ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:1–55:13 Comfort for God’s Exiles: “The Glory of the Lord Shall Be Revealed.” The assumed addressees in these chapters are the exiles in Babylonian captivity; and yet this is a message for Isaiah’s contemporaries (see Introduction: Date; and Purpose, Occasion, and Background). God comforts his exiled people by promising the world-transforming display of his glory. Isaiah’s perspective moves forward from his own eighth-century setting to the Jews’ sixth-century exile predicted in 39:5–7. Isaiah’s tone changes from confrontation to assurance.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:1–31 The God of Glory: His Coming, Exclusivity, Power. God provides a comforting promise of hope for the brokenhearted people of God. God is incomparably powerful over all things and promises strength for endurance to all who will wait for him.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:1–11 A promise of glorious hope breaks upon the people of God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:1 Comfort, comfort. God commissions the voices of vv. 3 and 6 and the heralds of v. 9, repeating himself to emphasize his deep feeling. 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. to Jerusalem. In Babylonian exile, they are far from Jerusalem, but God dignifies them with their true identity and assures them that he understands their sufferings.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:3 A barren landscape, which God’s people had become (64:10), is where he comes to them with refreshment (cf. 32:14–16; 35:1–10; 41:17–20; 43:19–21; 51:3). John the Baptist found here his own calling to his generation, implying the promises of these chapters had not yet fully come to pass (cf. Matt. 3:1–6 par.; John 1:23).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:4 These are metaphors—based on the rough terrain as one approaches Jerusalem from the east—for personal repentance and social reformation, remaking the world as a place fit for the coming King.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:5 glory. See 4:5; 6:3; 35:1–2; 60:1–3; 66:18–19; see note on 6:3. The glory is revealed (or seen) as God leads his people (cf. Ex. 16:7). all flesh shall see it. Not a private viewing for the remnant only, but out in front of the whole world (cf. 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 (cf. 55:10–11).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:6–8 all its beauty (or “constancy,” esv footnote). Only God can be absolutely trusted, and his words will never prove false: the word of our God will stand forever. Contrast Hezekiah’s weakness of character (39:1–8). Far from fading away, God’s word of hope imparts life to weak people. First Peter 1:23–25 uses Isa. 40:6, 8 to illustrate that “the living and abiding word of God” is reliable, “imperishable … seed.”

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:9 high mountain. The reliability of God’s promise calls for wholehearted public announcement (cf. 52:7). fear not. They are to proclaim the message by faith, whatever the conditions at the time (cf. 35:3–4). cities of Judah. The Jewish exiles will return to the Promised Land, for that is where the divine Messiah is to appear (cf. 48:20; Mic. 5:2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:10–11 The glorious Lord comes to his people as a conquering king, a generous benefactor, and a gentle shepherd.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:12–26 God is able to keep his promise because no opposition can compare with the Creator of all things.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:12–14 God alone established the creation. He is uniquely powerful and wise, so he is worthy of his people’s trust (cf. Job 38–41; Rom. 11:34). a span (Hb. zeret). The distance between the ends of the thumb and the little finger when the hand is fully extended.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:15–17 a drop from a bucket. The nations of mankind may seem insurmountable to Israel, but they are as nothing to God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:18–20 God alone is God. Isaiah looks with sarcasm at idol-manufacture. His simple description, without further comment, is mockery enough.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:21–24 God rules effortlessly over world leaders.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:22 the circle of the earth. Either the bowl-like sky over the earth (Job 22:14) or the outer horizon encircling the earth (Job 26:10). stretches out the heavens like a curtain. A number of passages (Job 9:8; Ps. 104:2; Isa. 42:5; 44:24; 45:12; 51:13; Jer. 10:12; 51:15; Zech. 12:1) use this image (with a verb that means to “pitch” or “stretch out” a tent, cf. Gen. 12:8; 26:25; 33:19; 35:21; Judg. 4:11) to stress that God alone fashioned the heavens and the earth, and prepared them as a place for habitation (to dwell in).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:24 Scarcely. Human greatness briefly flourishes in one era of history, soon replaced by another brief display of human greatness. He blows on them with minimal effort. God controls the tempest, the chaotic processes of history.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:25–26 Much of pagan religion, to which Isaiah’s contemporaries had succumbed and with which the exiles were surrounded, worshiped astrological phenomena. In contrast to this, the Holy One of Israel is incomparable 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. God’s creating the stars would have been awe-inspiring even in ancient Israel, where about 5,000 stars were visible at night. Astronomers now estimate, however, 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 40:27–31 Faith in God’s promise empowers his people for endurance.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:27 Jacob … Israel. God is true to his covenant, despite his people’s unbelief (cf. Gen. 35:9–15). My way is hidden from the LORD. While the despondent exiles could feel abandoned by God, it is the sovereign Creator (Isa. 40:21–26) who is the source of their strength (vv. 28–31). my right. The justice expected of God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:28–29 God never suffers setbacks, and he helps those who do.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:30 Even youths. Human strength at its best inevitably fails. Only the promise of God can sustain human perseverance.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 40:31 wait for the LORD. Savoring God’s promise by faith until the time of fulfillment. renew. Find endless supplies of fresh strength.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:1–20 The One True God Moving History for His People. God reassures his people that he alone is guiding all events in human history, for his glory and their benefit.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:1–7 God argues for his sovereignty over history and the terrifying inadequacy of all idolatrous hopes.

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 validate 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 (cf. 44:24–45:7). The Lord gives up (i.e., 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 “secular” events, even brutal events, by his own overruling redemptive purpose.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:4 calling the generations from the beginning. The rise of Cyrus is not a unique event but is evidence of the one divine plan governing historical events from the beginning. On the first and the last in Isaiah, see also 44:6 and 48:12. These texts convey the idea that 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 41:8–20 God reassures his people that they have nothing to fear amid the turbulence he is stirring up in history.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:8–9 God reminds his people of his active 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) and therefore reminds them that they inhabit a story filled with God’s purposes.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:10 You here is the people as a whole (called “Jacob” in v. 8). Unlike the terrified nations of v. 5, the people of God have in him reason to be fearless (cf. vv. 13–14). Unlike the gods of the nations, which must be strengthened and secured (v. 7), the God of Israel secures his people.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:11–13 The fearful people of God, victimized by the cruel whims of human power, will be vindicated, for no human hostility can defeat God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:14–16 The weak people of God are made into a powerful force to remove even mountainous obstacles to his joyful purpose.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:14 Worm (cf. 14:11; 66:24; Ex. 16:20; Deut. 28:39; Jonah 4:7) refers to various kinds of insect larvae and here is a symbol for weakness and insignificance (cf. Job 25:6; Ps. 22:6). Redeemer. There are two words for “redeem” in Isaiah (cf. note on Isa. 1:24–28), and both carry the idea of delivering and protecting. The term here (Hb. ga’al) is very common, especially in this part of Isaiah (35:9; 43:1, 14; 44:6, 22–24; 47:4; 48:17, 20; 49:7, 26; 51:10; 52:9; 54:5, 8; 59:20; 60:16; 62:12; 63:4, 9, 16); its use is based on its appearance in Ex. 6:6 and 15:13. The focus is on God’s intent to rescue his people from their captivity and to foster the conditions under which their piety can flourish. Although in some places the word can imply the payment of a ransom, that is usually absent in Isaiah (although in Isa. 43:1–4, the prophet evokes this idea for rhetorical effect).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:15–16 threshing sledge. A wooden platform studded underneath with sharp objects, dragged over harvested crops to rip open their husks. The wind and the tempest are the forces of history, created and guided by God for his own purpose.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:17–20 The One stirring up the crises of history also pours out refreshment on his dry people for his own glory.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:17 the poor and needy. The people of God, who refuse the false salvations of idolatry, look to God alone in faith. They are sustained as they make their way to Zion after release from exile. In vv. 8–9, God identifies his people from his perspective; here he describes them from their own perspective (cf. Ps. 37:14). and there is none. With every human resource exhausted, only God remains.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:18–19 Abundant provision of both water and shade in a desolate environment.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:20 God acts in history, in both judgment and salvation, for his own glory. History is not only controlled by God; when understood rightly in light of God’s word, history also displays the character of God, as everyone will ultimately acknowledge (cf. 45:22–23).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:21–42:17 False Hopes, the Lord’s Servant, a New Song. God challenges the false claims of human idols, he presents his servant as the only hope of the world, and he invites the whole human race to praise him for his salvation.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:21–29 Set forth your case. God renews his challenge from v. 1, that the nations of the earth, with the help of their gods, demonstrate the truth of their beliefs. This is a recurring theme in this part of Isaiah: the Lord is superior to all other “gods,” whether Canaanite (who tempted Isaiah’s audience) or Mesopotamian (who confronted the exiles).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:21 Your proofs are the nations’ strongest arguments. The particular proofs concern which deities are successful at telling the future.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:22 Let them bring them. I.e., let the nations bring their idols, which are motionless without human help! Tell us. “Us” refers to God and the people of Israel. what is to happen. A test case in this debate is the ability to prophesy future events. Canaanite and Mesopotamian religions claimed prophetic powers. Here and in the following chapters God claims that he alone can accurately predict the future, and this shows that he is the only true God (cf. 44:7–8; 45:21; 46:9–10). the former things … the things to come. A challenge to present the past and the future (42:9; 43:9, 18; 46:9; 48:3), providing a connected narrative of the overarching story of the world, a complete worldview, as offered in the Bible.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:23 that we may know that you are gods. Sovereignty over history is required of deity. do good, or do harm. Do something, anything! that we may be dismayed and terrified. Human religion is intimidating but is empty, while the gospel is comforting (40:1) and comes with good and sufficient reasons for faith.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:24 abomination. The debate that God calls for is no intellectual game. To prefer a false god is more than a mistake; it is perverse (cf. Lev. 18:30; Ps. 115:4–8; Rom. 1:18–32). chooses. To choose an idol is to forsake the choice of God (Isa. 41:8; cf. 1 John 5:21).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:25–29 Having dismissed the false gods, the Lord predicts the rise of Cyrus as clear proof that he (the Lord) is God above all gods.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:25 one from the north … from the rising of the sun. In v. 2 Cyrus is presented as “one from the east,” and here as one from the north and the east. As head of the Medo-Persian Empire, he represents the north (Media) and the east (Persia). See Dan. 5:28; 8:3–4, 20. 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, as God speaks on their behalf and challenges the other nations; see notes on vv. 22 and 23. your words. Predictions from idolatrous oracles. See “your case” in v. 21.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:27 here they are. Presumably, Cyrus’s conquests in v. 25b. a herald of good news. Isaiah, as a voice for the gospel.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 41:29 they are all a delusion. I.e., 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 (cf. 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; see notes on 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); this is best explained as identifying the servant as the representative and embodiment of the whole people. This last point shows why the traditional Christian reading, that the servant is a messianic figure, accurately captures Isaiah’s intent. 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” on his coronation (2 Sam. 7:14; cf. Ps. 89:26–27). Therefore the servant follows the pattern of David’s heirs. Second, the servant achieves the expansion of 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; Hag. 2:23; Zech. 3:8; cf. Jer. 33:21–22, 26), which supports reading the servant in Isaiah as a messianic figure. 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; cf. Ps. 110:4, which folds a priestly role into Messiah’s royal office). Isaiah’s audience must know that 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 after the return from exile: this is where their story is headed.

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). whom I uphold. The servant’s success is of God. in whom my soul delights. The servant is God’s delight, in contrast with the “abomination” of Isa. 41:24 (cf. Matt. 3:17; Luke 9:35). my Spirit. The servant’s power, in contrast with the “empty wind” of Isa. 41:29 (cf. 11:2; 61:1). The human race, by implication, is impressed with the wrong strategies, remedies, and powers. 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 (cf. Deut. 10:18; Isa. 1:17; 16:5; 32:1–2; 61:8; Zech. 7:9). The messianic servant is the only hope for a truly just world. This Messiah will bring not only individual spiritual forgiveness and health (cf. Isa. 1:18) but also the establishment of perfect justice throughout all earthly governments.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:2–3 In contrast with ruthless human conquerors, like Cyrus (41:2, 25), the Lord’s quiet servant will not crush but will defend the weak (cf. 11:4; 40:11).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:4 The servant is unweakened by the demands of his mission. the coastlands. Using the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea as the image, this designates the remotest peoples of the earth.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:5 The Creator and Sustainer God is well able to keep the promises of vv. 1–4.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:6–7 The servant is a covenant for the people (cf. 49:8), i.e., he represents the people in God’s covenant. He will become a light for the nations (cf. 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. This is the purpose of God’s grace for his people, using liberation from Babylonian exile as an image for spiritual liberation.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:8–9 Both the triumph of Cyrus (41:2–4, 25–29) and the greater triumph of the servant glorify the true Lord of history and discredit idolatrous claims of human mastery. The God who has promised the world-transforming display of his glory (40:5) directs all events as he pleases to that final end. my glory I give to no other. God must discredit all idols to receive his proper honor. He is not one of many; he is not superior among inferior gods; he is not even the best of all; he is the only God, and he will have his people know and rejoice in this truth. new things I now declare. God deliberately draws attention to the seemingly impossible predictions he is making, citing his previous prophecies as evidence of his credibility (cf. 41:22).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:10–17 God calls all the nations to rejoice in his triumphant self-vindication.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:10 a new song. See note on Ps. 33:1–3. This is unprecedented praise, such as has never been heard before, marking the greatness of the revelation of the servant in history (cf. Rev. 5:9; 14:3). The joy of his liberating approach stands in contrast with the dread felt among the nations at the rise of Cyrus (cf. Isa. 41:5–6).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:11 Kedar. Nomads of the Arabian desert. Sela. Probably a Moabite town (cf. 16:1). Former enemies of God join in the widening scope of celebration (cf. Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:12 declare his praise. The Septuagint translation of this phrase (“they will proclaim his excellencies”) may lie behind the phrase “proclaim the excellencies” in 1 Pet. 2:9; it is the task of the converted Gentiles to praise God to even more Gentiles in order to bring them into the ranks of the people of God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:13 like a mighty man. As a soldier going into battle stirs up his emotions, God is committed to his victory from the depths of his being.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:14 For a long time. To the Jewish exiles in Babylon, it would have seemed that God was delaying, but his passion for them was intensifying. like a woman in labor. As a woman cries out after finally going into labor, God, at the time he knows is best, will exert himself to bring his purpose to fulfillment (cf. Luke 12:50).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:15 Cf. 41:18–19. In God’s passion for his people and for his own glory (42:13–14), no obstacle in human society can stand in his way.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:16 No human incapacity can defeat God’s purpose of grace. His ways are so counterintuitive to human understanding that those he delivers might as well be blind, in darkness and on rough terrain, but God leads them through (cf. Ex. 13:21–22).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:17 Every foolish object of trust leads to personal disgrace.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:18–43:21 God Reclaims His People for His Glory. God promises to restore his confused people to clarity about himself as their only Savior.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:18–25 God’s own people need deliverance as much as the nations do.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:18–19 In vv. 1–4, the servant of the Lord is the Savior of the world, but now the servant needs salvation. According to v. 24, this servant is Jacob/Israel. What the nation failed to be, the servant is (see note on vv. 1–9). He alone qualifies as a covenant for the people of God and a light for the nations, to open many blind eyes (vv. 6–7). The designations my servant, my messenger, my dedicated one, and the servant of the LORD emphasize the spiritual privileges granted to Israel (cf. 41:8–10).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:20–22 Exposure to the gospel makes no impact on blind Israel, though it is worthy of their trust (cf. 6:9–10). Rather than attracting the nations to God (2:2–5), Israel is plundered by the nations, beyond all self-remedy (cf. Deut. 28:25–34; 2 Kings 24:8–25:21).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 42:23–25 The fall of Israel cannot be explained as a failure of God. He is powerful, but his power turned against them because they turned against his word. The real problem for God’s people, therefore, is not their captivity in Babylon but their disobedience to God. That is what they do not understand (cf. 1:5–6).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:1–7 God reassures his people that, for his own glory, he will ensure their wonderful restoration.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:1 Fear not. Knowing what they deserve, the people should fear; but hearing of their Redeemer’s choice and promise, they should not fear. redeemed. See note on 41:14. you are mine. What defines them is not their guilty blindness (42:18–25) but the grace of the One who says, “You are mine” (cf. Ex. 6:7).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:2 You designates the whole people (v. 1). Even when they are subject to the hardships of captivity and exile, God is still with his people (cf. 41:10).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:3–4 God’s people are secured by his resolve to be glorified through their salvation. I give Egypt as your ransom … Cush and Seba. Here Isaiah plays on the idea of a ransom price that is sometimes conveyed by “redeemed” (v. 1; see note on 41:14). God will move history for the sake of his people. “Egypt” alludes to the exodus. The more remote Cush and Seba may imply that God will go to any length and alter the history of any nation for his people’s salvation. On “Cush,” see note on 18:1. “Seba” was probably along the Red Sea, though it is uncertain whether it was on the African or Arabian side.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:5–7 Wherever God’s people may be scattered, he will bring them home (cf. Deut. 30:1–4). whom I created for my glory. God’s people become living proof of his glory, which is his ultimate goal in salvation (cf. Eph. 1:3–6).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:8–13 God’s people exist in order to declare his exclusive deity.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:8–9 Isaiah imagines a great gathering of Israel and the nations in which God challenges anyone to match his proven ability to achieve his purposes in history. this. Probably the rise of Cyrus the Great (cf. 41:2). the former things. Previous prophecies. Let them bring their witnesses. God is unafraid of a full and open presentation of the facts. Indeed, he commands it.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:10–13 In this great trial, God’s people are his witnesses to his exclusive reality as God (cf. Acts 1:8, where Jesus likewise declares his apostles his witnesses). God emphasizes repeatedly 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 43:14–15 God promises that the Babylonian conquerors of the Jewish people will themselves be conquered and exiled. Babylon is mentioned explicitly here for the first time in chs. 40–55. I am … your King. The guarantor of God’s promise is God himself.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:16–21 God promises that his people will be released from exile through a new exodus.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:16–17 Isaiah’s language evokes the exodus through the Red Sea at the nation’s birth (cf. Ex. 14:21–30). makes … brings. The present-tense verbs imply that the great exodus was representative of what God does and that it is therefore repeatable. they lie down … like a wick. God’s enemies are absolutely defeated.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:18–19 The original exodus did not exhaust God’s power but provided a pattern of new exodus-like deliverances. The Jewish exiles should not live in the past but should look for God to bring them home from Babylon through another “exodus.” a way in the wilderness. Where there is no clear path forward, God creates one. rivers in the desert. Where there is no natural relief or refreshment, God provides it.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:20–21 These verses hint that a grander, more ultimate exodus still awaits God’s people (cf. Rom. 8:20–21). God’s ultimate goal is that his people might declare his praise.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:22–44:23 God Revives His People for His Glory. God promises to pour his life-giving Spirit upon his weary people.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:22–28 Far from declaring his praise, God’s people have failed him. Therefore, he will save them for his own sake (v. 25).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:22 you did not call upon me. Israel practiced their worship with the unspoken intention of evading God, not meeting God. you have been weary of me. Their attitude in worship implied that God is a demanding bore.

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 of them impossible observances, but they burdened him with their spiritual apathy.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:25 I, I am he. God stands forth, boldly declaring the mystery of his grace. Why he forgives his people cannot be understood by human moral reasoning. For my own sake locates the reason for his grace deep within his own being and requires its glorious display before his creatures.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 43:26–28 The people are invited to prove that they deserve God’s favor, in order that they may repent of all self-righteousness. Their record is a failure; their just reward is total judgment. Your first father. Abraham or Jacob. your mediators. Their religious leaders.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:1–5 God reassures his people that his final purpose for them is blessing.

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 (cf. Deut. 32:15; 33:5, 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 (cf. 32:15; 65:17–25; Joel 2:28–32; Luke 24:49). your offspring … your descendants. The blessing rolls on through the generations.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:5 The imagery in v. 4 is explained as one enthusiastic conversion to the Lord after another. The Lord’s decisive grace (43:25) bears fruit in many new believers’ decisive faith (cf. Psalm 87). The LORD’s … Israel. Identification with the Lord entails identification with his people.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:6–8 The Lord alone is God and therefore fully able to keep his promises.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:8 you are my witnesses. God’s people exist to be living proof of his all-sufficiency (cf. note on 43:10–13). Rock. See Deut. 32:4, 15, 18, 30, 31; Isa. 8:14; 17:10.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:9–20 The idols made by humans delude people into compulsive folly (cf. Acts 14:15; 17:24–25; Rom. 1:21–25; 1 Cor. 8:4–6; 1 Thess. 1:9; Rev. 21:8; 22:14–15).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:9–11 All … all … all … together. A sweeping assertion, without a single exception. do not profit … profitable for nothing. Pagan culture, based on idolatry, brings no benefit to anyone; nor can it prevent God from keeping his promises. 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 44:12–17 The embarrassing absurdity of man-made gods is obvious.

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 44:13 the beauty of a man. The projection of human self-idealization (cf. Gen. 1:26–27). a house. I.e., a temple.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:14 The false gods depend on human purpose for their existence. the rain nourishes it. The very materials of god-manufacture come from natural processes, sustained by a higher power.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:15–17 the rest of it. The leftovers of ordinary human activity provide gods to whom people turn for deliverance. Isaiah is astonished.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:18–20 As in v. 9, God judges idolatrous worship with subrational blindness. This explains why the stupidity described in vv. 12–17 is not obvious to those involved (cf. 6:9–10; 2 Cor. 4:4). abomination. Not a mere mistake (cf. Deut. 27:15).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:21–23 God calls his people to clear awareness of his glorious grace.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:21 Remember. God calls his people to focused thought, in contrast to the muddled delusions described in vv. 9–20 about these things, both the all-sufficiency of the God who makes true promises to his people and the emptiness of the false gods with their lies. I formed you. Contrast “all who fashion idols” in v. 9 and “he fashions it” in v. 12 (cf. 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 (cf. 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 (cf. 35:1–2; 49:13; 55:12–13; Rom. 8:19–21). forest … every tree. See Isa. 44:14. The very creation, now misused for idolatrous purposes, will then sing to God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:24–45:25 God Predicts His Use of Cyrus. God names Cyrus the Great as the one through whom he will restore postexilic Jerusalem.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:24–28 God, sovereign over all things, promises his people a deliverer.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:24 you. The people, i.e., Jacob (v. 21). I am the LORD, who made all things. God is not too great to care for his people; he is too great not to care for them. alone … by myself. The pagan gods, according to their legends, consulted together for wisdom.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:25–26 frustrates … confirms. Even as God overrules human predictions of the future, he translates his own promises into realities. his servant … his messengers. Isaiah and other prophets. This short-term prophecy of the restoration of Judah, fulfilled within the experience of the Jewish exiles, verifies the credibility of longer-term prophecies.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 44:27 I will dry up your rivers. Probably a reference to the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea at the exodus (cf. 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; 2 Kings 23:15–17). Josephus (Jewish Antiquities 11.5–7) records a story in which Cyrus, reading Isaiah’s prophecy, was so impressed with the divine power to tell the future that he eagerly sought to fulfill what was written about him here. my shepherd. See 2 Sam. 5:2. After the failure of the kings of Judah, a pagan emperor plays the role of shepherd to God’s people. She shall be built. The policy of Cyrus expresses the deeper purpose of God, revealed in Isa. 44:26, reversing 6:11 (cf. Ezra 1:1–5; 6:1–5; Isa. 45:13).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:1–7 Through Cyrus God will demonstrate his own sovereignty over everything.

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 The victories of Cyrus reveal God at work in history, accomplishing his own purpose. that you may know that it is I. Cyrus himself could and should have acknowledged God on the basis of these prophecies.

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 Predictive prophecy, fulfilled in history, proves that the Lord alone is God, and he wants the whole world to know it.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:7 Beyond the case of Cyrus, the Lord’s creative will and wise purposes stand behind everything. Therefore, his people should not be discouraged when the appearances of history seem contrary to his promises.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:8 Far from a problem to cope with, God’s sovereignty over all things, as affirmed in v. 7, is the only hope for the flowering of salvation and righteousness in this world.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:9–13 Isaiah warns against challenging God’s right to do his will in his own way.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:9–10 Woe … Woe. Putting God under suspicious scrutiny is a serious offense. Created beings may not demand explanations from him (cf. Rom. 9:19–21).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:11–13 The Lord asserts his right to be God. I have stirred him up in righteousness. Cyrus rose up in fulfillment of God’s righteous purpose. not for price or reward. See Ezra 1:7–11; 6:3–5. With no financial incentive for Cyrus, his support of the rebuilding of the temple had to be of God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:14–19 God’s plan goes beyond the return of his people to Jerusalem. His salvation will spread through them to all nations (cf. John 4:22; 10:16; Acts 1:8; Rom. 1:16; Gal. 3:28–29; Eph. 2:11–3:6; Col. 3:11; Rev. 7:9–10).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:14 in chains. Isaiah uses the imagery of prisoners of war for Gentile conversions to Israel’s faith—not forced on them but borne of personal conviction: Surely God is in you. If there is only one true God, then the only proper response is surrender. The new allegiance is to the Lord himself (v. 23), but faith in him entails humble identification with his people, too (cf. 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, despite the appearances of history, excites wonder. God is not evasive, but he is counterintuitive.

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). he formed it to be inhabited. Cf. Gen. 1:2.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:19 Unlike the idols, whose myths offer no light or hope, God can be taken at his word (cf. 40:8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:20–22 God invites all nations to renounce their idols and worship him alone.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:21 Unbelieving opinion, however broad the consensus, cannot refute the evidence of predictive prophecy. this. Cyrus’s conquest of Babylon and his release of the Jewish exiles (cf. 46:8–11).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 45:22 be saved. Contrast “a god that cannot save” in v. 20. The idolatrous world is not scorned 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. Therefore, in the end, he will be either the Savior or the Judge of everyone. Paul cites v. 23 twice, from the Septuagint. In Rom. 14:11, the point is that God alone is the final judge. In Phil. 2:10–11, a hymn adapts the verse, applying it to Jesus (implying that Paul thought Jesus shared the position of Yahweh). all the offspring of Israel. All of God’s people, Jew and Gentile alike (cf. Gal. 6:16).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 46:1–47:15 The Gods and Pride of Babylon Doomed. The Lord will humiliate the idols of human self-worship and will demonstrate that he is the one true God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 46:1–7 The gods of Babylon fail their devotees, but the God of Israel saves his people.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 46:1–2 Bel … Nebo. Isaiah aims his polemic 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, they go into captivity under historical forces beyond their control.

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 46:5 To whom will you liken me? Biblical faith refuses to limit God to analogies within the creation. Though God teaches about himself with many analogies throughout the Bible, in the end no analogy, and no combination of analogies, can adequately describe his greatness.

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 unburden its worshipers? it cannot move. If a god cannot move, how can it intervene? it does not answer or save. Gold and silver are lavished on the god, to no benefit. Isaiah’s contempt is obvious.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 46:8–13 The only true God will succeed in his glorious purpose for his stubborn people.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 46:8–11 stand firm. God calls his people to a bold trust in his sole deity and sovereign ways. recall it to mind. Mental focus on who God is must be renewed, for the idolatrous culture of the world erodes clarity. transgressors. The natural thoughts of the human mind resist the truth about God. the former things of old. The record of God’s faithfulness in the past. declaring … saying … calling. God calls for a wholehearted trust in his unfailing word. a bird of prey from the east. Cyrus.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 46:12–13 Even as the idols of the world are failing in their claims and God is succeeding in his promises, his people are still stubborn of heart to believe his word and accept his ways. my righteousness … my salvation … my glory. God does not need his people’s faith to carry him forward. He will keep his promises to them for reasons springing from his own nature and purpose.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:1–7 In contrast with Zion’s salvation (46:13), Babylon is doomed to national disgrace.

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 (cf. Revelation 18).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:2 God warns Babylon of the end of its luxurious selfishness and the beginning of slavery and exile.

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. God used the Babylonians to discipline his own people, as he said he would (cf. Deut. 28:49–50), but God still held Babylon accountable for their cruel abuses and unthinking arrogance (cf. Isa. 10:5–19).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:8–11 Babylon’s proud religion is exposed.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:8 I am, and there is no one besides me. The self-deifying autonomy at the heart of Babylon blasphemes God (cf. 41:4; 44:6; 45:5–6, 18, 21–22; 46:9; Rev. 18:7). All nations, without exception, are accountable to God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:9 loss of children and widowhood. No future for Babylonian civilization. your many sorceries … your enchantments. See Ezek. 21:21; Babylon’s religion claimed to guarantee favorable outcomes, but it proved powerless to avert the overwhelming disaster decreed by the God of Israel.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:10 No one sees me. Defiant silencing of conscience. your wisdom and your knowledge. Intellectual pride distorts judgment. I am. See v. 8.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:11 “You felt secure in your wickedness [Hb. ra‘ah]” (v. 10) is answered by but evil (Hb. ra‘ah) shall come upon you. This is the measure-for-measure “vengeance” of v. 3.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:12–15 Babylon is left alone and helpless.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:12 Stand fast … perhaps … perhaps. Isaiah mocks Babylon.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:13 You are wearied. See 46:1. The idolatries of Babylon worked through the many counsels that their leaders turned to in national emergency. They leaned hard on their remedies, but nothing helped. those who divide the heavens. Astrology, a kind of false prophecy, was highly developed in Babylon (cf. Dan. 2:1–2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:14 Babylonian counselors burn like stubble, but the fire offers no benefit.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 47:15 they wander about. When Babylon’s partners in trade are most needed, they busy themselves elsewhere.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:1–22 God Will Free His People from Babylon for His Own Sake. Despite Israel’s stubborn unbelief, God pursues his purpose of redemption.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:1–11 God puts up with his backward people for the sake of his own glory.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:1 Hear. The imperative (repeated in vv. 12, 14, 16) calls Jacob to hear the word of God with the kind of hearing that makes an impact and produces action in response. They were called by the name of Israel (which is their identity and background) and are to confess the God of Israel (which is their profession of faith). but not in truth or right. Their faith is nominal, hypocritical, and imaginary.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:2 The people of God do not grasp what it means that the LORD of hosts is his name. The central question of life is, “Who is God?” and even God’s own people understand this only dimly.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:3–5 God established a pattern of prophecies faithfully fulfilled, anticipating idolatrous thoughts rising from the hard hearts of his own people (as in Ezek. 3:7). God has prepared this defense for his own honor.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:6–8 Now God intends to reveal surprising new prophecies. Unprecedented acts of God are on the horizon—unprecedented, lest his own people treat his deeds dismissively.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:9–11 The deepest motive in the heart of God is his own glory, to the exclusion of all other glories. He does not punish his unbelieving people as they deserve, for that would diminish the display of his glory in his persistent compassion (cf. Ps. 78:37–41; 103:8–14).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:12–22 God will free his backward people from Babylon through Cyrus.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:12–13 The God of the gospel is the commanding presence in the universe. Nothing disproves him; everything reveals his glory.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:14–15 God reaffirms his plan to use Cyrus for his own redemptive purpose. among them. I.e., 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 (cf. 42:1–13). Unlike Cyrus, the servant’s power is not a human sword but the divine Spirit (cf. 11:2; 61:1). Many would see this as a reference to the three persons of the Trinity: the Father (“the LORD God”), the Son (“has sent me”), and the Holy Spirit (“his Spirit”).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:17–19 The cost of resisting God’s word; the blessings of true listening. who teaches you to profit. Misplaced values are idols, which do not profit (cf. 44:9). my commandments. Even if God’s prophecies of the future were difficult to believe, his practical commandments lay within range of human understanding. peace … like a river. Not seasonal but perpetual. 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 The Jewish exiles are called to take advantage of Cyrus’s conquest of Babylon and return to the Promised Land. They did not thirst. The return of the exiles is a second exodus, marked again by God’s miraculous provision. The Lord does not call his people out in order to abandon them but to provide for them lavishly (cf. Ex. 17:1–7; Ps. 105:41).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 48:22 In contrast to the peace promised to God’s people (26:13; 32:17; cf. 44:18), there is no peace … for the wicked. The comfort announced in 40:1 belongs only to those whose faith sends them on a pilgrimage into the promises of God (cf. 57:21).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:1–50:3 The Lord’s Servant Displayed, His People Assured. The trusting servant 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 Listen to me. The servant of the Lord demands a worldwide hearing. O coastlands … you peoples from afar. Compared with “comfort, comfort my people” (40:1), the prophetic horizon is broadening to reveal more and more nations claimed by God’s grace—an empire far greater than that of Cyrus. He named my name shows God’s personal care for his servant (cf. 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 (cf. 11:4; Rev. 1:16; 19:15, 21). The servant is a match for enemies both near and far (“sword,” arrow).

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 49:4 The servant confesses his sense of failure due to Israel’s poor response (cf. v. 7; 53:1). yet. The servant does not turn from God in cynical unbelief; he accepts emotional suffering and frustrating toil with confidence that God will reward him.

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, and has a calling to serve Israel and beyond. Far from failing, the servant is declared by God to be the only hope of the world. a light for the nations. See note on 42:6–7. 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 49:7–13 The servant of the Lord triumphs worldwide.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:7 Unlike the kings of this world, the servant of the Lord conquers by his sufferings (cf. 50:6; 52:14–15). because of the LORD. The triumph of the servant’s mission is not due to any facile human idealism but to the purpose of God alone (cf. 9:7).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:8–12 The servant’s faith is vindicated at the time of God’s choosing. The day of salvation is now, as the gospel is being offered (as cited in 2 Cor. 6:2). a covenant to the people. See note on Isa. 42:6–7. Isaiah 49:8b–12 describes, with the “prisoners” imagery of 42:7, pilgrimage into the promises of God (cf. Rev. 7:9–17). Syene. I.e., Aswan in southern Egypt (cf. Ezek. 29:10; 30:6).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:13 The servant’s triumph inspires unprecedented joy (cf. 44:23; 55:12–13; Rom. 8:19–21).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:14–26 Human despair is more than offset by divine grace.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:14 The joy of v. 13 contrasts with the gloom of the Jewish exiles (cf. 40:27).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:15–17 The Lord counters the despondency of his people. His attention to them is keener than a mother’s to her child. Behold, I have engraved you. As if calling them to gaze upon his open hands. your walls. The rubble of Jerusalem, destroyed by the Babylonians (cf. Ps. 74:3; 102:14). But God intends to rebuild Zion (cf. Isa. 44:26, 28).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:18 Isaiah sees the restoration of Zion as a mother welcoming her children and as a bride putting on her wedding gown. The prophet’s vision extends to the worldwide growth of the people of God (cf. 54:1–3; Col. 1:3–6).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:19–21 God’s restored people are astonished at the number to which they have miraculously grown. This promise contrasts with the doom of Babylon (47:8–9).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 49:22–23 God moves history for the benefit of his people (cf. 45:14; 60:10–14). I will lift up my hand … and raise my signal. With ease, God’s gesture causes the nations to do his will. you will know. The faith of God’s people will finally be personal and rewarding. Kings … queens. Even those of highest status in other nations will serve God’s people.

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. eat their own flesh … be drunk with their own blood (as if under siege conditions). Defying God’s purpose of grace is self-destructive (cf. Phil. 1:27–28). Then all flesh shall know that I am the LORD. This is God’s ultimate purpose. This “recognition formula” (“all flesh shall know”), deriving from Ex. 6:7 and 14:18, occurs elsewhere in Isaiah (e.g., Isa. 7:20; 45:3, 6; 49:23; 60:16).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 50:1–3 God challenges the despondency of his people.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 50:1 The Jewish exiles feel abandoned (cf. 40:27; 49:14). But their hardships are not due to failure in God. They sinned their way into exile.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 50:2–3 Why … was there no man? God’s people snubbed the approach of his saving word. I dry up the sea. Cf. Ex. 7:21; 10:21–22; 15:8.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 50:4–51:8 The Lord’s Servant Taught, His People Attentive. The listening servant will sustain his listening people with a salvation that will last forever.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 50:4–9 The servant of the Lord suffers in order to sustain others. 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 of the Sovereign Lord appears four times in this song (vv. 4, 5, 7, 9). The power of God takes the form of a servant. the tongue of those who are taught. The servant is a scholar, well schooled in the Word of God. he awakens my ear. Unlike the guilty silence of God’s people (v. 2), the servant is responsive to God’s Word (cf. 48:8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 50:6 those who strike. The gentle healer (42:3), patient worker (49:4), and wise comforter (50:4) is greeted with abusive opposition, and he accepts it. 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 and he moves forward with resolute 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. For his innocence, God vindicated him (cf. 1 Tim. 3:16).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 50:10–11 Isaiah defines the two responses to the servant of the Lord: (1) Fear the Lord by obeying the voice of his servant, trusting him even in the darkness of this life. (2) Kindle the false light of one’s own wisdom, but then lie down in torment forever (cf. Prov. 16:25).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:1–8 These verses follow 50:10, giving three incentives for obeying the voice of the servant: vv. 1–3, 4–6, 7–8.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:1–3 The first incentive (cf. note on vv. 1–8) 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. This encouragement is intended not for all, but for you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:4–6 The second incentive (cf. note on vv. 1–8) 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 (cf. note on vv. 1–8) is that, like the servant of the Lord, though believers are reviled, they will also be eternally vindicated (cf. John 16:33).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:9–52:12 Encouragements to a Responsive Faith. 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 v. 17 and 52:1, the double imperative intensifies the urgency of the appeal. as in days of old. I.e., the days of the exodus. Was it not you … ? The helpless people wonder if God is as active as he once was. Rahab is Egypt (cf. 30:7). The ancient oppressor nation is perceived as a monster of mythic evil, slain by the power of God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:10 the sea. I.e., the Red Sea.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:11 See the very similar 35:10.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:12–16 God assures his people of his omnipotent salvation.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:12–13 The Creator God rebukes the fears of his people. I, I am he answers the double “Awake, awake” of v. 9. Those who are afraid of man who dies have forgotten the LORD. Human opposition to God cannot last. And where is the wrath of the oppressor? Human wrath is nothing compared to divine wrath (cf. Matt. 10:28).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:14 No bondage can keep God’s people from their salvation (cf. Rom. 8:31–39).

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. I have put my words in your mouth. This is the language by which God describes a prophet (cf. Deut. 18:18; Jer. 1:9). Here God speaks to his messianic servant, through whom he keeps his covenant.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:17–23 God rouses his defeated people to renewed comforts.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:17 Wake yourself, wake yourself. In v. 9, the people think God needs to be awakened to action; but in reality, they need to wake themselves. It was God, not their Babylonian captors, who force-fed Jerusalem the cup of wrath (cf. Ps. 75:8; Rev. 16:19). Now God invites his people to rise up from their stupor of despair.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:18–20 When God disciplines, no human help suffices. Jerusalem was left depopulated and defenseless.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 51:21–23 The same divine power that humiliated Jerusalem turns the tables on her enemies.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:1–10 God calls his royal people into a new era of blessing for themselves and the whole world.

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. I.e., live as what the one God says you are (cf. Eph. 4:22–24; Rev. 3:4–5). there shall no more come into you. Never again will foreign invaders violate the holy city, i.e., the people of God (cf. Rev. 21:22–27). Note the reversal of Isa. 47:1–2.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:2 loose the bonds from your neck. Bondage is to be rejected.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:3–6 The people of God will enter into their true identity, for it is all by his grace and for his glory.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:3–4 You were sold for nothing. Judah was sold into Babylonian captivity, but not because of any lack in God. you shall be redeemed without money. See note on 43:3–4. at the first. The whole of Israel’s history proves the faithfulness of God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:5–6 The defeat of God’s people has brought shame upon his name, the most disastrous consequence (cf. Rom. 2:24). Therefore, he will vindicate himself with unmistakable clarity, for his own glory (cf. Ezek. 36:16–32).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:7–10 God turns the wailing of his people and the despising of his name (as in v. 5) into rejoicing as the gospel of God’s sovereign grace spreads over the world.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:7 The “here I am” of v. 6 is experienced through the gospel. Isaiah prompts the people of God to welcome the approach of every gospel messenger (cf. 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. (On how this verse relates to the “armor of God,” see note on Isa. 11:5.) The longed-for message of peace … good news of happiness … salvation is summed up in one glad cry: Your God reigns—the victory of God over every oppression is now a reality (cf. Ps. 97:1; Acts 13:30–33; Rev. 19:6).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:8–9 As the lone messenger approaches the city of God, the watchmen on the wall shout the good news that the King is returning.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:10 The power of salvation spreads to the ends of the earth (cf. 49:6). before the eyes of all the nations. Restoring Jerusalem is a means to this great end.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:11–12 Depart, depart. God calls his exiled people to leave Babylon as pilgrims, staking everything on his promises (cf. 2 Cor. 6:17). touch no unclean thing. I.e., do not bring any defilement with you as you return to rebuild the holy city. you who bear the vessels of the LORD. I.e., they are restoring these vessels to the temple service (cf. Ezra 1:1–11). you shall not go out in haste. Not as panicky fugitives but in confidence. before you … your rear guard. The Lord surrounds his Jerusalem-bound people as their escort (cf. Ex. 14:19–20; Ezra 8:21–23).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:13–53:12 The Lord’s Servant: The Exalted Sin-bearer. 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. To be clear on which parties are described, it helps to observe the pronouns: “I” in this passage is typically the Lord, “he” the servant, and “we” the servant’s disciples, who themselves need the servant to bear their guilt (53:4–6), which is why the servant cannot be Israel or the pious within Israel.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:13–15 The servant appeared repulsive but achieved redemption.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:13 act wisely. Succeed at his task (cf. esv footnote). high and lifted up. See note on 6:1. In John 12:38–41, John brings the vision of Isaiah 6 together with the fourth Servant Song and says that Isaiah saw Jesus’ glory; this repeated phrase justifies John’s reading.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 52:14–15 As the servant was rejected by many (in his passion, Jesus was beaten into a shockingly inhuman mass of wounded flesh), 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; 10:19–22; 12:22–24; 1 Pet. 1:2). Kings (representing the nations) shall shut their mouths, awed by his wretched humiliation and exalted glory (cf. Rom. 15:21). that which has not been told them. I.e., until revealed uniquely in the gospel.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:1–3 The servant lived in rejection.

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 (cf. Isa. 40:10; 51:9; 62:8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:2 Unbelief in the servant was natural because he was an obscure, outwardly unimpressive person in a failed culture. “His generation” was blind (v. 8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:3 See 49:7; cf. John 1:10–11. Rejection of the servant reveals how misguided the human mind is. a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. Jesus experienced sorrow and grief of various sorts throughout his whole life. “Acquainted with” could also be rendered “knowing” (esv footnote; see note on Isa. 53:11).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:4–6 The servant bore the sins of other people; he was himself innocent. This paragraph is the heart of the passage.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:4 Surely introduces the truth about the servant’s sufferings. Acting as his people’s substitute, with no support or understanding from them, the servant took upon himself the bitter consequences of their sin: griefs, sorrows (cf. Matt. 8:14–17). The sufferings of the servant would show the consequences that sin brings to fallen humanity, though he himself would not sin (Isa. 53:9). smitten by God, and afflicted. God would be the ultimate source of the sufferings of this faithful servant.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:5 But contrasts with “our” incomprehension in v. 4b. The servant’s anguish was “our” fault, not his own. our transgressions, our iniquities. His sufferings went to the root of all human woe (cf. 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. The servant, who alone was sinless, was uniquely qualified to bear the sins of others, and all people contributed to his pain. like sheep. Stupid and helpless. the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. See Lev. 16:21–22; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:25.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:7–9 The servant dies in innocence.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:7 like a lamb. I.e., innocent, submissive, not complaining (cf. John 1:29, 36; Acts 8:32–33; 1 Pet. 2:22–23).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:8 By oppression and judgment. I.e., oppressive judgment. The servant was wrongly condemned. who considered … ? Those who condemned Jesus did not understand what they were doing (cf. Luke 23:34; Acts 3:14–18; 1 Cor. 2:8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:9 they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man. The numerous parallels between the description of the servant in this verse and the death of Jesus have led Christians through the ages to see this as fulfilled by the events surrounding Jesus’ death. Although the servant was condemned as a criminal (“with the wicked”), he was buried in an expensive garden tomb belonging to a rich man. Likewise the servant is presented as someone who was completely innocent, both in deed (having done no violence) and in word (there was no deceit in his mouth). The servant is thus described as a person of total moral purity, the true substitute for sinners (cf. v. 7). See Matt. 27:57–60 for the fulfillment of this prophecy.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:10–12 The servant was crushed but victorious.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:10 the will of the LORD. There was a divine purpose for the oppression of the servant (cf. 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 compensated for human sin by setting sinners free from their guilt before God (cf. Lev. 5:15–16). The Septuagint translates “offering for guilt” as “offering for sin,” which explains why Paul could say that Christ’s death “for our sins” was “in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3). he shall see his offspring. Those who strayed like sheep (Isa. 53:6) return as children. he shall prolong his days. Death is not the servant’s end; he will receive everlasting life. Although resurrection is not explicit here, it is the natural inference (hence 1 Cor. 15:4 can speak of the resurrection as being “in accordance with the Scriptures”). the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. The servant becomes the executor of God’s will and plan.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:11 he shall see and be satisfied. The outcome of the servant’s sufferings is not regret but the satisfaction of obvious accomplishment. by his knowledge. His experiential knowledge of grief (v. 3, see esv footnote). many. His triumph, which does not secure the salvation of every individual without exception (universalism), spreads out beyond the remnant of Israel to “a great multitude that no one could number” (Rev. 7:9; cf. Rom. 5:15). to be accounted righteous. See Rom. 4:11–12.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 53:12 Therefore. The sacrificial death of the servant explains his subsequent glory and the eternal blessings of those who believe in him. a portion … the spoil. The imagery is that of a conqueror sharing his victory with his allies. numbered with the transgressors. The servant is identified with rebels (cf. Luke 22:37). makes intercession. This is the servant’s priestly work on behalf of those he represents, securing their acceptance before God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:1–55:13 Compassion for God’s People, Offered to All. The everlasting love of God will heal all his people’s sorrows, if they will enter in now on the terms of his glorious grace.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:1–3 God commands his people to prepare joyfully for their future.

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 (cf. Gal. 4:25–28).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:2 The present task of God’s people is to labor in expectancy. Enlarge the place of your tent, i.e., prepare for more people to be added to your family.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:3 your offspring will possess the nations. See Gen. 22:17; 28:14; Ex. 34:24; Deut. 9:1; 11:23. God is not promising oppressive world domination but that, through his people, his righteous reign and the knowledge of him will spread throughout the world.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:4–10 God commands his people to confidently expect his endless compassion.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:4 the reproach of your widowhood. When God withdrew from his unfaithful people during the Babylonian exile, they were like a wife without a husband. God promises complete emotional restoration (cf. 40:1).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:5 The certainty of the promise of v. 4 rests in the person of God, who would have to stop being God in order for his promises to fail. Isaiah heaps words upon words to convey the all-sufficiency of God for his weak people.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:6 the LORD has called you like a wife. The future of God’s people is not rejection or even cool relational distance, but the joy and passion of a marriage forever young (cf. Rev. 19:7, 9; 21:2, 9). 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 (cf. 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 chastening.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:9 like the days of Noah. God’s wrath overwhelmed the Jewish exiles like Noah’s flood, but like that ancient flood, his wrath also subsided. Now God renews his assurances of grace (cf. Gen. 8:20–9:17).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:10 God’s love for his people is not just a little greater than his wrath; it is massively greater and eternally unchanging. my covenant of peace. Cf. this term in Ezek. 34:25–31, describing a renewed covenant with God after the exile. When the language of these prophecies is compared to the accounts of the returnees (in Ezra–Nehemiah), it becomes clear that the physical return was only the first installment.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:11–17 God assures his people of their glorious future.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:11–12 Having endured much, the people of God will be restored like a ruined city rebuilt with the finest materials. behold, I. God alone glorifies his people.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:13 taught by the LORD. Unlike the tragic record of ancient Israel, the future blessing of God’s people is ensured because his grace will guarantee their allegiance to his word (cf. 50:4–5; Jer. 31:31–34; John 6:45). peace. The security and fullness that mankind has always desired but failed to achieve now stretch out into the future as the inheritance of God’s children.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:14 In righteousness … far from oppression. See 32:17–18.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 54:15–17 The city of God is secure because (1) all the powers of evil are under God’s control and (2) he will defend his people. 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 protect his people and defeat every enemy, no matter how powerful.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:1–13 God invites everyone to enter into his promised blessings.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:1 Come, everyone who thirsts. The invitation is urgent in tone and universal in scope, addressing a deep spiritual longing to “seek the LORD while he may be found” (v. 6). Thirst is not a problem but an opportunity (cf. John 7:37–39). come … come. … Come. This is all one needs to do in order to find mercy in God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:2 Why do you spend your money? Isaiah exposes how costly but disappointing unbelief is. Listen diligently to me is how the banquet of the gospel of Christ is enjoyed (and eat what is good).

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. steadfast, sure love for David. The blessing is focused on the house of David, out of which the messianic servant will arise (cited from the Septuagint in Acts 13:34).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:4 God established David (v. 3) as the authoritative world ruler—as a spokesman for God and as an ancestor of the Messiah (cf. Ps. 18:49–50).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:5 You addresses the glorious son of David, the messianic servant, through whom God attracts the nations, bringing history to its appointed consummation (cf. Rom. 1:1–5). a nation that you do not know. I.e., people previously outside of God’s covenant (cf. Eph. 2:11–12).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:6–7 let him return to the LORD. Anyone may enter into the victory of God, but the time is short and the offer is conditioned upon repentance. The cost of enjoying God’s feast of covenant love (vv. 1–3) is forsaking oneself, but the gain is abundant pardon.

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; therefore people should not be foolish and delay (cf. Ps. 32:6). The offer of salvation should never be despised or rejected, for the opportunity may end at any moment.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:7–9 let the wicked forsake his way … let him return. Thorough repentance is required, for God’s thoughts are not your thoughts—that is, they are as high above man’s thoughts as the heavens are above the earth and vastly superior to the expectations of human intuitions (cf. Ps. 145:3; 1 Cor. 2:9). neither are your ways my ways. In the immediate context, this is an appeal to people to exchange their sinful “thoughts” and “ways” (Isa. 55:7) for God’s, which are higher (nobler and more magnificent). More broadly, theologians have recognized that God, the incomparable Creator, is far above his finite creatures and beyond their ability to describe him or comprehend him fully; though they may know him truly, such knowledge is always partial and imperfect. But because God is perfectly wise in all his thoughts and ways, his people can take great comfort amid hardship and when inevitably they are unable to understand the mysteries and tragedies of life.

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. Human good intentions fail, but God’s promises succeed (cf. 40:6–8). The word of God not only describes a glorious future, it is God’s appointed means to create that future (cf. Ezek. 37:1–14).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 55:12–13 The prophet concludes both this chapter and all of chs. 40–55 with a vision of the triumph of God’s grace, when the effects of sin and the fall (see Gen. 3:17; 6:11–13) are rectified 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). before you. The redeemed, proceeding at last into their eternal joys, are the occasion for the creation to break forth into singing. Instead of the thorn. The image is of arid, unproductive land being transformed. a name … an everlasting sign. God will be forever glorified by the display of his triumphant grace.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:1–66:24 How to Prepare for the Coming Glory: “Hold Fast My Covenant.” Isaiah guides the people of God of all ages into the reviving power of the truths and promises of chs. 1–55, so that they may prepare for the salvation that will renew all things forever.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:1–8 The True People of God Redefined. Outward disqualification for being included among God’s people is offset by holding fast to his covenant love and lifestyle.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:1 This verse serves as a summary of chs. 1–55. Keep justice, and do righteousness echoes the ideals of chs. 1–39; soon my salvation will come, and my righteousness be revealed sums up the promises of chs. 40–55 (cf. 1:21, 27; 5:7, 16; 9:7; 16:5; 28:17; 32:1, 16; 33:5; 45:8; 46:13; 51:5–8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:2 The Sabbath is a covenant sign that represents a lifestyle of devotion to the Lord, for it requires the practical reorganization of every week around him (cf. Ex. 31:12–17; Ezek. 20:18–20). True observance of the Sabbath entails not just refraining from work but also refraining from doing any evil. 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; 5:17; 9:14; Gal. 4:10; Col. 2:17; Heb. 4:8–10.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:3–8 The true people of God, who will inherit all his promises, are universally inclusive of all who hold fast to his covenant, despite their outward, apparent disqualification.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:3–5 The foreigner, approaching God’s people, need not fear God’s rejection if he has joined himself to the LORD. The eunuch, once he is gripped by the gospel, receives an eternal place with God (v. 5) that is better than producing physical descendants (although that is also good). The restrictions of Ex. 12:43, 45 and Deut. 23:1 no longer apply.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:6 Covenant union with God defines the true people of God and their true worship. Contrast the futilities condemned in 1:11–15. Sabbath. See note on 56:2.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:7 My holy mountain is the place of God’s presence and his people’s worship—a house of prayer for all peoples. See 1 Kings 8:41–43; Isa. 2:2–3; 25:6–8; Mark 11:17 (combining it with Jer. 7:11).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:8 The Lord GOD, who gathers. He will gather in more than the Jewish exiles from Babylon (cf. 11:11–12). Yet others not only includes the foreigners and eunuchs of 56:3 but extends as far as the “everyone” of v. 6 and “all peoples” of v. 7 (cf. John 10:16).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:9–57:13 The False People of God Exposed. 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 56:9 The beasts are enemy nations (cf. Jer. 12:7–9).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:10 Watchmen are prophets (cf. Ezek. 3:17; 33:1–9; Hab. 2:1), but they are asleep on their job. Silent watchdogs are useless.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:11 Shepherds are rulers (see Jer. 25:34–35; Ezek. 34:1–10; cf. Isa. 40:10–11).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 56:12 let me get wine. Cf. 5:11–12; 28:7–8.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:1–13 Isaiah confronts apostasy, which he sees increasing among God’s people.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:1–2 The righteous man perishes. Isaiah sees a trend toward fewer righteous people, yet no one lays it to heart, i.e., the masses of people generally do not understand that this indicates a withdrawal of God’s blessing. In such a troubled time, for the righteous, death is a mercy, for he enters into peace (cf. 2 Kings 22:20; Rev. 14:13).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:3–10 Paganism has come in among God’s unthinking people.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:3 The Jewish people’s physical descent from Abraham is meaningless, for the people’s pagan morals reveal their true spiritual identity.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:4–5 Contempt for God and for the righteous is linked with idol worship and human cruelty (cf. Jer. 2:20; 32:35).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:6 The smooth stones are objects of pagan worship. Shall I relent for these things? This rhetorical question argues for the reasonableness of God’s all-out opposition to idolatry (cf. 42:8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:7 you have set your bed. Idol worship is spiritual whoredom.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:8 uncovered your bed. Private sins reveal that the people are deserting the Lord and actively giving themselves to idolatry.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:9–10 Idolatry also involved futile political alliances with foreign powers (cf. 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 57:11–13 The people do not fear God. They fear human threats and cling to false assurances (cf. Luke 12:4–5). I will declare your righteousness. See Isa. 58:1–5 and 64:6.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:14–21 The True People of God Invited. God opens the way into his reviving presence for all the penitent.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:14 The way back to God is clear. As far as he is concerned, there is no obstacle (cf. 62:10).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:15 high and lifted up. See note on 6:1; cf. 52:13. God dwells in the high and holy place of his eternal transcendence, where no one else may go, and 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 (cf. 1 Pet. 5:10). He heals those who mourn the low condition of his people (cf. Isa. 66:10). He even creates their spirit of repentance. Peace, peace, to the far and to the near includes both Jews and Gentiles (cf. Eph. 2:11–22).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 57:20–21 like the tossing sea. The unsettled turbulence of wickedness brings its own punishment (see 48:22; Jude 12–13; cf. Isa. 32:17–18; 57:2).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:1–59:13 The Path to Blessing: Ritual vs. Responsibility. God’s true people experience his blessing in a personally godly and socially responsible way of life, owning up to their offenses.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:1–14 Isaiah is commanded to confront the hypocrisy of God’s people with boldness and to clarify the true path to God’s blessing. See note on 1:10–20 regarding ritual vs. righteousness.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:2 The people are not gripped by the practical implications of biblical faith (cf. 29:13). Yet they seek me daily. “Me” is emphatic in the Hebrew text, for ironic effect (cf. Luke 18:9–14).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:3–4 The “delight” of v. 2 is false, for it is an emotional mechanism for pressuring God into compliance with human wishes. When God refuses to be used, the people are offended that their religion does not “work.” Their unacknowledged attempt to gain advantage with God is exposed in their overbearing use of people: oppress all your workers … hit with a wicked fist. God called his people to show humanity in their social life, but they are failing to do this (cf. the recurring theme of Amos).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:5 Isaiah uses sarcasm to dismiss false piety. What establishes true religion is not what is acceptable to man but what is acceptable to the LORD (cf. Ps. 51:17; Isa. 56:6–7).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:6–7 God defines the true piety that he does bless, for it is true to his non-oppressive gospel (cf. 1:17; James 1:27). Is not this … ? Is it not … ? God dignifies his dishonest people with appeals to reasoned thought (cf. Isa. 1:18). every yoke. Every form of oppression (cf. Deut. 28:48; 1 Kings 12:4).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:8–9a Then … Then. God promises to meet true fasting with true blessing. Unlike false gods, the Lord responds (cf. 64:5a). your light. See 9:1–7; Eph. 5:14. your rear guard. See Ex. 13:21; 14:19–20. Here I am. God humbly offers his availability (cf. Isa. 65:1; for men responding to God’s call, cf. Gen. 22:1, 11; Ex. 3:4).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:9b–10a If … if. God again defines the conditions of the blessing in a manner consistent with his nature. the pointing of the finger. Either in false accusation, or in destructive gossip, or both. See Prov. 6:12–15.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:10b–12 then. God reaffirms his readiness to bless his obedient people. your bones. The human person (cf. Ps. 6:2; 32:3; Prov. 15:30; Isa. 66:14; Jer. 23:9). your ancient ruins. The ruins of Jerusalem in the sixth century B.C. symbolized the deeper spiritual ruins of long-standing human failure (cf. Isa. 1:5–9; 44:26–28; 61:4).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 58:13–14 If … if … then. For a third time in ch. 58, God clarifies the kind of religious practice that draws down his blessing. the Sabbath. See note on 56:2. the heights of the earth. Social prestige among the nations (cf. Deut. 26:16–19; 28:1; 33:29). the heritage of Jacob. The promises to the patriarchs.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:1–13 Isaiah explains how God’s people sink to a low condition.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:1–8 Accusations of social evils.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:1 God is unlimited in his capacity and readiness to help. This is another answer to the sullen question in 58:3a.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:2 Iniquities and sins create a practical barrier between God and his people, typically resulting in God’s discipline (see Heb. 12:5–11; cf. James 4:1–10). In this case, the extreme nature of their behavior may express total unbelief.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:3–8 These sins, which keep God’s presence away, are not religious but social. your hands are defiled with blood. See 1:15. they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity. Sin comes naturally. Their feet run to evil, meaning they are eager for sin. Paul describes the entire sinful human race with Isaiah’s language (Rom. 3:15–17), implying that when God’s people do not embrace his covenant, they can sin as badly as any others.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:9–13 Sin and misery are confessed.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:9 Therefore. Isaiah leads his people away from blaming God—their bitter spirit is implied in v. 1—to clear awareness of their own responsibility for their problems. Note the change to the first person (“us”).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:10 We grope for the wall … we stumble at noon. Metaphors for moral confusion.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:11 We all growl like bears in sullen anguish.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:12–13 For our transgressions. The people of God own up to their guilt as the cause of their miseries (cf. Ps. 51:3).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:14–60:22 Present Failure, Eternal Covenant, Future Glory. God, the only Savior, through his covenant with the Redeemer, will glorify his people as the predominant culture of a new world, for his own glory.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:14–20 Human sin is so radical that only God can redeem the guilty.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:14–15a Guilty mankind has so rejected justice, righteousness, truth, and uprightness that godliness is persecuted. truth has stumbled in the public squares. The people no longer have any publicly acknowledged standard of truth. Falsehood is freely proclaimed and readily accepted. He who departs from evil (i.e., the evil that the people are doing) makes himself a prey (i.e., he is hunted like an animal).

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. His faithfulness to his covenant promises was expressed in what he did.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:17 God displayed (put on) the powers of a fully equipped warrior. God not only forgives sin; he opposes it with all his might (cf. 42:13; 63:1–6). On the “armor of God” (Eph. 6:11–17) as the equipment of the Messiah, see note on Isa. 11:5.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:18 According to … so. Perfect justice, measure-for-measure, in a final settlement. to the coastlands. There is no hiding place, however remote (cf. Amos 9:2–4).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:19 To fear the name of the LORD is the right response to him (Deut. 28:58; Neh. 1:11; Ps. 61:5; 86:11; Mal. 4:2). This passage reflects the expectation that all kinds of people will know the Lord and fear his name (cf. 2 Chron. 6:33; Ps. 102:15; Mal. 1:11). the west … the rising of the sun. Opposite directions, suggesting the entire world (cf. Isa. 45:6; 52:10; Mal. 1:11). a rushing stream … the wind. The power of God, applied with double force.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 59:20 a Redeemer. See note on 41:14. The Redeemer is the sole alternative to the wrath of God (see 59:18). Only the redemption of God saves from his wrath. In Rom. 11:26–27, Paul combines this verse (from the lxx) with Jer. 31:33 (and perhaps Isa. 27:9) to describe his hope for his ethnic kin.

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 (cf. 42:6; 49:8). My Spirit that is upon you, i.e., upon the Messiah (cf. 61:1). my words. All the words that God speaks to his people through his prophets (cf. Deut. 18:18). But the promise does not apply only to the prophets who first spoke God’s words, for their offspring and their children’s offspring shall also have these words and will speak them to others. This promise implies that God’s people would preserve his words spoken by the prophets; this process ultimately resulted in the written words of the Bible.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:1–22 Isaiah foresees the final glory of God’s people, uniting all humanity in knowing the true God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:1–9 God will put his beauty upon his people, attracting the nations.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:1 Arise, shine addresses Zion (cf. 59:20; 60:14). The bright future of God’s people calls for cheerful expectancy now by faith. your light has come. Cf. 58:8. the glory of the LORD. Cf. 40:5. The false glories of mankind will finally fade away into the nothingness they really are.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:2 God will make a clear public distinction between those who are his and those who are not his (cf. Ex. 8:22, 23; Rev. 21:10–11).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:3 Isaiah predicts a reversal of the prestige presently given to unbelief and the shame heaped upon God’s people (cf. 2:2–4; 11:10).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:4 Lift up your eyes. Isaiah calls believers to look expectantly for many converts to the Lord entering Zion as a growing family (cf. 43:5–7; 49:18; 54:1–8; 66:18–23).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:5–7 A wonderful reordering of society, so that the people of God become the predominant culture of the world, honored by the nations. The victory of God includes the victory of his people and the blessing of the world, as God promised (cf. Gen. 12:1–3).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:5 the wealth of the nations shall come to you. Cf. notes on 18:7; 60:6–7; 60:8–9.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:6–7 Midian is one of Abraham’s sons (by Keturah), and Ephah is Midian’s son, and Sheba his nephew (Gen. 25:1–4). From Midian and Ephah descended an Arabian tribe that dwelt east of the Red Sea in what is today northwestern Saudi Arabia. “Those from Sheba” were a people and a kingdom in southern Arabia that corresponds to modern-day Yemen. Together with the place names pertaining to two sons of Ishmael (Gen. 25:13) named in Isa. 60:7—Kedar (approximately 240 miles or 386 km northeast of Midian, still in modern Saudi Arabia) and Nebaioth (associated with the Nabateans, whose kingdom was approximately 120 miles or 193 km north of Midian, in present-day Jordan)—the verses depict an abundance of wealth and goods flooding into Zion from Israel’s near and far neighbors. gold and frankincense. This is the fulfillment of the promise given in v. 5. (See further the ultimate fulfillment, prefigured in Matt. 2:11, and the final fulfillment as seen in Rev. 21:24–26.)

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:7 Isaiah uses the language of his times to portray the exalted spiritual destiny of God’s people. they shall come up with acceptance on my altar. See Rom. 15:16. I will beautify my beautiful house. Ezra 7:27 uses these words to describe the mission on which the Persian king sent him to Jerusalem, portraying that mission as part of the fulfillment of this passage.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:8–9 These that fly like a cloud are rapidly approaching foreign ships—not an invading force but a merchant fleet bringing converts devoted to the Lord, for his glory. 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 60:10–14 God will fulfill his ancient promises to Abraham.

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 “down payment” on this promise, and Acts 15:12–16 for a longer-term, spiritual fulfillment. I struck you. God had used the hostile nations to discipline his own people (cf. Isa. 10:5–6). His disciplines are never final, only remedial, but his mercies are final and endless.

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 plundering by thieves (cf. 2:4; 26:1–4; 33:20–22). Cf. the new Jerusalem, Rev. 21:25.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:12 The attitude of the nations toward God’s people reveals their true attitude toward God (cf. Gen. 12:3). Serving God entails serving his people.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:13 The glory of the nations will beautify, not profane, the worship of God. the place of my feet. I.e., the temple as his footstool on earth (cf. Ps. 99:5; 132:7; Ezek. 43:7).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:15–22 God will reverse the present failures and sorrows of his people through the open display of his own presence forever.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:16 The powerful people of this world will no longer trample on God’s people but will care for them. This poetic imagery pictures the people of God as infants and pictures other nations—even leaders of nations—as caring for them. you shall know. God will move his people from their cynical unbelief (cf. 40:27; 49:14) to a wondering acknowledgment of him.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:17 Instead of bronze … gold. See 1 Kings 10:21, 27.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:18 Salvation and Praise portray dominant traits of Zion. Contrast 5:7.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 60:19 the LORD will be your everlasting light. Cf. the new Jerusalem, 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. in its time I will hasten it. The fulfillment of these promises does not await favorable historical conditions but depends directly on the act of God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 61:1–62:12 The Anointed Preacher Renewing the World. The Messiah will preach into existence his new, liberated people, who will pray into existence his new, redeemed world.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 61:1–3 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me. This looks back to 48:16, and thus the speaker is the messianic servant, who creates a new people by his Spirit-empowered preaching (cf. 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 more than that: spiritual freedom from the oppression of sin and Satan. the year of the LORD’s favor. A new era of blessing (cf. Isa. 34:8; 63:4; 2 Cor. 6:2). Quoting this text in Nazareth (Luke 4:18–19), Jesus did not include and the day of vengeance of our God because the display of his wrath awaits Christ’s second coming (cf. Isa. 5:25–29; 63:1–6; Acts 17:31; Rev. 6:15–17). oaks of righteousness. Grand, fruitful, lasting, and strong (cf. Ps. 1:3).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 61:4 They shall build up the ancient ruins. The poor become, through the Messiah, creative restorers of the sad situations that man has had to live with for so long (cf. 54:3; 58:12). Every human ideal falls into ruins in this world of death, but the new culture of life in the city of God will thrive forever.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 61:5–7 Regarding the blessings of the Gentiles coming to God’s people, see notes on 60:6–7 and references there; Rom. 15:27. the priests of the LORD. At long last, Israel will fulfill its role among the nations (Ex. 19:5–6; 1 Pet. 2:9). your shame. The failure of God’s old covenant people (cf. Isa. 54:4). they shall rejoice. Isaiah shifts from one grammatical person to another (from “your” to “they”), in order to change his focus (cf. 1:29; 5:8; 52:14). a double portion (61:7). Inheriting twice what was expected.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 61:8 The promises of God are guaranteed by the character of God (cf. 41:13; 42:6–8; 43:3, 15; 44:6, 24–28; 46:8–11; 48:17; 49:26; 51:12–16; 60:16). an everlasting covenant. See note on 54:10.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 61:10–11 The speaker is either the Messiah, the prophet Isaiah, or Zion herself. With the Lord GOD echoing “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me” in 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 (cf. Eph. 5:25–27; Rev. 21:2, 9). As the earth … as a garden suggests a bountiful harvest.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:1–5 The desolation of God’s people will be replaced with delight.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:1 For Zion’s sake. That is, for the sake of the redeemed people of God who dwell in Zion (another name for Jerusalem), the city of God. This emphasis on God’s 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, and that future is worth living for now (cf. 1:26; 2:2–3; 4:2–6; 9:1–3; 10:20–21; 11:11–16; 14:1–2; 25:1–9; 26:1–21; 29:22–24; 30:19–26; 32:1–4, 15–18; 33:5–6, 17–24; 35:1–10; 40:1–5, 27–31; 41:8–20; 42:6–7; 43:1–7, 16–21; 44:1–5, 21–28; 45:14–17, 24–25; 49:5–6, 8–26; 51:1–3, 11; 52:1–10; 54:1–17; 55:12–13; 57:15–19; 59:20; 60:1–22; 61:1–9; 62:1–12; 65:8–10, 17–25; 66:10–14, 18–23). I will not keep silent. The speaker is either the prophet Isaiah, the Lord, or the Messiah. Since the prophetic intercessors of 62:6 “shall never be silent,” it is likely that Isaiah is speaking here. The promises of God compel him to pray.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:2 Your and you are feminine singular, addressing Zion. a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give. He alone defines the destiny of his people, explained in vv. 4, 12 (cf. 1:26; 56:5; 60:14, 18).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:4 Reversing the situation of 60:15; cf. 6:12; 49:14.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:5 Your sons are the loyal inhabitants of Zion (here, the eternal city of God; cf. Psalm 87). shall … marry. A poetic image indicating that the inhabitants of Jerusalem will love and cherish their city: the inhabitants of Zion will forever be committed to and delight in their eternal dwelling place, for the Lord’s people are there, and the Lord himself is there. Isaiah’s poetic imagery leaves an overwhelming impression of joy, delight, righteousness, beauty, safety, and peace. so shall your God rejoice over you. Boldly drawing on a familiar human image of inexpressible joy and delight, God says his delight in his people will be like that of a bridegroom’s delight in his bride. Isaiah explains that in God’s great plan of salvation, he not only forgives his people, protects them, heals them, provides for them, restores them to their home, reconciles them to each other, transforms them so they are righteous, honors them, exalts them above all nations, and makes them a blessing to all nations, as he called them to be—but more than all these things, he actually delights in his people.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:6–7 I have set. The speaker is either the Messiah or the Lord. The watchmen were prophetic guardians, like sentries on a city wall, praying and watching for the fulfillment of God’s promises (cf. 2 Sam. 18:24; Isa. 56:10; Ezek. 3:17). they shall never be silent. Cf. note on Isa. 62:1. take no rest. Do not cease to cry out to him; see Ps. 132:1–5. give him no rest. Continue to pray to him, call out to him. See Gen. 32:24–28. Jerusalem (Isa. 62:7) is here the new city of God, the place where his people dwell in safety and in righteousness forever (cf. Rev. 21:2, 10).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:8–9 not again. God disciplined his ancient people according to the curses of the old covenant (cf. Lev. 26:14–39; Deut. 28:15–68; Judg. 6:1–6), but here he swears, with great solemnity, to display his glory through his merciful restoration to satisfy his people.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:10–12 God invites and commands everyone to enter into the salvation of Zion.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:10 The people … the peoples refers to God’s old covenant people Israel plus all others willing to join them (cf. 56:8; 57:19; John 10:16). clear it of stones. Make an easy way of access into Zion.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:11 the end of the earth … the daughter of Zion. God extends to the nations the opportunity to become part of Zion (cf. 11:9; 19:23–25; 56:3–8).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 62:12 they. The people and peoples of v. 10. You is feminine singular in the Hebrew text, referring to Zion. Logically, the two merge into one.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:1–14 The Coming Victor, His Past Faithfulness. 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 63:1–6 The Messiah comes in final vengeance.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:1 Speaking as a watchman on the wall, Isaiah marvels at the Messiah marching toward Zion as a victorious warrior (cf. 52:8; 62:6). Edom, the unbelieving nation southeast of Jerusalem, typifies the world in its contempt for the promises of God (cf. Gen. 25:29–34; 27:41; Isa. 34:1–7; Ezekiel 35; Mal. 1:2–4). Bozrah. The capital city of Edom (cf. Isa. 34:6). speaking in righteousness. His claim to be mighty to save has integrity and truth. No Edom exists that can defeat him (cf. 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 (cf. Joel 3:13; Rev. 14:18–20; 19:13, 15). alone … no one. The Messiah alone wins the victory for his people (cf. 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 63:7–14 The present challenge to faith: “Where is he?”

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:7 I will recount. The same verb (Hb. zakar) is in “You who put the LORD in remembrance” (62:6). These are the reflections of one who brings things to remembrance, recalling God’s history of mercies toward Israel. the steadfast love of the LORD … his steadfast love. God was always true to his old covenant people; cf. Ex. 34:6.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:8 God gave himself to Israel as her Savior, but she betrayed him (cf. 1:2–4). Isaiah is not saying that God miscalculated, but that his people did not respond as they should have.

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 brought it on). See Ex. 2:23–25 and Judg. 10:16. the angel of his presence. An unparalleled expression, suggesting how God wonderfully drew near to his people (cf. Ex. 23:20–23; 33:14–15; Num. 20:16). he redeemed them. The word “he” is emphatic, for God acted directly and personally.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:10–11 his Holy Spirit. … his Holy Spirit. Again Isaiah emphasizes God’s generous self-giving to Israel. grieved. This attributes some personal characteristics to the Holy Spirit and is one of the hints the OT gives of the distinct, personal existence of the Holy Spirit within the being of God. 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. In Eph. 4:30 Paul warns against grieving the Holy Spirit.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:12–14 his glorious arm … a glorious name. God displayed his beauty in the history of Israel. Isaiah has hope for the future, not because present appearances favor it but because God must be glorified (cf. Eph. 1:6, 12, 14).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:15–64:12 Praying for the Power of God. Isaiah is moved to instruct God’s people on 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. are held back. See 64:12, where “restrain yourself” translates the same Hebrew verb. Isaiah is concerned that God is withholding himself from his people (cf. 42:14). Abraham does not know us. The people have drifted from their ancestral faith (cf. 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, in discipline, gave them over to the power of their sins (cf. Ex. 4:21; Deut. 32:4; Job 34:10; Isa. 6:3, 10; Rom. 1:24, 26). Return. Human repentance requires divine initiative (cf. Ps. 80:14–15; 90:13).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 63:18 Your holy people held possession for a little while. The glory days of God’s old covenant people, happily settled in the Promised Land, were all too brief (cf. Deut. 4:25–26).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 64:1 Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down. Isaiah sees the heavens as a vast curtain, concealing God, and begs God to rip them apart and step down into this world with his felt presence (cf. 40:22).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 64:3 Awesome things alludes to the history recalled in 63:7–14 (cf. Ex. 15:11; 19:16–20; 34:10; Deut. 10:21; 2 Sam. 7:23; Ps. 66:3–5; 106:21–22).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 64:4 a God besides you. Essential to Isaiah’s message is the uniqueness of Israel’s God (cf. 43:11; 44:6; 45:5–6, 18, 21–22; 46:9; 47:8, 10). who acts. Unlike the idols, the God of Israel intervenes (cf. Ps. 135:5–18; Isa. 31:1–9; 37:14–38). He never fails to meet those with true faith. who wait. See note on 40:31.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 64:5a him who joyfully works righteousness. See Deut. 28:47–48.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 64:5b–7 With four similes, Isaiah laments the long-standing patterns of sin among God’s people. like one who is unclean. A leper, infected and infectious (cf. Lev. 13:45–46; Isa. 6:5). like a polluted garment. Even their righteousness is disgusting to God (cf. 57:12; Ezek. 36:17). like a leaf. Decayed, brittle, lifeless (cf. Isa. 1:30; 40:6–8). like the wind. The overwhelming power of sin (cf. Ps. 1:4; Isa. 17:13; 40:24). for you have hidden your face. Cf. 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 is not blaming God for Israel’s condition; he puts his hope in God as the sovereign Father (cf. Ps. 103:13–14; Isa. 45:9–10). Be not so terribly angry. See Ps. 79:8; Isa. 54:7–8; 57:16–19. remember not iniquity forever. See 43:25; 53:4–6; Jer. 31:34. we are all your people. God chose them, and thus his fame in the world could suffer loss through them (cf. Ex. 32:11–14; Ezek. 36:20–23).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 64:10–12 Jerusalem was a desolation as a result of the Babylonian invasion (cf. 6:11–12; Jer. 25:8–11). Our holy and beautiful house. The temple was lovely with the holy presence of God, as it matched God’s “holy and beautiful habitation” (Isa. 63:15; cf. note on 60:7). 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 The Eagerness of God for His People’s Eternal Joy. Though the people of God have unfaithful sinners mixed among them now, he is eager to bring his true people into their glorious eternal home.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:1–12 The eagerness of God is snubbed by Jews, welcomed by Gentiles.

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 (cf. Rom. 10:20–21). Here I am. God takes the initiative to reveal himself to the nations through the gospel (cf. Isa. 11:10; 56:3–8). I spread out my hands all the day. God patiently pleads with obstinate Israel (cf. John 1:11). following their own devices (or thoughts). See Isa. 55:8–9.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:3–4 who sit in tombs (v. 4). God laments over religious practices that offend him; apparently they mix Canaanite elements into Israelite religious life (cf. 1:29; 8:19; 66:17).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:5 I am too holy for you. What they are claiming is actually false, a self-defined, unclean “holiness” that distorts true worship and improperly elevates some people over others (cf. Luke 18:9–14).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:6–7 I will not keep silent answers the question of 64:12. I will repay. God vows a reckoning with Israel for their historic accumulation of sins (cf. 6:9–13; 10:22–23).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:8–10 Though his judgments will destroy, God will also bless his old covenant people by preserving a remnant (cf. 1:9; 10:20–23; Matt. 13:24–30; Rom. 9:27–29; 11:1–5). the cluster. See Isa. 5:1–7. Sharon shall become a pasture (cf. 33:9). Sharon is the plain of rich pastureland beginning about 32 miles (51 km) northwest of Jerusalem and stretching along the Mediterranean coast from Joppa to Carmel. The Valley of Achor (see Josh. 7:22–26; Hos. 2:15) is a range of hills running through the plain of Jericho about 16 miles (26 km) northeast of Jerusalem. Their respective locations on the western and eastern borders of Israel signify God’s restorative blessing covering the whole of the land.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:11–12 Those Israelites who forsake their God for false gods will perish (cf. 57:3–13). set a table for Fortune and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny. These are pagan rituals invoking good luck.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:13–25 The Lord describes the joys of his true people in their eternal home.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:13 my servants. Both Jews and Gentiles. God excluded disloyal Jews and included responsive Gentiles (cf. 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 65:16 the God of truth. He will keep his every promise, as his servants invoke his blessings.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:17–25 Isaiah uses images from his age to paint a magnificent poetic picture to describe the joys of the world to come. Christians differ over whether to read this as (1) an idealized description of restored Jerusalem (leading into eternal joys), (2) an intermediate “millennial” state, or (3) the eternal state itself. Certainly the expression new heavens and a new earth would seem to suggest the eternal state (because of Rev. 21:1). On the other hand, the mention of people dying, even at an advanced age, as well as the presence of the sinner (Isa. 65:20), seem to suggest this is not the eternal state. To argue for a millennial state (which is not explicit here), one would have to understand the millennial state to include both death and unbelief among unbelievers during the millennial period. However, the mention of the animals (v. 25) evokes 11:6–9, which is part of an oracle describing the messianic era (see note on 11:10). Hence (and in view of the larger context of chs. 40–66) some interpreters read these verses as describing an idealized future for Jerusalem—not simply as a restored city but as the center of the world, in which all manner of people know and delight in God and live at peace with each other (as 2:2–4; 9:6–7; 11:1–10). Under such circumstances, human community and piety flourish. At the same time, the description goes far beyond anything that the world has ever seen, inviting the believing reader to yearn for more and to play his or her role as the story unfolds to its glorious end (cf. 2:5).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:22 like the days of a tree. A picture of longevity and durability (some trees live 2,000 years), as compared (in 40:7–8) to grass, which withers and fades. The picture also recalls the example of the righteous person who is “like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit” (Ps. 1:3).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 65:25 dust shall be the serpent’s food. An allusion to 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 True Worship Now and Forever. 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 66:1–6 The city of God is cleansed of religious hypocrisy.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:1 The Creator cannot be walled in—not even by his own temple in Jerusalem (cf. 1 Kings 8:27; Jer. 7:8–15; John 2:19; Acts 7:44–50). The OT is constantly at pains to remind God’s people that he is greater than the institutions he has authorized, and he will not be manipulated by their use.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:2 I will look with favor (cf. Ps. 80:14; 84:9; 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 pious reverence for God’s word and eagerness to obey it (cf. Ezra 9:4; 10:3).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:3–4 Even Levitical worship—without a trembling heart (see note on v. 2)—is abhorrent to God (cf. 1:10–17; Jer. 7:21–23) and is as bad as outright sin (kills a man) and idolatry (breaks a dog’s neck, offers pig’s blood, blesses an idol). their fears. Aiming at the illusion of control, false faith proves helpless before everything it hopes to avoid (see Isa. 48:18; 65:11–12). they did not listen. True faith is essentially an openhearted listening to the word of God and wholeheartedly believing it (cf. Deut. 6:4; Ps. 95:7–8; Isa. 55:3).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:5–6 Your brothers who hate you. These are people who profess biblical faith but lack a trembling heart, who scorn the humble and contrite (cf. 28:9–10; Rev. 2:9). Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy. This is the cynical contempt of the self-righteous, excluding the humble (cf. Ps. 22:6–8; Luke 6:22; John 16:2). A sound from the temple! The Lord’s answer to such people is recompense, because he counts them his enemies.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:7–14 The people of God are set apart by miraculous blessing.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:7–9 Mother Zion gives birth, effortlessly and instantly, to a new nation (cf. 49:19–21; 54:1–3). The questions of 66:9 answer fears that God might not prove faithful to perform all his promises 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. Notably the same Hebrew word for comfort found in 40:1 (“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God”) is repeated three times here in a similar word form in 66:13, underscoring the fact that the comfort proclaimed by the Lord in ch. 40 is the same comfort that the Lord will surely provide. like a river. See 48:18. like the grass. See 58:11.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:12 the glory of the nations. See note on 60:5–7.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:15–17 The enemies of God are destined for fiery judgment.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:15 The holy wrath of God will come in fire (cf. 10:16–18; 29:5–6; 30:27, 30; 33:14). like the whirlwind. A storm of divine judgment will swoop down on the earth (cf. 19:1; 29:6; 30:30).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:16 all flesh. Specifically, “his enemies” (v. 14).

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:17 Those who sanctify and purify themselves. See note on 66:3–4; cf. 57:3–13; 65:2–7, 11–12. following one in the midst. See Ezek. 8:7–11.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:18–24 God’s glory is declared worldwide, and man’s rebellion is punished forever.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:18 and the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. See 2:2–4; 40:5; 45:23; Rev. 7:9–10.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:19 a sign. See 7:14; 11:10, 12; 55:12–13. I will send survivors, i.e., the remnant of Israelite believers who survive the judgments of God (cf. Joel 2:28–32; Acts 2:1–12). Tarshish (probably in modern Spain), Pul (mentioned only here; perhaps another spelling of Put, which was Libya), Lud (ancient Lydia, in modern Turkey), Tubal (in modern Turkey), and Javan (Greece) exemplify the remote places of earth (cf. Matt. 28:18–20). On these place names see notes on Ezek. 27:10; 27:12–25; 27:13.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:20 all your brothers from all the nations. Contrast “your brothers who hate you” in v. 5 (cf. John 11:52; Gal. 3:28–29; Col. 3:11). an offering to the LORD … in a clean vessel. See Rom. 15:15–16.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:21 some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites. This speaks of Gentiles, perhaps as those who will carry out the calling of Israel (see note on 61:5–7), or else (in view of the mention of Levites) as those who will provide worship leadership within the people of God.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:22–23 See 65:17. The cosmos, which bore witness to Israel’s sins in 1:2–3, is renewed as the environment for the endless worship of the new people of God, who represent all flesh. God will keep his every promise to the praise of his glorious grace.

ISAIAH—NOTE ON 66:24 Isaiah uses the image of Jerusalem’s city dump, just outside the city wall in the Hinnom Valley (cf. Jer. 7:30–34). They shall go out and look, not to gloat, but to agree with the victory of God in his judgment of the wicked and to know the peaceful assurance that God has judged wickedness forever. rebelled. See Isa. 1:2. their worm … their fire. A terrifying picture of unending judgment (see 50:11; Mark 9:43–48; Rev. 14:11). 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.