6 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.
Bring forth H3318 the blind H5787 people H5971 that have H3426 eyes, H5869 and the deaf H2795 that have ears. H241 Let all the nations H1471 be gathered H6908 together, H3162 and let the people H3816 be assembled: H622 who among them can declare H5046 this, and shew H8085 us former things? H7223 let them bring forth H5414 their witnesses, H5707 that they may be justified: H6663 or let them hear, H8085 and say, H559 It is truth. H571 Ye are my witnesses, H5707 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 and my servant H5650 whom I have chosen: H977 that ye may know H3045 and believe H539 me, and understand H995 that I am he: before H6440 me there was no God H410 formed, H3335 neither shall there be after H310 me.
And G2532 I saw G1492 when G3753 the Lamb G721 opened G455 one G3391 of G1537 the seals, G4973 and G2532 I heard, G191 as it were G5613 the noise G5456 of thunder, G1027 one G1520 of G1537 the four G5064 beasts G2226 saying, G3004 Come G2064 and G2532 see. G991 And G2532 I saw, G1492 and G2532 behold G2400 a white G3022 horse: G2462 and G2532 he that sat G2521 on G1909 him G846 had G2192 a bow; G5115 and G2532 a crown G4735 was given G1325 unto him: G846 and G2532 he went forth G1831 conquering, G3528 and G2532 to G2443 conquer. G3528 And G2532 when G3753 he had opened G455 the second G1208 seal, G4973 I heard G191 the second G1208 beast G2226 say, G3004 Come G2064 and G2532 see. G991 And G2532 there went out G1831 another G243 horse G2462 that was red: G4450 and G2532 power was given G1325 to him G846 that sat G2521 thereon G1909 G846 to take G2983 peace G1515 from G575 the earth, G1093 and G2532 that G2443 they should kill G4969 one another: G240 and G2532 there was given G1325 unto him G846 a great G3173 sword. G3162 And G2532 when G3753 he had opened G455 the third G5154 seal, G4973 I heard G191 the third G5154 beast G2226 say, G3004 Come G2064 and G2532 see. G991 And G2532 I beheld, G1492 and G2532 lo G2400 a black G3189 horse; G2462 and G2532 he that sat G2521 on G1909 him G846 had G2192 a pair of balances G2218 in G1722 his G846 hand. G5495 And G2532 I heard G191 a voice G5456 in G1722 the midst G3319 of the four G5064 beasts G2226 say, G3004 A measure G5518 of wheat G4621 for a penny, G1220 and G2532 three G5140 measures G5518 of barley G2915 for a penny; G1220 and G2532 see thou hurt G91 not G3361 the oil G1637 and G2532 the wine. G3631 And G2532 when G3753 he had opened G455 the fourth G5067 seal, G4973 I heard G191 the voice G5456 of the fourth G5067 beast G2226 say, G3004 Come G2064 and G2532 see. G991 And G2532 I looked, G1492 and G2532 behold G2400 a pale G5515 horse: G2462 and G2532 his G846 name G3686 that sat G2521 on G1883 him G846 was Death, G2288 and G2532 Hell G86 followed G190 with G3326 him. G846 And G2532 power G1849 was given G1325 unto them G846 over G1909 the fourth part G5067 of the earth, G1093 to kill G615 with G1722 sword, G4501 and G2532 with G1722 hunger, G3042 and G2532 with G1722 death, G2288 and G2532 with G5259 the beasts G2342 of the earth. G1093 And G2532 when G3753 he had opened G455 the fifth G3991 seal, G4973 I saw G1492 under G5270 the altar G2379 the souls G5590 of them that were slain G4969 for G1223 the word G3056 of God, G2316 and G2532 for G1223 the testimony G3141 which G3739 they held: G2192 And G2532 they cried G2896 with a loud G3173 voice, G5456 saying, G3004 How G2193 long, G4219 O Lord, G1203 holy G40 and G2532 true, G228 dost thou G2919 not G3756 judge G2919 and G2532 avenge G1556 our G2257 blood G129 on G575 them that dwell G2730 on G1909 the earth? G1093 And G2532 white G3022 robes G4749 were given G1325 unto every one of them; G1538 and G2532 it was said G4483 unto them, G846 that G2443 they should rest G373 yet G2089 for a little G3398 season, G5550 until G2193 their G846 fellowservants G4889 also G2532 and G2532 their G846 brethren, G80 that should G3195 be killed G615 as G5613 G2532 they G846 were, should G3739 be fulfilled. G4137 And G2532 I beheld G1492 when G3753 he had opened G455 the sixth G1623 seal, G4973 and, G2532 lo, G2400 there was G1096 a great G3173 earthquake; G4578 and G2532 the sun G2246 became G1096 black G3189 as G5613 sackcloth G4526 of hair, G5155 and G2532 the moon G4582 became G1096 as G5613 blood; G129 And G2532 the stars G792 of heaven G3772 fell G4098 unto G1519 the earth, G1093 even as G5613 a fig tree G4808 casteth G906 her G846 untimely figs, G3653 when she is shaken G4579 of G5259 a mighty G3173 wind. G417 And G2532 the heaven G3772 departed G673 as G5613 a scroll G975 when it is rolled together; G1507 and G2532 every G3956 mountain G3735 and G2532 island G3520 were moved G2795 out of G1537 their G846 places. G5117 And G2532 the kings G935 of the earth, G1093 and G2532 the great men, G3175 and G2532 the rich men, G4145 and G2532 the chief captains, G5506 and G2532 the mighty men, G1415 and G2532 every G3956 bondman, G1401 and G2532 every G3956 free man, G1658 hid G2928 themselves G1438 in G1519 the dens G4693 and G2532 in G1519 the rocks G4073 of the mountains; G3735 And G2532 said G3004 to the mountains G3735 and G2532 rocks, G4073 Fall G4098 on G1909 us, G2248 and G2532 hide G2928 us G2248 from G575 the face G4383 of him that sitteth G2521 on G1909 the throne, G2362 and G2532 from G575 the wrath G3709 of the Lamb: G721 For G3754 the great G3173 day G2250 of his G846 wrath G3709 is come; G2064 and G2532 who G5101 shall be able G1410 to stand? G2476
And G2532 I saw G1492 in G1909 the right hand G1188 of him that sat G2521 on G1909 the throne G2362 a book G975 written G1125 within G2081 and G2532 on the backside, G3693 sealed G2696 with seven G2033 seals. G4973 And G2532 I saw G1492 a strong G2478 angel G32 proclaiming G2784 with a loud G3173 voice, G5456 Who G5101 is G2076 worthy G514 to open G455 the book, G975 and G2532 to loose G3089 the seals G4973 thereof? G846
Of G4012 which G3739 salvation G4991 the prophets G4396 have enquired G1567 and G2532 searched diligently, G1830 who G3588 prophesied G4395 of G4012 the grace G5485 that should come unto G1519 you: G5209 Searching G2045 what, G1519 G5101 or G2228 what manner G4169 of time G2540 the Spirit G4151 of Christ G5547 which G3588 was in G1722 them G846 did signify, G1213 when it testified beforehand G4303 the sufferings G3804 of G1519 Christ, G5547 and G2532 the glory G1391 that should follow. G3326 G5023 Unto whom G3739 it was revealed, G601 that G3754 not G3756 unto themselves, G1438 but G1161 unto us G2254 they did minister G1247 the things, G846 which G3739 are G312 now G3568 reported G312 unto you G5213 by G1223 them that have preached the gospel G2097 unto you G5209 with G1722 the Holy G40 Ghost G4151 sent down G649 from G575 heaven; G3772 which things G3739 the angels G32 desire G1937 to look G3879 into. G1519
Now G1161 to him that is of power G1410 to stablish G4741 you G5209 according G2596 to my G3450 gospel, G2098 and G2532 the preaching G2782 of Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 according G2596 to the revelation G602 of the mystery, G3466 which was kept secret G4601 since the world began, G5550 G166 But G1161 now G3568 is made manifest, G5319 and G5037 by G1223 the scriptures G1124 of the prophets, G4397 according G2596 to the commandment G2003 of the everlasting G166 God, G2316 made known G1107 to G1519 all G3956 nations G1484 for G1519 the obedience G5218 of faith: G4102
I have preached H1319 righteousness H6664 in the great H7227 congregation: H6951 lo, I have not refrained H3607 my lips, H8193 O LORD, H3068 thou knowest. H3045 I have not hid H3680 thy righteousness H6666 within H8432 my heart; H3820 I have declared H559 thy faithfulness H530 and thy salvation: H8668 I have not concealed H3582 thy lovingkindness H2617 and thy truth H571 from the great H7227 congregation. H6951
And I heard, H8085 but I understood H995 not: then said H559 I, O my Lord, H113 what shall be the end H319 of these things? And he said, H559 Go thy way, H3212 Daniel: H1840 for the words H1697 are closed up H5640 and sealed H2856 till the time H6256 of the end. H7093 Many H7227 shall be purified, H1305 and made white, H3835 and tried; H6884 but the wicked H7563 shall do wickedly: H7561 and none of the wicked H7563 shall understand; H995 but the wise H7919 shall understand. H995 And from the time H6256 that the daily H8548 sacrifice shall be taken away, H5493 and the abomination H8251 that maketh desolate H8074 set up, H5414 there shall be a thousand H505 two hundred H3967 and ninety H8673 days. H3117 Blessed H835 is he that waiteth, H2442 and cometh H5060 to the thousand H505 three H7969 hundred H3967 and five H2568 and thirty H7970 days. H3117 But go thou thy way H3212 till the end H7093 be: for thou shalt rest, H5117 and stand H5975 in thy lot H1486 at the end H7093 of the days. H3117
One H1755 generation H1755 shall praise H7623 thy works H4639 to another, and shall declare H5046 thy mighty acts. H1369 I will speak H7878 of the glorious H3519 honour H1926 of thy majesty, H1935 and of thy wondrous H6381 works. H1697
Which we have heard H8085 and known, H3045 and our fathers H1 have told H5608 us. We will not hide H3582 them from their children, H1121 shewing H5608 to the generation H1755 to come H314 the praises H8416 of the LORD, H3068 and his strength, H5807 and his wonderful works H6381 that he hath done. H6213 For he established H6965 a testimony H5715 in Jacob, H3290 and appointed H7760 a law H8451 in Israel, H3478 which he commanded H6680 our fathers, H1 that they should make them known H3045 to their children: H1121 That the generation H1755 to come H314 might know H3045 them, even the children H1121 which should be born; H3205 who should arise H6965 and declare H5608 them to their children: H1121
My mouth H6310 shall shew forth H5608 thy righteousness H6666 and thy salvation H8668 all the day; H3117 for I know H3045 not the numbers H5615 thereof. I will go in H935 the strength H1369 of the Lord H136 GOD: H3069 I will make mention H2142 of thy righteousness, H6666 even of thine only. O God, H430 thou hast taught H3925 me from my youth: H5271 and hitherto have I declared H5046 thy wondrous works. H6381 Now also when H5704 I am old H2209 and grayheaded, H7872 O God, H430 forsake H5800 me not; until I have shewed H5046 thy strength H2220 unto this generation, H1755 and thy power H1369 to every one that is to come. H935
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Isaiah 48
Commentary on Isaiah 48 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 48
Isa 48:1-22. The Things That Befall Babylon Jehovah Predicted Long before, lest Israel Should Attribute Them, in Its "Obstinate" Perversity, to Strange Gods (Isa 48:1-5).
1. the waters of Judah—spring from the fountain of Judah (Nu 24:7; De 33:28; Ps 68:26; Margin). Judah has the "fountain" attributed to it, because it survived the ten tribes, and from it Messiah was to spring.
swear by … Lord—(Isa 19:18; 45:23; 65:16).
mention—in prayers and praises.
not in truth—(Jer 5:2; Joh 4:24).
2. For—Ye deserve these reproofs; "for" ye call yourselves citizens of "the holy city" (Isa 52:1), but not in truth (Isa 48:1; Ne 11:1; Da 9:24); so the inscription on their coins of the time of the Maccabees. "Jerusalem the Holy."
3. former—things which have happened in time past to Israel (Isa 42:9; 44:7, 8; 45:21; 46:10).
suddenly—They came to pass so unexpectedly that the prophecy could not have resulted from mere human sagacity.
4. obstinate—Hebrew, "hard" (De 9:27; Eze 3:7, Margin).
iron sinew—inflexible (Ac 7:51).
brow brass—shameless as a harlot (see Jer 6:28; 3:3; Eze 3:7, Margin).
5. (See on Isa 48:1; Isa 48:3).
6. Thou, &c.—So "ye are my witnesses" (Isa 43:10). Thou canst testify the prediction was uttered long before the fulfilment: "see all this," namely, that the event answers to the prophecy.
declare—make the fact known as a proof that Jehovah alone is God (Isa 44:8).
new things—namely, the deliverance from Babylon by Cyrus, new in contradistinction from former predictions that had been fulfilled (Isa 42:9; 43:19). Antitypically, the prophecy has in view the "new things" of the gospel treasury (So 7:13; Mt 13:52; 2Co 5:17; Re 21:5). From this point forward, the prophecies as to Messiah's first and second advents and the restoration of Israel, have a new circumstantial distinctness, such as did not characterize the previous ones, even of Isaiah. Babylon, in this view, answers to the mystical Babylon of Revelation.
hidden—which could not have been guessed by political sagacity (Da 2:22, 29; 1Co 2:9, 10).
7. Not like natural results from existing causes, the events when they took place were like acts of creative power, such as had never before been "from the beginning."
even before the day when—rather [Maurer], "And before the day (of their occurrence) thou hast not heard of them"; that is, by any human acuteness; they are only heard of by the present inspired announcement.
8. heardest not—repeated, as also "knewest not," from Isa 48:7.
from that time—Omit "that." "Yea, from the first thine ear did not open itself," namely, to obey them [Rosenmuller]. "To open the ear" denotes obedient attention (Isa 50:5); or, "was not opened" to receive them; that is, they were not declared by Me to thee previously, since, if thou hadst been informed of them, such is thy perversity, thou couldst not have been kept in check [Maurer]. In the former view, the sense of the words following is, "For I knew that, if I had not foretold the destruction of Babylon so plainly that there could be no perverting of it, thou wouldst have perversely ascribed it to idols, or something else than to Me" (Isa 48:5). Thus they would have relapsed into idolatry, to cure them of which the Babylonian captivity was sent: so they had done (Ex 32:4). After the return, and ever since, they have utterly forsaken idols.
wast called—as thine appropriate appellation (Isa 9:6).
from the womb—from the beginning of Israel's national existence (Isa 44:2).
9. refrain—literally, "muzzle"; His wrath, after the return, was to be restrained a while, and then, because of their sins, let loose again (Ps 78:38).
for thee—that is, mine anger towards thee.
10. (See on Isa 1:25).
with silver—rather, "for silver." I sought by affliction to purify thee, but thou wast not as silver obtained by melting, but as dross [Gesenius]. Thy repentance is not complete: thou art not yet as refined silver. Rosenmuller explains, "not as silver," not with the intense heat needed to melt silver (it being harder to melt than gold), that is, not with the most extreme severity. The former view is better (Isa 1:25; 42:25; Eze 22:18-20, 22).
chosen—or else [Lowth], tried … proved: according to Gesenius, literally, "to rub with the touchstone," or to cut in pieces so as to examine (Zec 13:9; Mal 3:3; 1Pe 1:7).
11. how should my name—Maurer, instead of "My name" from Isa 48:9, supplies "My glory" from the next clause; and translates, "How (shamefully) My glory has been profaned!" In English Version the sense is, "I will refrain (Isa 48:9, that is, not utterly destroy thee), for why should I permit My name to be polluted, which it would be, if the Lord utterly destroyed His elect people" (Eze 20:9)?
not give my glory unto another—If God forsook His people for ever, the heathen would attribute their triumph over Israel to their idols; so God's glory would be given to another.
12-15. The Almighty, who has founded heaven and earth, can, and will, restore His people.
the first … last—(Isa 41:4; 44:6).
13. spanned—measured out (Isa 40:12).
when I call … stand up together—(Isa 40:26; Jer 33:25). But it is not their creation so much which is meant, as that, like ministers of God, the heavens and the earth are prepared at His command to execute His decrees (Ps 119:91) [Rosenmuller].
14. among them—among the gods and astrologers of the Chaldees (Isa 41:22; 43:9; 44:7).
Lord … loved him; he will, &c.—that is, "He whom the Lord hath loved will do," &c. [Lowth]; namely, Cyrus (Isa 44:28; 45:1, 13; 46:11). However, Jehovah's language of love is too strong to apply to Cyrus, except as type of Messiah, to whom alone it fully applies (Re 5:2-5).
his pleasure—not Cyrus' own, but Jehovah's.
15. brought—led him on his way.
he—change from the first to the third person [Barnes]. Jehovah shall make his (Cyrus') way prosperous.
16. not … in secret—(Isa 45:19). Jehovah foretold Cyrus' advent, not with the studied ambiguity of heathen oracles, but plainly.
from the time, &c.—From the moment that the purpose began to be accomplished in the raising up of Cyrus I was present.
sent me—The prophet here speaks, claiming attention to his announcement as to Cyrus, on the ground of his mission from God and His Spirit. But he speaks not in his own person so much as in that of Messiah, to whom alone in the fullest sense the words apply (Isa 61:1; Joh 10:36). Plainly, Isa 49:1, which is the continuation of the forty-eighth chapter, from Isa 48:16, where the change of speaker from God (Isa 48:1, 12-15) begins, is the language of Messiah. Lu 4:1, 14, 18, shows that the Spirit combined with the Father in sending the Son: therefore "His Spirit" is nominative to "sent," not accusative, following it.
17. teacheth … to profit—by affliction, such as the Babylonish captivity, and the present long-continued dispersion of Israel (Heb 12:10).
18. peace—(Ps 119:165). Compare the desire expressed by the same Messiah (Mt 23:37; Lu 19:42).
river—(Isa 33:21; 41:18), a river flowing from God's throne is the symbol of free, abundant, and ever flowing blessings from Him (Eze 47:1; Zec 14:8; Re 22:1).
righteousness—religious prosperity; the parent of "peace" or national prosperity; therefore "peace" corresponds to "righteousness" in the parallelism (Isa 32:17).
19. sand—retaining the metaphor of "the sea" (Isa 48:18).
like the gravel thereof—rather, as the Hebrew, "like that (the offspring) of its (the sea's) bowels"; referring to the countless living creatures, fishes, &c., of the sea, rather than the gravel [Maurer]. Jerome, Chaldee, and Syriac support English Version.
his name … cut off—transition from the second person, "thy," to the third "his." Israel's name was cut off "as a nation" during the Babylonish captivity; also it is so now, to which the prophecy especially looks (Ro 11:20).
20. Go … forth … end of the earth—Primarily, a prophecy of their joyful deliverance from Babylon, and a direction that they should leave it when God opened the way. But the publication of it "to the ends of the earth" shows it has a more world-wide scope antitypically; Re 18:4 shows that the mystical Babylon is ultimately meant.
redeemed … Jacob—(Isa 43:1; 44:22, 23).
21. Ezra, in describing the return, makes no mention of God cleaving the rock for them in the desert [Kimchi]. The circumstances, therefore, of the deliverance from Egypt (Ex 17:6; Nu 20:11; Ps 78:15; 105:41) and of that from Babylon, are blended together; the language, while more immediately referring to the latter deliverance, yet, as being blended with circumstances of the former not strictly applicable to the latter, cannot wholly refer to either, but to the mystic deliverance of man under Messiah, and literally to the final restoration of Israel.
22. Repeated (Isa 57:21). All the blessings just mentioned (Isa 48:21) belong only to the godly, not to the wicked. Israel shall first cast away its wicked unbelief before it shall inherit national prosperity (Zec 12:10-14; 13:1, 9; 14:3, 14, 20, 21). The sentiment holds good also as to all wicked men (Job 15:20-25, 31-34).