ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:1–55:13 Encouragement for God’s Exiles: “The Glory of the Lord Shall Be Revealed.” These visionary chapters are addressed to the exiles in Babylon after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. (see 39:5–7). Isaiah assures the exiles of God’s care for them. These chapters also address Isaiah’s times by giving long-term hope of the Messiah’s coming.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:1–31 The Lord provides a comforting promise of hope for his brokenhearted people.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:1 my people . . . your God. Though their unbelief has brought them low, God still identifies with his people.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:2 Speak tenderly. God aims to win their hearts back.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:4 This poetic language reflects the rough terrain as one approaches Jerusalem from the east. It also describes personal repentance and social reformation, remaking the world as a place fit for the coming King.
The highways of the ancient Near East were not paved like many modern highways around the world today. Rather, they were maintained by the people living along the roads. They did their best to keep the roads level and free of obstacles (see 40:3).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:5 The glory is revealed (or seen) as God leads his people (see Ex. 16:7). all flesh shall see it. It will not be a private viewing for the remnant only, but out in front of the whole world (see Isa. 52:7–10). From this promise of God’s presence flow all of God’s gracious promises, and from this divine purpose flows the whole of history. for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. The fulfillment of this comforting promise depends not on favorable historical trends but only on the promise of God (see 55:10–11).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:9 cities of Judah. The Jewish exiles will return to the Promised Land, for that is where the divine Messiah is to be born (see 48:20; Mic. 5:2).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:15–17 a drop from a bucket. Israel may think she could never overcome all the nations of mankind, but they are as nothing to God.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:18–20 God alone is God. Isaiah sarcastically describes the process of making an idol.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:25–26 The Jewish exiles in Babylon were surrounded by pagan religions, many of which worshiped astrological phenomena. By contrast, the Holy One of Israel has no equal in his power (v. 12), wisdom (vv. 13–14), immensity (vv. 15–17), sovereignty (vv. 22–23), and authority (v. 25). Thus only Israel’s God is worthy of worship, for he created, controls, and preserves what the pagans foolishly worship. not one is missing. About 5,000 stars were visible at night in ancient Israel. Today, however, astronomers estimate that there are more than 400 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, and that there are 125 billion galaxies in the universe. The total number of stars is estimated at 1x1022 or 10 billion trillions. Moreover, the God who created all of these, the Holy One of Israel, even calls them all by name and ensures that “not one is missing.” Such a God will surely never forget even one of his people.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:27 Jacob . . . Israel. God is true to his covenant, despite his people’s unbelief (see Gen. 35:9–15).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:30–31 Even youths. Human strength fails, even at its best. Only God can provide the strength needed for life’s challenges.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:1–20 God alone guides history, for his glory and for the benefit of his people.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:1 let the peoples renew their strength. Let the unbelieving nations try to match the strength God gives his believing people (40:31). let us together draw near for judgment. God invites the nations to defend their own made-up explanations of history.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:2 one from the east. Cyrus the Great, leader of the rising Persian Empire, soon to conquer Babylon (see 44:24–45:7). The Lord gives up (that is, gives over) nations before him (that is, before Cyrus). He (the Lord) makes them like dust with his sword (that is, with Cyrus’s sword). God is guiding events by his own overruling redemptive purpose.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:4 calling the generations from the beginning. The rise of Cyrus is evidence of one divine plan governing historical events from the beginning. On the first and the last in Isaiah, see also 44:6 and 48:12. The Lord is the one and only God, the ruler of every last bit of history.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:5–7 The nations respond to the upheavals of history by nervously constructing more gods to believe in. But how can “created creators” save?
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:8–9 God reminds his people of his commitments to them. On Israel as the Lord’s servant, see note on 42:1–9. Mention of God’s having chosen Jacob and of Israel’s status as the offspring of Abraham speaks clearly of God’s promises (Gen. 17:7; 22:17). This reminds the Jewish exiles in Babylon that God has purposes for what they are enduring.
The craftsmen and goldsmiths mentioned in 41:7 were fashioning idols. The craftsman would begin by making a mold from an existing image. He would then cast the new image in metal. The goldsmith would then add gold plating, smooth it out with a hammer, and burnish it to give it a shine.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:10 You is the people as a whole (called “Jacob” in v. 8). Unlike the terrified nations of v. 5, the people of God can be fearless because of their faith in him (see vv. 13–14).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:14–16 worm. . . . threshing sledge. The Lord makes his seemingly insignificant people into a force powerful enough to remove even great obstacles to the accomplishment of his will.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:14 Redeemer. There are two Hebrew words for “redeem” in Isaiah. Both carry the idea of delivering and protecting. The term used here appears frequently in this part of Isaiah (compare 43:1; 44:6; 48:17, 20; 52:9; 62:12). The focus is on God’s wanting to rescue his people from their captivity and to create the conditions under which they can flourish (compare Ex. 6:6; 15:13).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:17 the poor and needy. The people of God refuse the false salvations of idolatry. They look to God alone in faith. They are sustained as they make their way to Zion after release from exile. and there is none. With every human resource exhausted, only God remains.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:21–29 God challenges the false claims of human idols.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:22 Let them bring them. That is, let the nations bring their idols, which cannot move without human help. Tell us. “Us” refers to God and the people of Israel. what is to happen. Canaanite and Mesopotamian religions claimed prophetic powers. Here and in the following chapters God claims that he alone can accurately predict the future. This shows that he is the only true God (see 44:7–8; 45:21; 46:9–10).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:23 that we may be dismayed and terrified. Human religion is intimidating but is empty, while the gospel is comforting (40:1) and offers good and sufficient reasons for faith.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:25 he shall call upon my name. Cyrus used diplomatic God-talk (Ezra 1:1–4) but he was not a believer (Isa. 45:4–5). Cyrus’s policies, however, were part of God’s strategy to reveal himself in history.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:26 God points to the failure of idolatrous religions to foretell the rise of Cyrus. that we might know . . . that we might say. “We” refers to God and his people.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:29 they are all a delusion. That is, all who look to the idols of their own making for guidance and stability. God thus concludes the debate.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:1–9 This is the first of four Servant Songs, fulfilled in Jesus Christ (see also 49:1–13; 50:4–9; 52:13–53:12). Isaiah sprinkles references to “the servant of the Lord” throughout chs. 40–55. Often it is a title for the people as a whole (41:8–9; 42:19; 43:10; 44:1–2, 21, 26; 45:4; 48:20), but at times the servant is a specific person within Israel who is distinct from the whole, with a calling to serve Israel and beyond (49:5–6; 50:10; 52:13; 53:11). The second Servant Song (49:1–13), which clarifies that the servant is distinct from Israel, also calls him Israel (49:3). In these cases, the servant stands as a representative of the whole people. This shows why it is correct to believe that the servant is a messianic figure. First, in the Davidic covenant, David’s heirs represent and embody the people as a whole. Israel is God’s “son” (Ex. 4:22–23), and the king becomes God’s “son” (2 Sam. 7:14; see Ps. 89:26–27). Therefore the “servant” here in Isaiah follows the pattern of David’s heirs. Second, the servant expands his rule throughout the Gentile world (Isa. 42:1–4; 52:13–15), which is the work of the Davidic Messiah in chs. 7–12. Third, later prophets describe an heir of David, and especially the Messiah, as the “servant” (Ezek. 34:23–24; 37:25; Zech. 3:8). In addition to his royal function, the servant also has a prophetic role (Isa. 49:1; 50:4, 10) and a priestly one (53:11; compare Ps. 110:4). God will restore the exiles and then fulfill the mission of Israel by means of the servant, whom he will raise up at some unspecified time.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:1 Behold my servant. In contrast to the idols (“Behold, you,” 41:24) and the idol-worshiping nations (“Behold, they,” 41:29), God presents his servant as the only hope of the nations (cited in Matt. 12:18–21). My Spirit is the servant’s power, in contrast with the “empty wind” of Isa. 41:29 (see 11:2; 61:1). justice. The key word in 42:1–4. In the Bible, justice means fulfilling mutual obligations in a manner consistent with God’s moral law. Biblical justice creates the perfect human society (see 1:17; 16:5; 32:1–2; 61:8). The messianic servant is the only hope for a truly just world. This Messiah will bring individual spiritual forgiveness and health (see 1:18) and will establish perfect justice throughout all earthly governments.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:6–7 The servant is a covenant for the people (see 49:8), that is, he represents the people in God’s covenant. He will become a light for the nations (see 49:6), bringing the knowledge of God to them; this probably lies behind Jesus’ saying in John 8:12. to open the eyes . . . to bring out. Liberation from Babylonian exile provides an image for spiritual liberation.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:10–17 God calls all the nations to rejoice in his triumphant self-vindication.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:16 God’s ways are so far beyond human understanding that those he delivers might as well be blind, in darkness and on rough terrain, but God leads them through (see Ex. 13:21–22).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:18–43:21 God promises to help his confused people understand that he is their only Savior.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:18–19 In vv. 1–4, the servant of the Lord is the Savior of the world; here, the servant is Jacob/Israel (see 41:8–10; 42:24; see note on 42:1–9).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:1 Fear not. Knowing what they deserve, the people should fear. Because of their Redeemer’s choice and promise, though, there is no need to fear. redeemed. See note on 41:14. you are mine. What defines God’s people is not their guilty blindness (42:18–25) but the grace of the One who says, “You are mine” (see Ex. 6:7).
Long-term imprisonment was not as common in the ancient world as it is today. Prisons housed criminals awaiting trial. If there was no room in the jail, a pit or hole would be dug to hold the prisoner until his fate was decided (42:22).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:2 You designates the whole people (v. 1).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:3–4 God’s people are secured by his love. I give Egypt as your ransom. Isaiah uses the idea of a ransom price, which is sometimes conveyed by “redeemed” (v. 1; see note on 41:14). God will direct history for the sake of his people. “Egypt” refers to the exodus.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:7 whom I created for my glory. God’s people become living proof and demonstration of his glory, which is his ultimate goal in their salvation (see Eph. 1:3–6).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:10–13 In this great trial (vv. 8–9), God’s people are his witnesses that he alone is God. Nineteen words in the Hebrew text of these verses are in a first-person singular form (I, me, my). Israel’s exclusive loyalty to the Lord, and their witness to the nations, defines their identity.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:16–17 Isaiah’s language recalls the exodus through the Red Sea (see Ex. 14:21–30). makes . . . brings. The present-tense verbs imply that the great exodus is an example of what God still can do for his people.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:18–19 The original exodus did not exhaust God’s power but was merely an example of how he could deliver his people from distress. The Jewish exiles should not live in the past but should look for God to bring them home from Babylon through another “exodus.”
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:20–21 God’s final objective is that his people might declare his praise.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:22–44:23 God promises to pour his life-giving Spirit upon his weary people.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:23–24 While in Babylonian exile, the Jewish people were unable to continue the Mosaic sacrificial system. God did not demand impossible observances during that time, but they burdened him with their spiritual indifference.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:25 I, I am he. God declares that he alone can save Israel. for my own sake. God will help his people even though they do not deserve it.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:1–2 God reminds his people how fully he has committed himself to them. Jeshurun (probably meaning “upright one”) is a name for Israel (see Deut. 32:15; 33:26).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:3–4 The “utter destruction” of 43:28 reduces God’s people to thirsty land and dry ground, but under the outpouring of my Spirit, they thrive and multiply (see 32:15; 65:17–25; Joel 2:28–32; Luke 24:49). your offspring . . . your descendants. The blessing continues through the generations.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:5 There will be one enthusiastic conversion to the Lord after another.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:9–11 Their witnesses are the worshipers of idols, in contrast with “my witnesses” in v. 8. put to shame . . . put to shame . . . put to shame. The nothingness of idols dooms their worshipers to disgrace.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:12 He fashions it. Contrast “he who formed you” in 43:1 and “I formed you” in 44:21. his strong arm. This is meant ironically, in view of 40:10–11, 26, 29–31. his strength fails. The human god-maker is himself limited.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:14 The false gods depend on human purpose for their existence.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:18–20 As in v. 9, God judges idolatrous worship. abomination. See Deut. 27:15.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:21 I formed you. Contrast “all who fashion idols” in v. 9 and “he fashions it” in v. 12 (see 45:9, 11).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:22 like a cloud . . . like mist. Before God’s grace, sins fade away to nothing. return to me, for I have redeemed you. Repentance is motivated by grace (see Rom. 2:4).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:23 The redemption of God’s people will be the joy of the whole creation, because God’s people will rule it wisely and well (see 35:1–2; 49:13; 55:12–13; Rom. 8:19–21).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:24–45:25 God names Cyrus the Great as the one through whom he will restore postexilic Jerusalem.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:24 you. The people, that is, Israel/Jacob (v. 21).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:27 I will dry up your rivers. Probably a reference back to the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea at the exodus (see 11:15; 43:16–17; 51:10).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:28 Cyrus is predicted by name, validating God’s claim to be the One guiding history (see a similar prophetic naming in 1 Kings 13:1–3). She shall be built. Cyrus’s policy to rebuild Jerusalem expresses the deeper purpose of God (revealed in Isa. 44:26), reversing 6:11 (see Ezra 1:1–5; 6:1–5; Isa. 45:13).
The prophecy about Cyrus. King Cyrus of Persia would one day make it possible for the Jews to return home from their exile in Babylon (see the book of Ezra). Isaiah predicted this great event, even mentioning Cyrus by name (Isa. 44:28; 45:1), some 150 years before Cyrus’s time.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:1 his anointed. This later became a specifically messianic title (Dan. 9:25–26), though it was not that in Isaiah. Here it denotes Cyrus as God’s instrument for his purposes, a reminder that God rules all things.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:2–3 Cyrus’s victories reveal God at work in history, executing his own plan.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:4 I call you by your name, I name you. The prediction of Cyrus by name (44:28; 45:1) is meant to awaken the faith of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:5–6 The fulfillment of prophecy proves that the Lord alone is God. He wants the whole world to know this.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:7 The Lord’s creative will and wise purposes stand behind everything. Therefore, his people should not be discouraged when events seem contrary to his promises.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:8 God’s sovereignty over all things, as affirmed in v. 7, is the only hope for salvation and righteousness in this world.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:14 in chains. Isaiah uses the imagery of prisoners of war to describe future Gentile conversion. Surely God is in you. For the Gentiles who believe, their new allegiance is to the Lord himself (v. 23). Faith in him also involves humble identification with his people (compare Ps. 68:29, 31; Isa. 2:2–4; Zech. 8:23). there is no other. See Isa. 45:6.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:15 How God achieves his saving purpose will cause wonder.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:17–18 The promise of everlasting salvation (v. 17) should be believed because the One making the promise is God (v. 18).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:22 be saved. Contrast “a god that cannot save” (v. 20). The idolatrous world is not rejected but invited. This invitation goes not only to Jewish people but to all the ends of the earth.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:23–25 God’s goal is a world without idols. He will be either the Savior or the Judge of everyone (see Rom. 14:11). all the offspring of Israel. All of God’s people, Jew and Gentile alike (see Gal. 6:16).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 46:1–47:15 The Lord will humiliate the idols of human self-worship and will demonstrate that he is the one true God.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 46:1–2 Bel . . . Nebo. Isaiah aims his argument at two of Babylon’s chief gods. these things you carry. Images of these gods were carried in procession at the annual New Year’s festival in Babylon. But rather than lead the way into the future, Babylon will go into captivity.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 46:3–4 borne by me. While the idols must be carried, the God of Israel carries his people. the remnant. Those who survived the Babylonian captivity. from before your birth . . . even to your old age. There is never one moment when God fails his people. I am he . . . I will carry and will save. God emphasizes his personal commitments to his people.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 46:6–7 Created gods are dependent on their creators. they carry it. If a god has to be carried, how can it help its worshipers? it cannot move. If a god cannot move, how can it intervene?
Feeding idols? In Isaiah’s day, people treated idols almost as if they were human. Some even fed, bathed, and dressed their idols. Isaiah spoke of how foolish it was for people to worship something that they themselves had made (46:6).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 46:8–11 recall it to mind. The people must remember God and follow him. a bird of prey from the east. Cyrus.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 46:12–13 my righteousness . . . my salvation . . . my glory. God does not need his people’s faith to carry him forward.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:1 The virgin daughter of Babylon . . . tender and delicate is Babylon itself, portrayed as a self-indulgent girl now subjected to the harsh realities of judgment. Babylon came to symbolize world culture in contempt of God (see Revelation 18).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:2 God warns Babylon about the end of its luxurious selfishness and the beginning of slavery and exile.
To pass through the rivers (47:2) would have been humiliating for most people of Isaiah’s day. Since there were few bridges, people had to find shallow places, called fords, when crossing a river. It was the duty of slaves to carry their masters across.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:4 The only safety in a world under judgment is the Lord himself, who acts for the sake of his people.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:5–7 Sit in silence. Babylon is left with nothing to say. Though God used the Babylonians to discipline his own people, he still held Babylon accountable for their cruel abuses and arrogance (see 10:5–19).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:8 I am, and there is no one besides me. Pride is the cause of Babylon’s disrespect for God (see 41:4; 44:6; 45:5–6, 18, 21–22; 46:9). All nations, without exception, are accountable to God.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:11 The Hebrew word for “wickedness” (v. 10) is the same one used for “evil” in but evil shall come upon you. This is the measure-for-measure “vengeance” of v. 3.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:1–22 Despite Israel’s stubborn unbelief, God pursues his purpose of redemption. He will free them from Babylon for his own sake.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:1 Hear. The command (repeated in vv. 12, 14, 16) calls Jacob to hear the word of God with the kind of hearing that produces action.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:2 the LORD of hosts is his name. See note on 1 Sam. 1:3.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:9–11 The deepest motive in God’s heart is his own glory. He does not punish his unbelieving people as they deserve, for that would diminish the display of his compassion (see Ps. 78:37–41; 103:8–14).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:12–13 The God of the gospel is the commanding presence in the universe.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:14–15 God reaffirms his plan to use Cyrus for his own redemptive purpose. among them. That is, the idols. The LORD loves him. God is not reluctant to use Cyrus.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:16 And now the Lord GOD has sent me, and his Spirit. This unidentified speaker appears more clearly in 49:1–6 as the servant of the Lord (see 42:1–13). Unlike Cyrus, the servant’s power is not a human sword but the divine Spirit (see 11:2; 61:1).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:17–19 who teaches you to profit. Or, “who teaches you for your benefit.” righteousness like the waves of the sea. Covering sin again and again. like the sand . . . like its grains. See Gen. 15:5 and 22:17.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:20–21 They did not thirst. The return of the exiles is a second exodus, marked again by God’s miraculous provision (see Ex. 17:1–7; Ps. 105:41).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:1–50:3 The trusting servant of the Lord will save his despairing people with a salvation available for the whole world.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:1–13 The servant of the Lord will restore Israel and save the nations. This is the second of four Servant Songs, describing the Messiah (see note on 42:1–9).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:1 O coastlands . . . you peoples from afar. More nations are claimed by God’s grace. He named my name shows God’s personal care for his servant (see 43:1; 45:3–4).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:2 God alone prepared and equipped the servant. my mouth like a sharp sword. Unlike Cyrus, the servant conquers by the truth of his word (see 11:4; Rev. 19:15, 21).
A mouth like a sharp sword. The Bible often describes either the mouth or words coming from the mouth as a sword (49:2). One Hebrew word for mouth actually means “edge,” as in “edge of a sword.” It is certainly an accurate picture of the power of words, for good or ill (James 3:1–12).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:3 my servant, Israel. Comparing vv. 5–6, this servant Israel restores the nation Israel. The servant is the true embodiment of what the nation failed to be, namely, the one in whom I will be glorified.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:5–6 It is too light a thing. It is too small a task to redeem only the tribes of Jacob (ethnic Israel). It is clear here that the servant, though he embodies Israel (v. 3), is nevertheless distinct from Israel. He has a calling to serve Israel and beyond. that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. A clear statement of salvation’s worldwide scope, a theme that Acts develops by quoting this text (see Acts 1:8; 13:47).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:7 Unlike the kings of this world, the servant of the Lord conquers by his sufferings (see 50:6; 52:14–15).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:13 The servant’s triumph inspires great joy (see 44:23; 55:12–13; Rom. 8:19–21).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:14–16 The LORD is more attentive to his people than a mother is to her child.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:22–23 God moves history for the benefit of his people (see 45:14; 60:10–14).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:24–26 The people’s skeptical question in v. 24 is answered by the Lord’s strong assertion in vv. 25–26. His people’s enemies will eat their own flesh . . . be drunk with their own blood, as if under siege conditions. Then all flesh shall know that I am the LORD. This is God’s ultimate purpose. This phrase (“all flesh shall know”) comes from Ex. 6:7 and 14:18. It occurs elsewhere in Isaiah (e.g., Isa. 7:20; 45:3, 6; 49:23; 60:16).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 50:1 The Jewish exiles feel abandoned (see 40:27; 49:14). But their hardships are not due to God’s failure. They sinned their way into exile.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 50:2–3 I dry up the sea. See Ex. 14:21; 15:8.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 50:4–51:8 The listening servant will sustain his listening people with a salvation that will last forever.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 50:4–9 This is the third of four Servant Songs, which anticipate the Messiah (see note on 42:1–9). This song focuses on the servant as a rejected prophet.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 50:4 The Lord GOD. This title appears four times in this song (vv. 4, 5, 7, 9). The power of God takes the form of a servant. he awakens my ear. Unlike the guilty silence of God’s people (v. 2), the servant is responsive to God’s word (compare 48:8).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 50:6 those who strike. The description of the servant’s rejection intensifies as the Servant Songs progress (49:7; 50:6; 52:14–53:9).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 50:7 my face like a flint. The servant chose his sufferings willingly. He moves forward with determination, confident in God’s overruling help.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 50:8–9 As 53:4–6 will make clear, the servant did not suffer because he was guilty but because others were guilty.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:1–3 The first incentive for obeying the voice of the servant is that, if God could make a great nation from one barren couple (Abraham and Sarah), then he can revive barren Zion as a joyful new Eden.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:4–6 The second incentive (see vv. 1–3) is that the truth of the Lord is going out to the nations with a saving power that will outlast the universe.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:7–8 The third incentive (see vv. 1–3) is that, like the servant of the Lord, though believers are reviled, they will also be eternally vindicated.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:9–52:12 God’s power for his people is always active, opening new ways forward through the gospel.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:9–11 God’s oppressed people pray for a new exodus into eternal joy.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:9 Awake, awake. The discouraged people of God think of him as asleep. as in days of old. That is, the days of the exodus. Rahab is Egypt (see 30:7). The nation is portrayed as an evil monster, slain by the power of God.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:12–13 The Creator God criticizes his people’s fears. I, I am he answers the double “Awake, awake” of v. 9.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:15–16 I am the LORD your God . . . You are my people. God’s covenant with his people defines both him and them.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:17 Wake yourself, wake yourself. In v. 9, the people think God needs to be awakened to action. In reality, they themselves need to awaken.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:1 Awake, awake. God turns the cry of his people (51:9) back on them. God has prepared a bright future, to be entered into by faith. put on your strength. That is, live as what God says you are (see Eph. 4:22–24).
The head of the street (51:20) referred to prominent corners or intersections within a city. Few cities were laid out according to a specific plan. Most had buildings scattered randomly, with narrow streets and dead-end alleys.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:4 went down at the first into Egypt. From the time of Joseph to the time of Moses. Assyrian oppressed them. From c. 733–627 B.C.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:7 Isaiah prompts the people of God to welcome the approach of every messenger of God (see Rom. 10:14–15). the feet of him who brings good news. As 2 Sam. 18:24–27 shows, this refers to someone who announces a great deed, usually a victory. The longed-for message of peace . . . good news of happiness . . . salvation is summed up in one glad cry: Your God reigns. God’s victory over every oppression is now a reality (see Ps. 97:1; Acts 13:30–33; Rev. 19:6).
In Isaiah’s time, the feet of him who brings good news referred to a messenger announcing a great deed, usually a military victory. Paul quotes 52:7 in Rom. 10:15, as he urges believers to spread the good news of salvation in Christ, freely available for all peoples around the globe. The word “gospel” means “good news.”
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:10 The power of salvation spreads to the ends of the earth (see 49:6). before the eyes of all the nations. Restoring Jerusalem is a means to this great end.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:13–53:12 The fourth and final Servant Song, frequently quoted in the NT (e.g., Acts 8:30–35; 1 Pet. 2:22–25), describes the Messiah (see note on Isa. 42:1–9). Isaiah finally explains how the Holy One can bless sinful people: all the promises of God will come true for them because the suffering and triumphant servant removes their guilt before God by his sacrifice.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:13 act wisely. Succeed at his task (see esv footnote). In 6:1, high and lifted up describes God. In John 12:38–41, John quotes from both Isaiah 6 and this fourth Servant Song and goes on to say that these two passages show that Isaiah saw Jesus’ glory. This shows both that Jesus is indeed God and that this Servant Song is describing Jesus the Messiah.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:14–15 As the servant was rejected by many, so he will sprinkle many nations to make them clean (see the ministry of sprinkling in Ex. 29:21; Lev. 4:1–21; 14:7; 16:14–19; Heb. 9:13–14, 19–22). that which has not been told them. That is, until revealed uniquely in the gospel.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:1 Us refers to the believing remnant of Israel (quoted in John 12:37–38; Rom. 10:16). The arm of the LORD is the power of God in action (see Isa. 40:10; 51:9; 62:8).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:3 a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. “Acquainted with” could also be translated “knowing.”
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:4–6 These verses are the heart of the passage.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:4 Surely introduces the servant’s sufferings on the people’s behalf. Acting as their substitute, he took upon himself the consequences of their sin: griefs and sorrows (see Matt. 8:14–17). smitten by God, and afflicted. God is the ultimate source of this faithful servant’s suffering.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:5 our transgressions, our iniquities. His sufferings were caused by human sin (see Matt. 8:17; 1 Pet. 2:24). pierced, crushed, chastisement, wounds. Isaiah emphasizes how severely God punished the rejected servant for the sins of mankind.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:6 All we . . . every one. All people contributed to his pain. like sheep. Helpless. the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. See Lev. 16:21–22; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:24.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:10 the will of the LORD. There was a divine purpose for the human cruelty toward the servant (see Luke 24:26; Acts 2:23; 4:27–28). his soul. He suffered not just in his body but in his deepest inner self. an offering for guilt. The servant’s sacrificial death set sinners free from their guilt before God (see Lev. 5:15–16). he shall see his offspring. Those who strayed like sheep (Isa. 53:6) return as children. he shall prolong his days. Although resurrection is not explicit here, it is the natural meaning.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:11 he shall see and be satisfied. The outcome of the servant’s sufferings is the satisfaction of obvious accomplishment. by his knowledge. His experiential knowledge of grief (v. 3, see esv footnote). many. His triumph spreads out beyond the remnant of Israel to “a great multitude that no one could number” (Rev. 7:9; see Rom. 5:15). to be accounted righteous. See Rom. 4:11–12.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:1–55:13 The everlasting love of God will heal all his people’s sorrows, if they will accept the terms of his glorious grace.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:1 O barren one. The old covenant people of God, who failed to bless the world, were like a barren woman. Under the new covenant, God’s people become the mother of a growing family (see Gal. 4:25–28).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:3 your offspring will possess the nations. See Gen. 22:17; 28:14. Through his people, knowledge of God will spread throughout the world.
Enlarging the tent. Tents were assembled from strips of goat hair about a yard wide. As the family grew, more strips of goat hair would be sewn onto the tent to make more room. Like an expanding tent, Israel would go from desolate exile to becoming increasingly great among the nations of the earth (54:2).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:6 the LORD has called you like a wife. The future of God’s people is like the joy and passion of a marriage (see Rev. 19:7; 21:2). deserted and grieved. God’s discipline of his unfaithful people.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:7–8 For a brief moment I deserted you. The Babylonian exile did not seem “brief” at the time (see Psalm 74), but it was momentary in comparison to God’s everlasting love. with great compassion. Lavish displays of God’s eternal love more than offset his momentary discipline.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:10 God’s love for his people is much greater than his wrath, and it is eternally unchanging. my covenant of peace. See Ezek. 34:25–31, where this term describes a renewed covenant with God after the exile.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:13 peace. People will find the security and fullness they have always desired.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:15–17 Behold, I. God alone accomplishes the promised victory. This is the heritage. All the promises of ch. 54. no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed. God will defeat every enemy, no matter how powerful.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:1 Come, everyone who thirsts. The invitation is urgent in tone and universal in scope. It addresses a deep spiritual longing to “seek the LORD while he may be found” (v. 6). This thirst is not a problem but an opportunity (see John 7:37–39).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:2 Why do you spend your money? Unbelief is costly and unfulfilling.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:3 an everlasting covenant. This term appears in 61:8; Jer. 32:40; Ezek. 37:26, referring to the experience of the returned exiles.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:5 You addresses the messianic servant. a nation that you do not know. That is, people previously outside of God’s covenant (see Eph. 2:11–12).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:6 Seek the LORD while he may be found. Since this is God’s offer, he is free to withdraw it. People should not be foolish and delay (see Ps. 32:6).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:7–9 let the wicked forsake his way . . . let him return. Thorough repentance is required. God’s thoughts are not your thoughts—that is, they are as high above man’s thoughts as the heavens are above the earth (see Ps. 145:3; 1 Cor. 2:9).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:10–11 As the rain and the snow cannot fail to nourish the earth, so God’s word of promise cannot fail to bring his people into the richness and fullness of eternal life. The word of God not only describes a glorious future, it is God’s appointed means to create that future (see Ezek. 37:1–14).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:12–13 The prophet concludes chs. 40–55 with a vision of the triumph of God’s grace. The effects of sin and the fall (see Gen. 3:17; 6:11–13) are corrected and “the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Rom. 8:21).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:1–66:24 How to Prepare for the Coming Glory: “Hold Fast My Covenant.” Isaiah helps readers know how to be God’s servants who will live with him forever.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:1 This verse can be seen as a summary of chs. 1–55. Keep justice, and do righteousness echoes the ideals of chs. 1–39. Be revealed sums up the promises of chs. 40–55 (see 5:7, 16; 9:7; 46:13; 51:5–8).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:2 The Sabbath represents a lifestyle of devotion to the Lord (see Ex. 31:12–17; Ezek. 20:18–20). On the Sabbath command as it applies to Christian believers, see note on Rom. 14:5; also notes on Matt. 12:6–12; Mark 2:27–28; John 5:10; Gal. 4:10; Col. 2:17; Heb. 4:8–10.
Keeping the Sabbath was an important expression of faith for Israelites (56:2). All of life was organized around the weekly Sabbath. It also set them apart from the surrounding nations, none of whom kept the seventh day of the week as a holy day.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:3–5 The foreigner does not need to fear God’s rejection if he has joined himself to the LORD. The eunuch, once he is a believer, receives an eternal place with God (v. 5) that is better than producing physical descendants. The restrictions of Ex. 12:43, 45 and Deut. 23:1 no longer apply.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:8 Yet others not only includes the foreigners and eunuchs of v. 3 but extends as far as the “everyone” of v. 6 and “all peoples” of v. 7 (see John 10:16).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:9–57:13 Selfishly complacent leaders, morally lax people, and idol-worshiping hypocrites have no place in God’s kingdom.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:9–12 In contrast with “the outcasts of Israel” (v. 8) who possess an endless hope, the self-serving leaders of ancient Israel are warned of coming judgment.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:1–2 The righteous man perishes. Isaiah notices that there are fewer and fewer righteous people, and no one lays it to heart, that is, people do not understand that this indicates a withdrawal of God’s blessing.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:3 The Jewish people’s physical descent from Abraham is meaningless, because their pagan morals reveal their true spiritual identity.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:6 The smooth stones are objects of pagan worship. Shall I relent for these things? If the people are behaving this way, God will not continue to refrain from punishing them (see 42:8).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:7 you have set your bed. Idol worship is like having a spiritual affair.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:9–10 Idolatry also involved futile political alliances with foreign powers (see 30:1–17; 31:1–9). even to Sheol. The search for human alliances knew no bounds. Indeed, the people found it energizing.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:12 I will declare your righteousness. See 58:1–5 and 64:6.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:14–21 God opens the way into his presence for all who are repentant.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:15 High and lifted up describes God’s glory as king. See 6:1; compare 52:13, which uses this term of the “servant” (see note). God dwells in the high and holy place, yet he also dwells with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:16–19 God knows how much discipline the human heart can take (see 1 Pet. 5:10). He heals those who mourn the poor spiritual condition of his people (see Isa. 66:10). Peace, peace, to the far and to the near includes both Jews and Gentiles (see Eph. 2:11–22).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:2–4 The worshipers of v. 2 are pretending to delight in the Lord in order to gain favor with him. Meanwhile, they are mistreating their fellow Israelites: oppress all your workers . . . hit with a wicked fist. For more on this theme, see the book of Amos.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:6–7 God defines the kind of spiritual faithfulness that brings his blessing (compare 1:17; James 1:27).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:8–9a Then . . . Then. The right kind of worship brings God’s presence and blessing. Unlike false gods, the Lord responds (see 64:5a). Compare 65:1.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:10b–12 then. God reaffirms his readiness to bless his obedient people.
Finger-pointing (58:9) was a very serious gesture that had several potentially negative meanings. It could be taken as an official accusation against someone or could mean that the person was the subject of gossip (Prov. 6:12–13).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:13–14 If . . . if . . . then. For a third time in ch. 58, God clarifies the kind of religious practice that brings his blessing. the Sabbath. See note on 56:2. the heights of the earth. Social prestige among the nations (see Deut. 26:16–19).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:2 Iniquities and sins create a barrier between God and his people (see Heb. 12:5–11).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:3–8 These sins, which keep God’s presence away, are not religious but social. they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity (v. 4). Sin comes naturally. Their feet run to evil (v. 7). See Rom. 3:15–17.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:9 Therefore. Isaiah leads his people away from blaming God (as implied in v. 1) to accepting responsibility for their problems.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:10 We grope for the wall . . . we stumble at noon describes moral confusion.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:11 We all growl like bears is a picture of anguish.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:12–13 For our transgressions. The people acknowledge that their guilt is the cause of their miseries (compare Ps. 51:3).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:14–60:22 For his own glory, the Lord will make his people the predominant culture of a glorious new world.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:14 Guilty mankind has so completely rejected justice, righteousness, truth, and uprightness that those who follow the Lord are persecuted.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:15b–16 it displeased him . . . his own arm brought him salvation. God, who is offended by sin, is the only one able to accomplish salvation. his righteousness upheld him. The Lord’s faithfulness to his covenant promises was expressed in what he did.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:18 According to their deeds. The Lord will repay with perfect justice. to the coastlands. There is no hiding place for those facing judgment (see Amos 9:2–4).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:19 the west . . . the rising of the sun. These opposite directions include the entire world (see 45:6; 52:10; Mal. 1:11). People from all around the world will know the Lord and fear his name (see 2 Chron. 6:33; Ps. 102:15).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:20 The Redeemer is the only alternative to God’s wrath (see 59:18; and note on 41:14).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:21 And as for me. God declares his commitment to his people. My covenant with them is the messianic servant, the Redeemer of v. 20 (see 42:6; 49:8). My Spirit that is upon you, that is, upon the Messiah (see 61:1).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:1 Arise, shine addresses Zion (see 59:20; 60:14). The bright future of God’s people calls for cheerful expectancy. your light has come. See 58:8. the glory of the LORD. See 40:5.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:2 God will make a clear public distinction between those who are his and those who are not his (see Ex. 8:22–23).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:4 Lift up your eyes. Believers can expect to see many new believers entering Zion (see 43:5–7; 49:18; 54:1–8; 66:18–23).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:5–7 There will be a wonderful reordering of society, so that God’s people become the predominant culture, honored by all nations. They will be a blessing, as promised in Gen. 12:1–3.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:8–9 These that fly like a cloud are rapidly approaching foreign ships bringing new believers who are devoted to the Lord. the ships of Tarshish. See 2:16 and 23:1. The nations see in the beauty of God’s people the beauty of the Holy One of Israel. He glorifies his name by glorifying the people who bear his name.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:10 Instead of persecuting God’s people, the nations will build them up. your walls. Zion, the city of God. See Neh. 2:7–8 for a short-term fulfillment of this promise, and Acts 15:12–16 for a longer-term, spiritual fulfillment.
The phrase ships of Tarshish (60:9) describes huge ships, able to go on voyages as long as three years (1 Kings 10:22). Isaiah says that ships like these will someday bring the nations to Israel to worship the Lord.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:11 Your gates shall be open continually because there will be no more war or threat of war, or even the threat of stealing by thieves (see 2:4; 26:1–4; 33:20–22). This will be the new Jerusalem (Rev. 21:25).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:13 The glory of the nations will beautify, not profane, the worship of God.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:16 A poetic picture of the people of God as infants, with other nations caring for them.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:19 the LORD will be your everlasting light. Compare Rev. 21:23.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:21–22 The people of Zion will be righteous, not sinful; secure, not imperiled; fruitful, not disappointing; and influential, not ignored.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 61:1–62:12 The Messiah will preach into existence his new, liberated people, who will pray into existence his new, redeemed world.
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me . . . ” (61:1). Jesus would quote this verse in Nazareth more than 500 years later (Luke 4:17–21).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 61:1–3 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me. Compare 48:16. The speaker is the messianic servant, who creates a new people by his Spirit-empowered preaching (see 11:2; 59:21). Isaiah explains the goal of Messiah’s anointing with seven purpose clauses. the poor. See 11:4; 29:19; Matt. 5:3. to proclaim liberty. See Lev. 25:10. the opening of the prison. The return from Babylonian exile, but also spiritual freedom from sin and Satan. the year of the LORD’s favor. A new era of blessing (see Isa. 34:8; 63:4). Quoting this text in Nazareth, Jesus did not include the day of vengeance of our God because the display of God’s wrath will not occur until Christ’s second coming (Luke 4:18–19; see Isa. 5:25–29; 63:1–6; Acts 17:31; Rev. 6:15–17).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 61:6–7 the priests of the LORD. At long last, Israel will fulfill its role among the nations (Ex. 19:5–6; 1 Pet. 2:9). a double portion (Isa. 61:7). Inheriting twice what was expected.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 61:10–11 The speaker is either the Messiah, Isaiah, or the city of Zion. Since the Lord GOD echoes “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me” (v. 1), it is likely that the Messiah is speaking here. as a bridegroom . . . as a bride. The Messiah will lead his people into the romance of eternal salvation (see Eph. 5:25–27; Rev. 21:2, 9).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:1 For Zion’s sake. That is, for the sake of the redeemed people of God who dwell in Zion (Jerusalem), the city of God. This emphasis on God acting for the sake of his people lies at the heart of Isaiah’s ministry. God will glorify himself in the renewed and increased glory of his people (e.g., 2:2–3; 9:1–3; 26:1–21; 35:1–10; 40:1–5, 65:17–25).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:4 This reverses the situation of 60:15; see 6:12; 49:14.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:5 Your sons are the loyal inhabitants of Zion (here, the eternal city of God; see Psalm 87). so shall your God rejoice over you. God’s delight in his people will be like that of a bridegroom’s delight in his bride.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:6–7 Jerusalem here is the new city of God, where his people will dwell in safety and righteousness forever (see Rev. 21:2, 10).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:10 The people . . . the peoples is Israel plus all others willing to join them (see 56:8; 57:19; John 10:16).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:12 they. The people and peoples of v. 10. You refers to Zion.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:1–14 God comforts his people with a vision of his victory over all evil in the future and of his loving goodness in the past.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:1 Speaking as a watchman on the wall, Isaiah marvels at the Messiah marching toward Zion as a victorious warrior (see 52:8; 62:6). Edom, the unbelieving nation southeast of Jerusalem, represents the world’s contempt for God’s promises (see 34:1–7; Ezekiel 35; Mal. 1:2–4). Bozrah. The capital city of Edom (see Isa. 34:6). speaking in righteousness. His claim to be mighty to save is trustworthy and true. No Edom exists that can defeat him (see Rev. 17:14).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:3 I have trodden the winepress. Trampling of grapes is an image of judgment. God’s final judgment on human sin is a harvest of justice (see Joel 3:13; Rev. 14:18–20; 19:13, 15). alone . . . no one. The Messiah alone wins the victory for his people (see Isa. 59:15b–18).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:4 the day of vengeance was in my heart. See note on 61:1–3. my year of redemption. See note on 41:14.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:7 I will recount. Recalling God’s history of mercies toward Israel.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:9 In all their affliction he was afflicted. God was sorrowful over the suffering of his people, even though it was their own sin that caused it. See Ex. 2:23–25; Judg. 10:16. the angel of his presence. See Ex. 23:20–23; 33:14–15.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:10–11 his Holy Spirit. . . . his Holy Spirit. Again Isaiah emphasizes how God gave himself to Israel. But they rebelled. See Psalm 78; Isa. 1:2; 66:24; Acts 7:51. The Savior of Isa. 63:8 thus became their enemy. See 1:19–20 and 43:27–28.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:12–14 his glorious arm . . . a glorious name. God displayed his power in Israel’s history. Isaiah has hope for the future because God must be glorified (see Eph. 1:6, 12, 14).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:15–64:12 Isaiah explains how to pray for demonstrations of God’s saving power.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:15–16 Isaiah claims God’s love for his people. your holy and beautiful habitation. See 6:1 and 64:11. Abraham does not know us. The people have drifted from their ancestral faith (see Gen. 15:6; 22:12; 26:5).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:17 why do you make us wander? God did not force his people to sin, but, as a means of discipline, he allowed them to experience the consequences of their sins (see Deut. 32:4; Job 34:10; Isa. 6:3, 10; Rom. 1:24).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 64:4a no . . . God besides you. Israel’s God is unique; there is no other god like him (see 43:11; 44:6; 45:5–6, 18, 21–22; 46:9; 47:8, 10).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 64:5b–7 With four comparisons, Isaiah laments the long-standing patterns of sin among God’s people. for you have hidden your face. See 8:17. When God’s “face” shines upon his people, they live in his favor (Num. 6:25–26); when he hides it due to their unfaithfulness, they suffer.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 64:8–9 you are our Father. Isaiah puts his hope in God as the sovereign Father (see Ps. 103:13–14; Isa. 45:9–10).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 64:12 yourself . . . us. God’s own glory and his people’s desire for restored happiness in him will surely move him to act.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:1–25 Though the people of God have unfaithful sinners mixed among them now, he is eager to bring them into their glorious eternal home. His eagerness is rejected by Jews but welcomed by Gentiles (vv. 1–12), but his true people will find joy in their eternal home (vv. 13–25).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:1–2 These verses anticipate the drama of the book of Acts and the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles, as seen especially in Acts 28:17–28. Here I am. God takes the initiative to reveal himself to the nations through the gospel (see Isa. 11:10; 56:3–8).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:8–10 Though his judgments will destroy, God will also bless his people by preserving a remnant (see 1:9; 10:20–23; Matt. 13:24–30; Rom. 9:27–29; 11:1–5). the cluster. See Isa. 5:1–7.
The Israelites were not the only ones who did not eat or sacrifice pig flesh. The Assyrians found the pig to be equally offensive, as do some people groups today. However, many other people groups ate and sacrificed them to their gods (65:4).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:13 my servants. Both Jews and Gentiles. God excluded disloyal Jews and included responsive Gentiles (see Matt. 3:7–10; 8:10–13).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:15 You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse. They will be remembered as objects of judgment. See Jer. 29:22–23. his servants he will call by another name. That is, a name of blessing. See Gen. 17:5; 32:28; Isa. 62:2, 4, 12.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:17–25 Isaiah uses word pictures to describe the joys of the world to come. The description goes far beyond anything the world has ever seen.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:22 like the days of a tree. A picture of durability; trees can live for hundreds of years, as compared to grass, which withers and fades (40:7–8). The picture also recalls the example of the righteous person who is “like a tree planted by streams of water” (Ps. 1:3).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:25 Dust shall be the serpent’s food recalls Gen. 3:14. God’s redemptive purpose (Gen. 3:15) has succeeded, and he has subdued the serpent in judgment as he promised.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:1–24 Though the worship of God is violated now, in the future falsehood will be judged, true worship will spread, and God will be honored forever.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:2 I will look with favor (see Ps. 80:14; Isa. 63:15). he who is humble and contrite. See Ps. 51:17; Isa. 57:15; Luke 18:9–14. Trembles at my word suggests reverence for God’s word and eagerness to obey it (see Ezra 9:4; 10:3).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:4 bring their fears upon them. People who reject the Lord will one day have to face everything they now fear (see 48:18; 65:11–12).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:5–6 Your brothers who hate you. These are people who profess biblical faith but do not tremble at his word and who ridicule the humble and contrite (see 28:9–10; Rev. 2:9). Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy. These are the words of unbelievers as they taunt God’s people (compare Ps. 22:6–8). A sound from the temple! The Lord’s answer to such people is recompense, because he counts them as his enemies.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:7–9 Mother Zion gives birth, effortlessly and instantly, to a new nation (see 49:19–21; 54:1–3). The questions of 66:9 answer fears that God might not perform all he promised to his helpless people.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:10–14 The certainty of future blessing calls for joy in the present. her consoling breast. . . . you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. The poetic image is of a nursing baby who finds complete comfort, joy, nourishment, and satisfaction in the arms of its mother. The same Hebrew word for comfort found in 40:1 is repeated three times in 66:13.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:16 all flesh. Specifically, “his enemies” (v. 14).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:18 time . . . to gather all nations. See 2:2–4; 40:5; 45:23; Rev. 7:9–10.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:19–20 a sign. See 7:14; 11:10, 12; 55:12–13. I will send survivors, that is, the remnant of Israelite believers who survive the judgments of God (see Joel 2:28–32; Acts 2:1–12). all your brothers from all the nations. See John 11:52; Gal. 3:28–29; Col. 3:11. Contrast “your brothers who hate you” in Isa. 66:5.
The land of Javan was probably the Ionian region of Greece, which is the western coast of present-day Turkey. Isaiah says that even this far-off land would someday declare God’s glory among the nations (66:19).
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:22–23 See 65:17. The universe, which bore witness to Israel’s sins in 1:2–3, now sees the endless worship of the new people of God, who represent all flesh.
ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:24 Isaiah uses the image of Jerusalem’s city dump, just outside the city wall in the Hinnom Valley (see Jer. 7:30–34). They shall go out and look, not to gloat, but to agree with God’s judgment of the wicked and to be assured that his judgment will last forever. They shall be an abhorrence, though in this life they are often successful. The gospel is good news to the contrite but bad news to the rebellious.