1God displayeth his merciful providence in regard of his church: 10which he exhorteth to trust in him without fear; 21and challenging the idols to produce like proofs of power and knowledge, he sheweth their vanity.
1KEEP1 silence before me, 2O islands; and 3let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.
1 These are the words of the Lord.
2 That is, ye inhabitants of the islands, that is, ye who dwell afar off, on that side of the sea. See Gen. 10 on verse 5; Psalm 72 on verse 10. Keep silence and hearken with diligent attention what I, the Lord, shall say unto you. In which words God summons all idolaters as it were before the judgment seat to convince them of their folly in seeking and craving help from idols.
3 The sense is: Let them do their best to defend themselves against Me; they shall find at last that they shall not be able to stand it out, or to prevail against Me.
2Who 4raised up 5the righteous man 6from the east, called him 7to his foot, gave 8the nations before him, and 9made him rule over kings? 10he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.
4 That is, exhorted and stirred him up to go to another country.
5 Namely, Abraham, who was justified by faith, and whose righteousness is highly commended and extolled by Moses. See Gen. 15:6; 18:19; 22:16. Hebr. that raised up righteousness. See such manner of speech Job 35 on verse 13.
6 Understand the rising of the sun, namely from Ur, the land of the Chaldeans. See Gen. 11:31; 12:1; Joshua 24:2.
7 That is, that He would follow and serve him step by step.
8 That is, who gave him the victory over the Gentiles who had plundered Sodom and Gomorrah? See Gen. 14:14.
9 That is, gave him victory, namely, over those four kings of whom mention is made in Genesis 14.
10 That is, made them to be as easy to be cut asunder by his sword, as if they had been dust. Other, and made their swords, namely, of these kings, as dust, and their bows as stubble, that is driven by the wind.
3He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had 11not gone with his feet.
11 Other, had never come. Some apply this verse and the previous one to Cyrus, as a type of Christ, some only unto Christ.
4Who hath wrought and done it, 12calling the generations 13from the beginning? I the LORD, the first,a and 14with the last; I am he.
12 Or, who calleth, etc., that is, who causes men to succeed one another, one generation to follow after another successively, so that the world is never without inhabitants?
13 Hebr. from the head, namely, from the beginning of the world.
a Isa. 43:10; 44:6; 48:12; Rev. 1:17; 22:13.
14 Other, and among the last I am the same. This fourth verse may also be translated thus: Who hath wrought and made, and called the ages that have been from the beginning? I, the Lord, that am the first. And which shall be thereafter? I am the same.
515The isles saw it, and feared; 16the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.
15 The sense is: The inhabitants of the islands, seeing and experiencing the power which God at all times showed for the defense of His church, were terrified and amazed, and did in some measure pretend themselves as if they wanted to subject themselves unto the true God; but instead of composing themselves uprightly to serve the true God only, they became vain in their own imaginations, making notwithstanding idols, and giving the glory of the true God unto their idols.
16 That is, those who dwelt in the uttermost ends of the world.
617They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his 18brother, 19Be of good courage.
17 Namely, in the promotion of idolatry. Hebr. the man helped his companion.
18 Or, companion. Hebr. brother.
19 As if they said: Be strong, fall to, let us assist one another merrily, namely, in making, setting up, and revering of idols.
7So the carpenter 20encouraged 21the goldsmith, and he 22that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering:b and he fastened 23it with nails, that it should not be moved.
20 That is, gave courage, exhorting to finish the work.
21 Hebr. properly: the smelter.
22 That is, he who beats upon the gold which lies upon the anvil, to be beaten into a plate. Other, with the beating upon the anvil.
b soldering
23 Namely, the image.
8But 24thou, Israel, art my servant, 25Jacob whomc I have chosen, 26the seed of Abraham 27my friend.d
24 That is, ye My people of Israel.
25 That is, ye descendants of Jacob.
c Deut. 7:6; 10:15; 14:2; Psalm 135:4; Isa. 43:1; 44:1.
26 That is, ye children of Abraham.
27 Or, my lover, that is, who loved Me, 2 Chron. 20:7. Or. my friend, that is, whom I loved. See James 2:23.
d 2 Chron. 20:7; James 2:23.
9Thou 28whom I have taken 29from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the 30chief men 31thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
28 That is, whom I took hold on, and led forth.
29 That is, from countries which are situated far away, namely, from Chaldea, when ye, who are now alive, were in the loins of Abraham.
30 Or, choicest men, that is, from the most honorable, richest and most excellent persons. See Exod. 24 on verse 11. Other, before the chiefest men thereof, as if He said: I preferred thee before the most excellent and greatest men of the earth.
31 Namely, of the earth.
10¶Fear thou not; for I am with thee: 32be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee 33with the right hand of my righteousness.
32 Or, be not astonished, be not disheartened, faint not, be not diminished, namely, as wax; fear not. All these and more sundry interpretations are given upon this word.
33 Or, with my righteous right hand, that is, by My Divine power, which exercises justice, punishing the wicked, and defending the godly.
11Behold, all theye that were 34incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; 35and they that strive with thee shall perish.
e Exod. 23:22; Isa. 60:12; Zech. 12:3.
34 Or, were kindled, namely, with anger.
35 Hebr. the men of thy strife, that is, the men who strive with you; also verse 12 the men of thy contention, that is, the men who contends with you.
12Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
13For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
14Fear not, 36thou worm Jacob, and 37ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
36 That is, the people who are descended from Jacob, but are now as despicable in the eyes of your enemies as a little worm. See Psalm 22:6.
37 Or, ye people of Israel.
15Behold, 38I will make thee a new 39sharp threshing instrument 40having teeth: 41thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills asf chaff.
38 That is, I have given you such power and ability, that you shall tread and bruise in pieces all them who lift themselves up against you. See 2 Cor. 10:4, 5.
39 Or, edged, that is, which is able to cut sharply.
40 Hebr. that is a lord or possessor of mouths, that is, which is well stored, as with mouths, with sharp pegs to bite, to hurt and to injure.
41 That is, the high, great, exalted and honorable ones in the land you shall destroy, those who shall oppose you. Or, I will do it in your name and for your sake. Compare Rev. 17:14; 19:18; 20:8, 9.
f Isa. 17:13; 29:5.
16Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice 42in the LORD, and shalt glory 43in the Holy One of Israel.
42 That is, because of the Lord, namely, because He does so graciously acknowledge and accept you for His own.
43 That is, in Him, Whom the Israelites do acknowledge, honor and fear as their holy God.
17When 44the poor and needy seek 45water, and there is 46none, and their tongue failethg for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
44 Namely, those who are poor in spirit, and those who hunger and thirst after righteousness; that is, those, feeling and acknowledging therewith that there is no righteousness to be had in themselves and therefore hunger and thirst after the righteousness of God, the Lord promises that He will refresh and satisfy them.
45 That is, help, comfort, refreshing in their necessity and distress.
46 Neither in themselves, nor in other men, be they scribes or pharisees, or whatsoever they may be called.
g Mat. 5:6.
18I willh open 47rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: Ii will make the wilderness 48a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
h Isa. 35:7; 44:3.
47 Understand here by the rivers, fountains, etc., a very great plenty of spiritual blessings. See the annotation Job 20 on verse 17. The sense is: I will comfort them by the preaching of the Holy Gospel, and the power of the Holy Ghost, comforting them against the accusations of their consciences. See Isa. 35:7; 44:3; John 4:10; 7:37.
i Psalm 107:35.
48 See the annotations Psalm 107 on verse 35.
1949I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, 50the shittahj tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and 51the pine, and 52the box tree together:
49 The meaning is: My church, which was heretofore like a wilderness, I will fill and beautify with many faithful and godly persons, who shall be in it like fair, beautiful and fruitful trees.
50 This is a kind of a cedar tree which is not known in our countries. See the annotation Exod. 25 on verse 5. The ark of the covenant was made of this wood, and also the holy table, Exod. 25:10, 23.
j thorny acacia tree*
51 Or, rosin tree.
52 Other, white popular tree. Some perceive that hereby are to be understood all trees which give a great shadow. The Hebrew word, that is used here in the text, is only found in this place and Isa. 60:13.
20That they may see, and know, and 53consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done 54this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created 55it.
53 Or, lay to heart.
54 Namely, that He has wonderfully preserved and beautified His church.
55 Namely, that He has wonderfully preserved and beautified His church.
2156Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your 57strong reasons, saith the King 58of Jacob.
56 Here the Lord addresses the idolaters, as verse 1, and He summons them before His tribunal (see Isa. 45:20; 48:14), namely, to show them the vanity of their superstitions, and thus to make the godly to loath and abhor such abominations.
57 Hebr. strengths, firmness, that is, proofs, demonstrations, arguments, reasons, grounds, namely, to show and to make it appear that your idols are true gods, and that you do well in honoring and worshipping them.
58 That is, of the people who descended from Jacob.
2259Let them bring them forth, and shew 60us what shall happen: 61let them shew 62the former things, what they be, that we may consider 63them, and know 64the latter end of them; or 65declare us things for to come.
59 Namely, your false gods and those who adhere unto them, let them come forth and prove that they are gods, which shall happen if they make it appear that they know of things to come and that have passed.
60 Namely, to Me, the Lord, and the believers who adhere to Me.
61 Here the Lord directs His speech unto the false gods, as also verses 23 and 24.
62 That is, what has happened in times past. Other, the first things what they shall be, namely, in time to come.
63 Hebr. lay or set our heart, namely thereon, that is, that we daily mind it with our heart.
64 That is, that we may know what will follow upon it.
65 That is, declare unto us future things, or things to come.
23Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, 66do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and 67behold it together.
66 The meaning is: Make your power to appear, do good to them who honor you, or do evil to them who despise you. Thus He mocks at the idols, which have neither life nor power, and consequently can do neither good nor evil to none.
67 Or, consider it.
24Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work 68of nought: an abomination is he that 69chooseth you.
68 Or, then the work of an adder, or, of a cockatrice, Or thus: your work is of an adder, that is, of the devil. Other, less then a thing of nought.
69 Namely, to honor and worship you as gods. Other, that which they shall choose of you is an abomination.
2570I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and 71he shall come upon 72princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth 73clay.74
70 Namely, I, the Father, raised up one, namely, My Son Jesus Christ, who shall come from the north, etc., that is, Whose dominion shall reach from one end of the world to another. Compare this with Mat. 8:11. Under these two parts of the world must here be understood all the parts of the world. Other, I raise up a people, namely, that people, My church, which shall be gathered from all the corners of the world at the time of the coming of the Messiah, by Whom the kingdom of sin and Satan shall be utterly abolished and destroyed. Some apply it unto Cyrus as a type and figure of the Lord Christ.
71 Namely, to confound them. See 2 Cor. 10:4, 5, 6.
72 Or, regents, both ecclesiastical and political, namely, against all those who shall oppose the Lord Jesus Christ.
73 Or, mire, that is, clay.
74 Understand herewith: shall he tread them down, and put them to shame.
2675Who hath declared 76from the beginning, that we may know? and 77beforetime, that we may say, 78He is 79righteous? yea, 80there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is 81none 82that heareth your words.
75 Namely, among all the idols.
76 Hebr. from the head, that is, of such things as were done in the beginning of the world.
77 Hebr. from the faces, that is, beforetime, or from the beginning.
78 Or, Thou art righteous? That is, thou hast justly given out thyself to be a god?
79 Or, true, because righteousness requires truth. Others translate the first words of this verse thus: Who shall declare the former things? We shall understand. And that which was before time? We shall say: he is true.
80 Namely, among the false gods, or among men.
81 Namely, among the idols.
82 For, the idols have ears, but hear not. See Psalm 135:16.
2783The first shall say to Zion, Behold, 84behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem 85one that bringeth good tidings.86
83 That is, I, that am God, can say to Zion, namely, I the Lord, but idols cannot.
84 Namely, those things which I said before. Others thus: I, the first, will give unto Zion and Jerusalem a glad messenger, behold, behold them there. The true God did immediately before challenge all the idols of the heathen to foretell things to come, glorying that none of them all were able to do it; but I (God says now) will be the First Who shall give unto Zion and Jerusalem One Who, bringing glad tidings, shall say: Behold, behold them there, those things, which God has foretold, are now there present and are done before our eyes.
85 Or, an evangelist, a Preacher of the Holy Gospel, speaking of the grace and mercy of God towards penitent sinners; and understand this principally of Christ, and further by that which went before, that this promise shall be as certainly represented and accomplished, as if it were already before our eyes. Compare Isa. 42:9.
86 Understand herewith, from the immediate foregoing clause: And behold, he is there.
28For 87I beheld, and there was no man; 88even among them, and 89there was no counsellor, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
87 Namely, for a man who would be able to help or save My people.
88 Or, also none of these, namely, which belong to My people.
89 Namely, who was able to give good counsel to wounded or dejected consciences. The Counselor, Who was able to do this aright, was Christ. See Isa. 9:6.
29Behold, 90they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their 91molten images are wind and confusion.
90 Namely, those idols.
91 Understand under these also images of gold and of stone. Other, their sprinklings are wind, etc.