22. holes--caught by their foes in the caverns where they had sought refuge [Barnes]. Or bound in subterranean dungeons [Maurer].
prison-houses--either literal prisons, or their own houses, whence they dare not go forth for fear of the enemy. The connection is: Notwithstanding God's favor to His people for His righteousness' sake ([Is 42:21]), they have fallen into misery (the Babylonish and Romish captivities and their present dispersion), owing to their disregard of the divine law: spiritual imprisonment is included ([Is 42:7]).
none saith, Restore--There is no deliverer ([Is 63:5]).
23. A call that they should be warned by the past judgments of God to obey Him for the time to come.
24. Who--Their calamity was not the work of chance, but God's immediate act for their sins.
Jacob ... Israel ... we--change from the third to the first person; Isaiah first speaking to them as a prophet, distinct from them; then identifying himself with them, and acknowledging His share in the nation's sins (compare [Jos 5:1]).
25. him--Israel ([Is 42:24]).
strength of battle--violence of war.
it--the battle or war (compare [Is 10:16]).
knew not--knew not the lesson of repentance which the judgment was intended to teach ([Is 5:13]; ; [Jr 5:3]).
Chapter 43
Is 43:1-28. A Succession of Arguments Wherein Israel May Be Assured that, Notwithstanding Their Perversity towards God (Is 42:25), He Will Deliver and Restore Them
1. But now--notwithstanding God's past just judgments for Israel's sins.
created--not only in the general sense, but specially created as a peculiar people unto Himself ([Is 43:7], 15, 21; [Is 44:2], 21, 24). So believers, "created in Christ Jesus" ([Ep 2:10]), "a peculiar people" ([1Pe 2:9]).
redeemed--a second argument why they should trust Him besides creation. The Hebrew means to ransom by a price paid in lieu of the captives (compare [Is 43:3]). Babylon was to be the ransom in this case, that is, was to be destroyed, in order that they might be delivered; so Christ became a curse, doomed to death, that we might be redeemed.
called ... by ... name--not merely "called" in general, as in [Is 42:6]; ; , but designated as His own peculiar people (compare [Is 45:3], ; [Ex 32:1]; ; [Joh 10:3]).
2. rivers ... not overflow thee--so in passing Jordan, though at its "overflow," when its "swellings" were especially dangerous ([Jos 3:15]; [Jr 12:5]).
waters ... fire--a proverbial phrase for the extremest perils ([Psa 66:12]; also [Psa 138:7]). Literally fulfilled at the Red Sea ([Ex 14:21], ), and in the case of the three youths cast into the fiery furnace for conscience' sake ([Da 3:25], ).
3. Egypt for thy ransom--Either Egypt or Israel must perish; God chose that Egypt, though so much more mighty, should be destroyed, in order that His people might be delivered; thus Egypt stood, instead of Israel, as a kind of "ransom." The Hebrew, kopher, means properly "that with which anything is overlaid," as the pitch with which the ark was overlaid; hence that which covers over sins, an atonement. Nebuchadnezzar had subdued Egypt, Ethiopia (Hebrew, Cush), and Saba (descended from Cush, [Ge 10:7], probably Meroe of Ethiopia, a great island formed by the Astaboras and the Nile, conquered by Cambyses, successor of Cyrus). Cyrus received these from God with the rest of the Babylonian dominions, in consideration of his being about to deliver Israel. However, the reference may be to the three years' war in which Sargon overcame these countries, and so had his attention diverted from Israel (see on [Is 20:1]) [Vitringa]. But the reference is probably more general, namely, to all the instances in which Jehovah sacrificed mighty heathen nations, when the safety of Israel required it.
4. Since--All along from the beginning; for there was never a time when Israel was not Jehovah's people. The apodosis should be at, "I will give." "Since ever thou wast precious in My sight, honorable, and that I loved thee, I will give," &c. [Maurer]. Gesenius, as English Version, takes "Since" to mean, "Inasmuch as." If the apodosis be as in English Version, "Since thou wast precious" will refer to the time when God called His people out of Egypt, manifesting then first the love which He had from everlasting towards them ([Jr 31:3]; [Ho 11:1]); "honorable" and "loved," refer to outward marks of honor and love from God.
men ... people--other nations for thee (so [Is 43:3]).
thy life--thy person.
5. ([De 30:3]).
seed--descendants scattered in all lands. Vitringa understands it of the spiritual "seed" of the Church produced by mystical regeneration: for the expression is, "bring," not "bring back." This sense is perhaps included, but not to the exclusion of the literal Israel's restoration ([Jr 30:10], ; [Am 9:9]; [Zec 2:6-13]).
6. Give up--namely, My people.
sons ... daughters--The feminine joined to the masculine expresses the complete totality of anything ([Zec 9:17]).
7. called by my name--belong to Israel, whose people, as sons of God, bear the name of their Father ([Is 44:5]; ).
for my glory--([Is 43:21]; [Is 29:23]).
8. Solemn challenge given by God to the nations to argue with Him the question of His superiority to their idols, and His power to deliver Israel ([Is 41:1]).
blind people--the Gentiles, who also, like Israel ([Is 42:19]), are blind (spiritually), though having eyes; that is, natural faculties, whereby they might know God ([Ro 1:20], ) [Lowth]. Or else, the Jews [Vitringa].
9. who ... can declare this--who among the idolatrous soothsayers hath predicted this; that is, as to Cyrus being the deliverer of Israel?
former--predictions, as in [Is 42:9] [Maurer]. Or, things that shall first come to pass (see on [Is 41:21], ) [Barnes].
let them bring forth their witnesses--as I do mine ([Is 43:10]).
justified--declared veracious in their pretended prophecies.
or--rather, "and"; let men hear their prediction and say, from the event, It is verified (see on [Is 41:26]).
10. Ye--the Jews, to whom I have given predictions, verified by the event; and in delivering whom I have so often manifested My power (see [Is 43:3], ; [Is 44:8]).
and my servant--that is, the whole Jewish people ([Is 41:8]).
believe--trust in.
formed--before I existed none of the false gods were formed. "Formed" applies to the idols, not to God. [Re 1:11] uses the same language to prove the Godhead of Jesus, as Isaiah here to prove the Godhead of Jehovah.
11. Lord--Jehovah.
saviour--temporally, from Babylon: eternally, from sin and hell ([Ho 13:4]; [Ac 4:12]). The same titles as are applied to God are applied to Jesus.
12. declared--predicted the future ([Is 41:22], ).
saved--the nation, in past times of danger.
showed--namely, that I was God.
when ... no strange god, &c.--to whom the predictions uttered by Me could be assigned. "Strange" means foreign, introduced from abroad.