---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Isaiah 48"
description: "CHAPTER 48   :-. THE THINGS
THAT BEFALL
BABYLON JEHOVAH
PREDICTED LONG
BEFORE, LEST ISRAEL
SHOULD ATTRIBUTE
THEM, IN ITS
\"OBSTINATE\"
PERVERSITY, TO STRANG"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/isaiah/48"
---

CHAPTER 48

. THE THINGS
THAT BEFALL
BABYLON JEHOVAH
PREDICTED LONG
BEFORE, LEST ISRAEL
SHOULD ATTRIBUTE
THEM, IN ITS
"OBSTINATE"
PERVERSITY, TO STRANGE
GODS ().

**1. the waters of Judah**—spring
from the *fountain* of Judah ([Numbers 24:7](../../../kjv/numbers/24/7);
[Deuteronomy 33:28](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/33/28); [Psalms 68:26](../../../kjv/psalms/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**—
([Isaiah 19:18](../../../kjv/isaiah/19/18); [Isaiah 45:23](../../../kjv/isaiah/45/23);
[Isaiah 65:16](../../../kjv/isaiah/65/16)).
**mention**—in prayers and
praises.
**not in truth**— ([Jeremiah 5:2](../../../kjv/jeremiah/5/2);
[John 4:24](../../../kjv/john/4/24)).

**2. For**—Ye deserve these
reproofs; "for" ye call yourselves citizens of "the
holy city" ([Isaiah 52:1](../../../kjv/isaiah/52/1)), but
not in truth ([Isaiah 48:1](../../../kjv/isaiah/48/1); [Nehemiah 11:1](../../../kjv/nehemiah/11/1);
[Daniel 9:24](../../../kjv/daniel/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 ([Isaiah 42:9](../../../kjv/isaiah/42/9);
[Isaiah 44:7](../../../kjv/isaiah/44/7); [Isaiah 44:8](../../../kjv/isaiah/44/8);
[Isaiah 45:21](../../../kjv/isaiah/45/21); [Isaiah 46:10](../../../kjv/isaiah/46/10)).
**suddenly**—They came to
pass so unexpectedly that the prophecy could not have resulted from
mere human sagacity.

**4. obstinate**—*Hebrew,*
"hard" ([Deuteronomy 9:27](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/9/27);
[Ezekiel 3:7](../../../kjv/ezekiel/3/7), *Margin*).
**iron sinew**—inflexible
([Acts 7:51](../../../kjv/acts/7/51)).
**brow brass**—shameless as
a harlot (see [Jeremiah 6:28](../../../kjv/jeremiah/6/28); [Jeremiah 3:3](../../../kjv/jeremiah/3/3);
[Ezekiel 3:7](../../../kjv/ezekiel/3/7), *Margin*).

**5.** (See on ; [Isaiah 48:4](../../../kjv/isaiah/48/4)).

**6. Thou,** c.—So "ye are my
witnesses" ([Isaiah 43:10](../../../kjv/isaiah/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 ([Isaiah 43:10](../../../kjv/isaiah/43/10)).
**new things**—namely, the
deliverance from Babylon by Cyrus, *new* in contradistinction
from former predictions that had been fulfilled ([Isaiah 42:9](../../../kjv/isaiah/42/9)
[Isaiah 43:19](../../../kjv/isaiah/43/19)). Antitypically, the
prophecy has in view the "new things" of the gospel
treasury ([Song of Solomon 7:13](../../../kjv/song-of-solomon/7/13); [Matthew 13:52](../../../kjv/matthew/13/52);
[2 Corinthians 5:17](../../../kjv/2-corinthians/5/17); [Revelation 21:5](../../../kjv/revelation/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 ([Daniel 2:22](../../../kjv/daniel/2/22);
[Daniel 2:29](../../../kjv/daniel/2/29); [1 Corinthians 2:9](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/2/9);
[1 Corinthians 2:10](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/2/10)).

**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 .
**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 (); 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"
([Isaiah 48:5](../../../kjv/isaiah/48/5)). Thus they would
have relapsed into idolatry, to cure them of which the Babylonian
captivity was sent: so they had done ([Isaiah 48:5](../../../kjv/isaiah/48/5)). After the return, and ever since, they have utterly
forsaken idols.
**wast called**—as thine
appropriate appellation ([Isaiah 9:6](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/6)).
**from the womb**—from the
beginning of Israel's national existence ([Isaiah 9:6](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/6)).

**9. refrain**—literally,
"muzzle"; His wrath, after the return, was to be *restrained
a while,* and then, because of their sins, let loose again ().
**for thee**—that is, mine
anger *towards* thee.

**10.** (See on ).
**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
([Isaiah 1:25](../../../kjv/isaiah/1/25); [Isaiah 42:25](../../../kjv/isaiah/42/25);
[Ezekiel 22:18-20](../../../kjv/ezekiel/22/18-20); [Ezekiel 22:22](../../../kjv/ezekiel/22/22)).
**chosen**—or else [LOWTH],
tried . . . proved: according to GESENIUS,
literally, "to rub with the touchstone," or to cut in
pieces so as to examine ([Zechariah 13:9](../../../kjv/zechariah/13/9);
[Malachi 3:3](../../../kjv/malachi/3/3); [1 Peter 1:7](../../../kjv/1-peter/1/7)).

**11. how should my name**—MAURER,
instead of "My name" from , 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 (, 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" ()?
**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**—
([Isaiah 41:4](../../../kjv/isaiah/41/4); [Isaiah 44:6](../../../kjv/isaiah/44/6)).

**13. spanned**—measured out ().
**when I call . . . stand up
together**— ([Isaiah 40:26](../../../kjv/isaiah/40/26);
[Jeremiah 33:25](../../../kjv/jeremiah/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* ([Psalms 119:91](../../../kjv/psalms/119/91))
[ROSENMULLER].

**14. among them**—among the gods
and astrologers of the Chaldees ([Isaiah 41:22](../../../kjv/isaiah/41/22);
[Isaiah 43:9](../../../kjv/isaiah/43/9); [Isaiah 44:7](../../../kjv/isaiah/44/7)).
**Lord . . . loved him; he
will,** c.—that is, "He whom the Lord hath loved will do,"
&c. [LOWTH] namely,
Cyrus ([Isaiah 44:28](../../../kjv/isaiah/44/28); [Isaiah 45:1](../../../kjv/isaiah/45/1);
[Isaiah 45:13](../../../kjv/isaiah/45/13); [Isaiah 46:11](../../../kjv/isaiah/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 ([Isaiah 46:11](../../../kjv/isaiah/46/11)).
**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**— (). 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 ([Isaiah 61:1](../../../kjv/isaiah/61/1)
[John 10:36](../../../kjv/john/10/36)). Plainly, [John 10:36](../../../kjv/john/10/36), which is the continuation of the forty-eighth chapter, from
[Isaiah 48:16](../../../kjv/isaiah/48/16), where the change of
speaker from God ([Isaiah 48:1](../../../kjv/isaiah/48/1);
[Isaiah 48:12-15](../../../kjv/isaiah/48/12-15)) begins, is
the language of Messiah. [Luke 4:1](../../../kjv/luke/4/1);
[Luke 4:14](../../../kjv/luke/4/14); [Luke 4:18](../../../kjv/luke/4/18),
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 ().

**18. peace**— (). Compare the desire expressed by the same Messiah
([Matthew 23:37](../../../kjv/matthew/23/37); [Luke 19:42](../../../kjv/luke/19/42)).
**river**— ([Isaiah 33:21](../../../kjv/isaiah/33/21);
[Isaiah 41:18](../../../kjv/isaiah/41/18)), a river flowing from
God's throne is the symbol of *free, abundant, and ever flowing
blessings from Him* ([Ezekiel 47:1](../../../kjv/ezekiel/47/1);
[Zechariah 14:8](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/8); [Revelation 22:1](../../../kjv/revelation/22/1)).
**righteousness**—*religious
prosperity;* the parent of "peace" or *national
prosperity;* therefore "peace" corresponds to
"righteousness" in the parallelism ([Revelation 22:1](../../../kjv/revelation/22/1)).

**19. sand**—retaining the
metaphor of "the sea" ().
**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 ().

**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; shows that the mystical Babylon is ultimately meant.
**redeemed . . . Jacob**—
([Isaiah 43:1](../../../kjv/isaiah/43/1); [Isaiah 44:22](../../../kjv/isaiah/44/22);
[Isaiah 44:23](../../../kjv/isaiah/44/23)).

**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 ([Exodus 17:6](../../../kjv/exodus/17/6);
[Numbers 20:11](../../../kjv/numbers/20/11); [Psalms 78:15](../../../kjv/psalms/78/15);
[Psalms 105:41](../../../kjv/psalms/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 (). All the blessings just mentioned () belong only to the godly, not to the wicked. Israel shall
first cast away its wicked unbelief before it shall inherit *national
prosperity* ([Zechariah 12:10-14](../../../kjv/zechariah/12/10-14);
[Zechariah 13:1](../../../kjv/zechariah/13/1); [Zechariah 13:9](../../../kjv/zechariah/13/9);
[Zechariah 14:3](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/3); [Zechariah 14:14](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/14);
[Zechariah 14:20](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/20); [Zechariah 14:21](../../../kjv/zechariah/14/21)).
The sentiment holds good also as to *all* wicked men ([Job 15:20-25](../../../kjv/job/15/20-25);
[Job 15:31-34](../../../kjv/job/15/31-34)).

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com","name":"Real Bible Believers","description":"RBB","publisher":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/search?q={search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/isaiah/48#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/images/missing.jpg","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/images/missing.jpg","width":640,"height":370,"caption":"Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Isaiah 48"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/isaiah/48#webpage","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/isaiah/48","name":"Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Isaiah 48","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/isaiah/48#primaryimage"},"datePublished":null,"dateModified":null,"author":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"description":"CHAPTER 48   :-. THE THINGS\nTHAT BEFALL\nBABYLON JEHOVAH\nPREDICTED LONG\nBEFORE, LEST ISRAEL\nSHOULD ATTRIBUTE\nTHEM, IN ITS\n\"OBSTINATE\"\nPERVERSITY, TO STRANG","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/isaiah/48#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/isaiah/48"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/isaiah/48#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries","name":"Commentaries"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible","name":"Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/isaiah","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/isaiah","name":"Isaiah"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/isaiah/48","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/isaiah/48","name":"48"}}]},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","width":512,"height":512},"logo":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo"},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/RBiblebeliever","https://www.facebook.com/RBibleBelievers"]}]}
```