1 "Hear this, house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel, and have come forth out of the waters of Judah; who swear by the name of Yahweh, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness 2 (for they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves on the God of Israel; Yahweh of Armies is his name): 3 I have declared the former things from of old; yes, they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them: suddenly I did them, and they happened. 4 Because I knew that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your brow brass; 5 therefore I have declared it to you from of old; before it came to pass I showed it to you; lest you should say, 'My idol has done them, and my engraved image, and my molten image, has commanded them.' 6 You have heard it; see all this; and you, will you not declare it? "I have shown you new things from this time, even hidden things, which you have not known. 7 They are created now, and not from of old; and before this day you didn't hear them; lest you should say, 'Behold, I knew them.' 8 Yes, you didn't hear; yes, you didn't know; yes, from of old your ear was not opened: for I knew that you did deal very treacherously, and was called a transgressor from the womb. 9 For my name's sake will I defer my anger, and for my praise will I refrain for you, that I not cut you off. 10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction. 11 For my own sake, for my own sake, will I do it; for how should (my name) be profaned? and my glory I will not give to another. 12 "Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel my called: I am he; I am the first, I also am the last. 13 Yes, my hand has laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand has spread out the heavens: when I call to them, they stand up together. 14 "Assemble yourselves, all you, and hear; who among them has declared these things? He whom Yahweh loves shall perform his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm (shall be on) the Chaldeans. 15 I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him; I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous. 16 "Come near to me and hear this: "From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time that it was, there am I." Now the Lord Yahweh has sent me, with his Spirit. 17 Thus says Yahweh, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am Yahweh your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way that you should go. 18 Oh that you had listened to my commandments! then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea: 19 your seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of your body like its grains: his name would not be cut off nor destroyed from before me. 20 Go forth from Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans; with a voice of singing declare, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth: say, Yahweh has redeemed his servant Jacob. 21 They didn't thirst when he led them through the deserts; he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; he split the rock also, and the waters gushed out. 22 "There is no peace," says Yahweh, "for the wicked."
This chapter contains renewed assurances of the deliverance of the exile Jews from Babylon. It is designed, in the main, to state the causes for which the captivity would occur, and to furnish the assurance also that, notwitbstanding the judgment that should come upon them, God would deliver them from bondage. It contains lamentations that there was a necessity for bringing these calamities upon them; assurances that God had loved them; appeals to themselves in proof that all that they had suffered had been predicted; and a solemn command to go forth out of Babylon. It is to be regarded as addressed to the exile Jews in Babylon, though it is not improbable that the prophet designed it to have a bearing on the Jews of his own time, as given to idolatry, and that he intended that the former part of the chapter should be an indirect rebuke to them by showing them the consequences of their proneness to idolatry. The chapter is exceedingly tender, and full of love, and is an expression of the kindness which God has for his own people.
It is not very susceptible of division, or of easy analysis, but the following topics present probably the main points of the chapter.
I. A reproof of the Jews for their idolatrous tendencies, reminding them that this was the characteristic of the nation, and indirectly intimating that all their calamitics would come upon them on account of that Isaiah 48:1-8. This part contains:
1. An address to the Jews, as those who professed to worship God, though in insincerity and hypocrisy Isaiah 48:1-2.
2. A solemn declaration of God that he had foretold all these events, and that they could not be traced in any manner to the power of idols, and that he, therefore, was God Isaiah 48:3-7.
3. Their character had been that of rebellion and treachery, from the very commencement of their history Isaiah 48:8.
II. Promises of deliverance from the evils which their sins had brought upon them, with expressions of regret that their conduct hurl been such as to make such judgments necessary Isaiah 48:9-19.
1. God says that he would restrain his anger, and would not wholly cut them of Isaiah 48:9.
2. The purpose of the calamities brought upon them was to refine and purify them, as in a furnace Isaiah 48:10.
3. All his dealings with them had been for his own glory, and so as to promote his own honor Isaiah 48:11.
4. An assertion of his power, and his ability to accomplish what he had purposed Isaiah 48:12-13.
5. He had solemnly purposed to destroy Babylon, and the Chaldeans Isaiah 48:14.
6. He had raised up for that purpose one who should accomplish his designs Isaiah 48:15-16.
7. He expresses his deep regret that their conduct had been such as to make it necessary to bring these heavy judgments on them, and states what would have been the result if thcy had observed his commandments. Their peace would have been as a river, their righteousness as the waves of the sea, and their offspring as the sand Isaiah 48:17-19.
III. A command to go forth from Babylon, implying the highest assurance that they should be delivered from their long and painful captivity Isaiah 48:20-22.
1. They should go out with singing and triumph; and the ends of the earth should see it Isaiah 48:20.
2. God would provide for them in the deserts, and cause the waters to flow for them in their journey through the pathless wilderness Isaiah 48:21.
The chapter concludes with a general declaration that the wicked have no peace, implying that they only have peace and security who put their trust in God Isaiah 48:22.
The Jews reproved for their obstinate attachment to idols, notwithstanding their experience of the Divine providence over them; and of the Divine prescience that revealed by the prophets the most remarkable events which concerned them, that they should not have the least pretext for ascribing any portion of their success to their idols, Isaiah 48:1-8. The Almighty, after bringing them to the furnace for their perverseness, asserts his glorious sovereignty, and repeats his gracious promises of deliverance and consolation, Isaiah 48:9-11. Prophecy concerning that individual (Cyrus) who shall be an instrument in the hand of God of executing his will on Babylon, and his power on the Chaldeans; and the idols of the people are again challenged to give a like proof of their foreknowledge, Isaiah 48:12-16. Tender and passionate exclamation of Jehovah respecting the hardened condition of the Jewish nation, to which the very pathetic exclamation of the Divine Savior when he wept over Jerusalem may be considered a striking parallel, Isaiah 48:17-19. Notwithstanding the repeated provocations of the house of Israel, Jehovah will again be merciful to them. They are commanded to escape from Babylon; and God's gracious favor towards them is beautifully represented by images borrowed from the exodus from Egypt, Isaiah 48:20, Isaiah 48:21. Certain perdition of the finally impenitent, Isaiah 48:22. It will be proper here to remark that many passages in this chapter, and indeed the general strain of these prophecies, have a plain aspect to a restoration of the Church in the latter days upon a scale much greater than the world has yet witnessed, when the very violent fall of Babylon the Great, mentioned in the Revelation, of which the Chaldean capital was an expressive type, shall introduce by a most tremendous political convulsion, (Revelation 16:17-21), that glorious epoch of the Gospel, which forms so conspicuous a part of the prophecies of the Old Testament, and has been a subject of the prayers of all saints in all ages.
INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 48
The prophecy of this chapter is concerning the deliverance and salvation of the Jews, and is addressed unto them; who are described by their natural descent and lineage, and by their hypocrisy in religious things, Isaiah 48:1. By their obstinacy and impudence, and by their proneness to idolatry, and to ascribe that to idols which belonged to God; which were the reasons why the Lord foretold all former things to them, before they came to pass, Isaiah 48:3. And for the same reasons also he declared unto them what should be hereafter, particularly the destruction of Babylon, and their deliverance by Cyrus, Isaiah 48:6. From which account of them it would clearly appear, that it was not for any merits of theirs, but for his own name's sake, for his own glory, that he chose them, purified, and saved them as gold tried in the fire, Isaiah 48:9. He observes his own perfections, his eternity and immutability, and power displayed in creation, to engage their faith in the promise of deliverance, Isaiah 48:12 and points out the deliverer Cyrus, a type of Christ, whom he loved, called, sent, and made him prosperous, Isaiah 48:14. Then he directs them to walk in his ways, with promises of peace and prosperity, Isaiah 48:17. And the chapter is concluded with an exhortation to go out of Babylon with joy, publishing wherever they came their redemption, and who would be supplied with all necessaries in their return to their own land; only it should be observed, that there was no peace or happiness for the wicked, Isaiah 48:20.
(Isaiah 48:1-8) The Jews reproved for their idolatry.
(Isaiah 48:9-15) Yet deliverance is promised them.
(Isaiah 48:16-22) Solemn warnings of judgment upon those who persisted in evil.
*More commentary available by clicking individual verses.