Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.
Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.
islands = coast-lands. See note on Isaiah 11:11 .
renew. Same word as in Isaiah 40:31 .
strength = strength (to endure).
come near = draw nigh.
Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.
the righteous man from the east: i.e. Abraham. Compare Cyrus raised up from the north, Isaiah 41:25 .
kings: i.e. those mentioned in Genesis 14:1 , Genesis 14:8 , Genesis 14:9 . stubble = straw. Hebrew. kash, as in Isaiah 40:24 .
He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet.
He pursued them: i.e. Abraham pursued them unto Dan. Reference to Pentateuch (Genesis 14:14 , Genesis 14:15 ). App-92 .
way. See note on "path. "Ch. Isaiah 2:3 .
Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
the first, and . . . last. Occurs here and Isaiah 44:6 ; Isaiah 48:12 . Thus, three times in Isaiah, and three times in the Apocalypse (Revelation 1:17 ; Revelation 2:8 ; Revelation 22:13 ).
with the last: i.e. He who called Abraham, the first, will be with the last (Messiah), Who is the subject of this prophecy.
I am he: or, I AM.
The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.
They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.
one = man. Hebrew. 'ish.
So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.
But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.
My servant. See note on Isaiah 37:35 for the three "servants" in Isaiah. This was Israel, as the seed of Abraham, not Cyrus (yet). Compare verses: Isaiah 41:21-29 .
chosen. See note on Isaiah 1:29 .
My friend. See note on 2 Chronicles 20:7 .
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
the chief men = the remote parts.
I have chosen thee. Genesis 12:1 .Joshua 24:2-4 .Nehemiah 9:7 . Acts 7:2-7 . Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 7:6 ; Deuteronomy 10:15 ; Deuteronomy 14:2 ). App-92 .
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Fear thou not. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 31:6 , Deuteronomy 31:8 ).
be not dismayed = look not around. Some codices, with Syriac, read "and be not", &c. It is this that dismays (see notes on Psalms 73 and 77).
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 .
strengthen = strength (inherent, for activity). Hebrew. 'dmas. Not the same word as in Isaiah 41:1 and Isaiah 41:21 .
Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.
Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. .
Behold, all they, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Exodus 23:22 ). App-92 .
they that strive = the men (Hebrew. 'ish, App-14 ) of thy strife: i.e. thine accusers.
Thou 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.
them that contended = the men (Hebrew. 'ish) of thy contention.
nothing. See note on Isaiah 5:8 .
For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
thou worm. To emphasize the weakness of Israel; marked also by the Figure of speech Asterismos , "Behold".
men. Hebrew. methim. App-14 .
thy Redeemer. Reference to Pentateuch (Genesis 48:16 . Exodus 6:6 ; Exodus 15:13 ).
the Holy One of Israel See note on Isaiah 1:4 .
Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.
make thee = set thee for.
threshing instrument. See note on Isaiah 28:27 .
Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.
wind. Hebrew. ruach. App-9 .
glory. See note on Isaiah 13:10 .
When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
poor = wretched. Hebrew. 'anah. See note on Proverbs 6:11 .
faileth. See note on Isaiah 19:5 .
hear = answer.
the God of Israel. See note on Isaiah 29:23 .
forsake. See note on Isaiah 1:4 .
I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
open rivers, &c. Note that all these physical marvels must be accomplished by the miraculous power of God, not by the spirituality of His People. See note on Isaiah 35:1 .
I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together:
That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
and. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton for emphasis.
Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.
saith the LORD. See note on Isaiah 1:11 .
strong = strong (for weight or importance). Hebrew. azam Not same word as in verses: Isaiah 41:1 , Isaiah 41:10 . Hebrew. 'amaz.
the King of Jacob. This title occurs only here. Heathen kings were the gods of their people. So Jehovah, the King of Jacob, was the God of Israel.
Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come.
Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.
Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you.
I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth clay.
raised up one from the north: i.e. Cyrus. See App-57 . Compare Abraham (the other type was "from the east", Isaiah 41:2 ). This prophecy was made 137 years before its fulfilment. Compare Isaiah 44:28 ; Isaiah 45:1 .
come = speed.
shall he call upon My name. This is the counter part of Isaiah 45:3 , Isaiah 45:4 . Compare Ezra 1:2 and 2 Chronicles 36:22 , 2 Chronicles 36:23 .
My name = Me (emph.) See note on Psalms 20:1 .
princes. The title of Babylonian governors and prefects of provinces. Hebrew. seganim. Used once in Ezra (Isaiah 9:2 , "rulers"); nine times in Nehemiah (Isaiah 2:16 , Isaiah 2:16 ; Isa 4:14 , &c.); three times in Jeremiah (Isaiah 51:23 , Isa 51:28 , Isa 51:57 ); three times in Ezekiel (Isaiah 23:6 , Isaiah 23:12 , Isa 23:23 ). Always rendered "rulers" except here, which is the only occurrence in Isaiah. Cyrus (the Medo-Persian) did fulfill this on the Babylonian "princes".
Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.
The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.
The first shall say = From the first [I have said].
For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counseller, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.
molten images. See note on Isaiah 30:22 .
wind = vanity. Hebrew. ruach ( App-9 ). See note on Isaiah 57:6 .
confusion. See note on Isaiah 24:10 .