8 Yea, thou heardest H8085 not; yea, thou knewest H3045 not; yea, from that time that thine ear H241 was not opened: H6605 for I knew H3045 that thou wouldest deal very H898 treacherously, H898 and wast called H7121 a transgressor H6586 from the womb. H990
The wicked H7563 are estranged H2114 from the womb: H7358 they go astray H8582 as soon as they be born, H990 speaking H1696 lies. H3577
And I said H559 after H310 she had done H6213 all these things, Turn H7725 thou unto me. But she returned H7725 not. And her treacherous H901 sister H269 Judah H3063 saw H7200 it. And I saw, H7200 when for all the causes H182 whereby backsliding H4878 Israel H3478 committed adultery H5003 I had put her away, H7971 and given H5414 her a bill H5612 of divorce; H3748 yet her treacherous H898 sister H269 Judah H3063 feared H3372 not, but went H3212 and played the harlot H2181 also. And it came to pass through the lightness H6963 of her whoredom, H2184 that she defiled H2610 the land, H776 and committed adultery H5003 with stones H68 and with stocks. H6086 And yet for all this her treacherous H901 sister H269 Judah H3063 hath not turned H7725 unto me with her whole heart, H3820 but feignedly, H8267 saith H5002 the LORD. H3068 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto me, The backsliding H4878 Israel H3478 hath justified H6663 herself H5315 more than treacherous H898 Judah. H3063
Among G1722 whom G3739 also G2532 we G2249 all G3956 had our conversation G390 in times past G4218 in G1722 the lusts G1939 of our G2257 flesh, G4561 fulfilling G4160 the desires G2307 of the flesh G4561 and G2532 of the mind; G1271 and G2532 were G2258 by nature G5449 the children G5043 of wrath, G3709 even G2532 as G5613 others. G3062
Therefore G5124 G1223 they could G1410 not G3756 believe, G4100 because G3754 that Esaias G2268 said G2036 again, G3825 He hath blinded G5186 their G846 eyes, G3788 and G2532 hardened G4456 their G846 heart; G2588 that G3363 they should G1492 not G3363 see G1492 with their eyes, G3788 nor G2532 understand G3539 with their heart, G2588 and G2532 be converted, G1994 and G2532 I should heal G2390 them. G846
Therefore G1223 G5124 speak I G2980 to them G846 in G1722 parables: G3850 because G3754 they seeing G991 see G991 not; G3756 and G2532 hearing G191 they hear G191 not, G3756 neither G3761 do they understand. G4920 And G2532 in G1909 them G846 is fulfilled G378 the prophecy G4394 of Esaias, G2268 which G3588 saith, G3004 By hearing G189 ye shall hear, G191 and G2532 shall G4920 not G3364 understand; G4920 and G2532 seeing G991 ye shall see, G991 and G2532 shall G1492 not G3364 perceive: G1492 For G1063 this G5127 people's G2992 heart G2588 is waxed gross, G3975 and G2532 their ears G3775 are dull G917 of hearing, G191 and G2532 their G846 eyes G3788 they have closed; G2576 lest at any time G3379 they should see G1492 with their eyes, G3788 and G2532 hear G191 with their ears, G3775 and G2532 should understand G4920 with their heart, G2588 and G2532 should be converted, G1994 and G2532 I should heal G2390 them. G846
Judah H3063 hath dealt treacherously, H898 and an abomination H8441 is committed H6213 in Israel H3478 and in Jerusalem; H3389 for Judah H3063 hath profaned H2490 the holiness H6944 of the LORD H3068 which he loved, H157 and hath married H1166 the daughter H1323 of a strange H5236 god. H410
But they like men H120 have transgressed H5674 the covenant: H1285 there have they dealt treacherously H898 against me.
They have dealt treacherously H898 against the LORD: H3068 for they have begotten H3205 strange H2114 children: H1121 now shall a month H2320 devour H398 them with their portions. H2506
And say, H559 Thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD H3069 unto Jerusalem; H3389 Thy birth H4351 and thy nativity H4138 is of the land H776 of Canaan; H3669 thy father H1 was an Amorite, H567 and thy mother H517 an Hittite. H2850 And as for thy nativity, H4138 in the day H3117 thou wast born H3205 thy navel H8270 was not cut, H3772 neither wast thou washed H7364 in water H4325 to supple H4935 thee; thou wast not salted H4414 at all, H4414 nor swaddled H2853 at all. H2853 None eye H5869 pitied H2347 thee, to do H6213 any H259 of these unto thee, to have compassion H2550 upon thee; but thou wast cast out H7993 in the open H6440 field, H7704 to the lothing H1604 of thy person, H5315 in the day H3117 that thou wast born. H3205
To whom shall I speak, H1696 and give warning, H5749 that they may hear? H8085 behold, their ear H241 is uncircumcised, H6189 and they cannot H3201 hearken: H7181 behold, the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 is unto them a reproach; H2781 they have no delight H2654 in it.
Surely H403 as a wife H802 treacherously H898 departeth from her husband, H7453 so have ye dealt treacherously H898 with me, O house H1004 of Israel, H3478 saith H5002 the LORD. H3068
Remember, H2142 and forget H7911 not, how thou provokedst the LORD H3068 thy God H430 to wrath H7107 in the wilderness: H4057 from H4480 the day H3117 that thou didst depart out H3318 of the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 until ye came H935 unto this place, H4725 ye have been rebellious H4784 against H5973 the LORD. H3068 Also in Horeb H2722 ye provoked H7107 the LORD H3068 to wrath, H7107 so that the LORD H3068 was angry H599 with you to have destroyed H8045 you. When I was gone up H5927 into the mount H2022 to receive H3947 the tables H3871 of stone, H68 even the tables H3871 of the covenant H1285 which the LORD H3068 made H3772 with you, then I abode H3427 in the mount H2022 forty H705 days H3117 and forty H705 nights, H3915 I neither did eat H398 bread H3899 nor drink H8354 water: H4325 And the LORD H3068 delivered H5414 unto me two H8147 tables H3871 of stone H68 written H3789 with the finger H676 of God; H430 and on them was written according to all the words, H1697 which the LORD H3068 spake H1696 with you in the mount H2022 out of the midst H8432 of the fire H784 in the day H3117 of the assembly. H6951 And it came to pass at the end H7093 of forty H705 days H3117 and forty H705 nights, H3915 that the LORD H3068 gave H5414 me the two H8147 tables H3871 of stone, H68 even the tables H3871 of the covenant. H1285 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto me, Arise, H6965 get thee down H3381 quickly H4118 from hence; for thy people H5971 which thou hast brought forth H3318 out of Egypt H4714 have corrupted H7843 themselves; they are quickly H4118 turned aside H5493 out of the way H1870 which I commanded H6680 them; they have made H6213 them a molten image. H4541 Furthermore the LORD H3068 spake H559 unto me, saying, H559 I have seen H7200 this people, H5971 and, behold, it is a stiffnecked H6203 H7186 people: H5971 Let me alone, H7503 that I may destroy H8045 them, and blot out H4229 their name H8034 from under heaven: H8064 and I will make H6213 of H854 thee a nation H1471 mightier H6099 and greater H7227 than they. So I turned H6437 and came down H3381 from the mount, H2022 and the mount H2022 burned H1197 with fire: H784 and the two H8147 tables H3871 of the covenant H1285 were in my two H8147 hands. H3027 And I looked, H7200 and, behold, ye had sinned H2398 against the LORD H3068 your God, H430 and had made H6213 you a molten H4541 calf: H5695 ye had turned aside H5493 quickly H4118 out of the way H1870 which the LORD H3068 had commanded H6680 you. And I took H8610 the two H8147 tables, H3871 and cast H7993 them out of H5921 my two H8147 hands, H3027 and brake H7665 them before your eyes. H5869 And I fell down H5307 before H6440 the LORD, H3068 as at the first, H7223 forty H705 days H3117 and forty H705 nights: H3915 I did neither eat H398 bread, H3899 nor drink H8354 water, H4325 because of all your sins H2403 which ye sinned, H2398 in doing H6213 wickedly H7451 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 to provoke him to anger. H3707 For I was afraid H3025 of H6440 the anger H639 and hot displeasure, H2534 wherewith the LORD H3068 was wroth H7107 against you to destroy H8045 you. But the LORD H3068 hearkened H8085 unto me at that time H6471 also. And the LORD H3068 was very H3966 angry H599 with Aaron H175 to have destroyed H8045 him: and I prayed H6419 for Aaron H175 also the same time. H6256 And I took H3947 your sin, H2403 the calf H5695 which ye had made, H6213 and burnt H8313 it with fire, H784 and stamped H3807 it, and ground H2912 it very small, H3190 even until it was as small H1854 as dust: H6083 and I cast H7993 the dust H6083 thereof into the brook H5158 that descended out H3381 of the mount. H2022 And at Taberah, H8404 and at Massah, H4532 and at Kibrothhattaavah, H6914 ye provoked the LORD H3068 to wrath. H7107 Likewise when the LORD H3068 sent H7971 you from Kadeshbarnea, H6947 saying, H559 Go up H5927 and possess H3423 the land H776 which I have given H5414 you; then ye rebelled H4784 against the commandment H6310 of the LORD H3068 your God, H430 and ye believed H539 him not, nor hearkened H8085 to his voice. H6963 Ye have been rebellious H4784 against the LORD H3068 from the day H3117 that I knew H3045 you.
Because I knew H1847 that thou art obstinate, H7186 and thy neck H6203 is an iron H1270 sinew, H1517 and thy brow H4696 brass; H5154
Remember H2142 this, and shew yourselves men: H377 bring it again H7725 to mind, H3820 O ye transgressors. H6586
Who is blind, H5787 but my servant? H5650 or deaf, H2795 as my messenger H4397 that I sent? H7971 who is blind H5787 as he that is perfect, H7999 and blind H5787 as the LORD'S H3068 servant? H5650 Seeing H7200 H7200 many things, H7227 but thou observest H8104 not; opening H6491 the ears, H241 but he heareth H8085 not.
For the LORD H3068 hath poured out H5258 upon you the spirit H7307 of deep sleep, H8639 and hath closed H6105 your eyes: H5869 the prophets H5030 and your rulers, H7218 the seers H2374 hath he covered. H3680 And the vision H2380 of all is become unto you as the words H1697 of a book H5612 that is sealed, H2856 which men deliver H5414 to one that is learned, H3045 saying, H559 Read H7121 this, I pray thee: and he saith, H559 I cannot; H3201 for it is sealed: H2856
LORD, H3068 when thy hand H3027 is lifted up, H7311 they will not see: H2372 but they shall see, H2372 and be ashamed H954 for their envy H7068 at the people; H5971 yea, the fire H784 of thine enemies H6862 shall devour H398 them.
And he said, H559 Go, H3212 and tell H559 this people, H5971 Hear H8085 ye indeed, H8085 but understand H995 not; and see H7200 ye indeed, H7200 but perceive H3045 not. Make the heart H3820 of this people H5971 fat, H8080 and make their ears H241 heavy, H3513 and shut H8173 their eyes; H5869 lest they see H7200 with their eyes, H5869 and hear H8085 with their ears, H241 and understand H995 with their heart, H3824 and convert, H7725 and be healed. H7495
[[To the chief Musician, H5329 A Psalm H4210 of David.]] H1732 O LORD, H3068 thou hast searched H2713 me, and known H3045 me. Thou knowest H3045 my downsitting H3427 and mine uprising, H6965 thou understandest H995 my thought H7454 afar off. H7350 Thou compassest H2219 my path H734 and my lying down, H7252 and art acquainted H5532 with all my ways. H1870 For there is not a word H4405 in my tongue, H3956 but, lo, O LORD, H3068 thou knowest H3045 it altogether.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Isaiah 48
Commentary on Isaiah 48 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 48
Isa 48:1-22. The Things That Befall Babylon Jehovah Predicted Long before, lest Israel Should Attribute Them, in Its "Obstinate" Perversity, to Strange Gods (Isa 48:1-5).
1. the waters of Judah—spring from the fountain of Judah (Nu 24:7; De 33:28; Ps 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—(Isa 19:18; 45:23; 65:16).
mention—in prayers and praises.
not in truth—(Jer 5:2; Joh 4:24).
2. For—Ye deserve these reproofs; "for" ye call yourselves citizens of "the holy city" (Isa 52:1), but not in truth (Isa 48:1; Ne 11:1; Da 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 (Isa 42:9; 44:7, 8; 45:21; 46:10).
suddenly—They came to pass so unexpectedly that the prophecy could not have resulted from mere human sagacity.
4. obstinate—Hebrew, "hard" (De 9:27; Eze 3:7, Margin).
iron sinew—inflexible (Ac 7:51).
brow brass—shameless as a harlot (see Jer 6:28; 3:3; Eze 3:7, Margin).
5. (See on Isa 48:1; Isa 48:3).
6. Thou, &c.—So "ye are my witnesses" (Isa 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 (Isa 44:8).
new things—namely, the deliverance from Babylon by Cyrus, new in contradistinction from former predictions that had been fulfilled (Isa 42:9; 43:19). Antitypically, the prophecy has in view the "new things" of the gospel treasury (So 7:13; Mt 13:52; 2Co 5:17; Re 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 (Da 2:22, 29; 1Co 2:9, 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 Isa 48:7.
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 (Isa 50:5); 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" (Isa 48:5). Thus they would have relapsed into idolatry, to cure them of which the Babylonian captivity was sent: so they had done (Ex 32:4). After the return, and ever since, they have utterly forsaken idols.
wast called—as thine appropriate appellation (Isa 9:6).
from the womb—from the beginning of Israel's national existence (Isa 44:2).
9. refrain—literally, "muzzle"; His wrath, after the return, was to be restrained a while, and then, because of their sins, let loose again (Ps 78:38).
for thee—that is, mine anger towards thee.
10. (See on Isa 1:25).
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 (Isa 1:25; 42:25; Eze 22:18-20, 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 (Zec 13:9; Mal 3:3; 1Pe 1:7).
11. how should my name—Maurer, instead of "My name" from Isa 48:9, 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 (Isa 48:9, 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" (Eze 20:9)?
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—(Isa 41:4; 44:6).
13. spanned—measured out (Isa 40:12).
when I call … stand up together—(Isa 40:26; Jer 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 (Ps 119:91) [Rosenmuller].
14. among them—among the gods and astrologers of the Chaldees (Isa 41:22; 43:9; 44:7).
Lord … loved him; he will, &c.—that is, "He whom the Lord hath loved will do," &c. [Lowth]; namely, Cyrus (Isa 44:28; 45:1, 13; 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 (Re 5:2-5).
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—(Isa 45:19). 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 (Isa 61:1; Joh 10:36). Plainly, Isa 49:1, which is the continuation of the forty-eighth chapter, from Isa 48:16, where the change of speaker from God (Isa 48:1, 12-15) begins, is the language of Messiah. Lu 4:1, 14, 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 (Heb 12:10).
18. peace—(Ps 119:165). Compare the desire expressed by the same Messiah (Mt 23:37; Lu 19:42).
river—(Isa 33:21; 41:18), a river flowing from God's throne is the symbol of free, abundant, and ever flowing blessings from Him (Eze 47:1; Zec 14:8; Re 22:1).
righteousness—religious prosperity; the parent of "peace" or national prosperity; therefore "peace" corresponds to "righteousness" in the parallelism (Isa 32:17).
19. sand—retaining the metaphor of "the sea" (Isa 48:18).
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 (Ro 11:20).
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; Re 18:4 shows that the mystical Babylon is ultimately meant.
redeemed … Jacob—(Isa 43:1; 44:22, 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 (Ex 17:6; Nu 20:11; Ps 78:15; 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 (Isa 57:21). All the blessings just mentioned (Isa 48:21) belong only to the godly, not to the wicked. Israel shall first cast away its wicked unbelief before it shall inherit national prosperity (Zec 12:10-14; 13:1, 9; 14:3, 14, 20, 21). The sentiment holds good also as to all wicked men (Job 15:20-25, 31-34).