1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.
5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
8 Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.
10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.
12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.
13 Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?
14 Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships.
15 I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.
16 Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;
17 Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.
18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
20 The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.
21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.
22 But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.
23 Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense.
24 Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.
25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
26 Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.
27 Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me.
28 Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.
1 But now thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 that created H1254 thee, O Jacob, H3290 and he that formed H3335 thee, O Israel, H3478 Fear H3372 not: for I have redeemed H1350 thee, I have called H7121 thee by thy name; H8034 thou art mine.
2 When thou passest through H5674 the waters, H4325 I will be with thee; and through the rivers, H5104 they shall not overflow H7857 thee: when thou walkest H3212 through H1119 the fire, H784 thou shalt not be burned; H3554 neither shall the flame H3852 kindle H1197 upon thee.
3 For I am the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 the Holy One H6918 of Israel, H3478 thy Saviour: H3467 I gave H5414 Egypt H4714 for thy ransom, H3724 Ethiopia H3568 and Seba H5434 for thee.
4 Since thou wast precious H3365 in my sight, H5869 thou hast been honourable, H3513 and I have loved H157 thee: therefore will I give H5414 men H120 for thee, and people H3816 for thy life. H5315
5 Fear H3372 not: for I am with thee: I will bring H935 thy seed H2233 from the east, H4217 and gather H6908 thee from the west; H4628
6 I will say H559 to the north, H6828 Give up; H5414 and to the south, H8486 Keep not back: H3607 bring H935 my sons H1121 from far, H7350 and my daughters H1323 from the ends H7097 of the earth; H776
7 Even every one H3605 that is called H7121 by my name: H8034 for I have created H1254 him for my glory, H3519 I have formed H3335 him; yea, I have made H6213 him.
8 Bring forth H3318 the blind H5787 people H5971 that have H3426 eyes, H5869 and the deaf H2795 that have ears. H241
9 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
10 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.
11 I, even I, am the LORD; H3068 and beside H1107 me there is no saviour. H3467
12 I have declared, H5046 and have saved, H3467 and I have shewed, H8085 when there was no strange H2114 god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, H5707 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 that I am God. H410
13 Yea, before the day H3117 was I am he; and there is none that can deliver H5337 out of my hand: H3027 I will work, H6466 and who shall let H7725 it?
14 Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 your redeemer, H1350 the Holy One H6918 of Israel; H3478 For your sake I have sent H7971 to Babylon, H894 and have brought down H3381 all their nobles, H1281 and the Chaldeans, H3778 whose cry H7440 is in the ships. H591
15 I am the LORD, H3068 your Holy One, H6918 the creator H1254 of Israel, H3478 your King. H4428
16 Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 which maketh H5414 a way H1870 in the sea, H3220 and a path H5410 in the mighty H5794 waters; H4325
17 Which bringeth forth H3318 the chariot H7393 and horse, H5483 the army H2428 and the power; H5808 they shall lie down H7901 together, H3162 they shall not rise: H6965 they are extinct, H1846 they are quenched H3518 as tow. H6594
18 Remember H2142 ye not the former things, H7223 neither consider H995 the things of old. H6931
19 Behold, I will do H6213 a new thing; H2319 now it shall spring forth; H6779 shall ye not know H3045 it? I will even make H7760 a way H1870 in the wilderness, H4057 and rivers H5104 in the desert. H3452
20 The beast H2416 of the field H7704 shall honour H3513 me, the dragons H8577 and the owls: H1323 H3284 because I give H5414 waters H4325 in the wilderness, H4057 and rivers H5104 in the desert, H3452 to give drink H8248 to my people, H5971 my chosen. H972
21 This H2098 people H5971 have I formed H3335 for myself; they shall shew forth H5608 my praise. H8416
22 But thou hast not called H7121 upon me, O Jacob; H3290 but thou hast been weary H3021 of me, O Israel. H3478
23 Thou hast not brought H935 me the small cattle H7716 of thy burnt offerings; H5930 neither hast thou honoured H3513 me with thy sacrifices. H2077 I have not caused thee to serve H5647 with an offering, H4503 nor wearied H3021 thee with incense. H3828
24 Thou hast bought H7069 me no sweet cane H7070 with money, H3701 neither hast thou filled H7301 me with the fat H2459 of thy sacrifices: H2077 but thou hast made me to serve H5647 with thy sins, H2403 thou hast wearied H3021 me with thine iniquities. H5771
25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out H4229 thy transgressions H6588 for mine own sake, and will not remember H2142 thy sins. H2403
26 Put me in remembrance: H2142 let us plead H8199 together: H3162 declare H5608 thou, that thou mayest be justified. H6663
27 Thy first H7223 father H1 hath sinned, H2398 and thy teachers H3887 have transgressed H6586 against me.
28 Therefore I have profaned H2490 the princes H8269 of the sanctuary, H6944 and have given H5414 Jacob H3290 to the curse, H2764 and Israel H3478 to reproaches. H1421
1 But now thus saith Jehovah that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine.
2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
3 For I am Jehovah thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour; I have given Egypt as thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in thy stead.
4 Since thou hast been precious in my sight, `and' honorable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men in thy stead, and peoples instead of thy life.
5 Fear not; for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back; bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the end of the earth;
7 every one that is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed, yea, whom I have made.
8 Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled: who among them can declare this, and show us former things? let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified; or let them hear, and say, It is truth.
10 Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
11 I, even I, am Jehovah; and besides me there is no saviour.
12 I have declared, and I have saved, and I have showed; and there was no strange `god' among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and I am God.
13 Yea, since the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who can hinder it?
14 Thus saith Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and I will bring down all of them as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships of their rejoicing.
15 I am Jehovah, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.
16 Thus saith Jehovah, who maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;
17 who bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the mighty man (they lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched as a wick):
18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now shall it spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
20 The beasts of the field shall honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21 the people which I formed for myself, that they might set forth my praise.
22 Yet thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.
23 Thou hast not brought me of thy sheep for burnt-offerings; neither hast thou honored me with thy sacrifices. I have not burdened thee with offerings, nor wearied thee with frankincense.
24 Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices; but thou hast burdened me with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.
25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake; and I will not remember thy sins.
26 Put me in remembrance; let us plead together: set thou forth `thy cause', that thou mayest be justified.
27 Thy first father sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me.
28 Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary; and I will make Jacob a curse, and Israel a reviling.
1 And now, thus said Jehovah, Thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy Fashioner, O Israel, Be not afraid, for I have redeemed thee, I have called on thy name -- thou `art' Mine.
2 When thou passest into waters, I `am' with thee, And into floods, they do not overflow thee, When thou goest into fire, thou art not burnt, And a flame doth not burn against thee.
3 For I -- Jehovah thy God, The Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour, I have appointed Egypt thine atonement, Cush and Seba in thy stead.
4 Since thou wast precious in Mine eyes, Thou wast honoured, and I have loved thee, And I appoint men in thy stead, And peoples instead of thy life.
5 Be not afraid, for I `am' with thee, From the east I bring in thy seed, And from the west I gather thee.
6 I am saying to the north, `Give up,' And to the south, `Restrain not.' Bring in My sons from afar, And My daughters from the end of the earth.
7 Every one who is called by My name, Even for My honour I have created him, I have formed him, yea, I have made him.
8 He brought out a blind people who have eyes, And deaf ones who have ears.
9 All the nations have been gathered together, And the peoples are assembled, Who among them declareth this, And former things causeth us to hear? They give their witnesses, And they are declared righteous, And they hear and say, `Truth.'
10 Ye `are' My witnesses, an affirmation of Jehovah, And My servant whom I have chosen, So that ye know and give credence to Me, And understand that I `am' He, Before Me there was no God formed, And after Me there is none.
11 I -- I `am' Jehovah, And besides Me there is no saviour.
12 I -- I declared, and saved, and proclaimed, And there is no stranger with you, And ye `are' My witnesses, an affirmation of Jehovah, And I `am' God.
13 Even from the day I `am' He, And there is no deliverer from My hand, I work, and who doth turn it back?
14 Thus said Jehovah, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: `For your sake I have sent to Babylon, And caused bars to descend -- all of them, And the Chaldeans, whose song `is' in the ships.
15 I `am' Jehovah, your Holy One, Creator of Israel, your King.'
16 Thus said Jehovah, Who is giving in the sea a way, And in the strong waters a path.
17 Who is bringing forth chariot and horse, A force, even a strong one: `Together they lie down -- they rise not, They have been extinguished, As flax they have been quenched.'
18 Remember not former things, And ancient things consider not.
19 Lo, I am doing a new thing, now it springeth up, Do ye not know it? Yea, I put in a wilderness a way, In a desolate place -- floods.
20 Honour me doth the beast of the field, Dragons and daughters of an ostrich, For I have given in a wilderness waters, Floods in a desolate place, To give drink to My people -- My chosen.
21 This people I have formed for Myself, My praise they recount.
22 And Me thou hast not called, O Jacob, For thou hast been wearied of me, O Israel,
23 Thou hast not brought in to Me, The lamb of thy burnt-offerings, And `with' thy sacrifices thou hast not honoured Me, I have not caused thee to serve with a present, Nor wearied thee with frankincense.
24 Thou hast not bought for Me with money sweet cane, And `with' the fat of thy sacrifices hast not filled Me, Only -- thou hast caused Me to serve with thy sins, Thou hast wearied Me with thine iniquities.
25 I -- I `am' He who is blotting out Thy transgressions for Mine own sake, And thy sins I do not remember.
26 Cause me to remember -- we are judged together, Declare thou that thou mayest be justified.
27 Thy first father sinned, And thine interpreters transgressed against me,
28 And I pollute princes of the sanctuary, And I give Jacob to destruction, and Israel to revilings!
1 But now thus saith Jehovah, that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called [thee] by thy name; thou art mine.
2 When thou passest through the waters, I [will be] with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
3 For I [am] Jehovah thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee; and I will give men for thee, and peoples for thy life.
5 Fear not, for I [am] with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the end of the earth,
7 every one that is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory: I have formed him, yea, I have made him.
8 Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled: who among them declareth this, or causeth us to hear former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified; or let them hear, and say, [It is] truth.
10 Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I [am] HE: before me there was no ùGod formed, neither shall there be after me.
11 I, I [am] Jehovah; and besides me there is no saviour.
12 It is I that have declared, and have saved, and have shewed, when there was no strange [god] among you; and ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, that I [am] ùGod.
13 Yea, since the day was, I [am] HE, and there is none that delivereth out of my hand: I will work, and who shall hinder it?
14 Thus saith Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought all of them down as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships.
15 I [am] Jehovah, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.
16 Thus saith Jehovah, who maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters,
17 who bringeth forth chariot and horse, army and power -- they lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched as tow:
18 -- Remember not the former things, neither consider the ancient things:
19 behold, I do a new thing; now it shall spring forth: shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the waste.
20 The beast of the field shall glorify me, the jackals and the ostriches; for I will give waters in the wilderness, rivers in the waste, to give drink to my people, my chosen.
21 This people have I formed for myself: they shall shew forth my praise.
22 -- But thou hast not called upon me, Jacob; for thou hast been weary of me, O Israel:
23 thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt-offerings, neither hast thou glorified me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to toil with an oblation, nor wearied thee with incense.
24 Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices; but thou hast made me to toil with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.
25 -- I, I [am] He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and I will not remember thy sins.
26 Put me in remembrance, let us plead together; rehearse thine own [cause], that thou mayest be justified.
27 Thy first father hath sinned, and thy mediators have rebelled against me.
28 And I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the ban, and Israel to reproaches.
1 But now thus says Yahweh who created you, Jacob, and he who formed you, Israel: Don't be afraid, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you: when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle on you.
3 For I am Yahweh your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
4 Since you have been precious in my sight, [and] honorable, and I have loved you; therefore will I give men in your place, and peoples instead of your life.
5 Don't be afraid; for I am with you: I will bring your seed from the east, and gather you from the west;
6 I will tell the north, Give up; and to the south, Don't keep back; bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the end of the earth;
7 everyone who is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed, yes, whom I have made.
8 Bring forth the blind people who have eyes, and the deaf who have ears.
9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled: who among them can declare this, and show us former things? let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified; or let them hear, and say, It is truth.
10 You are my witnesses, says Yahweh, and my servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
11 I, even I, am Yahweh; and besides me there is no savior.
12 I have declared, and I have saved, and I have shown; and there was no strange [god] among you: therefore you are my witnesses, says Yahweh, and I am God.
13 Yes, since the day was I am he; and there is none who can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who can hinder it?
14 Thus says Yahweh, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and I will bring down all of them as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships of their rejoicing.
15 I am Yahweh, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.
16 Thus says Yahweh, who makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;
17 who brings forth the chariot and horse, the army and the mighty man (they lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched as a wick):
18 Don't remember the former things, neither consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now shall it spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
20 The animals of the field shall honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21 the people which I formed for myself, that they might set forth my praise.
22 Yet you have not called on me, Jacob; but you have been weary of me, Israel.
23 You have not brought me of your sheep for burnt offerings; neither have you honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, nor wearied you with frankincense.
24 You have bought me no sweet cane with money, neither have you filled me with the fat of your sacrifices; but you have burdened me with your sins, you have wearied me with your iniquities.
25 I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; and I will not remember your sins.
26 Put me in remembrance; let us plead together: set you forth [your cause], that you may be justified.
27 Your first father sinned, and your teachers have transgressed against me.
28 Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary; and I will make Jacob a curse, and Israel a reviling.
1 But now, says the Lord your Maker, O Jacob, and your life-giver, O Israel: have no fear, for I have taken up your cause; naming you by your name, I have made you mine.
2 When you go through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not go over you: when you go through the fire, you will not be burned; and the flame will have no power over you.
3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your saviour; I have given Egypt as a price for you, Ethiopia and Seba for you.
4 Because of your value in my eyes, you have been honoured, and loved by me; so I will give men for you, and peoples for your life.
5 Have no fear, for I am with you: I will take your seed from the east, and get you together from the west;
6 I will say to the north, Give them up; and to the south, Do not keep them back; send back my sons from far, and my daughters from the end of the earth;
7 Every one who is named by my name, and whom I have made for my glory, who has been formed and designed by me.
8 Send out the blind people who have eyes, and those who have ears, but they are shut.
9 Let all the nations come together, and let the peoples be present: who among them is able to make this clear, and give us word of earlier things? let their witnesses come forward, so that they may be seen to be true, and that they may give ear, and say, It is true.
10 You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant whom I have taken for myself: so that you may see and have faith in me, and that it may be clear to you that I am he; before me there was no God formed, and there will not be after me.
11 I, even I, am the Lord; and there is no saviour but me.
12 I gave the word, and made it clear, and there was no strange god among you: for this reason you are my witnesses, says the Lord.
13 From time long past I am God, and from this day I am he: there is no one who is able to take you out of my hand: when I undertake a thing, by whom will my purpose be changed?
14 The Lord, who has taken up your cause, the Holy One of Israel, says, Because of you I have sent to Babylon, and made all their seers come south, and the Chaldaeans whose cry is in the ships.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Maker of Israel, your King.
16 This is the word of the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, and a road through the deep waters;
17 Who sends out the war-carriages and the horses, the army with all its force; they have come down, they will not get up again; like a feebly burning light they are put out.
18 Give no thought to the things which are past; let the early times go out of your minds.
19 See, I am doing a new thing; now it is starting; will you not take note of it? I will even make a way in the waste land, and rivers in the dry country.
20 The beasts of the field will give me honour, the jackals and the ostriches: because I send out waters in the waste land, and rivers in the dry country, to give drink to the people whom I have taken for myself:
21 Even the people whom I made to be the witnesses of my praise.
22 But you have made no prayer to me, O Jacob: and you have given no thought to me, O Israel.
23 You have not made me burned offerings of sheep, or given me honour with your offerings of beasts; I did not make you servants to give me an offering, and I did not make you tired with requests for perfumes.
24 You have not got me sweet-smelling plants with your money, or given me pleasure with the fat of your offerings: but you have made me a servant to your sins, and you have made me tired with your evil doings.
25 I, even I, am he who takes away your sins; and I will no longer keep your evil doings in mind.
26 Put me in mind of this; let us take up the cause between us: put forward your cause, so that you may be seen to be in the right.
27 Your first father was a sinner, and your guides have gone against my word.
28 Your chiefs have made my holy place unclean, so I have made Jacob a curse, and Israel a thing of shame.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Isaiah 43
Commentary on Isaiah 43 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
The tone of the address is now suddenly changed. The sudden leap from reproach to consolation was very significant. It gave them to understand, that no meritorious work of their own would come in between what Israel was and what it was to be, but that it was God's free grace which came to meet it. “But now thus saith Jehovah thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy Former, O Israel! Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by name, thou art mine. When thou goest through the water, I am with thee; and through rivers, they shall not drown thee: when thou goest into fire, thou shalt not be burned; and the flame shall not set thee on fire.” The punishment has now lasted quite long enough; and, as ועתּה affirms, the love which has hitherto retreated behind the wrath returns to its own prerogatives again. He who created and formed Israel, by giving Abraham the son of the promise, and caused the seventy of Jacob's family to grow up into a nation in Egypt, He also will shelter and preserve it. He bids it be of good cheer; for their early history is a pledge of this. The perfects after כּי in Isaiah 43:1 stand out against the promising futures in Isaiah 43:2, as retrospective glances: the expression “I have redeemed thee” pointing back to Israel's redemption out of Egypt; “I have called thee by thy name” (lit. I have called with thy name, i.e., called it out), to its call to be the peculiar people of Jehovah, who therefore speaks of it in Isaiah 48:12 as “My called.” This help of the God of Israel will also continue to arm it against the destructive power of the most hostile elements, and rescue it from the midst of the greatest dangers, from which there is apparently no escape (cf., Psalms 66:12; Daniel 3:17, Daniel 3:27; and Ges. §103, 2).
Just as in Isaiah 43:1 , kı̄ (for), with all that follows, assigns the reason for the encouraging “Fear not;” so here a second kı̄ introduces the reason for the promise which ensures them against the dangers arising from either water or fire. “For I Jehovah am thy God; ( I ) the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I give up Egypt as a ransom for thee, Ethiopia and Seba in thy stead. Because thou art dear in my eyes, highly esteemed, and I loved thee; I give up men in thy stead, and peoples for thy life.” Both “Jehovah” and “the Holy One of Israel” are in apposition to “I” ( ' ănı̄ ), the force of which is continued in the second clause. The preterite nâthattı̄ (I have given), as the words “I will give” in Isaiah 43:4 clearly show, states a fact which as yet is only completed so far as the purpose is concerned. “ A ransom: ” kōpher ( λύτρον ) is literally the covering - the person making the payment. סבא is the land of Meroë , which is enclosed between the White and Blue Nile, the present Dâr Sennâr , district of Sennâr ( Sen-ârti , i.e., island of Senâ ), or the ancient Meriotic priestly state settled about this enclosed land, probably included in the Mudrâya (Egypt) of the Achaemenidian arrowheaded inscriptions; though it is uncertain whether the Kusiya (Heb. Kūshı̄m ) mentioned there are the predatory tribe of archers called Κοσσαῖοι (Strabo, xi. 13, 6), whose name has been preserved in the present Chuzistan, the eastern Ethiopians of the Greeks (as Lassen and Rawlinson suppose), or the African Ethiopians of the Bible, as Oppert imagines. The fact that Egypt was only conquered by Cambyses, and not by Cyrus, who merely planned it (Herod. i. 153), and to whom it is only attributed by a legend (Xen. Cyr . viii. 6, 20, λἐγεται καταστρἐψσασθαι Αἰγυπτον ), does no violence to the truth of the promise. It is quite enough that Egypt and the neighbouring kingdoms were subjugated by the new imperial power of Persia, and that through that empire the Jewish people recovered their long-lost liberty. The free love of God was the reason for His treating Israel according to the principle laid down in Proverbs 11:8; Proverbs 21:18. מאשׁר does not signify ex quo tempore here, but is equivalent to אשׁר מפּני in Exodus 19:18; Jeremiah 44:23; for if it indicated the terminus a quo , it would be followed by a more distinct statement of the fact of their election. The personal pronoun “and I” ( va'ănı̄ ) is introduced in consequence of the change of persons. In the place of ונתתּי ( perf. cons. ), ואתּ ן commended itself, as the former had already been used in a somewhat different function. All that composed the chosen nation are here designated as “man” ( âdâm ), because there was nothing in them but what was derived from Adam. תּחת has here a strictly substitutionary meaning throughout.
The encouraging “Fear not” is here resumed, for the purpose of assigning a still further reason. “Fear not; for I am with thee: I bring thy seed from the east, and from the west will I gather them; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the end of the earth; everything that is called by my name, and I have created for my glory, that I have formed, yea finished!” The fact that Jehovah is with Israel will show itself in this, that He effects its complete restoration from all quarters of the heaven (compare the lands of the diaspora in all directions already mentioned by Isaiah in Isaiah 11:11-12). Jehovah's command is issued to north and south to give up their unrighteous possession, not to keep it back, and to restore His sons and daughters (compare the similar change in the gender in Isaiah 11:12), which evidently implies the help and escort of the exiles on the part of the heathen (Isaiah 14:2). The four quarters and four winds are of the feminine gender. In Isaiah 43:7 the object is more precisely defined from the standpoint of sacred history. The three synonyms bring out the might, the freeness, and the riches of grace, with which Jehovah called Israel into existence, to glorify Himself in it, and that He might be glorified by it. They form a climax, for בּרא signifies to produce as a new thing; יצר , to shape what has been produced; and עשׂה , to make it perfect or complete, hence creavi , formavi , perfeci .
We come now to the third turn in the second half of this prophecy. It is linked on to the commencement of the first turn (“Hear, ye deaf, and look, ye blind, that ye may see”), the summons being now addressed to some one to bring forth the Israel, which has eyes and ears without seeing or hearing; whilst, on the other hand, the nations are all to come together, and this time not for the purpose of convincing them, but of convincing Israel. “Bring out a blind people, and it has eyes; and deaf people, and yet furnished with ears! All ye heathen, gather yourselves together, and let peoples assemble! Who among you can proclaim such a thing? And let them cause former things to be heard, appoint their witnesses, and be justified. Let these hear, and say, True! Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and see that it is I: before me was no God formed, and there will be none after me.” “Bring out” does not refer here to bringing out of captivity, as in Ezekiel 20:34, Ezekiel 20:41; Ezekiel 34:13, since the names by which Israel is called are hardly applicable to this, but rather to bringing to the place appointed for judicial proceedings. The verb is in the imperative. The heathen are also to gather together en masse ; נקבּצוּ is also an imperative here, as in Joel 3:11 = הקּבצוּ (cf., נלווּ , Jeremiah 50:5; Ewald, §226, c ). In Isaiah 43:9 we have the commencement of the evidence adduced by Jehovah in support of His own divine right: Who among the gods of the nations can proclaim this? i.e., anything like my present announcement of the restoration of Israel? To prove that they can, let them cause “former things” to be heard, i.e., any former events which they had foretold, and which had really taken place; and let them appoint witnesses of such earlier prophecies, and so prove themselves to be gods, that is to say, by the fact that these witnesses have publicly heard their declaration and confirm the truth thereof. The subject to וגו וישׁמעוּ (they may hear, etc.) is the witnesses, not as now informing themselves for the first time, but as making a public declaration. The explanation, “that men may hear,” changes the subject without any necessity. But whereas the gods are dumb and lifeless, and therefore cannot call any witnesses for themselves, and not one of all the assembled multitude can come forward as their legitimate witness, or as one able to vindicate them, Jehovah can call His people as witnesses, since they have had proofs in abundance that He possesses infallible knowledge of the future. It is generally assumed that “and my servant” introduces a second subject: “Ye, and ( especially ) my servant whom I have chosen.” In this case, “my servant” would denote that portion of the nation which was so, not merely like the mass of the people according to its divine calling, but also by its own fidelity to that calling; that is to say, the kernel of the nation, which was in the midst of the mass, but had not the manners of the mass. At the same time, the sentence which follows is much more favourable to the unity of the subject; and why should not “my servant” be a second predicate? The expression “ye” points to the people, who were capable of seeing and hearing, and yet both blind and deaf, and who had been brought out to the forum, according to Isaiah 43:8. Ye , says Jehovah, are my witnesses, and ye are my servant whom I have chosen; I can appeal to what I have enabled you to experience and to perceive, and to the relation in which I have in mercy caused you to stand to myself, that ye may thereby be brought to consider the great difference that there is between what ye have in your God and that which the heathen (here present with you) have in their idols. “I am He,” i.e., God exclusively, and God for ever. His being has no beginning and no end; so that any being apart from His, which could have gone before or could follow after, so as to be regarded as divine (in other words, the deity of the artificial and temporal images which are called gods by the heathen), is a contradiction in itself.
The address now closes by holding up once more the object and warrant of faith. “I am Jehovah; and beside me there is no Savour. I have proclaimed and brought salvation, and given to perceive, and there was no other god among you: and ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and I am God. Even from the day onwards I am so; and there is no deliverer out of my hand: I act, and who can turn it back?” The proper name “ Jehovah ” is used here (Isaiah 43:13) as a name indicating essence: “I and no other am the absolutely existing and living One,” i.e., He who proves His existence by His acts, and indeed by His saving acts. מושׁיע and Jehovah are kindred epithets here; just as in the New Testament the name Jehovah sets, as it were, but only to rise again in the name Jesus, in which it is historically fulfilled. Jehovah's previous self-manifestation in history furnished a pledge of the coming redemption. The two synonyms הגּדתּי and השׁמעתּ have הושׁעתּי in the midst. He proclaimed salvation, brought salvation, and in the new afflictions was still ever preaching salvation, without there having been any zâr , i.e., any strange or other god in Israel (Deuteronomy 32:16; see above, Isaiah 17:10), who proved his existence in any such way, or, in fact, gave any sign of existence at all. This they must themselves confess; and therefore ( Vav in sense equivalent to ergo , as in Isaiah 40:18, Isaiah 40:25) He, and He alone, is El , the absolutely mighty One, i.e., God. And from this time forth He is so, i.e., He, and He only, displays divine nature and divine life. There is no reason for taking מיּום in the sense of יום מהיות , “from the period when the day, i.e., time, existed” (as the lxx, Jerome, Stier, etc., render it). Both the gam (also) and the future ' eph ‛ al (I will work) require the meaning supported by Ezekiel 48:35, “from the day onwards,” i.e., from this time forth (syn. לפני־יום , Isaiah 48:7). The concluding words give them to understand, that the predicted salvation is coming in the way of judgment. Jehovah will go forward with His work; and if He who is the same yesterday and today sets this before Him, who can turn it back, so that it shall remain unaccomplished? The prophecy dies away, like the m assâ ' Bâbhel with its epilogue in Isaiah 14:27. In the first half (Isaiah 42:1-17) Jehovah introduced His servant, the medium of salvation, and proclaimed the approaching work of salvation, at which all the world had reason to rejoice. The second half (Isaiah 42:18-43:13) began with reproaching, and sought to bring Israel through this predicted salvation to reflect upon itself, and also upon its God, the One God, to whom there was no equal.
In close connection with the foregoing prophecy, the present one commences with the dissolution of the Chaldean empire. “Thus saith Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, For your sake I have sent to Babel, and will hurl them all down as fugitives, and the Chaldeans into the ships of their rejoicing. I, Jehovah, am your Holy One; ( I ) Israel's Creator, your King.” Hitzig reads באניות , and adopts the rendering, “and drowned the shouting of the Chaldeans in groaning.” Ewald also corrects Isaiah 43:14 thus: “And plunge their guitars into groanings, and the rejoicing of the Chaldeans into sighs.” We cannot see any good taste in this un-Hebraic bombast. Nor is there any more reason for altering ברייחם (lxx φεύγοντας ) into ברייחם (Jerome, vectes ), as Umbreit proposes: “and make all their bolts
(Note: This would require כּל־בּריחיה .)
fall down, and the Chaldeans, who rejoice in ships” ( bāŏniyōth ). None of these alterations effect any improvement. For your sakes, says Jehovah, i.e., for the purpose of releasing you, I have sent to Babylon (sc., the agents of my judgments, Isaiah 13:3), and will throw them all down (viz., the πάμιμκτος ὄχλος of this market of the world; see Isaiah 13:14; Isaiah 47:15) as fugitives ( bârı̄chı̄m with a fixed kametz , equivalent to barrı̄chı̄m ), i.e., into a hurried flight; and the Chaldeans, who have been settled there from a hoary antiquity, even they shall be driven into the ships of their rejoicing ( bŏŏniyōth , as in Proverbs 31:14), i.e., the ships which were previously the object of their jubilant pride and their jubilant rejoicing. והורדתּי stands in the perf. consec. , as indicating the object of all the means already set in motion. The ships of pleasure are not air-balloons, as Hitzig affirms. Herodotus (i. 194) describes the freight ships discharging in Babylon; and we know from other sources that the Chaldeans not only navigated the Euphrates, but the Persian Gulf as well, and employed vessels built by Phoenicians for warlike purposes also.
(Note: See G. Rawlinson, Monarchies , i. 128, ii. 448.)
הוריד itself might indeed signify “to hurl to the ground” (Psalms 56:8; Psalms 59:12); but the allusion to ships shows that בּ הוריד are to be connected (cf., Isaiah 63:14), and that a general driving down both by land and water to the southern coast is intended. By thus sweeping away both foreigners and natives out of Babylon into the sea, Jehovah proves what He is in Himself, according to Isaiah 43:15, and also in His relation to Israel; we must supply a repetition of אני here ( Isaiah 43:15 ), as in Isaiah 43:3 . The congregation which addresses Him as the Holy One, the people who suffer Him to reign over them as their King, cannot remain permanently despised and enslaved.
There now follows a second field of the picture of redemption; and the expression “for your sake” is expounded in Isaiah 43:16-21 : “Thus saith Jehovah, who giveth a road through the sea, and a path through tumultuous waters; who bringeth out chariot and horse, army and hero; they lie down together, they never rise: they have flickered away, extinguished like a wick. Remember not things of olden time, nor meditate upon those of earlier times! Behold, I work out a new thing: will ye not live to see it? Yea, I make a road through the desert, and streams through solitudes. The beast of the field will praise me, wild dogs and ostriches: for I give water in the desert, streams in solitude, to give drink to my people, my chosen. The people that I formed for myself, they shall show forth my praise.” What Jehovah really says commences in Isaiah 43:18. Then in between He is described as Redeemer out of Egypt; for the redemption out of Egypt was a type and pledge of the deliverance to be looked for out of Babylon. The participles must not be rendered qui dedit , eduxit ; but from the mighty act of Jehovah in olden time general attributes are deduced: He who makes a road in the sea, as He once showed. The sea with the tumultuous waters is the Red Sea (Nehemiah 9:11); ‛ izzūz , which rhymes with vâsūs , is a concrete, as in Psalms 24:8, the army with the heroes at its head. The expression “bringeth out,” etc., is not followed by “and suddenly destroys them,” but we are transported at once into the very midst of the scenes of destruction. ישׁכּבוּ shows them to us entering upon the sleep of death, in which they lie without hope (Isaiah 26:14). The close ( kappishtâh khâbhū ) is iambic, as in Judges 5:27. The admonition in Isaiah 43:18 does not commend utter forgetfulness and disregard (see Isaiah 66:9); but that henceforth they are to look forwards rather than backward. The new thing which Jehovah is in the process of working out eclipses the old, and deserves a more undivided and prolonged attention. Of this new thing it is affirmed, “even now it sprouts up;” whereas in Isaiah 42:9, even in the domain of the future, a distinction was drawn between “the former things” and “new things,” and it could be affirmed of the latter that they were not yet sprouting up. In the passage before us the entire work of God in the new time is called c hădâshâh (new), and is placed in contrast with the ri ' shōnōth , or occurrences of the olden time; so that as the first part of this new thing had already taken place (Isaiah 42:9), and there was only the last part still to come, it might very well be affirmed of the latter, that it was even now sprouting up (not already, which עתה may indeed also mean, but as in Isaiah 48:7). In connection with this, תדעוּה הלוא (a verbal form with the suffix, as in Jeremiah 13:17, with kametz in the syllable before the tone, as in Isaiah 6:9; Isaiah 47:11, in pause) does not mean, “Will ye then not regard it,” as Ewald, Umbreit, and others render it; but, “shall ye not, i.e., assuredly ye will, experience it.” The substance of the c hădâshâh (the new thing) is unfolded in Isaiah 43:19 . It enfolds a rich fulness of wonders: אף affirming that, among other things, Jehovah will do this one very especially. He transforms the pathless, waterless desert, that His chosen one, the people of God, may be able to go through in safety, and without fainting. And the benefits of this miracle of divine grace reach the animal world as well, so that their joyful cries are an unconscious praise of Jehovah. (On the names of the animals, see Köhler on Malachi 1:3.) In this we can recognise the prophet, who, as we have several times observed since chapter 11 (compare especially Isaiah 30:23-24; Isaiah 35:7), has not only a sympathizing heart for the woes of the human race, but also an open ear for the sighs of all creation. He knows that when the sufferings of the people of God shall be brought to an end, the sufferings of creation will also terminate; for humanity is the heart of the universe, and the people of God (understanding by this the people of God according to the Spirit) are the heart of humanity. In v. 21 the promise is brought to a general close: the people that ( zū personal and relative, as in Isaiah 42:24)
(Note: The pointing connects עם־זוּ with m akkeph , so that the rendering would be, “The people there I have formed for myself;” but according to our view, עם should be accented with yethib , and zū with m unach . In just the same way, zū is connected with the previous noun as a demonstrative, by means of m akkeph , in Exodus 15:13, Exodus 15:16; Psalms 9:16; Psalms 62:12; Psalms 142:4; Psalms 143:8, and by means of a subsidiary accent in Psalms 10:2; Psalms 12:8. The idea which underlies Isaiah 42:24 appears to be, “This is the retribution that we have met with from him.”' But in none of these can we be bound by the punctuation.)
I have formed for myself will have richly to relate how I glorified myself in them.
It would be the praise of God, however, and not the merits of their own works, that they would have to relate; for there was nothing at all that could give them any claim to reward. There were not even acts of ceremonial worship, but only the guilt of grievous sins. “And thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob, that thou shouldst have wearied thyself for me, O Israel! Thou hast not brought me sheep of thy burnt-offerings, and thou hast not honoured me with thy slain-offerings. I have not burdened thee with meat-offerings, and have not troubled thee about incense. Thou hast bought me no spice-cane for silver, nor hast thou refreshed me with fat of thy slain-offerings. No; thou hast wearied me with thy sins, troubled me with thine iniquities.” We cannot agree with Stier, that these words refer to the whole of the previous worship of Israel, which is treated here as having no existence, because of its heartlessness and false-holiness. And we must also not forget, that all these prophecies rested on either the historical or the ideal soil of the captivity. The charge commences with the worship of prayer (with calling upon Jehovah, as in Psalms 14:4; Psalms 18:7), to which the people were restricted when in exile, since the law did not allow them to offer sacrifice outside the holy land. The personal pronoun אתי , in the place of the suffix, is written first of all for the sake of emphasis, as if the meaning were, “Israel could exert itself to call upon other gods, but not upon Jehovah.” The following kı̄ is equivalent to ut (Hosea 1:6), or ‛ ad - kı̄ in 2 Samuel 23:10, adeo ut laborasses me colendo (so as to have wearied thyself in worshipping me). They are also charged with having offered no sacrifices, inasmuch as in a foreign land this duty necessarily lapsed of itself, together with the self-denial that it involved. The spelling הביאת (as in Numbers 14:31) appears to have been intended for the pronunciation הביאת (compare the pronunciation in 2 Kings 19:25, which comes between the two). The ‛ ōlōth (burnt-offerings) stand first, as the expression of adoration, and are connected with sēh , which points to the daily morning and evening sacrifice (the tâmı̄d ). Then follow the z e bâchı̄m (slain-offerings), the expression of the establishment of fellowship with Jehovah ( וּזבחי ך is equivalent to וּבזביחך , like חמה = בּחמה , Isaiah 43:25). The “fat” ( c hēlebh ) in Isaiah 43:24 refers to the portions of fat that were placed upon the altar in connection with this kind of sacrifice. After the z e bâchı̄m comes the m ichâh , the expression of desire for the blessing of Jehovah, a portion of which, the so-called remembrance portion ( ' azkârâh ), was placed upon the altar along with the whole of the incense. And lastly, the qâneh (spice-cane), i.e., some one of the Amoma ,
(Note: The qâneh is generally supposed to be the Calamus ; but the c alamus forms no stalk, to say nothing of a cane or hollow stalk. It must be some kind of aromatic plant, with a stalk like a cane, either the Cardamum , Ingber , or Curcuma ; at any rate, it belonged to the species Amomum . The aroma of this was communicated to the anointing oil, the latter being infused, and the resinous parts of the former being thereby dissolved.)
points to the holy anointing oil (Exodus 30:23), or if it refer to spices generally, to the sacred incense, though qâneh is not mentioned as one of the ingredients in Exodus 30:34. The nation, which Jehovah was now redeeming out of pure unmingled grace, had not been burdened with costly tasks of this description (see Jeremiah 6:20); on the contrary, it was Jehovah only who was burdened and troubled. He denies that there was any “causing to serve” ( העביד , lit., to make a person a servant, to impose servile labour upon him) endured by Israel, but affirms this rather of Himself. The sins of Israel pressed upon Him, as a burden does upon a servant. His love took upon itself the burden of Israel's guilt, which derived its gravitating force from His won holy righteous wrath; but it was a severe task to bear this heavy burden, and expunge it - a thoroughly divine task, the significance of which was first brought out in its own true light by the cross on Golgotha. When God creates, He expresses His fiat, and what He wills comes to pass. But He does not blot out sin without balancing His love with His justice; and this equalization is not effected without conflict and victory.
Nevertheless, the sustaining power of divine love is greater than the gravitating force of divine wrath. “I, I alone, blot out thy transgressions for my own sake, and do not remember thy sins.” Jehovah Himself here announces the sola gratia and sola fides . We have adopted the rendering “I alone,” because the threefold repetition of the subject, “I, I, He is blotting out thy transgressions,” is intended to affirm that this blotting out of sin is so far from being in any way merited by Israel, that it is a sovereign act of His absolute freedom; and the expression “for my own sake,” that it has its foundation only in God, namely, in His absolute free grace, that movement of His love by which wrath is subdued. For the debt stands written in God's own book. Justice has entered it, and love alone blots it out ( m âchâh , ἐξαλεί φει , as in Isaiah 44:22; Psalms 51:3, Psalms 51:11; Psalms 109:14); but, as we know from the actual fulfilment, not without paying with blood, and giving the quittance with blood.
Jehovah now calls upon Israel, if this be not the case, to remind Him of any merit upon which it can rely. “Call to my remembrance; we will strive with one another: tell now, that thou mayst appear just.” Justification is an actus forensis (see Isaiah 1:18). Justice accuses, and grace acquits. Or has Israel any actual merits, so that Justice would be obliged to pronounce it just? The object to hazkı̄rēnı̄ and sappēr , which never have the closed sense of pleading, as Böttcher supposes, is the supposed meritorious works of Israel.
But Israel has no such works; on the contrary, its history has been a string of sins from the very first. “Thy first forefather sinned, and thy mediators have fallen away from me.” By the first forefather, Hitzig, Umbreit, and Knobel understand Adam; but Adam was the forefather of the human race, not of Israel; and the debt of Adam was the debt of mankind, and not of Israel. The reference is to Abraham, as the first of the three from whom the origin and election of Israel were dated; Abraham, whom Israel from the very first had called with pride “our father” (Matthew 3:9). Even the history of Abraham was stained with sin, and did not shine in the light of meritorious works, but in that of grace, and of faith laying hold of grace. The m e lı̄tsı̄m , interpreters, and mediators generally (2 Chronicles 32:31; Job 33:23), are the prophets and priests, who stood between Jehovah and Israel, and were the medium of intercourse between the two, both in word and deed. They also had for the most part become unfaithful to God, by resorting to ungodly soothsaying and false worship. Hence the sin of Israel was as old as its very earliest origin; and apostasy had spread even among those who ought to have been the best and most godly, because of the office they sustained.
Consequently the all-holy One was obliged to do what had taken place. “Then I profaned holy princes, and gave up Jacob to the curse, and Israel to blasphemies.” ואחלל might be an imperfect, like ואכל , “I ate,” in Isaiah 44:19, and ואבּיט , “I looked,” in Isaiah 63:5; but ואתּנה by the side of it shows that the pointing sprang out of the future interpretation contained in the Targum; so that as the latter is to be rejected, we must substitute ואחלל , ואתּנה (Ges. §49, 2). The “holy princes” ( sârē qōdesh ) are the hierarchs, as in 1 Chronicles 24:5, the supreme spiritual rulers as distinguished from the temporal rulers. The profanation referred to was the fact that they were ruthlessly hurried off into a strange land, where their official labours were necessarily suspended. This was the fate of the leaders of the worship; and the whole nation, which bore the honourable names of Jacob and Israel, was give up to the ban ( c hērem ) and the blasphemies ( giddūphı̄m ) of the nations of the world.