Matthew Poole and continuators on Isaiah 9:3

3 Thou hast multiplied the nation , and not increased the joy : they joy before thee , according to the joy in harvest , and as men rejoyce when they divide the spoile .

Thou hast made good thy Promise to Abraham concerning the Multiplication of his Seed, Gen. 15. 5. & 22. 17. by adding his Spiritual Seed unto the Carnal, by gathering in the Gentiles to the Jews, and making them both one People in Christ, Ioh. 10. 16. Eph. 2. 14. &c. For in Scripture-account the Believing Centiles are the Seed of Abraham, as well as the Jews; of which see Gal. 3. 7, 8, 9. Or, thou h[illegible: 1+ letters]st magnified the nation, honoured them with peculiar Privileges above all other Nations, and especially with this transcendent Privilege, that the Messiah and Saviour of the World should be born of them, and live among them; of which he speaks more fully, v. 6, 7.

Or, yet rot [illegible: 1+ letters]ncreased their joy. Which might very truly and fitly be said of the Jewish Nation, upon this occasion, partly because they did not rejoyce in the Conversion of the Gentiles, as they should have done, but murmured, and grieved, and stumbled at it; and partly because, through their perverseness and unbelief, that would be unto them an occasion of their utter ruine, the Conversion of the Gentiles being attended with the Rejection of the Jews. But because this Translation seems not to agree with the following Words, which ascribe great Joy to them, some render the Words otherwise; either thus, and wilt thou not encrease their joy? To which Question the next Words give an affirmative Answer. So the Hebrew Particle lo is put interrogatively for halo, as it is in many other places which I have formerly observed. Or thus, and hast increased to it, or him, or them (to that Nation) their joy. For though the Hebrew lo be written like an Adverb, yet it may be read like a Pronoun, as it is both by Jewish and Christian Interpreters acknowledged to be in many places; of which see more in my Latin Synopsis.

In thy Presence, and in the Place of thy Worship; not with a Carnal and Worldly, but with a Spiritual and Religious Joy, giving thee the Praise and Glory of all thy Favours afforded to them.

When men receive with great joy that for which they have laboured much, and long waited. See Psal. 125. 5, 6.

When, after a bloody Fight, and a glorious Victory, they come to take the Spoil.

Marginal references: Or, to him.