4 Who hath wrought H6466 and done H6213 it, calling H7121 the generations H1755 from the beginning? H7218 I the LORD, H3068 the first, H7223 and with the last; H314 I am he.
I G1473 am G1510 Alpha G1 and G2532 Omega, G5598 the beginning G746 and G2532 the end, G5056 the first G4413 and G2532 the last. G2078
And G2532 when G3753 I saw G1492 him, G846 I fell G4098 at G4314 his G846 feet G4228 as G5613 dead. G3498 And G2532 he laid G2007 his G846 right G1188 hand G5495 upon G1909 me, G1691 saying G3004 unto me, G3427 Fear G5399 not; G3361 I G1473 am G1510 the first G4413 and G2532 the last: G2078
Declaring H5046 the end H319 from the beginning, H7225 and from ancient times H6924 the things that are not yet done, H6213 saying, H559 My counsel H6098 shall stand, H6965 and I will do H6213 all my pleasure: H2656
Who hath declared H5046 from the beginning, H7218 that we may know? H3045 and beforetime, H6440 that we may say, H559 He is righteous? H6662 yea, there is none that sheweth, H5046 yea, there is none that declareth, H8085 yea, there is none that heareth H8085 your words. H561
I G1473 am G1510 Alpha G1 and G2532 Omega, G5598 the beginning G746 and G2532 the ending, G5056 saith G3004 the Lord, G2962 which G3588 is, G5607 and G2532 which G3588 was, G2258 and G2532 which G3588 is to come, G2064 G3801 the Almighty. G3841
Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 the King H4428 of Israel, H3478 and his redeemer H1350 the LORD H3068 of hosts; H6635 I am the first, H7223 and I am the last; H314 and beside H1107 me there is no God. H430 And who, as I, shall call, H7121 and shall declare H5046 it, and set it in order H6186 for me, since I appointed H7760 the ancient H5769 people? H5971 and the things that are coming, H857 and shall come, H935 let them shew H5046 unto them.
Remember H2142 the days H3117 of old, H5769 consider H995 the years H8141 of many H1755 generations: H1755 ask H7592 thy father, H1 and he will shew H5046 thee; thy elders, H2205 and they will tell H559 thee. When the most High H5945 divided H5157 to the nations H1471 their inheritance, H5157 when he separated H6504 the sons H1121 of Adam, H120 he set H5324 the bounds H1367 of the people H5971 according to the number H4557 of the children H1121 of Israel. H3478
And G2532 unto the angel G32 of the church G1577 in Smyrna G4668 write; G1125 These things G3592 saith G3004 the first G4413 and G2532 the last, G2078 which G3739 was G1096 dead, G3498 and G2532 is alive; G2198
Who hath measured H4058 the waters H4325 in the hollow of his hand, H8168 and meted out H8505 heaven H8064 with the span, H2239 and comprehended H3557 the dust H6083 of the earth H776 in a measure, H7991 and weighed H8254 the mountains H2022 in scales, H6425 and the hills H1389 in a balance? H3976
Saying, G3004 I G1473 am G1510 Alpha G1 and G2532 Omega, G5598 the first G4413 and G2532 the last: G2078 and, G2532 What G3739 thou seest, G991 write G1125 in G1519 a book, G975 and G2532 send G3992 it unto the seven G2033 churches G1577 which G3588 are in G1722 Asia; G773 unto G1519 Ephesus, G2181 and G2532 unto G1519 Smyrna, G4667 and G2532 unto G1519 Pergamos, G4010 and G2532 unto G1519 Thyatira, G2363 and G2532 unto G1519 Sardis, G4554 and G2532 unto G1519 Philadelphia, G5359 and G2532 unto G1519 Laodicea. G2993
And G5037 hath made G4160 of G1537 one G1520 blood G129 all G3956 nations G1484 of men G444 for to dwell G2730 on G1909 all G3956 the face G4383 of the earth, G1093 and hath determined G3724 the times G2540 before appointed, G4384 and G2532 the bounds G3734 of their G846 habitation; G2733
Behold, G2400 a virgin G3933 shall be with child, G1722 G1064 G2192 and G2532 shall bring forth G5088 a son, G5207 and G2532 they shall call G2564 his G846 name G3686 Emmanuel, G1694 which G3739 being interpreted G3177 is, G2076 God G2316 with G3326 us. G2257
I have declared H5046 the former things H7223 from the beginning; H227 and they went forth H3318 out of my mouth, H6310 and I shewed H8085 them; I did H6213 them suddenly, H6597 and they came to pass. H935 Because I knew H1847 that thou art obstinate, H7186 and thy neck H6203 is an iron H1270 sinew, H1517 and thy brow H4696 brass; H5154 I have even from the beginning H227 declared H5046 it to thee; before it came to pass H935 I shewed H8085 it thee: lest thou shouldest say, H559 Mine idol H6090 hath done H6213 them, and my graven image, H6459 and my molten image, H5262 hath commanded H6680 them. Thou hast heard, H8085 see H2372 all this; and will not ye declare H5046 it? I have shewed H8085 thee new things H2319 from this time, H6258 even hidden things, H5341 and thou didst not know H3045 them. They are created H1254 now, and not from the beginning; even before H6440 the day H3117 when thou heardest H8085 them not; lest thou shouldest say, H559 Behold, I knew H3045 them.
Hearken H8085 unto me, O house H1004 of Jacob, H3290 and all the remnant H7611 of the house H1004 of Israel, H3478 which are borne H6006 by me from the belly, H990 which are carried H5375 from the womb: H7356 And even to your old age H2209 I am he; and even to hoar hairs H7872 will I carry H5445 you: I have made, H6213 and I will bear; H5375 even I will carry, H5445 and will deliver H4422 you.
Who gave H5414 Jacob H3290 for a spoil, H4933 H4882 and Israel H3478 to the robbers? H962 did not the LORD, H3068 he against whom H2098 we have sinned? H2398 for they would H14 not walk H1980 in his ways, H1870 neither were they obedient H8085 unto his law. H8451
Lift up H5375 your eyes H5869 on high, H4791 and behold H7200 who hath created H1254 these things, that bringeth out H3318 their host H6635 by number: H4557 he calleth H7121 them all by names H8034 by the greatness H7230 of his might, H202 for that he is strong H533 in power; H3581 not one H376 faileth. H5737
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Isaiah 41
Commentary on Isaiah 41 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 41
Isa 41:1-29. Additional Reasons Why the Jews Should Place Confidence in God's Promises of Delivering Them; He Will Raise Up a Prince as Their Deliverer, Whereas the Idols Could Not Deliver the Heathen Nations from That Prince.
1. (Zec 2:13). God is about to argue the case; therefore let the nations listen in reverential silence. Compare Ge 28:16, 17, as to the spirit in which we ought to behave before God.
before me—rather (turning), "towards me" [Maurer].
islands—including all regions beyond sea (Jer 25:22), maritime regions, not merely isles in the strict sense.
renew … strength—Let them gather their strength for the argument; let them adduce their strongest arguments (compare Isa 1:18; Job 9:32). "Judgment" means here, to decide the point at issue between us.
2. Who—else but God? The fact that God "raiseth up" Cyrus and qualifies him for becoming the conqueror of the nations and deliverer of God's people, is a strong argument why they should trust in Him. The future is here prophetically represented as present or past.
the righteous man—Cyrus; as Isa 44:28; 45:1-4, 13; 46:11, "from the East," prove. Called "righteous," not so much on account of his own equity [Herodotus, 3.89], as because he fulfilled God's righteous will in restoring the Jews from their unjust captivity. Raised him up in righteousness. The Septuagint takes the Hebrew as a noun "righteousness." Maurer translates, "Who raised up him whom salvation (national and temporal, the gift of God's 'righteousness' to the good, Isa 32:17; compare Isa 45:8; 51:5) meets at his foot" (that is, wherever he goes). Cyrus is said to come from the East, because Persia is east of Babylon; but in Isa 41:25, from the north, in reference to Media. At the same time the full sense of righteousness, or righteous, and of the whole passage, is realized only in Messiah, Cyrus' antitype (Cyrus knew not God, Isa 45:4). He goes forth as the Universal Conqueror of the "nations," in righteousness making war (Ps 2:8, 9; Re 19:11-15; 6:2; 2:26, 27). "The idols He shall utterly abolish" (compare Isa 7:23, with Isa 2:18). Righteousness was always raised up from the East. Paradise was east of Eden. The cherubim were at the east of the garden. Abraham was called from the East. Judea, the birthplace of Messiah, was in the East.
called … to … foot—called him to attend His (God's) steps, that is, follow His guidance. In Ezr 1:2, Cyrus acknowledges Jehovah as the Giver of his victories. He subdued the nations from the Euxine to the Red Sea, and even Egypt (says Xenophon).
dust—(Isa 17:13; 29:5; Ps 18:42). Persia, Cyrus' country, was famed for the use of the "bow" (Isa 22:6). "Before him" means "gave them into his power" (Jos 10:12). Maurer translates, "Gave his (the enemy's) sword to be dust, and his (the enemy's) bow to be as stubble" (Job 41:26, 29).
3. Cyrus had not visited the regions of the Euphrates and westward until he visited them for conquest. So the gospel conquests penetrated regions where the name of God was unknown before.
4. Who—else but God?
calling … generations from … beginning—The origin and position of all nations are from God (De 32:8; Ac 17:26); what is true of Cyrus and his conquests is true of all the movements of history from the first; all are from God.
with the last—that is, the last (Isa 44:6; 48:12).
5. feared—that they would be subdued.
drew near, and came—together, for mutual defense.
6. Be of good courage—Be not alarmed because of Cyrus, but make new images to secure the favor of the gods against him.
7. One workman encourages the other to be quick in finishing the idol, so as to avert the impending danger.
nails—to keep it steady in its place. Wisdom 13:15, 16, gives a similar picture of the folly of idolatry.
8. Contrast between the idolatrous nations whom God will destroy by Cyrus, and Israel whom God will deliver by the same man for their forefathers' sake.
servant—so termed as being chosen by God to worship Him themselves, and to lead other peoples to do the same (Isa 45:4).
Jacob … chosen—(Ps 135:4).
my friend—literally, "loving me."
9. Abraham, the father of the Jews, taken from the remote Ur of the Chaldees. Others take it of Israel, called out of Egypt (De 4:37; Ho 11:1).
from the chief men—literally, "the elbows"; so the joints; hence the root which joins the tree to the earth; figuratively, those of ancient and noble stock. But the parallel clause "ends of the earth" favors Gesenius, who translates, "the extremities of the earth"; so Jerome.
10. be not dismayed—literally, anxiously to look at one another in dismay.
right hand of my righteousness—that is, My right hand prepared in accordance with My righteousness (faithfulness to My promises) to uphold thee.
11. ashamed—put to the shame of defeat (compare Isa 54:17; Ro 9:33).
12. seek … and … not find—said of one so utterly put out of the way that not a trace of him can be found (Ps 37:36).
thing of naught—shall utterly perish.
13. (De 33:26, 29).
14. worm—in a state of contempt and affliction, whom all loathe and tread on, the very expression which Messiah, on the cross, applies to Himself (Ps 22:6), so completely are the Lord and His people identified and assimilated. God's people are as 'worms' in humble thoughts of themselves, and in their enemies' haughty thoughts of them; worms, but not vipers, or of the serpent's seed." [Henry].
men—The parallelism requires the word "men" here to have associated with it the idea of fewness or feebleness. Lowth translates, "Ye mortals of Israel." The Septuagint, "altogether diminutive." Maurer supports English Version, which the Hebrew text best accords with.
the Lord—in general.
and thy redeemer—in particular; a still stronger reason why He should "help" them.
15. God will make Israel to destroy their enemies as the Eastern corn-drag (Isa 28:27, 28) bruises out the grain with its teeth, and gives the chaff to the winds to scatter.
teeth—serrated, so as to cut up the straw for fodder and separate the grain from the chaff.
mountains … hills—kingdoms more or less powerful that were hostile to Israel (Isa 2:14).
16. fan—winnowed (compare Mt 3:12).
whirlwind … scatter them—(Job 27:21; 30:22).
17. poor and needy—primarily, the exiles in Babylon.
water—figuratively, refreshment, prosperity after their affliction. The language is so constructed as only very partially to apply to the local and temporary event of the restoration from Babylon; but fully to be realized in the waters of life and of the Spirit, under the Gospel (Isa 30:25; 44:3; Joh 7:37-39; 4:14). God wrought no miracles that we read of, in any wilderness, during the return from Babylon.
faileth—rather, "is rigid" or parched [Horsley].
18. Alluding to the waters with which Israel was miraculously supplied in the desert after having come out of Egypt.
high places—bare of trees, barren, and unwatered (Jer 4:11; 14:6). "High places … valleys" spiritually express that in all circumstances, whether elevated or depressed, God's people will have refreshment for their souls, however little to be expected it might seem.
19. (Isa 32:15; 55:13).
shittah—rather, the "acacia," or Egyptian thorn, from which the gum Arabic is obtained [Lowth].
oil tree—the olive.
fir tree—rather, the "cypress": grateful by its shade.
pine—Gesenius translates, "the holm."
box tree—not the shrub used for bordering flower beds, but [Gesenius] a kind of cedar, remarkable for the smallness of its cones, and the upward direction of its branches.
20. consider—literally, "lay it (to heart)"; turn (their attention) to it. "They" refers to all lands (Isa 41:1; Ps 64:9; 40:3). The effect on the Gentiles of God's open interposition hereafter in behalf of Israel shall be, they shall seek Israel's God (Isa 2:3; Zec 8:21-23).
21. A new challenge to the idolaters (see Isa 41:1, 7) to say, can their idols predict future events as Jehovah can (Isa 41:22-25, &c.)?
your strong reasons—the reasons for idol-worship which you think especially strong.
22. what shall happen—"Let them bring near and declare future contingencies" [Horsley].
former things … the latter end of them—show what former predictions the idols have given, that we may compare the event ("latter end") with them; or give new prophecies ("declare things to come") (Isa 42:9), [Maurer]. Barnes explains it more reconditely, "Let them foretell the entire series of events, showing, in their order, the things which shall first occur, as well as those which shall finally happen"; the false prophets tried to predict isolated events, having no mutual dependency; not a long series of events mutually and orderly connected, and stretching far into futurity. They did not even try to do this. None but God can do it (Isa 46:10; 44:7, 8). "Or … things to come" will, in this view, mean, Let them, if they cannot predict the series, even predict plainly any detached events.
23. do good … evil—give any proof at all of your power, either to reward your friends or punish your enemies (Ps 115:2-8).
that we may be dismayed, and behold it together—Maurer translates, "That we (Jehovah and the idols) may look one another in the face (that is, encounter one another, 2Ki 14:8, 11), and see" our respective powers by a trial. Horsley translates, "Then the moment we behold, we shall be dismayed." "We" thus, and in English Version, refers to Jehovah and His worshippers.
24. of nothing—(See on Isa 40:17). The Hebrew text is here corrupt; so English Version treats it.
abomination—abstract for concrete: not merely abominable, but the essence of whatever is so (De 18:12).
chooseth you—as an object of worship.
25. raised up—in purpose: not fulfilled till a hundred fifty years afterwards.
north—In Isa 41:2, "from the East"; both are true: see the note there.
call … my name—acknowledge Me as God, and attribute his success to Me; this he did in the proclamation (Ezr 1:2). This does not necessarily imply that Cyrus renounced idolatry, but hearing of Isaiah's prophecy given a hundred fifty years before, so fully realized in his own acts, he recognized God as the true God, but retained his idol (so Naaman, 2Ki 5:1-27; compare 2Ki 17:33, 41; Da 3:28; 4:1-3, 34-37).
princes—the Babylonian satraps or governors of provinces.
mortar—"mire"; He shall tread them under foot as dirt (Isa 10:6).
26. Who—of the idolatrous soothsayers? When this prophecy shall be fulfilled, all shall see that God foretold as to Cyrus, which none of the soothsayers have.
beforetime—before the event occurred.
He is righteous—rather, "It is true"; it was a true prophecy, as the event shows. "He is righteous," in English Version, must be interpreted, The fulfilment of the idol's words proves that he is faithful.
showeth, &c.—rather, "there was none (of the soothsayers) that showed … declared—no one has heard your words" foretelling the event.
27. Rather, "I first will give to Zion and to Jerusalem the messenger of good tidings, Behold, behold them!" The clause, "Behold … them" (the wished-for event is now present) is inserted in the middle of the sentence as a detached exclamation, by an elegant transposition, the language being framed abruptly, as one would speak in putting vividly as it were, before the eyes of others, some joyous event which he had just learned [Ludovicus De Dieu] (compare Isa 40:9). None of the idols had foretold these events. Jehovah was the "first" to do so (see Isa 41:4).
28. no counsellor—no one of the idolatrous soothsayers who could inform (Nu 24:14) those who consulted them what would take place. Compare "counsel of His messenger" (Isa 44:26).
when I asked—that is, challenged them, in this chapter.
29. confusion—"emptiness" [Barnes].