consistent with God being the Husband of his Church, that he marries to his Church all the nations that are assembled to her; for, when she is without children, she may be said to be widowed and solitary. This is said, therefore, even with respect to God, who, by ratifying with his guidance the sacred amity between the members of his Church, extends the effect of marriage to the whole body. And hence it ought to be inferred, that the Church of God shall be truly populous, that is, shall have many children, when she is united to God her Husband; for we must begin with God, that he may preside over his Church, and that under his guidance we may be gathered into her bosom; for then shall the marriage be truly sacred. But for this a vast multitude of people will not constitute a church, but rather an abominable brothel; as we see that in Popery there is boasting of the name of God, and yet the majesty of God is dishonored in it by frightful sacrilege.
For as a young man marrieth a virgin - Roberts remarks on this, 'In general no youth marries a widow. Such a thing I scarcely ever heard of (in India), nor will it ever be except under some very extraordinary circumstances, as in the case of a queen, princess, or great heiress. Even widowers also, if possible, always marry virgins.' The idea here is, that Yahweh would have delight in his people, which would be properly represented by the affection which a young man has for his bride.
So shall thy sons marry thee - Lowth renders this, 'So shall thy restorer wed thee.' He supposes that the word rendered in our common version, 'thy sons' (בניך bânâyı̂k), should be pointed בניך bonayı̂k, as a participle from בנה bânâh, 'to build,' rather than from בן bên, 'a son.' The parallelism requires some such construction as this; and the unusual form of expression, 'thy sons shall be wedded to thee,' seems also to demand it. The Septuagint renders it, 'As a young man cohabits (συνοικῶν sunoikōn) with a virgin (bride, παρθένῳ parthenō), so shall thy, sons dwell with thee (κατοικήσουσιν οἱ υἱοί σου katoikēsousin hoi huioi sou). So the Chaldee. the conjecture of Lowth has been adopted by Koppe and Doderlin. Rosenmuller supposes that there is here a mingling or confusion of figures, and that the idea is, that her sons should possess her - an idea which is frequently conveyed by the word בעל Ba‛al, which is used here. To me it seems that there is much force in the conjecture of Lowth, and that the reference is to God as the 'builder,' or the restorer of Jerusalem, and that the sense is that he would be 'married,' or tenderly and indissolubly united to her. If it be objected that the word is in the 'plural (בניך bonayı̂k) it may be observed thai the word commonly applied to God (אלהים 'ĕlohı̂ym) is also plural, and that an expression remarkably similar to the one before us occurs in Isaiah 54:5, 'For thy Maker is thy husband' (Hebrew, בעליך bo‛ălayk, 'Thy husbands.') It is not uncommon to use a plural noun when speaking of God. It should be remembered that the points in the Hebrew are of no authority, and that all the change demanded here is in them.
And as the bridegroom - Margin, as in Hebrew,' With the joy of the bridegroom.'
Over the bride - In the possession of the bride - probably the most tender joy which results from the exercise of the social affections.
For as a young man - so - The particles of comparison are not at present in the Hebrew Text: but the Septuagint, Syriac, and Chaldee seem to have read in their copies כ caph prefixed to the verb, כי כיבעל ki keyibal which seems to have been omitted by mistake of a transcriber, occasioned by the repetition of the same two letters. And before the verb in the second line a MS. adds כן ken, so; which the Septuagint, Syriac, and Chaldee seem also to have had in their copies. In the third line of this verse the same MS. has in like manner וכמשוש vechimsos, and two MSS. and the Babylonish Talmud כמשוש kimsos, adding the כ caph; and in the fourth line, the Babylonish Talmud likewise adds כן ken, so, before the verb.
Sir John Chardin, in his note on this place, tells us, "that it is the custom in the east for youths, that were never married, always to marry virgins; and widowers, however young, to marry widows." - Harmer, Observ. 2 p. 482.
So shall thy sons marry thee - For בניך banayich, thy sons, Bishop Lowth reads, restorer or builder, as he does not consider the word as the plural of בן ben, a son, but the participle benoni of the verb בנה banah, he built. I do not see that we gain much by this translation. Thy sons shall dwell in thee, Vulgate; and so the Septuagint and Chaldee.
For [as] a young man marrieth a virgin, [so] shall thy sons (g) marry thee: and [as] the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, [so] shall thy God rejoice over thee.
(g) As they confess one faith and religion with you, they are in the same bond of marriage with you, and they are called the children of the Church, as Christ makes her plentiful to bring forth children to him.
For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee,.... As a young man, having married a virgin, possesses and enjoys her, and lives and dwells with her in great harmony and love, having a delight and complacency in her, there being a suitableness in her person and age; so those that are born in Zion, and brought up there, have communion with the church, and enjoy the ordinances of it; dwell and continue with her, and delight in her fellowship, ways, and worship; and have their hearts knit in love to her, professing the same faith, joining in the same worship, and walking with her in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. So the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions render it (g), "as a young man dwells with a virgin, so thy sons shall dwell in thee"; as does the Targum in like manner; and so Jarchi interprets it; for it seems exceeding disagreeable for sons to marry their mother; nor can there be an allusion to such an incestuous practice; rather it should be rendered, "as a young man hath a virgin, thy sons shall have thee" (h); have union to and communion with the church, and share in all the pleasures, privileges, and immunities of it:
and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee; Christ is the Lord God of his church and people; Immanuel, God with us; and he stands in the relation of a bridegroom to them, and they in the relation of a bride to him; and as such he rejoices over them with exceeding great joy, and that to do them good; so he rejoiced over them from all eternity, when first betrothed to him; and so he does in time, in redemption: this was the joy set before him, which animated him to bear the cross, and despise the shame of it; namely, that those would be redeemed, and saved by him, and brought to glory; he rejoices at the conversion of them, and will present them to himself with joy in the spiritual and personal reign, and to his Father at the last day; and particularly, what is meant here, there will be such a profusion of blessings on the church in the latter day, as will abundantly show the joy of Christ in his people.
(g) , , Sept.; "habitabit enim juvenis cum virgine, et habitabunt in te filii tui", V. L. (h) "Nam ut habet juvenis virginem, habebunt te filii tui", Cocceius.
thy sons--rather, changing the points, which are of no authority in Hebrew, "thy builder" or "restorer," that is, God; for in the parallel clause, and in Isaiah 62:4, God is implied as being "married" to her; whereas her "sons" could hardly be said to marry their mother; and in Isaiah 49:18, they are said to be her bridal ornaments, not her husband. The plural form, builders, is used of God in reverence as "husbands" (see on Isaiah 54:5).
over the bride--in the possession of the bride (Isaiah 65:19; Jeremiah 32:41; Zephaniah 3:17).
*More commentary available at chapter level.