32:15 the Spirit. See note on 11:2. He brings fertility and abundance.

32:16–17 The Spirit’s fruits (see note on vv. 15–20) are qualities that the Israelites confess themselves unable to produce on their own (see 59:9–15). But when the Spirit makes them available (cf. Ezek 36:27–28; see also Jer 31:33; John 16:8–11), they will experience a “peace” (Hebrew šālôm) that the world cannot give (John 14:27; see note on Isa 9:6). This mention of the Spirit’s producing fruit seems to point to the same figure of speech used in the NT (Gal 5:22).

32:18–20 As vv. 12–14 describe the sinful condition metaphorically, so this describes the condition of Spirit-given righteousness. In spite of outward adversity (“hail . . . the city is leveled,” v. 19), there will still be blessing (v. 20; cf. John 16:33).

33:1–24 Woe to the Destroyer. Verses 1–6 are a summarizing introduction: God arises, destroys the destroyer, and transforms Zion. Verses 7–24 are the message’s body and develop the themes. It has two parts: a lament and response (vv. 7–16) and a description of God’s kingly rule (vv. 17–24).

33:1 destroyer. Probably Assyria. Having disposed of the plan to rely on Egypt, Isaiah reveals where Judah’s real hope lies.

33:2 Isaiah speaks on behalf of those among the people who realize where their real help lies (cf. 30:18). we long. Expresses trust (also in 40:31, which translates the word as “hope”).

33:5–6 The other side of Yahweh’s rising up (“is exalted”) is to transform the nation. When he receives his proper place (“the fear of the LORD,” v. 6; see note on 11:2), then all the benefits of his character can be reproduced among his people (see note on 11:3–5). They no longer will be merely Jerusalem but will become Zion, the city of God.

33:7–16 The nation is terrified, perhaps at the onslaught of the Assyrian emperor Sennacherib and his progressive decimation of the land (cf. 2 Kgs 18:13). But Yahweh responds that he will “arise” (v. 10) and will in turn decimate the enemy (vv. 11–13). While this revelation of God’s power will not be good news for “the sinners in Zion” (v. 14), it will be great good news for “those who walk righteously” (v. 15), because it will vindicate their faith, which their obedient life demonstrates (vv. 15–16).

33:7 envoys of peace weep. Perhaps those who spoke with the Assyrian officer (36:22).

33:8 The treaty is broken. Perhaps Sennacherib’s accepting Hezekiah’s money but still refusing to withdraw (2 Kgs 18:14–16), or it may refer to the failed alliance with Egypt. Egypt proved helpless against Sennacherib; the Egyptian army sallied northward on two occasions, and the Assyrians sent them reeling back homeward each time.

33:9 Lebanon. Noted for its great cedar forests. Sharon. A fruitful plain on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Arabah. The barren valley south of the Dead Sea. Bashan. The grasslands on the heights northeast of the Sea of Galilee (today’s “Golan Heights”). Carmel. Grazing land southeast of Hebron in Judah (cf. 1 Sam 25:2).

Arid Arabah, south of the Dead Sea (Isa 33:9).

A. D. Riddle/www.BiblePlaces.com

Go back to main text

33:11-12 chaff . . . straw . . . cut thornbushes. Exceedingly flammable.

33:14 The sinners see God not as a source of protection but as a threat, because their lives are no different from those of the enemies (cf. vv. 11–12).

33:15 An excellent, brief summary of the righteous life.

33:16 heights . . . mountain fortress. Symbols of security.

33:17–24 Describes God’s kingly rule.

33:17–19 God promises protection from enemies. The Assyrian officers who were with the field commander (36:2) calculating what it would cost to conduct a siege and how much tribute they might get from the captured city would be gone. The Assyrian language was related to Hebrew but distant enough to be “incomprehensible” (v. 19) to ordinary Hebrew speakers (cf. 28:11).

33:20–24 This collection of metaphors expresses the peace and security in the place where God is King.

33:20 city of our festivals. Contrast 29:1. The value of ritual is dependent on a right relationship with God (cf. 1:10–15; 30:29–32). Jerusalem is like a “tent that will not be moved” (cf. Amos 9:11, which refers to the “shelter” [tent] of David being restored).

33:21 A mighty river where no warships (“galley with oars”) are found will nourish the land where Yahweh is King. This may contrast with the restless sea (cf. Ps 46:1–4).

33:22 There is security and abundance because Yahweh is “judge,” “lawgiver,” “king,” and savior. All of these are synonyms for the supreme ruler of a people. judge. Not primarily a legal figure in the Semitic languages. “Champion” or “defender” expresses the sense of the term more closely (see Introduction to Judges: Title of the Book and Role of the Judges). The king was also the one who promulgated the laws of his nation.

33:23 This refers to an obscure figure perhaps related to v. 21. This seems to depict the enemy as a great ocean-going ship that has run aground where anyone can plunder its cargo.

33:24 Not only will there be peace and security in Yahweh’s kingdom, but there will also be healing, both physical and spiritual.

34:1—35:10 Conclusion: The Desert or the Garden. This concludes chs. 13–35 by dramatically contrasting the opposite results of trusting human nations (ch. 34) or Yahweh (ch. 35). Those who trust the nations will become a desert, but trusting Yahweh will transform one’s desert into a garden.

34:1–17 Most of ch. 34 is a message of judgment against Edom (vv. 5–15), but Edom symbolizes the judgment that falls on the entire cosmos (vv. 1–4). To trust the nations and their gods (“the starry host,” v. 4) is to share in their fate.

34:1 nations . . . peoples . . . earth . . . world. The judgment is universal. Verse 2 confirms this impression. Verses 2–3 reveal the destruction’s intensity.

34:2-3 He will totally destroy them . . . the mountains will be soaked with their blood. Isaiah uses hyperbole to indicate just how devastating the wrath of God against the nations will be.

34:4 This may be hyperbole to convey that the destruction is total. But it may also express that Yahweh alone rules the universe. starry host. Pagans considered them gods; God will destroy not only the military power of the nations but also what they call gods (cf. 40:25–26). It is also possible that the language may speak literally of the end of the world.

34:5 Edom. Located south and east of Judah, around the lower end of the Dead Sea. The long history of hostility between Judah and Edom climaxed when the Edomites helped the Babylonians sack Jerusalem (see Obad 13). As a result, Edom came to represent the evil of the world opposed to God (63:1–6; see Mal 1:3–5).

34:6 Bozrah. Edom’s capital city, located in the mountains on the east side of the Arabah (see note on 33:9).

34:7 wild oxen . . . bull calves . . . great bulls. Possibly represent the leaders of the nation who fall with the common people.

34:8 day of vengeance. A positive concept both here and in 61:2, where it refers to a time when God will right the wrongs done to his people (cf. Rev 6:9–11). day. Parallel with “year,” showing that a general period of time is intended (cf. 63:4 for the same parallelism).

34:9–15 The land turned into a desert. This section does not actually name Edom (see note on v. 5), which lends force to its representative nature (see note on vv. 1–17).

34:9–10 The tar pits and deposits of sulfur south of the Dead Sea probably gave rise to this imagery. Sodom and Gomorrah were located in this area, and the language is reminiscent of what is said of them (Gen 19:24–28; Deut 29:23; Ps 11:6; Jer 49:18).

34:11 See NIV text note. The birds are probably ritually unclean, contributing to the overall sense of separation from God (see 2:20 and note). measuring line . . . desolation. Ironic: the tools of construction (cf. 28:17) become the tools of destruction (cf. 2 Kgs 21:13). chaos . . . desolation. Translate the same Hebrew words that describe the “formless” and “empty” world of Gen 1:2.

34:12 The Hebrew is obscure, but the general sense is clear: the “nobles” and “princes” will amount to nothing.

34:13–15 These animals, most of them unclean, express an untamed wilderness.

34:13 Thorns . . . brambles. See 7:23–24; see also note on 27:2–6. jackals . . . owls. Associated with mourning in Job 30:29; Mic 1:8.

34:14 wild goats . . . night creatures. Perhaps demonic figures but more likely rare terms for ordinary animals that heighten the sense of the bizarre in this poem.

34:16–17 The destruction is certain: it is written in a scroll, spoken by God, and fulfilled through his Spirit. This is anti-creation (cf. Gen 1:2, see note on Isa 34:11). God gives ownership of the earth to the wild animals of the desert.

35:1–10 Those who trust in the Lord find themselves on a highway leading home through a transformed desert, a garden. This poem expresses spiritual truth that should not be pressed too literally in any one direction. It might describe the return from exile, the millennial kingdom, the new heaven and earth, or all of them, but that is not the poem’s main purpose. Its purpose is to highlight the blessed results of trust.

35:1–2 All humans have chosen to trust humanity instead of God (Rom 1:18–23; 3:23) and have therefore plunged themselves into a “desert.” But God has no desire to leave us in that “parched land.” Instead, he means to transform the desert into a land of great fertility (32:15), a place of gladness and rejoicing; “like the crocus, it will burst into bloom.” It will be a place where the “glory of the LORD” is once more seen in the earth (cf. 6:3). If ch. 34 speaks of anti-creation (see notes on 34:11, 16–17), ch. 35 speaks of re-creation.

35:2 Lebanon. See note on 33:9.

35:3–6 feeble . . . fearful . . . blind . . . deaf . . . lame . . . mute. Those whom arrogant, self-serving leaders have marginalized (5:20–23; 29:18–21; 30:12; 32:7). They are less likely to trust in themselves, and Yahweh encourages them and promises them “retribution” (v. 4) for all the wrongs done to them. The inauguration of God’s kingdom is clearly seen in Christ’s healing of these kinds of persons.

35:6 streams in the desert. See note on 30:25.

35:7 haunts . . . jackals. See 34:13. Clearly there is an intentional contrast between the two statements.

35:8–10 A “highway” (v. 8; see notes on 11:16; 40:3–5) runs though the garden. It is a way home to “Zion” (v. 10), the city of God, for the “redeemed” (v. 9; cf. Heb 13:14; Rev 21–22).

35:8 Way of Holiness. Speaks of (1) ownership: this way belongs to the Holy One; and (2) the character of those who “walk” there: they have been made clean (Acts 11:9; Rev 7:14) and are not “wicked fools” (see 32:5–7 and note on 32:5).

35:10 Redemption and homecoming are causes for singing and joy (see 26:1–2; 55:12–13; 61:3, 11; Ps 68:6; Acts 16:25; Rev 5:13). Israel’s return from captivity anticipates the final ingathering of God’s people to the new Jerusalem (Heb 12:22–24; Rev 21:3–4).

36:1—39:8 Hezekiah’s Willingness to Trust. Chs. 36–39 contrast with chs. 7–12, the first subdivision of chs. 7–39 (“Trust: the Basis of Servanthood”; see Introduction: Outline). Chs. 7–12 show a son of David, a king of Judah, who is more ready to trust Assyria than Yahweh in a time of national crisis. As a result, Isaiah predicted Assyria would one day flood Judah up to the neck (8:6–8). Chs. 36–39 depict the situation, some 35 years later, when Isaiah’s prediction comes true. Of all Jerusalem’s fortifications, only Jerusalem and Lachish (about 25 miles [40 kilometers] southwest of Jerusalem) remain, and Lachish is about to fall. In the face of this ultimate threat, Hezekiah shows he has learned the kinds of lessons in trust that chs. 13–35 present. But the answer is qualified. In chs. 36–37, Hezekiah trusts God in spite of the threats of the Assyrian emperor Sennacherib, and Yahweh miraculously delivers Jerusalem. But chs. 38–39 present a somewhat different picture. Ch. 38 shows a very mortal Hezekiah, while ch. 39 depicts a very fallible Hezekiah. These seem to show that while Yahweh has been proven trustworthy, the ultimate hope of Israel is not in any human son of David, even the best one. Clearly we wait for a more-than-human Son of David. Thus, chs. 36–39 prepare the way for chs. 40–66.

The material in these chapters is repeated in very similar, often identical, form in 2 Kgs 18:13—20:19. One of the passages seems to be dependent on the other. Although some scholars consider the passage here to be dependent on the one in Kings, the organization of the material makes more sense in the context of Isaiah (see the notes on 38:1; 39:1). For that reason, it seems likely that Kings is dependent on Isaiah.

36:1—37:38 The Lord Delivers From Assyria. Chs. 36–37 have largely two elements: the Assyrians demand that Jerusalem surrender (36:1–20; 37:9–13), and Yahweh promises to deliver (37:5–7, 21–35). Two other important components are Hezekiah’s prayer of trust (37:14–20) and the report of the deliverance (37:36–38).

36:1—37:8 The field commander visits. Following the fall of Samaria in 722 BC, the Assyrians continued to push aggressively southward along the coast road toward Egypt. They began to campaign against the Philistine cities as early as 720 and returned several times in the succeeding years to press the attack. But in 705 the Assyrian emperor Sargon was killed in battle. The succession was contentious, and by the time Sennacherib gained the throne, revolt had broken out in several parts of the empire, including the West, where Hezekiah, king of Judah, was a leader. In 701 BC Sennacherib came to punish the rebels. He seems to have had little difficulty in doing so (36:1; see 2 Kgs 18:13), and as Lachish was about to fall, he sent his field commander to demand that Jerusalem surrender.

36:1 fourteenth year. Of Hezekiah’s sole reign; 701 BC. There is some uncertainty about Hezekiah’s dates, but it appears that he became coregent with his father, Ahaz, perhaps as early as 729 BC. At any rate he was in that role when Samaria fell in 722 (2 Kgs 18:10).

Sennacherib as crown prince.

Kim Walton, taken at the Oriental Institute Museum, University of Chicago

Go back to main text

36:2 aqueduct. The very spot outside the city walls where Isaiah met Ahaz 35 years earlier and challenged him to trust Yahweh, predicting what would happen if he did not (7:3). The repetition confirms the intentional structure of this division around the theme of Yahweh’s trustworthiness and that chs. 36–39 contrast with chs. 7–12.

36:3 Eliakim . . . Shebna . . . Joah. These three persons would have been members of Hezekiah’s “cabinet.” Eliakim. See 22:19–25 and notes.

36:4–20 This masterful psychological appeal is not logically consistent but piles up several points that together have a powerful effect. The central issue is trust (the Hebrew word appears six times in vv. 4–7). The officer asserts that neither Hezekiah, Egypt, nor Yahweh is trustworthy but that the Assyrian emperor is.

36:4–6 Egypt is not trustworthy (see vv. 8–10).

36:4 The field commander expresses calculated contempt: he refuses to call Hezekiah king while calling Sennacherib “the great king, the king of Assyria.”

36:6 splintered reed of a staff. Already cracked, Egypt will break the moment a person puts weight on it.

36:7 The field commander says that the Lord will not help Judah because he is offended that Hezekiah removed the “high places” (2 Kgs 18:3–5; 2 Chr 31:1; see note on 16:12). The Assyrian, a polytheist, cannot understand that Yahweh, being one, demands to be worshiped in one place (Num 33:52; Deut 12:11–14). Thus, Yahweh is pleased at Hezekiah’s actions, not offended.

36:8–9 This mocks Judah’s alliance with Egypt. If they need horses (cf. 30:16; 31:1), they should have asked Sennacherib for them. But Judah has no trained cavalrymen, so what good would horses do them? They are unable to hold off “the least” one of Assyria’s soldiers (cf. 30:17; see also Deut 28:25).

36:10 The LORD himself told me. The commander, who carefully prepared for this encounter (e.g., he learned the Hebrew dialect, v. 11), may be aware of what Isaiah was saying about Yahweh’s using the nations as disciplinary tools. He does not believe this (vv. 18–20).

36:11 Aramaic. The Semitic language of Syria. It had become the common language used for trade and diplomacy in the various parts of the Assyrian Empire. The common people did not understand it, but the Assyrian boldly replies that he wants them to understand his message. If the city does not surrender and instead is besieged, they will suffer terribly.

36:13–17 The commander exhorts the inhabitants of Jerusalem to trust not Hezekiah but the king of Assyria: if they trust Hezekiah, then the city will be captured, but if they trust the king of Assyria and surrender to him, he will take them to a lush and fertile land where they will have their own property and food sources (a rather rosy view of captivity).

36:18–20 The commander blatantly contradicts v. 10, stating his case bluntly: Yahweh cannot prevent the king of Assyria from taking Jerusalem. He is no different from the gods of all the other countries that have fallen. This is not a contest between gods but between a man and God, and the man counts himself superior.

36:19 Hamath and Arpad. Major Syrian cities located northwest of Damascus. Sepharvaim. Location unknown.

36:22 clothes torn. A sign of grief and mourning. The men carried bad news to Hezekiah: his attempt to buy off Sennacherib failed (see 2 Kgs 18:14–16).

37:3 distress . . . disgrace. Judah and their God have been publicly mocked, and it has been said that trusting Yahweh is futile, a mere man being able to do with him as he pleases. no strength to deliver. The great trial of faith has come, and humanly speaking, it is impossible for anything to be done. Unless Yahweh intervenes, Judah will be like a pregnant woman who dies in childbirth, too weak to deliver the child (cf. 26:18; contrast 66:7).

37:4 Hezekiah correctly identifies the issue: Assyria has ridiculed not Hezekiah or Judah but “the living God” (see v. 17). remnant. Jerusalem is all that remains of the nation.

37:6 underlings. If the field commander spoke contemptuously of Hezekiah (see note on 36:4), Yahweh has similar contempt for the field commander. blasphemed. An even stronger word than “ridicule” (v. 4).

37:7 An enigmatic promise but dramatically fulfilled (vv. 37–38).

37:8 left Lachish. Probably because of the Egyptian action in v. 9. The Assyrians quickly defeated the Egyptians and captured Lachish. The withdrawal of the field commander may have given rise to false hopes (cf. 22:1–4).

37:9–35 Sennacherib’s letter and the response to it.

37:9 Tirhakah, the king of Cush. See note on 18:2.

37:10–13 Recaps the central point of the field commander’s remarks: “the gods of the nations” (v. 12) could not deliver their people from the kings of Assyria, and neither can Yahweh.

37:12 Gozan . . . Tel Assar. All cities lying between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Gozan. The farthest east. Tel Assar. The farthest west. They all fell earlier.

37:13 king . . . king . . . kings. Their mention aims directly at Hezekiah. Those kings were all dead. Hamath . . . Ivvah. All cities lying west of the Euphrates River in Syria (cf. 36:19); they fell more recently than those mentioned in v. 12.

37:14–20 Hezekiah prays. He approaches Yahweh directly, spreading out the letter before him in the temple. He asks God to deliver him and his people—not for their own sakes but for God’s reputation in the world.

37:16 LORD Almighty, the God of Israel. See notes on 1:9, 24. enthroned between the cherubim. On the ark of the covenant; God promised to be particularly available to his people from that location (Exod 25:22). Because Yahweh “made heaven and earth,” he is the one “God over all the kingdoms of the earth.”

37:17 living God. Cf. Deut 5:26; Josh 3:10; 1 Sam 17:26; Ps 42:2; Jer 10:10; Matt 16:16; Acts 14:15; 2 Cor 6:16; Heb 9:14; 12:22; Rev 7:2. Unlike idols, God has no eyes or ears, but he can see and hear, which they cannot (cf. 2 Chr 6:40; Pss 115:5–9; 135:15–18; Dan 5:23; Rev 9:20).

37:18–19 The gods the Assyrians destroyed were only the works of human hands. Cf. 44:9–20.

37:20 Hezekiah did not ask that God deliver them because they deserved it or because they were his chosen people but “so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know.” Cf. 2:2–4; 12:4–6; 42:1–4; 49:6–7; 56:6–8; 60:3; 66:18–23. He was concerned for Yahweh’s reputation in the world.

37:21–35 Yahweh judges Assyria. The poem has four stanzas: Assyria’s pride (vv. 22–25); Assyria, Yahweh’s tool (vv. 26–29); a sign for Hezekiah (vv. 30–32); Assyria’s destruction (vv. 33–35).

37:22 God compares Jerusalem to an apparently helpless young woman who yet mocks the mighty man as he flees.

37:23 The Assyrians have exalted themselves in “pride” (see 2:6–22 and applicable notes) over not just anyone but the one transcendent God of the universe, “the Holy One of Israel” (see note on 1:4), who has given himself to his people.

37:24–25 Assyria boasts. As the field commander did his “homework” on Israel (see note on 36:10), so Isaiah did his on Assyria. This reflects the language of the Royal Annals of Assyria.

37:26–27 Assyria could do what they did to the cities and peoples of the world only because they were a tool in Yahweh’s plans (cf. 14:24, 26; 23:9; 46:11).

37:28–29 God will call the raging and insolent tool to account. Assyria, like a captive on a hook or a horse with a bit, will be dragged back the way it came, the same direction it planned to drag the captives from Judah.

37:30 Within three years (see 16:14; 20:3), all evidence of the Assyrian depredations will be gone from the land. Apparently they were not able to harvest the crops that year or plant anything for the coming year. But by the fall of the coming year, they would be able to plant for the harvest in the following spring and summer.

37:31–32 Like the crops, the remnant that Hezekiah is concerned about (v. 4) will also flourish again. This will be so because of the Lord’s zeal for his people. He is jealous for them, and even if he allows them to be punished, he will not allow them to be exterminated (cf. Hos 11:8–11).

37:33–35 In spite of all Sennacherib’s boasting, he will be unable to carry out his plans because Yahweh has other plans for him. Those plans occurred just as Isaiah predicted. There was no Assyrian siege of Jerusalem.

37:36–37 The report’s brevity underlines its shocking nature. All of Sennacherib’s boasts ended in one short night. Having lost the bulk, if not all, of his army, he fled back to Nineveh; he never campaigned in the west again.

37:38 Assyrian reports confirm that two of Sennacherib’s sons killed him in 681 BC while he was in the temple of one of the Assyrian gods, just as Isaiah said (v. 7). Since this report occurs after the fact, either Isaiah lived that long or a later editor added it to confirm what Isaiah said.

38:1—39:8 Hezekiah’s Mortality and Fallibility. Chs. 7–12 end on a positive note (in spite of Ahaz’s faithlessness, God’s Messiah will come to earth with salvation for Israel and all people), but chs. 36–39, which begin so positively by vindicating Hezekiah’s trust, end on a much more somber note. They make it plain that Hezekiah is not the promised Messiah: he is both mortal (ch. 38) and fallible (ch. 39).

38:1–8 Hezekiah becomes ill, and Isaiah announces that he will recover.

38:1 In those days. Hezekiah’s recovery and the envoys’ visit may have taken place in 710 BC (see note on 39:1), whereas chs. 36–37 are dated to 701 BC. If so, Isaiah reports it out of chronological order to make the point that Hezekiah is not the promised Messiah (see the note on 38:1—39:8).

38:3 walked before you. Cf. Gen 17:1. faithfully. Cf. 1 Kgs 2:4. Hezekiah has fulfilled God’s command to David and his successors. Depending on when Hezekiah and Manasseh lived, it is possible that Hezekiah has no heir at this point and that if he died, the Davidic dynasty would end. wholehearted devotion. As opposed to devotion that is divided by worship of self or of other gods (cf. 1 Kgs 11:4; 15:14; 2 Chr 25:2; Rom 1:9; Phil 3:7–15; 1 Thess 5:23). But cf. v. 17 and note.

38:5 God of your father David. Hezekiah fulfilled the commands to David and merited special consideration.

38:6 deliver . . . city. While this could date the passage to the attack of Sennacherib (chs. 36–37), the Assyrian threat was very real from Samaria’s fall (722 BC) onward.

38:7–8 According to 2 Kgs 20:8, Hezekiah requested a sign, but Ahaz refused one (Isa 7:12).

38:8 go back the ten steps. This “stairway” was used as a sort of sun dial. This is a miraculous event.

38:9–20 In these circumstances one might expect an individual song of thanksgiving, but this poem does not conform to the pattern of such songs. While Hezekiah does recognize that God has delivered him from death (v. 17), he does not thank God for it. Instead, after reflecting on the terror brought on by impending death (vv. 10–14), he determines to “walk humbly” (v. 15) during his extended life and to praise God, something the dead cannot do (vv. 15–20). The reader recognizes that the added 15 years are only a reprieve.

38:11 not again see the LORD. Expresses the frequent OT view that the underworld is a dim, dusty place (Hebrew šĕ ʾ ôl; vv. 10, 18) lacking in joy or praise (see also v. 18; cf. Pss 6:5; 30:9; 88:11; 115:17). That view was not universally held, as 26:19; Dan 12:2 show (see also such statements as “I will praise you forever” [Ps 30:12]), but it was common. By intertestamental times a significant number of Jews believed in resurrection to new life, but Jesus’ death and resurrection gave that hope genuine theological basis (John 14:1–4; 1 Cor 15:12–22). See “Death and Resurrection.”

38:12 Hezekiah compares life to a piece of cloth on a “loom”: it grows progressively longer until it is suddenly “cut . . . off.”

38:13–14 If Yahweh has broken Hezekiah’s bones, then Yahweh has the power to come to his aid. Yahweh is the first cause of all things; nothing can defy his good purposes.

38:15–16 In his additional years, Hezekiah will remember that every day is a gift. He will not forget his anguish when he thought he would die.

38:17 Hezekiah recognizes that his good behavior is not the cause of the gift of lengthened life. Grace is never earned. God puts our “sins behind [his] back” (cf. Rom 5:15).

38:21–22 Additional material perhaps added from a different source (cf. 2 Kgs 20:7–8).

39:1 Marduk-Baladan. A Babylonian leader who periodically led rebellions against Assyria. He would be in power for a year or two and then in eclipse. He seems to have been in power in 710 BC, but he had been deposed and was probably dead before 701. This is an opportunity for Hezekiah to give glory to God before a foreign nation (cf. 12:4–6).

39:2 A tragic mistake. The Babylonians had come because of Hezekiah’s miraculous recovery. Instead of telling them about Yahweh, Hezekiah showed them his “treasures,” which the Babylonians had much more of than Judah had. What Babylon did not have was the miracle-working Yahweh.

39:4 Hezekiah shows no awareness of his failure.

39:6 carried off to Babylon. This will happen not because Hezekiah failed but because like him the people of Judah will fail to make trust in Yahweh a settled pattern of behavior. Isaiah sees the future and understands that Assyria is not Judah’s major problem. Thus ch. 39 sets the stage for what will follow in chs. 40–66.

39:7–8 Some of the house of David would be reduced to being “eunuchs” in the Babylonian court. But instead of being concerned over what he might do to carry out his responsibility for the continuance of the Davidic line, Hezekiah comforts himself that these circumstances will not occur in his “lifetime.” This came to typify how Judah responded to prophetic warnings over the next century and a quarter.

40:1—55:13 Grace: The Motive and Means of Servanthood. Chs. 7–39 establish that Yahweh is trustworthy and will deliver his servants when they trust him. They also demonstrate Yahweh’s absolute holiness, which provides the foundation of the vision in ch. 6: he is the Holy One of Israel. But what will move Israel, the nation of unclean lips, to actually trust him and become the messengers of his unique saviorhood to a lost world? Furthermore, assuming that they do trust him and are willing to become his servants, what will make it possible for sinful Israel to become holy Israel? The answer to both questions is divine grace. Grace will motivate Israel to trust God, and then grace will make it possible for them to actually serve him. Ch. 40 introduces these ideas. Chs. 41–48 present the grace of God in its motivating light: Yahweh has not cast Israel off but has chosen Israel as his servant. Chs. 49–55 show how God’s grace is the means whereby he cleanses sinful Israel to serve him. In order to make these points that are essential to the total theological vision that the exile (beginning with Samaria’s exile in Isaiah’s own day) will make necessary, the Holy Spirit gives Isaiah a vision of the distant future that encompasses Judah’s exile and return.

Chs. 40–55 represent a high point, both in Hebrew poetic expression and in theological revelation. The language has a lyrical beauty unmatched elsewhere in the OT, and the concepts of transcendent monotheism and creation as something completely new are developed here as nowhere else in the Bible.

40:1–31 Gracious Deliverance. Ch. 40 introduces the concerns of chs. 41–55 by addressing three questions the Jewish exiles will be asking: (1) Does Yahweh want to deliver us (vv. 1–11)? (2) Can Yahweh deliver us (vv. 12–26)? (3) Will Yahweh deliver us (vv. 27–31)? By answering all of these questions affirmatively, Isaiah successfully establishes the foundation of divine grace for chs. 41–55.

40:1–11 Yahweh Desires to Deliver His People. These verses make it unmistakably clear that the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC will not be a sign that Yahweh’s ancient promises have failed or that Yahweh is impotent in the face of the people’s sin. His goal is not to condemn them but to encourage them (“comfort,” v. 1; cf. 51:12). Four stanzas announce (1) Yahweh’s intention (vv. 1–2), (2) Yahweh’s coming (vv. 3–5), (3) humanity’s weakness (vv. 6–8), and (4) Yahweh’s rule (vv. 9–11). Commands to speak are prominent; the good news must be proclaimed. Three different voices are mentioned (vv. 3, 6, 9). The NT associates the first with John the Baptist (Matt 3:3; Mark 1:2–3; Luke 3:4–6).

40:1 Comfort. The sense here is to encourage or strengthen. It is said twice here for emphasis.

40:2 Speak tenderly to. Or “speak to the heart of.” Cf. Joseph (Gen 50:21), Boaz (Ruth 2:13), and Hezekiah (2 Chr 30:22; Hos 2:14)—each of whom reassures and encourages someone who is fearful. her sin. Jerusalem’s sins will not be held against her because they have been paid for (cf. 53:10). received . . . double for all her sins. Full retribution for Israel’s sin has been paid out, and no more punishment will be forthcoming.

40:3–5 No obstacle can prevent Yahweh from delivering his people (cf. 57:14; 62:10).

40:3 voice. Reflects the herald who preceded the king in his procession (cf. 52: 7). highway. Cf. 35:8; see note on 11:16.

40:5 glory. See 6:3 and note.

40:6–8 Humans will present no barrier to God’s grace on behalf of his people. Humans are like grass and wild flowers: they wither and fall to the ground (v. 24); they are completely unreliable. In contrast, “the word of our God endures forever” (v. 8; cf. 1 Pet 1:23–25, which uses this passage to affirm the infallibility of God’s word, especially in its life-giving power).

40:8 word of our God. God’s promise to deliver.

40:10–11 There are two aspects of God’s “mighty arm.” (1) His arm is the manifestation of the power of the “Sovereign LORD” to accomplish his redeeming purpose (v. 10; see also 50:2; 51:5, 9; 52:10; 53:1). (2) His arms gather the lambs (v. 11).

40:10 recompense. See note on 34:8.

40:12–26 Yahweh Is Able to Deliver His People. He is incomparable; nothing—particularly not the gods of Babylon (vv. 18–20, 25–26; cf. chs. 41–46)—can prevent him from fulfilling his desire to deliver. He is the sole Creator (vv. 12–14, 21–22) before whom the great empires “are as nothing” (v. 17; see vv. 15–17, 23–24).

40:12–14 The formidable series of rhetorical questions in vv. 12–14 can be distilled into three basic questions: Who created the universe; Who counseled him in the process; and Who in creation can be compared to him? The implied answer to the first is: none but God, and the implied answers to the second and third are: no one at all. Yahweh is another order of magnitude over the creation (v. 12). He does not personify the forces of nature. He was alone in creation (vv. 13–14). Unlike the pagan stories of origins, which speak of the gods taking counsel with one another, Yahweh did not consult anyone.

40:13 Spirit of the LORD. Underlines the role of the Spirit in Gen 1:1. Paul quotes v. 13 in Rom 11:34; 1 Cor 2:16.

40:15–17 If Yahweh alone is Creator, then the nations can hardly claim equality with him, much less superiority (see 36:18–20; 37:10–13). Yahweh permits them to do what they do, and he will reverse it whenever he chooses.

40:15 islands. The ends of the earth.

40:16 Lebanon. Had the greatest forests on earth. They could not provide enough wood to give God the kinds of “altar fires” he deserves.

40:18–20 Can a humanly conceived and fabricated idol possibly compare to the Creator of the universe, the one who made the wood, gold, and silver being used? Of course not! Isaiah would have understood that the gods were not confined to the images. But the gods, being only humanly conceived representations of cosmic forces, were no more able to save than the physical images were. Cf. 41:5–7; 42:17; 44:6–20; 46:1–2, 5–7.

40:21–26 This recaps the answers to the three basic questions in vv. 12–14 (see note): Yahweh is the Creator (vv. 21–22); as such, he is superior to “the rulers of this world” (v. 23) and to the “starry host” of heaven (v. 26).

40:21 Do you not know? If it were not for our fallen natures, the message of the natural realm would be unmistakable. Thus, we are left without excuse (cf. Rom 1:18).

40:22 tent. May reflect the idea that the tabernacle was a model of the cosmos.

40:24 See vv. 6–7.

40:25–26 While this argument includes Yahweh’s lordship of the actual stars, numbering now in multiplied billions, the context (especially vv. 18–20) suggests that here the “starry host” also refers to the visible representation of the gods as the pagans understood them. Is Yahweh one of the gods? Can he be compared to them? No, the so-called gods do his bidding.

40:27–31 Yahweh Intends to Deliver His People. It is one thing for Yahweh to want to save and another for him to be able to save, but those assertions do not mean much unless he actually intends to save. These verses establish that he does.

40:27–28 Although some of the Israelites in exile might say that God does not really care about his people’s plight (“my cause is disregarded,” v. 27; cf. 49:14), perhaps because deliverance does not occur at once, God asserts that as Creator neither his strength nor understanding can be equated with anything in the cosmos.

40:29–31 The source of strength is in the realm not of the physical but of the spiritual. The argument is exactly the same as that in ch. 30 (see note on 30:1–18). Those who rush to rely on the strength resident in creation (“youths,” v. 30) will inevitably fail, but those who “hope in” (v. 31) the Lord, the Creator, will discover reservoirs of strength and endurance of which the world knows nothing.

41:1—48:22 Israel Graciously Chosen to Be God’s Servant. The exiles from Judah could well feel that all is now lost: if the Babylonian gods did not defeat Yahweh, then the sins of his people did; in any case, the ancient promises are now null and void. But chs. 41–48 say that this is not the case at all. Yahweh is not defeated. In fact, he has chosen Israel as his servant (41:8; 43:10; 44:1, 21; 45:4) to demonstrate that idols are nothing and that he alone can save the world because he alone created it. This election based on grace should motivate them to trust him and enter his service. Chs. 41–46 assert Yahweh’s superiority over the idols, particularly through repeated legal cases in which Israel’s testimony is critical. Idols do not know the future, but Yahweh does. The unit closes with two addresses in the light of the foregoing: judgment on Babylon (ch. 47) and a challenge to Israel (ch. 48).

41:1—46:13 The Lord’s Court Case Against Idols. There is no clear development of thought in this unit. Rather, several themes recur: idolatry is foolish; idols cannot explain the future; Yahweh’s predictions (to which Israel is witness) are valid; Israel is Yahweh’s servant; Yahweh is the sole Creator; Yahweh is the only one capable of redemption; and redemption results from his unmerited grace. The section may have three groupings: 41:1—42:9; 42:10—44:22; 44:23—46:13.

41:1—42:9 The Two Servants. This introduces two rather different servants: a fearful one, Israel, (41:1–20) and a ministering one, who is not yet clearly identified (42:1–9). They are not the same (see note on 42:1–9). But God makes gracious promises to both of them. In 41:21–29 the Lord presents his first case against idols (see note on 41:21–29).

41:1–20 The Fearful Servant: Israel. God has aroused a mighty conqueror “from the east” (v. 2). As a result the nations are terrified (vv. 5–7). But God counsels fearful “Israel” (v. 8) “not [to] be afraid” (v. 14) because “the Holy One of Israel” (vv. 14, 16, 20) will protect them as evidence of his lordship.

41:1–4 The nations are summoned to judgment (v. 1). They must answer to Yahweh—“the first . . . the last” (v. 4; cf. 48:12; see also Rev 1:8, 17; 2:8; 21:6; 22:13, where Jesus identifies himself as the First and the Last)—who has brought forth a great new conqueror “from the east” (v. 2; cf. 44:24—45:5; 45:13; 46:11).

41:2 in righteousness. Yahweh’s calling forth Cyrus was the right thing to do (see note on 45:9–19). hands nations over. Cyrus leads a coalition of Medes (see note on 13:17) and Persians who defeated the Babylonian armies during the 540s BC, culminating in the conquest of Babylon in 539. Within 40 years the Persian Empire was the largest empire the world had ever known, stretching from the Indus River in the east to Macedonia in the west and from southern Egypt to the Caucasus Mountains in the north.

41:4 I am he. Bluntly asserts self-existence growing out of the divine name (43:10, 13, 25; 46:4; 48:12; see note on 1:2). None of the gods can say such a thing. Jesus boldly appropriates this phrase for himself (John 8:24; 18:5, 6, 8; cf. Mark 14:62; John 6:35; 8:12; 9:5; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25; 13:19; 14:6; 15:1, 5).

41:5–7 People from “the ends of the earth” (v. 5), terrified at the news of Cyrus’s approach, ask craftsmen to make idols for them.

41:7 so it will not topple. Sarcastic; the idols are helpless (see note on 40:18–20).

41:8–20 But Israel does not need to fear, because their God is not one of the useless idols. His covenant with them is still in force: they are his “chosen” ones (vv. 8, 9), “descendants of Abraham” (v. 8). He will use them in his judgment of the world (vv. 11–16), and he will provide for them, turning the desert into a place of water and vegetation (vv. 17–20; cf. 35:1–7; 43:19–21).

41:8 my servant. Yahweh declares that far from being cast off, Israel is being given a special position in his kingdom similar to that of Moses (Mal 4:4), David (1 Kgs 11:13), and the prophets (2 Kgs 17:13). In particular, their service will consist of bearing witness to who Yahweh is, what he has said, and what he has done (43:8–13).

41:10 I am with you. God’s presence with his people in the world is the ultimate antidote to fear (cf. 43:5; Gen 26:24; Josh 1:9; see note on 7:14, “Immanuel”). righteous right hand. The hand that can be trusted to do the right thing in every circumstance. God will not do wrong; so he acted righteously when he sent the people into exile. And it will also be an act of righteousness for him to deliver them (42:21; 45:21).

41:11–14 Their enemies will disappear (cf. 29:5–8; 30:27–33) because their “Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel” (v. 14) will help them. The three occurrences of “Holy One of Israel” (vv. 14, 16, 20) seem to draw on the occurrences of the phrase in chs. 1–39, where it typically is associated with transcendent power (10:17; 12:6; 17:7; 30:11, 12). In this latter part of the book, that power is associated particularly with redemption (43:14; 47:4; 48:17; 49:7; 54:5).

41:14 you worm Jacob. Not a derogatory comment but simply a recognition that in comparison to the great power that held the nation in captivity, the nation seemed very small indeed. But that smallness (“little Israel”) was no problem for holy Yahweh.

41:15–16 In the end God will use Israel as a tool in his judgment of the world (cf. Mic 4:13: Zech 12:1–6). For Israel to become God’s instruments to “thresh” the nations was to say that nothing could stand in Israel’s way if they were wholly yielded to him as his servants.

41:15 mountains and . . . hills. Symbolize unchanging power as seen in the natural universe.

41:17–20 Although the mighty of the earth have oppressed the “poor and needy” (v. 17), Yahweh will provide for them (cf. 11:4; 14:30; 32:7). He does all this “so that people may . . . know” (v. 20) what sort of redemption he can create (cf. 2:1–5; 12:4–6 and notes).

41:21–29 The First Presentation of the Case Against Idols. Far from having defeated Yahweh, the so-called gods of the Babylonians do not even merit the title “gods” (vv. 24, 29). That is because they can neither explain where the world came from (“the former things,” v. 22) nor tell “what the future holds” (v. 23). They merely personify natural forces and thus cannot explain either the past or the future. Yahweh, on the other hand, stands outside the circle of time and space (40:22) and sees everything from that perspective. He can predict something far in advance, and it will come to pass. Cyrus is a premier example of this (vv. 25–27). See the notes on 43:8–13; 44:6–20; 45:20—46:7.

41:25 north . . . rising sun. Although Cyrus came from Persia in the east (cf. v. 2), he first bypassed the city of Babylon and defeated the Babylonian armies in the north. Only then did he turn south to take the city itself.

41:26 He was right. Predictions from the idols were notoriously vague and ambiguous. They were never so specific that they could be proven right or wrong.

42:1–9 The First Revelation of the Ministering Servant. Chs. 41–55 describe two different servants. The first servant (Israel) is blind, rebellious, and fearful, but God chooses to use this servant as his witness, promising to redeem him. The second servant (first described here) is obedient, sensitive, and suffers unjustly, and God promises to uphold him and use him to bring Israel and the nations back to God, restoring God’s divine order (“justice,” vv. 1, 3, 4) to the world. All except one of the references in chs. 41–48 refer to the first servant (Israel), and all except one of the references in chs. 49–55 refer to the second servant, the ministering servant. The one occurrence of the ministering servant in chs. 41–48 occurs in 42:1–9, a preliminary treatment of what appears in greater detail in chs. 49–55. It answers the question that ch. 41 raises: How can God use Israel as his servant when the Israelites have sinned so terribly? The answer to the question is the ministry of the second servant, the ministering servant. The other three discussions of this servant appear in 49:1–12; 50:4–9; 52:13—53:12. All four of these passages have been pointed to by the NT as predictions of Christ (for specific references, see the notes on these passages). The increasing emphasis upon the atoning nature of the servant’s ministry throughout the four passages demonstrates that this is the correct understanding of Isaiah’s intent. In his ministry, Jesus fulfilled the divine promises to David (11:1; 55:3–5). In Jesus’ sufferings he made it possible for Israel to return to God and for the nations to come to him (v. 6; 49:6). In his kingdom he brings God’s justice, his divine order, to the world (v. 4).

42:1 put my Spirit on him. See 11:1–5. justice. Hebrew mišpaṭ (cf. 51:5). Its connotations are considerably more extensive than the English word “justice.” One connotation is legal equity, but the larger complex of God’s divine order for life contains that. That divine order has been deeply disarranged since sin entered the world. As a part of the problem, the nation of Israel could never restore the divine order. Bringing “justice” to the earth would have to be the task of someone other than the fearful servant Israel.

42:5–9 Yahweh further defines the ministry of the servant (vv. 6–7). But he does this between enveloping statements (vv. 5, 8–9) concerning his right and ability to do “new things” (v. 9). These sweeping statements show that what he intends to do through the servant has cosmic significance. He is the Creator of the cosmos and the one who gives life to humanity (v. 5). He is the Lord, whose glory is incomparable, especially with regard to idols (vv. 8–9). All this means that he can enable his servant to somehow satisfy the old covenant with his people (cf. 49:5, 8) and at the same time be “a light for the Gentiles” (v. 6), or “nations” (cf. 49:6; Luke 2:32; Acts 13:47; Gal 3:14). This results in bringing sight to a blind world and release to an imprisoned world (v. 7; cf. 61:1–3). It envisions not renovation but transformation. Jesus’ ministry to the blind, lame, and oppressed demonstrated that he had power to heal the spiritually blind and release the spiritually imprisoned (Mark 2:1–12). He is Lord of both the physical world and the spiritual world.

42:10—44:22 The Basis of Deliverance. This unit, as well as the following one (44:23—46:13), begins with a call to praise in light of God’s saving work in the world. Yahweh will triumph over those forces that would hold his people in subjection.

42:10–17 The Song of Salvation. This song testifies to the significance of what immediately precedes it. It is because of the work of the servant that “the ends of the earth” (v. 10) and every place in it (vv. 11–12) are called upon to break into a song of praise. This is not merely a reference to the restoration of Israel; the salvation of the whole world is in view. Here it is the Lord himself who will “lead the blind” and give “light” (v. 16), something attributed to the servant a few verses previously. This makes it clear that Yahweh is at work through the servant to deliver both servant Israel and the world. This ministering servant is not the nation of Israel.

42:11 Kedar. See notes on 21:13–14, 16–17.

42:13 champion. See 63:1–6 and note.

42:15 lay waste the mountains. This devastation of nature associated with deliverance reminds the reader of chs. 34–35. God can reduce the rich world of the mighty to a desert and can turn the desert of the helpless into a garden, through which runs a “smooth” highway (v. 16).

42:17 These promises of deliverance are all predicated upon not falling into the worship of nature as represented by the idols (see note on 40:18–20).

42:18—43:13 Israel, the Deaf and Blind Witness. This identifies Israel as a deaf and blind servant whom Yahweh has allowed others to plunder (42:18–25). Yet he promises to deliver Israel (43:1–7), and he is going to use Israel’s testimony to prove that the Babylonian idols are not gods at all (43:8–13).

42:18–25 Israel’s Condition Is Desperate. Like the idols, they have eyes but cannot see, ears but cannot hear (cf. 1:2–3; 28:7–8; 29:9–10; 43:8; Ezek 12:2). This proves the prediction God gave Isaiah in his call (6:9–10). God graciously gave Israel his “law” (Hebrew tôrâ, “instructions”) as a revelation of his “righteousness” (v. 21), but it was a closed book to them. As a result of their blindness, the nation has been easily trapped and has fallen into “pits” and “prisons” (v. 22). But the crucial theological point is that Babylon did not cause this to happen. Israel became “plunder” and “loot” (v. 22) because they “sinned” against Yahweh (v. 24). The Babylonians were only the instruments of his “anger,” even if the people of Judah could not understand that (v. 25; cf. Jer 25:9; 27:6).

43:1–7 The Lord’s Promise to Deliver Israel. Because Yahweh (not Babylon) took the people into captivity, Yahweh can get them out, and that is what he promises to do. They are “precious” to him (v. 4).

43:1 Yahweh “created” the nation of Israel (see v. 7; cf. 41:8; Gen 12:1–3), calling it “by name” (Gen 32:28). I have redeemed you. Another reason not to “fear” (cf. 41:10, 13). Redemption is an important theme in chs. 40–66. Words having to do with this theme occur 23 times in this part of the book.

43:2 I will be with you. See v. 5; see also note on 41:10.

43:3 The Holy One of Israel. See notes on 1:4; 41:11–14. Egypt . . . Cush. The Persians were the first Mesopotamian power that was able to gain complete control of Egypt. The statement that Yahweh will give Cush (Nubia) in exchange for setting his people free and rebuilding his city seems to refer to this (vv. 3–4; cf. 44:28—45:6).

43:5–7 One of the reasons exile is so devastating is that it means a people’s children would be assimilated into the culture of the conquerors and their culture would disappear. That will not happen here. Yahweh will bring Israel’s children back to their homeland from “east . . . west . . . north . . . south” (vv. 5–6; cf. 29:22–23; 49:12; 60:4).

43:8–13 The Second Presentation of the Case Against Idols. Israel, though “blind” and “deaf” (v. 8), is called to bear witness (vv. 10, 12) that Yahweh is the only God; he predicted the future and the prediction came to pass (“proclaimed to us the former things,” v. 9). See note on 41:21–29.

43:10 God predicted the exile and the return from exile so that the people of Israel would “know and believe me and understand that I am he” (see note on 41:4). His ability to predict the future specifically is evidence that he is self-existent and does not personify nature. He is unique, the only God, with none “before” and none “after.”

43:11–13 Given Yahweh’s uniqueness, “apart from [him] there is no savior” (v. 11). The gods cannot take anyone “out of [his] hand” (v. 13). He can deliver anyone he chooses, and no one “can reverse it” (v. 13).

43:14—44:5 The Lord’s New Thing. There is no record of any captive people going home from forced exile before the decree of Cyrus. One of the purposes of exile was to break down the cultural and ethnic distinctions that would make it difficult to govern an empire. Thus, for the prophets to predict a return from exile was to predict something unheard of. The gods, representing natural forces, were incapable of doing something completely new. But Yahweh, the I AM, standing outside the cosmos, and creating it as a completely new thing, could certainly do so. He can deliver from the Babylonians (who will become “fugitives,” 43:14) in a new way (43:16–21) in spite of Israel’s ancient attempts to manipulate him (43:22–28); as a result, Israel will have a renewed physical and spiritual identity (44:1–5).

43:14–15 Yahweh can defeat Babylon. Isaiah characteristically piles up titles (e.g., “Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel”) to convey Yahweh’s lordship (see notes on 1:24; 41:11–14; 44:6–8; 49:26).

43:16–17 Alludes to the exodus from Egypt (Exod 13:17—14:31).

43:18 Forget the former things. Because God is going to do a “new thing” (v. 19): returning them from exile. Although the people should remember the lessons they learned about themselves and God through the exodus event, they should forget the way he did it. Fixating on what God did in the past, confines him to certain ways of doing things. But he is too creative for such confinement. He will indeed deliver his people from Babylon, but in an altogether new way. Note how the NT utilizes this language in reference to the “new creation” (2 Cor 5:17; see “Exile and Exodus”).

43:19, 20 streams in the wasteland. Metaphorically expresses the return from exile (cf. 35:6; see note on 30:25).

43:21 people I formed for myself. Expresses something of the relationship God desires with his people (v. 1). He does not deliver from bondage merely to perform a judicial function. Rather, as Father (9:6; 45:10; 63:16; 64:8) and Bridegroom (62:5), he seeks a mutually satisfying relationship.

43:22–28 God intends to save, but Israel has never really sought a relationship with him.

43:22–24 This seems to say that Israel’s sacrifices never really expressed sorrow for sin but merely attempted to manipulate God’s favor. Clearly Israel had been giving all these offerings, but it was as though they had not done so. Instead of giving gifts of love, all they were doing was burdening God with their unrepentant sins (cf. 1:10–15). The repetition of “wearied” with different subjects and objects underlines the theme of the stanza (cf. Mal 1:12–13; 2:17).

43:25–28 Israel’s only hope is God’s undeserved grace. He must forgive them for his “own sake” (v. 25), because there is no “case for [their] innocence” or, “that you may be justified,” v. 26). The nation has been sinful from their “first father” (v. 27)—perhaps Adam (Gen 5:3) or Abraham (Isa 51:2) or, perhaps most likely, Jacob (vv. 22, 28)—onward, even including the priests, “the dignitaries of [their] temple” (v. 28; cf. 1 Sam 2:12–17; Ezek 8:9–12; Mal 2:1–9).

44:1–5 God will restore his “chosen” (v. 1). God wishes a personal relationship with his people (see note on 43:21), thus the special name “Jeshurun” (v. 2; see NIV text note). He will restore this relationship by pouring out his “Spirit” (v. 3; cf. 32:15–17) on their “offspring” (v. 3). This outpouring will have two results: abundance (v. 4; see note on 43:5–7) and a renewed willingness to identify themselves with God and his people (v. 5). Any fears that the exile would mean the extinction of Israel and the disappearance of the worship of Yahweh were groundless.

44:6–20 The Third Presentation of the Case Against Idols. This describes the process of making an idol to show how foolish idolatry really is (vv. 9–20; see notes on 40:18–20; 41:21–29).

44:6–8 On piling up divine epithets, see notes on 1:24; 41:11–14; 43:14–15; 49:26; see also 41:4 and note. The people of Israel are “witnesses” (v. 8) that Yahweh did indeed “foretell what will come” (v. 7), something the idols cannot do. The Lord’s conclusion: “apart from me there is no God” (v. 6).

44:9–20 Idol making is foolish. Idolaters make themselves nothing (vv. 9–11). They are confused (vv. 12–17) and know nothing (vv. 18–20). Cf. 46:1–7; Ps 115:3–7; Jer 10:1–5.

44:9–11 When human beings attempt to make a god for themselves, in effect making the divine in their own image, they render themselves meaningless (“nothing” and “worthless,” v. 9). For if there is no reality greater than humans, then human life has neither purpose nor meaning. The humanly created idols cannot satisfy the deepest human needs.

44:12–17 In vv. 12–14, the prophet moves backward through the process of idol making, from metal plating (v. 12) through carpentry (v. 13) to the choice of the wood (v. 14). It appears that he chooses this direction in order to conclude with the ultimate folly that the god is made from one end of the same log that the idolater uses for his fire (vv. 15–17).

44:12 He gets hungry. The task is arduous and urgent (41:5–7), which is ironic since the whole undertaking is futile.

44:13 human form in all its glory. Ironic since human glory is nothing compared to the glory of the Creator (6:3; 40:5–6; 43:7; 48:11).

44:14 The idolater may have even planted the tree in the first place; the entire process originates with humans.

44:16–17 The idolater bows down to the same log that made him warm as it burned, and he calls on it to save him.

44:18–20 Making idols is not merely humorously foolish; it denies the world as God has made it. Not only does it refuse to give the Creator his due, but it also adds insult to injury when created people worship what they made in place of the Creator. It is thus an abomination (“a detestable thing,” v. 19; cf. Deut 7:25; 18:9–13), it violates the creation order, and it is fundamentally a “lie” (v. 20). It is as though one chose to eat ashes rather than food. Cf. Acts 15:29; Rom 1:18–32; Col 3:5; 1 John 5:21.

44:21–22 The Announcement of Salvation. This may conclude vv. 6–20, in which case “these things” that Jacob must “remember” are the teachings that idols cannot save. But it may conclude 42:10—44:20, in which case “these things” refers to what 42:10—44:20 say about Yahweh’s sole lordship, his unique ability to save, his choosing of Israel as his servant, and his unmerited grace. The content of these verses, which seems to summarize much of this teaching, lends some support to this latter option.

44:23—46:13 The Restoration of Jerusalem Through Cyrus. Although many of the themes in 42:10—44:22 recur, this section is slightly more specific regarding how God uses Cyrus to deliver his people from exile. The unit begins (as the previous one does) with a call to praise (44:23), announces Cyrus (44:24–28), affirms Cyrus (45:1–8), declares Yahweh’s right to use Cyrus (45:9–19), presents the final case against idols (45:20—46:7), and concludes (46:8–13). Cyrus ruled Persia (in modern Iran) from 559 BC until his death in 530 BC. Initially subject to Babylon, he allied himself with the Medes (lived in modern northwest Iran), and at the end of a series of battles, gained control of Babylon in 539, inaugurating the Persian Empire.

44:23 Call to Praise. This transitional verse may be the concluding response to the announcement of salvation in vv. 21–22 (as translated here). However, on the pattern of 42:10–17, it may introduce the next section consequent on the announcement just made. Like that segment, this salvation has cosmic implications: the natural world that was called upon to witness to Israel’s rebellion (1:2) is called upon to rejoice over Israel’s redemption (see 55:12–13).

44:23 glory. See note on v. 13.

44:24–28 Cyrus Announced. God delegates to Cyrus the rebuilding of Jerusalem.

44:24–26 Yahweh—as “Maker of all things” (v. 24), who “formed” Israel (v. 24), who confounds “prophets” who claim to know the future but do not (v. 25), who confirms the predictions of his own “messengers” (v. 26)—is fully able to be his people’s “Redeemer” (v. 24).

44:26–28 This specifically predicts the future: “Jerusalem ‘. . . shall be inhabited’ ” (v. 26), and the Persian emperor Cyrus will be the one to accomplish this feat (v. 28). See photo of Cyrus Cylinder.

44:27 watery deep. This probably alludes to the pagan creation myth, asserting that the power to conquer chaos is truly seen in Yahweh’s power to redeem (see 27:1; 30:7; 51:9–10 and notes).

45:1–8 Cyrus Affirmed as Yahweh’s “Anointed.” God gives Cyrus the right to conquer “nations” and “kings” (v. 1). Yahweh promises to “break down” every obstacle (v. 2) and give him “hidden treasures” (v. 3). Although Cyrus does not know who Yahweh is (vv. 4–5), Yahweh knows who Cyrus is and has called him “by name” (vv. 3, 4); the specific prediction of Cyrus’s name is one example of Yahweh’s unique capacity to predict the future, something the idols could not do (see the note on 41:21–29). Yahweh has done this as a way of demonstrating that he, “the God of Israel” (v. 3), is the only “I am” (vv. 3, 5, 6) in the universe (“I AM” is the divine name reflected in “the LORD”). He alone is self-existent; “there is no other” (v. 5; cf. v. 6).

45:1 anointed. One specifically appointed to a task; here it is the task of delivering God’s people (see 61:1). Later the term would become specifically applied to the promised one, the Messiah, who would bring salvation (Dan 9:25–26).

45:7 disaster. What is contrary to human well-being, elsewhere rendered “evil.” Dualism explains its existence in the world by positing two eternal entities: the author of good and the author of bad. But this means that the good entity is limited. The Bible will have none of this. There is one God who is thoroughly good and does good. He may bring about disaster, as he would do to Babylon through Cyrus, or he may deliver from disaster, as he was about to do to the people of Judah through Cyrus. But in either case the events of history are completely under his control.

45:8 righteousness. Often parallels “salvation” in this part of the book. When God expresses his righteousness on behalf of this people, salvation is always the result. See notes on 46:12–13; 56:1.

45:9–19 Yahweh’s Right to Use Cyrus. It is Yahweh’s right to use Cyrus, a pagan emperor who does not acknowledge him, to deliver his people. Yahweh insists that as the Creator he has a perfect right to do so (vv. 9–13). Verses 14–19 seem to record a dialogue between Yahweh and Jerusalem in which Yahweh makes a promise (v. 14), Jerusalem speaks of God’s hiddenness (v. 15), Yahweh responds (vv. 16–18a), and Isaiah speaks for Yahweh, directly quoting him in vv.18b–19.

45:9–13 The choice of Cyrus prompts the tart words of vv. 9–12 (see v. 13). Yahweh is the “Maker” of Israel (v. 11) and the whole world (vv. 8–9, 12). By what right does what is made question its maker (vv. 9, 11) or does a child question its parent (vv. 10–11)? Here is another example of Yahweh’s ability as the one transcendent God (the Holy One) to do something new (see note on 43:18). Humans would expect to see a repeat of Moses, but the Creator chooses another way.

45:13 righteousness. Capacity for doing what is right. Raising up Cyrus was the right thing for Yahweh to do as an expression of his own holy character. not for a price or reward. The right to conquer Egypt that Yahweh gave to Cyrus and his successors (43:3–4) is not a payment.

45:14–19 Yahweh is not a hidden God. Merely because he chose to do a new thing in salvation does not mean that his plans or his nature are somehow shrouded in mystery. When he has called his people to seek him, his revelation has been plain.

45:14 you. Israel. God promises that after Cyrus restores the people of Judah to their homeland, the nations—represented by Egypt, Cush (see 18:1), and the Sabeans (cruel people from the desert; see Job 1:15; Joel 3:8)—would come to Jerusalem as captives (“in chains”) or as fellow worshipers (“no other god”). See 60:14; 62:5–6. Alternatively, “you” could refer to Cyrus (see 43:3 and note on 43:1–7).

45:15 If God is going to use a pagan emperor, it seems that the ways of the “Savior” are a mystery.

45:16–17 The idols will not deliver their makers, with the result that the idol makers will be “disgraced” (see note on 25:8). But Israel will not be disgraced, because Yahweh will save his people “with an everlasting salvation.”

45:18–19 God is absolutely trustworthy, in contrast to the idols (v. 16). That trustworthiness has been revealed through speech (“says . . . says . . . spoken . . . said . . . speak”). The transcendent God can be known only if he discloses himself and what he has done through communication in language, and he has. He did not create the world to be a chaos (“empty”) with humans as an afterthought, which is how the ancient Near Eastern myths saw the origins of the world. He created it “to be inhabited” by persons to whom he could reveal himself. The gods might revel in their inexplicable ways, but not the Lord, who speaks “the truth” and “what is right.”

45:20—46:7 The Final Presentation of the Case Against Idols. The central theme is that idols “cannot save” (45:20) their worshipers. People must carry the idols instead of the idols carrying the people (45:20; 46:1–2). Yahweh is not like that; he will carry his people, even down to their old age, when they can do nothing for him (46:3–4). Isa 45:20—46:1 repeats earlier themes: Yahweh alone is God, and he predicts the future (45:21); he uniquely can save not only Israel but the whole world as well (45:22–25). It is foolish to worship something that humans made (46:5–7).

45:20 Idolatry is not only the result but also the cause of ignorance (see note on 44:9–11).

45:21 Deliverance from exile at the hand of Cyrus had been predicted long in advance (in the time of the prophet Isaiah of Jerusalem), something the gods could not have done. This is presented as conclusive evidence that the Babylonians’ gods are not gods at all.

45:22–25 God intends that the whole earth acknowledge him as God and come to him to be saved. No one will be exempt (v. 23; cf. Rom 14:11; Phil 2:10–11). There is no other savior (v. 24; cf. Acts 4:12). Those “who have raged against him” (v. 24) and remain unrepentant must still come before him; there the falseness of all the things they have trusted in will be revealed.

45:25 make their boast. They trusted God, who does not fail them.

46:1–2 The Babylonians carry their idols (“Bel” and “Nebo”) into captivity. The idea of these gods bowing and stooping is ironic. They should be bowed to. Instead they are only a heavy “burden”; they are “unable to rescue the burden” (i.e., their people).

46:3–4 This language differs strikingly from vv. 1–2. These verses are much more full and developed, whereas vv. 1–2 are terse. This speaks to the richer personal aspect of the relationship between Yahweh and his people. From “birth” to “old age” Yahweh carries them; he not only “made” them in the beginning but will also “sustain” them all along the way.

46:3 remnant. See note on 11:11.

46:4 I am he. See note on 41:4.

46:5–7 The Creator of heaven and earth cannot be compared to a thing of “silver” or “gold” made by a craftsman (v. 6), carried on human “shoulders” (v. 7), and needing to be fixed “in its place” (v. 7) when it is put down (see note on 40:18–20).

Image of god carried off as plunder by soldiers of Tiglath-Pileser III. Isa 46:6–7 describes idols being created and carried around.

Caryn Reeder, taken at the British Museum

Go back to main text

46:8–13 Conclusion: Yahweh’s Absolute Uniqueness. He alone can foretell the future with specificity, and he alone has done so (see note on 41:21–29). He did this all in keeping with his overarching purposes for the human race and his particular plans for accomplishing those purposes (14:24–27; 19:12; 23:9). The idols, like the thunder storm, have neither purposes nor plans. God said there would be an exile (39:6–7), and the exiles will know that it has happened. He also said there would be restoration from exile (11:10–16), and there surely would be.

46:8 rebels. See note on 1:2. Restoration will not be the result of the exiles correcting their character and behavior by their own ability (v. 11; cf. Ezek 36:22).

46:11 bird of prey. Cyrus (see 41:2).

46:12-13 righteousness . . . righteousness. Used in two different ways. The first refers to the character of God that the people have not manifested. The second refers to God’s righteous act of salvation. It would not be right for him, given his nature and character, to leave his people in captivity, even if they deserved it (cf. Exod 32:11–13).

47:1—48:22 Implications of the Case Against Idols. God sentences Babylon (47:1–15) and calls upon Israel to believe his promises (48:1–22).

47:1–15 The Sentence Upon Babylon. Despite Babylon’s power and arcane wisdom, God will reduce her to nothing. The poem has three stanzas: Babylon’s humiliation (vv. 1–4), false pride (vv. 5–11), and helplessness (vv. 12–15).

47:1–4 Babylon’s Humiliation. Babylon is like a proud “queen” forced to come off her “throne” and “sit on the ground” (v. 1), where she will perform menial labor (v. 2). She will no longer wear beautiful robes but will wear rags that will not even cover her “nakedness” (v. 3). She has entered into a contest with “the Holy One of Israel” (v. 4; see note on 41:11–14), and it is no contest.

47:1 Virgin Daughter Babylon. A figure of speech expressing pristine beauty (cf. 37:22).

47:3 vengeance. See note on 34:8.

47:4 On the multiplication of divine titles, see note on 43:14–15.

47:5–11 Babylon’s False Pride. The Babylonians felt they were “eternal” (v. 7), arrogating the very place of Yahweh (vv. 8, 10). They trusted in their “security” (v. 8), “sorceries” (v. 9), “wickedness,” and “wisdom” (v. 10) to make their proof against the fears they forced upon others: “loss of children and widowhood” (v. 9; see note on 29:23). But they did not foresee that in spite of all their conjuring, “disaster” would sweep all these things away (v. 11; see note on 21:5; see also Dan 5:22–31).

47:6 Babylon was God’s tool to discipline his people (cf. Jer 25:6–11; Hab 1:6–7), but that did not give the Babylonians license to do so with brutality nor did it give them immunity from God’s judgment (cf. Jer 25:12; Ezek 36:5–7; Hab 2:4–20).

47:8, 10 I am, and there is none besides me. Only Yahweh can say this (cf. 41:4; 45:5, 21; 46:9). For any created thing to say this is the rankest arrogance.

47:9 sorceries . . . spells. The libraries of Babylon were filled with manuals of magical spells.

47:10 Your wisdom and knowledge mislead you. The Babylonians gave great attention to cataloging all the possible omens that might occur and what they would mean when they did; it was a great but vain intellectual effort. When disaster came, their magical wisdom was useless to either foretell it or prevent it (v. 11).

47:12–15 Babylon’s Helplessness. The prophet sarcastically invites the magicians and astrologers to utilize their skills to do something, whether good or ill (cf. 41:23). They will be helpless, unable to “even save themselves” (v. 14), let alone “save” Babylon (v. 15). All the attention lavished on paganism (v. 15) accomplished nothing.

48:1–22 Israel Called Upon to Believe God’s Promises. In the light of Yahweh’s desire, ability, and intent to save his people from exile (see notes on 40:1–11, 12–26, 27–31), he calls upon them not to lose heart or become absorbed into Babylon’s culture. Instead, they must maintain their faith and be ready for the release when it comes. God has demonstrated his trustworthiness and revealed his grace. Will that grace motivate the Israelites to trust God for deliverance? The poem has two parts: God has predicted everything (vv. 1–11), and Israel must listen to the Lord (vv. 12–22).

48:1–11 Everything Has Been Predicted. The argument recapitulates the central argument in the case against idols. In view of Yahweh’s predictions and their fulfillments, Israel should obey God in ways they previously did not. They can begin by believing his promises of redemption. Verses 1–6 speak of the former things, the prediction of the exile, while vv. 7–11 speak of new things, the return from exile.

48:1 Listen. Words having to do with hearing occur seven times in ch. 48, and words having to do with divine speaking occur 12 times. In Hebrew “hearing” is inseparable from taking appropriate action (cf. v. 18). Not to take action is not to have heard. take oaths . . . but not in truth. The prophet argues that the people are not sincere in their professed faith (cf. 1:10–15; 57:3–13; 58:1–2; 65:1–5).

48:3–6a Fulfilled predictions make Yahweh’s superiority over the idols unmistakable. The “stubborn” (v. 4) say that those events occurred because they ritually manipulated their “images” (v. 5). This offers the illusion of controlling events. But now they are forced to “admit” that God freely brought to pass just what he said he would (v. 6a).

48:6b new things. Cf. 43:18–19. Yahweh is now foretelling something unheard of, something that had not happened before: a nation might survive exile with its culture and religion intact and then return to its own homeland. But beyond these, there is the promise of the worldwide ministry to come through the Messiah (chs. 60–62), and the new heavens and the new earth (65:17–25).

48:8 neither heard nor understood. Cf. 1:2; 42:18–23. God promised their return from exile before, but blind, deaf Israel, “a rebel from birth,” could not hear it. They thought they could not go into exile because their covenant with Yahweh made them immune. So return from exile was completely unimaginable.

48:9–11 Why would God restore them from exile? It was not for their sake; they in no way deserved it. It was for his “own [name’s] sake” (vv. 9, 11), which expresses his grace (see note on 43:25–28; cf. Ezek 36:22). Furthermore, he never intended that the exile would “destroy [them] completely” (v. 9); he intended that it would refine them (v. 10; see 4:4).

48:12–22 Israel Freed. Israel should listen to the Lord because he is unique in the world (vv. 12–16), his commandments are a source of blessing (vv. 17–19), and he will keep his promises (vv. 20–22).

48:12–16 This concisely summarizes the previous arguments for Yahweh’s superiority over the idols. He is the only God (“I am the first and I am the last,” v. 12), the sole Creator (v. 13). Therefore he can carry out his announced plan (v. 16) to use his “ally” (Cyrus, v. 14; see 41:2; 44:28; 45:1) to bring down “Babylon” (v. 14).

48:16 me. The speaker might be the servant (cf. 42:1; 61:1) or the prophet (cf. Mic 3:8).

48:17–19 Had Israel truly listened (see note on v. 1), none of this would have happened. They would have experienced “peace” (v. 18) and would not now be worried about “descendants” (v. 19; see note on 29:23).

48:20 Leave Babylon. This command underlines the certainty of the release that is coming. ends of the earth. Israel’s redemption has implications for the entire world.

48:21 did not thirst. God’s provision during the exodus (Exod 17:6; Num 20:11). If God cared for his people in the past, his people can trust him to do so again, even if in new ways (cf. 43:18–19).

48:22 Repeated in 57:21 (see note there). It may appear here as a mechanical way of dividing chs. 40–66 into three nine-chapter groupings.

49:1—55:13 The Servant: Gracious Means of Israel’s Servanthood. The theme of deliverance continues, but there are no more explicit references to Babylon. All the references to “servant,” with one exception in 54:17, are to the ministering servant, not the blind, fearful servant (see note on 42:1–9). This section seems to address these questions: How can sinful Israel actually become the servants of the Holy God? If God delivers them from Babylon and restores them to their land, what is to be done about the sin that alienates them from God in the first place? Will the undeserved grace (43:25; 44:21–22; 48:9, 11) consist simply in Yahweh’s overlooking their sin? The answer is that God will “bare his holy arm” (52:10; cf. 50:2; 51:5, 9) and deliver them from the sin that separates them from him. That arm is the ministering servant (49:1–12; 50:4–9; 52:13—53:12). The structure of the subdivision confirms that this understanding is the correct one: 49:1—52:12 promises salvation, one that grows in excitement to 52:12; then 54:1—55:13 invites them to participate in a salvation that has been realized. What stands between these two is the revelation of the ministering servant in 52:13—53:12. God delivers his people by means of his servant’s self-sacrifice.

49:1—52:12 Anticipation of Deliverance. This looks forward with increasing excitement to a salvation that restores Israel’s relationship with Yahweh.

49:1–12 The Second Revelation of the Ministering Servant. This uses language very similar to the first revelation in 42:1–9. The servant is the means by which God restores his order (“justice,” 42:1) to the world. Not only will he restore Jacob; he will be “a light for the Gentiles” (49:6; 42:6). A new feature is a sense of frustration (49:4). This increases and includes actual rejection in the third and final revelations (50:4–9; 52:13—53:12). The servant speaks (49:1–6), and two messages from Yahweh address the servant (vv. 7–12).

49:1–6 The servant reports his calling (vv. 1–3), his confidence in God in spite of a sense of frustration (v. 4), and the nature of the ministry given to him (vv. 5–6).

49:1 islands . . . distant nations. The servant’s ministry has worldwide implications. called me . . . womb. The servant was destined for this ministry even before his birth. It is not just a facet of his life; it is the central meaning of it (see John 12:27).

49:2 sharpened sword. The servant’s ministry is one of speech, as is the Messiah’s (11:4). He will pronounce God’s judgment on the wicked and speak peace to the contrite (57:15; Ps 98:7–9; John 5:21–22; Rev 5:1–10; 19:15).

49:3 Israel. This is clearly not the sinful nation that 42:18–25 and 59:1–15a describe. This is the ideal Israel, an individual who will make it possible for actual Israel to survive in the presence of the Holy One (see 49:5–6, 8). splendor. Glory (cf. 55:5; 60:9, 21; John 1:14; 17:1, 22, 24).

49:4 If his labor seems to have been “in vain,” this servant will submissively leave the outcome “in the LORD’s hand.” He does not obey for short-term “reward.”

49:5–6 The servant’s ministry is not only to “bring Jacob back” to Yahweh but also to cause “salvation . . . [to] reach to the ends of the earth” (cf. Acts 1:8; 13:47).

49:7–12 Two messages from Yahweh to the servant: vv. 7, 8–12.

49:7 A similar message to that of 52:13–15. People will initially reject the servant, but one day the great ones of the earth will honor him because of what the Lord, “who is faithful,” will accomplish through him.

49:8–12 God will restore his people through the servant. The immediate reference here is to the people physically returning to the land; in the larger context, that physical return is inseparable from a spiritual return.

49:9–11 See 35:1–7; 41:18–19; 42:15–16; 43:19–20; 48:21; 55:12–13.

49:12 Because of the ministry of the servant, God’s people come to him from all over the earth (cf. 2:1–5; 11:10–12, 15–16; 43:5–7; 60:1–9).

49:13—50:3 Zion Is Not Forgotten. As with 42:10–17 and 44:23, a call to praise (49:13) follows the announcement of salvation. But here Zion is unwilling to join in the praise because she believes that God has forgotten her and does not wish to be reconciled to her (49:14). But God asserts that this is not the case: he has both the desire (49:15) and ability (50:1–3) to restore her to himself (49:16–26).

49:13 comforts. Encourages; the first occurrence of the word since 40:1. As there, the issue is encouraging despondent people to believe in God’s grace (see 51:3, 12, 19; 57:18).

49:14 Cf. 40:27. They think God does not care whether or not they continue to exist as a people.

49:15–16 God’s love for his people is deeper than a nursing mother’s for her baby. Their name is “engraved” on his “hands.”

49:17–23 God will restore Israel’s children to them. On the theme of widowhood and childlessness, see note on 29:23. This restoration will not be minimal. The nation’s expansion will be astounding. So it was when the nations were integrated into the people of God through the ministry of Christ (cf. Eph 2:11–22). In a few short years, the number of the people of God grew exponentially.

49:22 banner. See notes on 5:26; 11:10–16.

49:23 See 60:4, 16. As elsewhere, the former oppressing nations will come to Zion as supplicants, either to serve them as here (also in 61:4–5) or to join in worshiping their God (see 2:1–5; 66:18–24). Then you will know. Language not only of the exodus (Exod 7:5; 10:2) but also of the exile and the return (Ezek 12:15; 36:11). Yahweh’s power is convincing.

49:24–26 God is stronger than Israel’s plunderers and captors. He can cause the enemies to destroy themselves (v. 26; cf. Judg 7:22; 1 Sam 14:20; 2 Chr 20:23) and can take his people from their hands.

49:26 On the piling up of epithets for God, see notes on 1:24; 41:11–14; 43:14–15; 44:6–8.

50:1–3 The people feel that Yahweh had been forced to exile them, as though someone compelled him to “divorce” their mother (v. 1) or “sell” them into captivity to pay off a debt (v. 1). Yahweh asserts that nothing of the kind is true. It is only because of their “transgressions” (v. 1) that the exile will have occurred and only then because there were not sufficient intercessors (v. 2; cf. Ezek 22:30). So there is no compelling reason that he cannot restore them to himself. It is certainly not a matter of strength: the “arm” he raised in judgment (v. 2; see “hand” in 9:12) can also stretch out to save (51:5, 9; 52:10; 53:1). The cosmos is at his command.

50:2-3 dry up the sea . . . clothe the heavens with darkness. Possibly allusions to the exodus and God’s deliverance of his people at that time.

50:4–9 The Third Revelation of the Ministering Servant. The servant once more speaks of the instrument of his “tongue” (v. 4; see note on 49:2). He emphasizes both his sensitivity and submissiveness (50:4–5), characteristics distinctly lacking in servant Israel. He is submissive not only to God but also to humans (v. 6). Here dismissal (49:4) turns to actual opposition and abuse. The descriptions of the abuse correspond very closely to what happened to Jesus (cf. Matt 26:67; 27:26; Mark 14:65; John 18:22). But the servant is confident in the “Sovereign LORD” (Isa 50:7, 9) and knows that he will be vindicated in the end (v. 8) and that his “accuser” (v. 8) will disappear.

50:7 set my face like flint. The servant will carry out his ministry at all costs. Cf. Luke 9:51: “Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.”

50:10—51:8 Obey the Voice of the Ministering Servant. This segment is marked by repetitions of the call to listen to (and act upon; see note on 48:1) what God is saying through these revelations of his servant (50:10; 51:1, 4, 7). They must have faith in his ability to deliver not only them but the whole world from the alienation of sin.

50:10 obeys the word. Persons who have “no light” in themselves can either hear the servant’s word (equated with “fears the LORD”) or try to create their own light and consequently “lie down in torment” (v. 11). Salvation is through the servant.

51:1–3 This addresses the first group in 50:10–11, those who “trust in the name of the LORD” (50:10), “who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD” (51:1). Isaiah counsels them not to lose hope but to remember that just as Abraham received God’s undeserved grace and became a great nation (v. 2), so it will be with Abraham’s descendants when Yahweh makes the “ruins” and “wastelands” of Zion/Jerusalem “like Eden” (v. 3; cf. Gen 2:8–14). This is fulfilled in the new Jerusalem (Rev 22:1–5).

51:3 Joy and gladness. See 35:10.

51:4–6 Through the servant (Yahweh’s “arm,” v. 5), Yahweh will extend “instruction” (v. 4; see 2:3), “justice” (v. 4; cf. 42:1), and righteous “salvation” (v. 5) to the whole world. This righteous salvation will outlast the physical world (v. 6; cf. 50:2–3). On referring to salvation as divine “righteousness” (v. 5), see note on 45:8.

51:5 islands. Ends of the earth. hope. The same Hebrew word as in 40:31. To wait in confidence on the Lord is to trust him (see note on 30:18).

51:7–8 God concludes by admonishing those “who know what is right.” They should not allow fear of mortals to cause them to lose faith in what Yahweh will do for them through his servant. Just as the abusers of the servant would disappear like a garment eaten by moths (v. 8; see 50:9), so will those who would abuse God’s people.

51:9—52:12 Awake and Be Delivered. The people are now convinced that God can deliver them and indeed wants to. So they call upon him to do it, to bare his “arm” (51:9). But God responds that it is they who need to wake up to a genuine and active faith (51:17; 52:1). He is ready to save (51:11–16); their punishment is at an end (51:17–23); the hour for Jerusalem to rise up out of the dust (contrast Babylon, 47:1–3) has come (52:1–6); and the Lord is on his way to relieve the besieged city (52:7–12). In this segment the anticipation of salvation reaches its height (see note on 49:1—55:13).

51:9–16 The Lord is ready to save. The people call for God to act (vv. 9–10), and he responds that he is more than ready to do so if they will put their faith in him and not cower in fear before the oppressors (vv. 11–16).

51:9 arm of the LORD. The servant as the agent of Yahweh’s salvation (cf. v. 5; 40:10; 50:2; 52:10; 53:1; 59:1, 16). This utilizes the language of the pagan myth to show Yahweh’s incomparable power. Here it is his redeeming power, as in the exodus, that is in view (see note on 27:1). Rahab. See 30:7 and note.

51:10 waters of the great deep. See note on 44:27.

51:11 Cf. 35:10.

51:12–16 Instead of living in fear of what “mere mortals” might be able to do to them (v. 12), the people should remember that God has put his very “words” in their mouths (i.e., made them the recipients of divine revelation, v. 16; cf. Ps 56). They should focus on their Maker, who is also the Maker of the cosmos (vv. 13, 15–16).

51:17–23 It is not Yahweh’s arm that should awaken (v. 9), but it is Jerusalem, fearful that she is condemned to suffer for her sins forever. She is bereft of her children (vv. 18–20; see note on 29:23) and fears she will die alone, the end of her family line. But God, as a result of his own grace (cf. 44:21–22; 48:9–11) and by means of the servant’s self-sacrifice, has taken “the cup of his wrath” (v. 17) out of her hand (v. 22) and “put it into the hands of [her] tormentors” (v. 23). But even they would not have to drink it if they would put their faith in the servant (53:5; Luke 22:42–44).

52:1–6 The hour has come for Jerusalem to rise up out of the dust. Unlike Babylon, whose pride drove them off their throne and into the dust (47:1–3), Jerusalem may rise up and “sit enthroned” (v. 2) because they have been “redeemed” by free grace, i.e., “without money” (v. 3). Again, this refers to physical release, but Israel needs to be redeemed from far more than physical captivity; the Israelites need to be delivered from alienation from God (see note on 49:1—55:13; cf. Ezek 36:20–27). Yahweh’s name is “blasphemed” (v. 5) because of Israel’s condition, so he is going to take action for the sake of his “name” (v. 6; cf. 12:4; 18:7; 24:15; 29:23; 59:19).

52:1 uncircumcised. A physical condition that marks a person as non-Israelite and a spiritual condition that applies to both Israelites and non-Israelites. Cf. Exod 12:48; Lev 26:41; Deut 10:16; Jer 9:26; Ezek 31:18; 44:7, 9; Gal 5:2–6; Col 2:11–13. Here it refers to the Gentiles who had attacked and destroyed Judah and Jerusalem.

52:3 sold for nothing. So also v. 5; see 50:1.

52:4 went down to Egypt. Isaiah compares the sojourn in Egypt to the coming exile. Assyria. Isaiah saw the destruction of Samaria in 722 BC and the ensuing exile of the Israelite people as the beginning of a single event incorporating the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the people of Judah in 586 BC. Thus, Isaiah treated the Assyrians and the Babylonians as a single oppressing group. The prophecy against Babylon in chs. 13–14 concludes with words spoken against Assyria (14:24–27).

52:7–12 The Lord is on his way to deliver the besieged city. Isa 49:1—52:12 anticipates salvation, and this is the climax of that anticipation. In Isaiah’s typical fashion, he graphically illustrates (e.g., 3:16—4:1; 5:1–7): he depicts Israel as a city that an enemy army besieges. In 49:1—55:13, the enemy is the unforgiven sins that separate Israel from Yahweh. But Yahweh and his armies have won a decisive victory (52:9–10), and the “watchmen” on the walls (v. 8) see the herald coming with the “good news” of deliverance (v. 7). So Isaiah calls the people to leave the city deliberately, with God before them and behind them (vv. 11–12). God has accomplished “salvation” (vv. 7, 10).

52:7 How beautiful on the mountains. The watchmen see the herald coming from the scene of battle bringing a message of victory (2 Sam 18:24–27; Nah 1:15). those who bring good news. See also 61:1–2; Rom 10:15. The Greek word the Septuagint (the pre-Christian Greek translation of the OT) uses to translate this phrase is the same one used in the NT to speak of the “good news” (or “gospel”) of Christ’s salvation from sin. It is especially frequent in Luke and Acts (e.g., Luke 2:10; 3:18; 4:18; Acts 8:35; 10:36; 13:32; but see also Heb 4:2, 6). peace. See note on 9:6.

52:8 the LORD returns. Israel’s redemption (and the world’s) depends on whether God can find a way to restore the relationship with humanity that sin has ruptured. The “watchmen” see the evidence that he has found a way and can return to his people with blessing and not curse in his hands. Thus, “they shout for joy.” The Jerusalem from which the “glory of the LORD” departed (Ezek 10:18) is now Zion, the city of God, to which the Spirit has returned (Ezek 37:14).

52:9 comforted. See note on 66:13.

52:10 arm. See 40:10; 50:2; 51:5, 9; 53:1; 59:1, 16. ends of the earth. See note on 12:4–6.

52:11 articles of the LORD’s house. When the Babylonians captured Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar took them (2 Kgs 25:14–15); Belshazzar drank from them (Dan 5:2–4); and Cyrus restored them (Ezra 1:7–8).

52:13—53:12 The Final Revelation of the Ministering Servant. This is the fullest statement in Isaiah of the means by which Yahweh would restore his people to himself, making it possible for him to fulfill his assertions in chs. 41–48 that they are his chosen servants. The servant is “the arm of the LORD” (53:1; see also 50:2; 51:5, 9), but a very unexpected one. His power for deliverance is in surrender, both to Yahweh and to his abusers. But that self-sacrifice for the sins of his people and all people will make victory possible over the sin that holds the world in bondage. It is apparent both from Jesus’ own statements and those of the NT writers that all of them understood this passage to be speaking of Jesus’ life and ministry (Matt 8:17; Acts 8:30–35; Rom 10:15–17; 15:21; 1 Pet 2:22, 24–25). The pronouns in the passage are very important: “I” generally refers to Yahweh; “he” refers to the servant; “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to the prophet and his audience; “you” refers to the audience. There is no reason to limit the scope of the audience. As noted above, the servant’s work is not only for “Jacob” but for all the nations (49:6). The poem is carefully structured in five stanzas with three sentences each (52:13–15; 53:1–3, 4–6, 7–9, 10–12).

52:13–15 The Triumph and the Shock of the Servant’s Work. The poem begins on a note of triumph.

52:13 act wisely. The Hebrew connotes being successful (see NIV text note), i.e., the servant will successfully accomplish his mission. Furthermore, this describes him in terms used only of God elsewhere in the book: “raised and lifted up” (cf. 6:1; 57:15).

52:14–15 The servant’s appearance will be a shock, especially to the great ones (“kings”) of the earth. They expected a godlike mighty man; instead, he is “disfigured” (see note on v. 14).

52:14 disfigured. In Mal 1:14 the term refers to a blemished animal that is not an acceptable sacrifice (cf. 50:6; Matt 27:26–31) and is apparently weak (cf. 53:1–3).

52:15 sprinkle many nations. See NIV text note. “Amazed” may be a better poetic parallel with “shut their mouths.” Elsewhere the object of “sprinkle” is specified. Perhaps blood is intended (Lev 4:6, 17; 16:14). what they have not heard. The message of deliverance through self-sacrifice, which they had not previously comprehended, will now be demonstrated before their eyes (cf. Rom 15:21).

53:1–3 The Rejection of the Servant. The sense of rejection that emerges in the second and third revelations of the servant (49:4; 50:6–9) here comes to the fore. “The arm of the LORD” (v. 1) was not supposed to look like a spindly plant in “dry ground” (v. 2); he was not supposed to suffer, but was to impose suffering on others (cf. Mark 8:27–33). God’s strength was manifested in weakness. This is the same theme that appeared in chs. 7–12, especially in the recurring references to children.

53:1 Cf. John 12:38; Rom 10:16.

53:3 despised. Not so much an emotional response as a judgment that something or someone is not worthy of attention or respect.

53:4–6 The Substitutionary Suffering of the Servant. The suffering that caused us to despise the servant was in fact ours. The first-person pronouns throughout this stanza are impressive. Everything that happened to the servant was in fact what should have happened to us (cf. Rom 4:25; 2 Cor 5:21; 1 Pet 2:24–25). “We” thought he was being “punished by God” (v. 4), but we were wrong; it was our “punishment . . . on him” (v. 5). Not only did he take our punishment, but in taking it, he made us whole (“brought us peace,” v. 5; see 9:6 and note). He was beaten, and we became healthy. This stanza carries the basic thrust of the entire poem.

53:5 pierced. See Ps 22:16; Zech 12:10; John 19:34 and notes. crushed . . . punishment . . . wounds. All speak of the agony that the servant had to undergo because of our sins. Atonement is not achieved through a mere religious sleight of hand; it is a matter of death.

53:6–7 These verses provide two contrasting comparisons involving sheep. In us, it is the tendency to go “astray” (v. 6; cf. Ps 119:176; Jer 50:6; Ezek 34:4–6, 16; 1 Pet 2:25). In him, it is defenselessness (v. 7).

53:6 laid on him. Similar to the action of the high priest on the Day of Atonement when he laid the sins of the people on the scapegoat (Lev 16:21).

53:7–9 The Apparent Outcome of the Servant’s Suffering. It appears on the surface that the servant has suffered in vain (cf. 49:4). “He was oppressed and afflicted” (v. 7), but no one spoke up on his behalf—neither he himself (v. 7) nor anyone else (v. 8). He was denied a fair trial (the phrase “by oppression and judgment” in v. 8 is likely “oppressive judgment”). He was “cut off” (v. 8) without children, and no one seemed to recognize what he was actually doing (see NIV text note on v. 8). The final insult was that he was buried with the rich (v. 9). The context here shows that this was not a place of honor. The Bible often associates the rich with wickedness, because many times their wealth was acquired through oppression or dishonesty (see 1 Sam 25:2–3; Prov 22:16; 28:6; Jer 5:27). This prophecy was fulfilled when Joseph of Arimathea, himself a righteous man, buried Jesus among the rich. Verses 7–8 were those troubling the Ethiopian eunuch when Philip met him (Acts 8:32–34).

53:7 lamb to the slaughter. This the picture of the Lamb in Revelation, “looking as if it had been slain” (Rev 5:6). John the Baptist described Jesus as “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29, 36). did not open his mouth. Jesus did not respond to the charges of the Sanhedrin (Mark 14:60–61) nor to the questions of Pilate (Mark 15:4–5) and Herod (Luke 23:8–9).

53:10–12 The Real Outcome of the Servant’s Suffering. These things happened not accidentally or merely because this is an unjust world but because “it was the LORD’s will” (v. 10). On the surface this seems terrible. But this expresses not cruelty but love for a lost world. When “his life” is made “an offering for sin” (v. 10), then the children and the long life that he was deprived of will be amply repaid, because he will have progeny in faith over the whole world (v. 10). This accomplishes Yahweh’s will (“prosper,” v. 10; see note on 52:13) and satisfies the servant (v. 11). The mission ends in victory since the servant divides “the spoils with the strong” (v. 12). The victory is surprising: the victor “poured out his life unto death,” but in dying he carries the “sin of many” and intercedes “for the transgressors” (v. 12), thereby justifying “many” (v. 11). Therein is victory.

53:10 the LORD makes. See NIV text note. Interpretations vary; the subject could be Yahweh, the servant, or even the sinner.

53:11 The servant will be “satisfied” because he will see that his suffering has achieved its redemptive purpose. light of life. Points to his resurrection from death (vv. 9, 12; cf. Rom 1:4). knowledge. Not intellectual but experiential. It could be the servant’s relationship with the Father, but in the context it is probably what he has undergone in bearing the sins of the world (cf. 1 John 2:2). justify. Because the servant has suffered in “our” place (vv. 4–6), we need not suffer for our sins but can be declared innocent (Rom 3:20–24).

53:12 unto death. See Phil 2:8. transgressors. Includes the idea of rebellion, an important concept in Isaiah (1:2, 20, 23, 28; 24:20; 43:27; 46:8; 66:24). The servant would identify himself with these rebels, bearing their “sin” (cf. Luke 22:37; 2 Cor 5:21) and making “intercession” for them so that they could once again become faithful servants of the King (cf. Rom 8:34).

QUOTATIONS FROM AND REFERENCES TO ISAIAH 53 IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

ISAIAH	NEW TESTAMENT
vv. 1–12	Luke 24:27, 46; 1 Pet 1:11
v. 1	John 12:38; Rom 10:16
v. 2	Matt 2:23
v. 3	Mark 9:12
v. 4	Matt 8:17; 1 Pet 2:24
vv. 4–5	Rom 4:25
v. 5	Matt 26:67; 1 Pet 2:24
vv. 5–6	Acts 10:43
v. 6	1 Pet 2:25
vv. 6–7	John 1:29
v. 7	Matt 26:63; 27:12, 14; Mark 14:60–61; 15:4–5; 1 Cor 5:7; 1 Pet 2:23; Rev 5:6, 12; 13:8
vv. 7–8 (Septuagint)	Acts 8:32–33
vv. 8–9	1 Cor 15:3
v. 9	Matt 26:24; 1 Pet 2:22; 1 John 3:5; Rev 14:5
v. 11	Rom 5:19
v. 12	Matt 27:38; Luke 22:37; 23:33–34; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 2:24
Taken from The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible: Vol. 5 by MOISÉS SILVA. Copyright © 2009 by Zondervan, p. 15.

Go to Charts Index

54:1—55:13 Invitation to Deliverance. The final revelation of the servant (52:13—53:12) enables the move from anticipation (49:1—52:12) to this two-part invitation in 54:1—55:13. In light of what the servant enabled, God invites Israel to move back into the relationship with him that he first offered at Mount Sinai (cf. Exod 19:5–6).

54:1–17 The Heritage of the Lord’s Servants. Chs. 41–48 repeat benefits that would accrue to Yahweh’s servants, and ch. 54 reiterates and expands those benefits (see v. 17). This is the only place in 49:1—55:13 where the idea of the nation as God’s servant appears; the other occurrences are all of the ministering servant who makes Israel’s servanthood possible. The benefits that his service make possible are restoring Israel’s marriage with Yahweh (vv. 1–8) and protecting Israel from enemies (vv. 9–17).

54:1–8 Restoration of Marriage With Yahweh. Israel, who thought herself a “barren woman” (v. 1), is restored to her “husband” (v. 1), who is also her “Maker” (v. 5; cf. 17:7: 45:9, 11; 51:13), with the result that she will have many children again (54:1–3). The nation will not disappear under the wrath of God, but will grow and multiply as Yahweh had promised to Abraham. The return from exile is a preliminary and partial fulfillment of the final ingathering of all God’s people that has been inaugurated by Christ.

54:1 On the grief of barrenness, see 1 Sam 1:6–11. The first three mothers of Israel (Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel) were all barren until God gave them fertility (Gen 11:30; 25:21; 30:1, 22), symbolizing humanity’s inability to ensure its own survival, not only physically but (more important) spiritually (Gal 4:26–27).

54:3 God will use his people in the judgment of their oppressors (see notes on 30:23–33; 41:15–16).

54:4 shame . . . disgrace. See note on 25:8. It will be evident that Israel’s trust in Yahweh was not misplaced. God will erase the shame of the exile (“widowhood”).

54:5 On the piling up of divine epithets for Yahweh, see notes on 1:4, 9, 24; 41:11–14.

54:7–8 Yahweh becomes angry, but he is love (see Exod 34:6–7; Pss 30:5; 103:8–14; 1 John 4:7–8). His “compassion” is “deep” because it expresses his “everlasting kindness” (see note on v. 8).

54:8 everlasting kindness. Hebrew ḥesed, translated “unfailing love” in v. 10 and elsewhere (e.g., Pss 13:5; 36:7; 51:1).

54:9–17 Protection From Enemies. For those who trust in the work of the servant, “there is now no condemnation” (Rom 8:1; see Rom 8:33–34). There will be need for discipline and correction but not condemnation.

54:9–10 The servant’s work inaugurates a new era, like that after “the waters of Noah.” He has taken God’s anger away, expressing that unshakable “unfailing love” (see note on v. 8).

54:10 covenant of peace. Expresses the šālôm (see note on 9:6) that God intends for his people (cf. John 14:27; Rom 5:1–2). This is the new covenant (Jer 33:20–21), which is the climax of all God intended to accomplish through the Abrahamic, Sinaitic, and Davidic covenants. The description of this covenant in Ezek 34:25–31 makes it clear that the return from exile was only the beginning of all that God was promising to accomplish for his people.

54:11–12 Cf. the city of salvation (26:1–4). See also Rev 21:10–21.

54:13 taught by the LORD. Cf. 45:1–4; see also John 6:45.

54:14–17 Zion need fear no “terror” so long as the people are in a trusting relationship with Yahweh (v. 14), because he is the one who forged the “weapon” used against them (v. 16) and any other “weapon” raised against them must ultimately fail (v. 17; cf. Rom 8:31–34).

55:1–13 Seek the Lord. In light of the benefits of the servant’s work (ch. 54), the people of Israel should avail themselves of this salvation now. They should not imagine that they can purchase it (vv. 1–2) but should obey the call to believe what God says (vv. 3–5). They should not wait to understand it all (vv. 6–11) but should immediately act (vv. 6–7) on the glorious promise (vv. 12–13).

55:1–2 God’s gracious provision through the death of the servant is priceless, and people can do nothing to earn it (cf. Eph 2:8–9). They must simply act upon it.

55:2 Listen, listen. See note on 48:1.

55:3–5 God offers an “everlasting covenant,” the “faithful love promised to David” (v. 3). This promise may have a double meaning: (1) the new covenant made available to us through Jesus Christ, the son of David, who fulfilled the promise of an eternal dynasty (2 Sam 7:14–16), and (2) the kind of covenant God made with David, namely, through David and his descendant, Yahweh would give an endless “witness” to all the world (v. 4) that Yahweh is the only Savior (v. 5). So too the church will be such a witness (cf. Acts 1:8).

55:5 splendor. Glory (see note on 6:3); see also 46:13; 49:3; 52:1; 60:9, 21; 61:1–3.

55:6–7 This briefly explains how to enter a saving relationship with the Lord: earnestly pursue (“seek”) God and his ways in his opportune time; “forsake” all “wicked” behavior (“ways”) and “unrighteous” attitudes (“thoughts”); cast oneself on the “mercy” of Yahweh, knowing that nothing we have done merits his “pardon.”

55:8–11 We should not attempt to reduce God’s works for our salvation to an explanation that we can understand. His ways are higher than ours (v. 9). Isa 52:13—53:12 created many questions for Isaiah’s hearers and perhaps for Isaiah himself (cf. 1 Pet 1:10–12). Even after Christ appeared and fulfilled the prophecy, theories of the atonement abound. A saving relationship with God depends not on our complete understanding what he has done but on our complete acceptance of his “word” (v. 11). Note the emphasis on God’s unfailing word in ch. 40 at the beginning of this section (40:1—55:13).

55:12–13 See 35:1–2, 6–10. Salvation is a journey: we walk with the Lord to the accompaniment of joyous song. Ultimately, nature will also benefit from God’s salvation of Adam and Eve’s children.

56:1—66:24 Righteousness: The Character of Servanthood. This last division of the book, especially its central unit (60:1—62:12), reveals the completion of Israel’s mission to be a light to the nations (just as Isaiah’s declaration of God’s word to the nation fulfilled his experience of revelation and cleansing). However, the people’s inability to live righteous lives hinders their completing that mission (56:9—59:15a; 63:7—66:17). It is only as God enables them to live such lives by his mighty power that they are able to complete the mission (59:15b–21; 63:1–6). The goal of that mission is to produce righteous, worshiping Gentiles, which the opening and closing units signal (56:1–8; 66:18–24). While it is probable that Isaiah wrote this with the return from exile in mind, its primary purpose is completing the book’s theological message. Thus, while we could understand 56:9—59:15a and 63:7—66:17 as describing sinful behavior by the unregenerate, the order of the materials in the book makes it more likely that it describes the behavior of those who have been restored to fellowship with God (54:1—55:13) but have not availed themselves of the Servant-Warrior’s power to give them victory over sin in their lives.

56:1–8 Righteous Foreigners and Eunuchs. Redemption is not primarily a judicial proclamation; it is a spiritual rebirth issuing in changed behavior. Thus, people who are not part of the community by birth (foreigners) but yet keep the terms of God’s covenant for love’s sake are fully pleasing to God, as are persons who have no hope of ever having children to carry on the national heritage (eunuchs, v. 3). This corrects a possible misunderstanding of 40:1—55:13, namely, that grace is available to Israel merely because of election and therefore the people need not concern themselves with godly behavior.

56:1 This verse synthesizes the points of chs. 1–39 (righteousness is required but not achieved) and chs. 40–55 (redemption is through grace alone). Maintain justice and do what is right. The requirement for justice is still in place. my salvation . . . my righteousness. See note on 45:8. God makes righteous living possible through his grace.

56:2 The twin emphases on Sabbath-keeping (vv. 4, 6; cf. 58:13; 66:23) and refraining “from doing any evil” (“righteousness” occurs 14 times in 56:1—66:24; e.g., 57:12; 59:14; 61:3; 62:1, 2 [“vindication”]) express in concrete form the righteous behavior that should result from gracious salvation and that will constitute a witness to a watching world (cf. Ezek 36:23).

56:3 foreigner. See Exod 12:48–49; Num 9:14; Eph 2:11–13. eunuch. See Deut 23:1.

56:4 For such a person, see Acts 8:27. The ceremonial laws of the OT were God-designed symbols to teach spiritual truths. So physical wholeness was required of the worshiper as a symbol of spiritual wholeness. When the Holy Spirit wrote the new covenant on the heart (Jer 31:33; 2 Cor 3:3), the symbols, such as the prohibition in Deut 23:1, were no longer needed.

56:6 This is not Pharisaic righteousness but glad conformity to God’s wishes as conveyed through the “covenant” and all for the sake of “love.” Sabbath-keeping was a particular sign of the Sinai covenant (Exod 20:8–11; 31:12–17; 35:1–3).

56:7–8 The purpose of restoring “the exiles” and rebuilding God’s “house” is that the “nations” (i.e., the Gentiles) might also be “gathered” to worship God in his “house of prayer” (66:18–24).

56:7 my holy mountain. The temple; people in the ancient world thought the gods lived on mountains. Since Yahweh is the only God, then his place in Jerusalem is the only “holy mountain.” See 2:2; 11:9; 27:13; 57:13; 65:11, 25; 66:20.

56:9—59:21 Israel’s Inability to Do Righteousness. This strongly contrasts with 56:1–8. Despite the command of 56:1, Israel is unable to live a righteous life in its own strength. This has four parts: 56:9—57:13; 57:14–21; 58:1—59:15a; 59:15b–21.

56:9—57:13 God’s Accusation Against the Wicked. These descriptions of Israel’s behavior would have resonated with persons of Isaiah’s own day as well as those of later times. Their leaders, their “watchmen” (56:10), have failed them (56:9–12; cf. 28:7–8, 14–15). The “righteous” (57:1) have perished (57:1–2), and all those who remain worship idols (57:3–13; cf. 2:20; 17:8; 30:22).

56:9–12 Blind Watchmen. The “beasts” of sin (v. 9) are devouring Israel, because those who should be warning them of the danger are like “mute dogs” (v. 10; cf. Ezek 3:16–19). They do not give the alarm because they themselves have fallen prey to the temptation to self-indulgence: “sleep,” “appetites,” “their own way,” and “their own gain” (vv. 10–11).

57:1–2 A Righteous Generation Quietly Disappears. Although this could refer to any righteous generation, Isaiah might have had in mind the one that would return from exile full of faith and determination to live for God only to be replaced by a new generation that fell back into the self-indulgent paganism of the past. Some may have seen their deaths as some sort of judgment, but it was actually a blessing: they have been “spared” from the coming “evil.”

57:3–13 A Diatribe Against Worshipers of Idols. Idolatry opposes joyously submitting to the transcendent God (v. 13b). It attempts to manipulate the forces of nature for one’s own ends. For attacks on idolatry, see 40:18–20; 44:6–20; 45:20; 46:1–2; see also 65:3–7; 66:1–3. It is not clear that Isaiah is actually accusing the people of these specific practices. Clearly Judahites were doing these things in Isaiah’s own day, and they may have been ignorant enough of the Torah to be unaware of how contrary paganism is to worshiping Yahweh. That was certainly true of Manasseh (cf. 2 Kgs 21:2–7). But to the extent that chs. 56–66 look forward to the postexilic period, when explicitly pagan practices seem not as common, it is at least possible that the prophet is saying that a manipulative, cultic religiosity that laboriously conforms to certain legislated practices is nothing other than paganism of the grossest kind. Isa 65:2–5 and 66:1–3 seem to point in this direction.

57:3 But you. In contrast to the righteous dead. Elsewhere the OT calls worshiping other gods rather than Yahweh adultery and prostitution, because rejecting his covenant love compares to marital infidelity (e.g., Jer 5:7–9; Ezek 16; Hos 2:2–5; 4:10–14). children of a sorceress. Israel (cf. 2 Chr 33:6; Hos 5:7; Mal 3:5).

57:4 Who are you mocking? The righteous dead or perhaps the prophet. rebels. See note on 1:2.

57:5 among the oaks. See 1:29–30. spreading tree. See notes on 1:29; 17:8. sacrifice your children. Cf. 2 Kgs 3:27; Ezek 23:37–39.

57:7 bed on a high and lofty hill. Not only did idolatry involve spiritual adultery; it also involved actual sexual activities. Cf. Gen 38:15–22; Jer 3:6.

57:8 pagan symbols. Cf. Ezek 8:9–10. those whose beds you love. Cf. Ezek 23:5, 11–12, 19–21, which describe covenanted alliances with pagan nations in terms of sexual behavior.

57:9 Molek. The Ammonite god (cf. 1 Kgs 11:7). ambassadors . . . dead! Probably a reference to occult attempts to make some arrangement to defeat death (cf. 28:14–15).

57:11 dreaded. Cf. 8:12–13. true . . . remembered . . . taken . . . to heart. Thoughtful faithfulness. If Israel in the future would carefully consider all that Yahweh had done for them, especially through the servant (52:13—53:12), they would not have anything to do with idols. been silent. Not rushed to judgment. Cf. 26:9–10; Matt 13:24–30.

57:12 your righteousness. Actually, their lack of righteousness. God is mocking them.

57:13 This is transitional. The first two sentences conclude vv. 5–12 (the futility of idolatry), and the last sentence points ahead to vv. 14–21 (the “refuge” that Yahweh is for those who trust in him). my holy mountain. Jerusalem and the temple (see notes on 2:2; 56:7).

57:14–21 Comfort for the Contrite. Those who are “contrite” (v. 15), who confess their inability to live righteous lives and their attempts to exalt themselves through their idolatry, will find Yahweh more than ready to “revive” them (v. 15), “heal” them (v. 19), and encourage (“comfort”) them (v. 18). But the “wicked” will not find it so (vv. 20, 21).

57:14 road. See notes on 11:16; 35:8–10; 40:3–5.

57:15 A beautiful contrast: the “high and exalted One” (cf. 6:1; 52:13) dwells with the “contrite and lowly in spirit.” This is the other side of the theme that ch. 2 first introduces: those who attempt to exalt themselves (in part through worshiping idols) will only humiliate themselves (2:9, 11, 17–21). On the other hand, Yahweh will graciously lift up those who reverently affirm his incomparable holiness and will give them eternity to share his glory (see note on 55:5).

57:16–19 In this statement of divine grace, Yahweh is angered at the “willful” sin of humans (v. 17), but he chooses not to retain that anger (see note on 54:7–8). In Christ and through the Holy Spirit, he has made a way to “heal” those who mourn over their sin (v. 18) and give to them the wholeness (“peace,” v. 19) that he alone can offer. All that will necessarily issue in “praise” (v. 19; cf. 60:18; Exod 15:2; Pss 96:2; 116:13; Heb 13:15).

57:20–21 In typical fashion, Isaiah will not allow hopeful words to deafen his hearers to the real alternatives that exist in life (see note on 32:9–14).

57:21 See 48:22 and note. no peace. Those who persist in wickedness cannot know the “peace” that “my [Isaiah’s] God” offers (v. 21).

58:1—59:15a Declare Their Rebellion. After briefly revealing that God can enable people to be righteous, the prophet returns to describing how the people dismally failed to be so. This has four parts: an introduction (58:1–2), an example of their false religiosity in insincere fasting (58:3–12), an example of true religion in contrast (58:13–14), and a condemnation for and confession of their utter failure (59:1–15a).

58:1–2 The Sin of Hypocrisy. “The descendants of Jacob” act as though they really want to know God and his “ways.” But what they want is to have their way and God’s blessing at the same time. They do not seem able to understand that “for God to come near them” while they are in that state would mean disaster (cf. Mal 3:2–3).

58:3–12 False Versus True Fasting. Their fasting has been simply self-affliction in order to get favors from God. It has made them harsh and quarrelsome (vv. 3–5). True fasting involves forgetting oneself in caring for others (vv. 6–7, 9–10). That would be a God-produced “righteousness” (v. 8) that would be the “light” (vv. 8, 10; cf. 60:1–3) that Yahweh promised would shine out of them. Then Israel would be truly restored (vv. 11–12).

58:3 Their relationship with God is solely selfish and has not changed the way they relate to others, especially those under them (“your workers”).

58:5 humble themselves. They were not humbling themselves but seeking to exalt themselves for their rigorous religiosity (cf. Matt 6:16).

58:6–7 If they are going to stop doing something, God instructs them to stop being unjust and greedy in their relations with others, particularly with those weaker than themselves (cf. Matt 25:34–46).

58:8 rear guard. Language of the exodus and the return from exile (cf. 52:12; Exod 14:19–20). “Righteousness” lived out in relation to others, especially to those who cannot repay, is the true fruit of God’s gracious deliverance in such events as the exodus and the return from exile.

58:9–12 Unlike those whom vv. 1–2 describe, these persons who are manifesting godly character in how they treat others will have instant access to Yahweh, and his “light” (v. 10) will be visible to everyone. Furthermore, under his provision they will be “like a well-watered garden” (v. 11; contrast 1:29–31). They will be the true rebuilders of the nation (v. 12).

58:13–14 Sabbath-Keeping. Though it can become ritualistic, as it did for many in NT times (cf. Col 2:16), sincerely and gladly separating one day in the week for worshiping God and resting from one’s work can both express spiritual sincerity and be a source of renewed spiritual life (v. 14). It concretely expresses “not going your own way.” It also was a particular sign of faithfulness to the covenant (see 56:6 and note).

58:14 ride in triumph on the heights of the land. Cf. Hab 3:19.

59:1–15a Failure to Do Righteousness. The prophet condemns the people for failing to live righteous lives (vv. 1–8) and then speaks with them as together they admit the truth of the condemnation (vv. 9–15a). This confession is comparable to Isaiah’s own in 6:5.

59:1–2 Similar to 58:1–2; 64:12—65:1. It is not God’s fault that the people are not experiencing the reality of a saving relationship; they are not sincere. They prefer to live in their sin while having the appearance of a relationship with God.

59:1 arm of the LORD. His divine power as especially manifested in his servant (cf. 51:5).

59:3 stained with blood. Metaphorically true and perhaps actually so (see vv. 6–7; cf. 1:15).

59:5–6 Graphically illustrates futile and deadly behavior.

59:7–8 Paul quotes v. 7 and the first phrase of v. 8 in Rom 3:15–17 as part of his collection of OT passages showing how thoroughly sin has corrupted humanity.

59:8 peace. See notes on 9:6; 57:16–19. paths . . . roads. See notes on 11:16; 35:8–10; 40:3–5.

59:9 Although Yahweh commanded the people to keep “justice” and do “righteousness” to express the salvation that is theirs through the work of the servant (56:1), they confess that such behavior is “far from” them (see v. 14)—so is the “light” that was supposed to shine out of them to the world (cf. 42:16; 60:3). They are in the “darkness,” like those in 8:20–22.

59:12 offenses . . . sins . . . iniquities. Translate the three most significant Hebrew terms for sin in the OT (see Ps 32:5 and note). Incorporating all three makes this confession comprehensive.

59:13 The sinful behavior is intentional.

59:15b–21 The Divine Warrior, Solution to the Problem. This passage stands between dramatically contrasting sections (56:9—59:15a; 60:1—62:12) and explains the difference. When the mighty Warrior does his full work in the life of the believer, then the people of God, helpless in themselves, will indeed be the lamps through which the light of God will shine in the world.

59:15 This verse is transitional (cf. 57:13): the first sentence concludes the former thought, and the second sentence introduces the following one.

59:16 no one to intervene. Cf. Gen 18:27–33; Ezek 22:30. arm. This person is the servant of 49:1—55:13 in whom God’s power of salvation is displayed. See notes on 40:10–11; 51:9.

59:17 breastplate . . . helmet . . . garments. These accoutrements of battle depict the “arm” of the Lord (v. 16) in starkly different terms than those of 52:13—53:12. Perhaps the difference is that there he deals with the guilt of sin; here, the power of sin. Salvation must address both. See Eph 6:10–17, where Paul pictures the Christian believer putting on this kind of armor to “stand against the devil’s schemes” (Eph 6:11).