1Slyšte toto, dome Jákobův, totiž ti, kdo se nazývají Izraelovým jménem a vyšli z Judových beder, přísahají v Hospodinově jménu a připomínají Boha Izraele, avšak ne v pravdě ani ve spravedlnosti, 2ačkoliv se nazývají podle svatého města a opírají se o Boha Izraele — Hospodin zástupů je jeho jméno: 3Dřívější věci jsem odedávna oznámil, z mých úst vyšly a rozhlásil jsem je, náhle jsem způsobil, že přišly. 4Protože jsem věděl, že jsi zatvrzelý, šlacha železná je tvoje šíje a tvé čelo je bronzové, 5oznamoval jsem ti ty věci předem. Zvěstoval jsem ti je dříve, než přišly, abys neřekl: Mé zpodobení to učinilo, moje tesaná modla či má odlitá modla to přikázala. 6Slyšel jsi to a nyní na to všechno pohleď. A vy — což to nebudete oznamovat? Způsobil jsem, že od nynějška uslyšíš nové věci, skryté, které jsi neznal. 7Nyní byly stvořeny, nikoli dříve, dodnes jsi o nich neslyšel, abys neřekl: Hle, věděl jsem to. 8Neslyšel jsi, ani jsi nevěděl; tvé ucho nebylo dříve otevřeno, protože jsem věděl, že budeš stále jednat zrádně, vždyť vzbouřencem jsi byl nazván od matčina lůna. 9Kvůli svému jménu zdržuji svůj hněv a pro svou chválu se vůči tobě krotím, abych tě nevyhladil. 10Hle, přečistil jsem tě, ale ne jako stříbro, vyzkoušel jsem tě v peci soužení. 11Kvůli sobě, kvůli sobě samému to učiním, vždyť jak může být mé jméno znesvěcováno? Svou slávu jinému nedám. 12Slyš mě, Jákobe, Izraeli, můj povolaný. Já jsem, já jsem první, já jsem také poslední. 13Ano, má ruka založila zemi a má pravice rozestřela nebesa; volám na ně a společně se postaví. 14Shromážděte se, vy všichni, a slyšte: Kdo z nich oznámil tyto věci? Ten, kterého Hospodin miluje, vykoná jeho záměr s Babylonem a jeho paže bude na Chaldejcích. 15Já, já sám jsem promluvil a také jsem ho povolal. Přivedl jsem ho a dopřeji úspěch jeho cestě. 16Přistupte ke mně, slyšte toto: Od počátku jsem nemluvil tajně, od chvíle, kdy to nastalo, já jsem při tom. A nyní mne poslal Panovník Hospodin se svým Duchem. 17Toto praví Hospodin, tvůj vykupitel, Svatý Izraele: Já jsem Hospodin, tvůj Bůh, který tě vyučuje ke tvému prospěchu, který tě vodí cestou, po níž půjdeš. 18Kéž bys pozorně naslouchal mým příkazům! Tvůj pokoj by byl jako řeka a tvá spravedlnost jako mořské vlny, 19tvého potomstva by bylo jako písku, potomků z tvého lůna jako jeho zrnek; nebylo by vyhlazeno ani vyhubeno jeho jméno přede mnou. 20Vyjděte z Babylona, utečte od Chaldejců, se zvukem jásotu to oznamujte a rozhlašujte, přineste to až na konec země. Prohlašte: Hospodin vykoupil svého otroka Jákoba! 21Neměli žízeň, když je vodil pustinami. Nechal pro ně prýštit vodu ze skály; rozdělil skálu a vytryskla voda. 22Ničemové nemají pokoj, praví Hospodin.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE THINGS THAT BEFALL BABYLON JEHOVAH PREDICTED LONG BEFORE, LEST ISRAEL SHOULD ATTRIBUTE THEM, IN ITS "OBSTINATE" PERVERSITY, TO STRANGE GODS (
Isa 48:1-
Isa 48:5). (Isa. 48:1-22)
the waters of Judah--spring from the fountain of Judah (
Num 24:7;
Deut 33:28;
Ps 68:26; Margin). Judah has the "fountain" attributed to it, because it survived the ten tribes, and from it Messiah was to spring.
swear by . . . Lord-- (
Isa 19:18;
Isa 45:23;
Isa 65:16).
mention--in prayers and praises.
not in truth-- (
Jer 5:2;
John 4:24).
2 For--Ye deserve these reproofs; "for" ye call yourselves citizens of "the holy city" (
Isa 52:1), but not in truth (
Isa 48:1;
Neh 11:1;
Dan 9:24); so the inscription on their coins of the time of the Maccabees. "Jerusalem the Holy."
3 former--things which have happened in time past to Israel (
Isa 42:9;
Isa 44:7-
Isa 44:8;
Isa 45:21;
Isa 46:10).
suddenly--They came to pass so unexpectedly that the prophecy could not have resulted from mere human sagacity.
4 obstinate--Hebrew, "hard" (
Deut 9:27;
Ezek 3:7, Margin).
iron sinew--inflexible (
Acts 7:51).
brow brass--shameless as a harlot (see
Jer 6:28;
Jer 3:3;
Ezek 3:7, Margin).
5 (See on
Isa 48:1;
Isa 48:3).
6 Thou, &c.--So "ye are my witnesses" (
Isa 43:10). Thou canst testify the prediction was uttered long before the fulfilment: "see all this," namely, that the event answers to the prophecy.
declare--make the fact known as a proof that Jehovah alone is God (
Isa 44:8).
new things--namely, the deliverance from Babylon by Cyrus, new in contradistinction from former predictions that had been fulfilled (
Isa 42:9;
Isa 43:19). Antitypically, the prophecy has in view the "new things" of the gospel treasury (
Song 7:13;
Matt 13:52;
2Cor 5:17;
Rev 21:5). From this point forward, the prophecies as to Messiah's first and second advents and the restoration of Israel, have a new circumstantial distinctness, such as did not characterize the previous ones, even of Isaiah. Babylon, in this view, answers to the mystical Babylon of Revelation.
hidden--which could not have been guessed by political sagacity (
Dan 2:22,
Dan 2:29;
1Cor 2:9-10).
7 Not like natural results from existing causes, the events when they took place were like acts of creative power, such as had never before been "from the beginning."
even before the day when--rather [MAURER], "And before the day (of their occurrence) thou hast not heard of them"; that is, by any human acuteness; they are only heard of by the present inspired announcement.
8 heardest not--repeated, as also "knewest not," from
Isa 48:7.
from that time--Mine anger towards thee. Omit "that." "Yea, from "the first thine ear did not open itself," namely, to obey them [ROSENMULLER]. "To open the ear" denotes obedient attention (
Isa 50:5); or, "was not opened" to receive them; that is, they were not declared by Me to thee previously, since, if thou hadst been informed of them, such is thy perversity, thou couldst not have been kept in check [MAURER]. In the former view, the sense of the words following is, "For I knew that, if I had not foretold the destruction of Babylon so plainly that there could be no perverting of it, thou wouldst have perversely ascribed it to idols, or something else than to Me" (
Isa 48:5). Thus they would have relapsed into idolatry, to cure them of which the Babylonian captivity was sent: so they had done (
Exod 32:4). After the return, and ever since, they have utterly forsaken idols.
wast called--as thine appropriate appellation (
Isa 9:6).
from the womb--from the beginning of Israel's national existence (
Isa 44:2).
9 refrain--literally, "muzzle"; His wrath, after the return, was to be restrained a while, and then, because of their sins, let loose again (
Ps 78:38).
for thee--that is, that--omit "that": "From thee."
10 (See on
Isa 1:25).
with silver--rather, "for silver." I sought by affliction to purify thee, but thou wast not as silver obtained by melting, but as dross [GESENIUS]. Thy repentance is not complete: thou art not yet as refined silver. ROSENMULLER explains, "not as silver," not with the intense heat needed to melt silver (it being harder to melt than gold), that is, not with the most extreme severity. The former view is better (
Isa 1:25;
Isa 42:25;
Ezek 22:18-
Ezek 22:20,
Ezek 22:22).
chosen--or else [LOWTH], tried . . . proved: according to GESENIUS, literally, "to rub with the touchstone," or to cut in pieces so as to examine (
Zech 13:9;
Mal 3:3;
1Pet 1:7).
11 how should my name--MAURER, instead of "My name" from
Isa 48:9, supplies "My glory" from the next clause; and translates, "How (shamefully) My glory has been profaned!" In English Version the sense is, "I will refrain (
Isa 48:9, that is, not utterly destroy thee), for why should I permit My name to be polluted, which it would be, if the Lord utterly destroyed His elect people" (
Ezek 20:9)?
not give my glory unto another--If God forsook His people for ever, the heathen would attribute their triumph over Israel to their idols; so God's glory would be given to another.
12 The Almighty, who has founded heaven and earth, can, and will, restore His people.
the first . . . last-- (
Isa 41:4;
Isa 44:6).
13 spanned--measured out (
Isa 40:12).
when I call . . . stand up together-- (
Isa 40:26;
Jer 33:25). But it is not their creation so much which is meant, as that, like ministers of God, the heavens and the earth are prepared at His command to execute His decrees (
Ps 119:91) [ROSENMULLER].
14 among them--among the gods and astrologers of the Chaldees (
Isa 41:22;
Isa 43:9;
Isa 44:7).
Lord . . . loved him; he will, &c.--that is, "He whom the Lord hath loved will do," &c. [LOWTH]; namely, Cyrus (
Isa 44:28;
Isa 45:1,
Isa 45:13;
Isa 46:11). However, Jehovah's language of love is too strong to apply to Cyrus, except as type of Messiah, to whom alone it fully applies (
Rev 5:2-
Rev 5:5).
his pleasure--not Cyrus' own, but Jehovah's.
15 brought--led him on his way.
he--change from the first to the third person [BARNES]. Jehovah shall make his (Cyrus') way prosperous.
16 not . . . in secret-- (
Isa 45:19). Jehovah foretold Cyrus' advent, not with the studied ambiguity of heathen oracles, but plainly.
from the time, &c.--From the moment that the purpose began to be accomplished in the raising up of Cyrus I was present.
sent me--The prophet here speaks, claiming attention to his announcement as to Cyrus, on the ground of his mission from God and His Spirit. But he speaks not in his own person so much as in that of Messiah, to whom alone in the fullest sense the words apply (
Isa 61:1;
John 10:36). Plainly,
Isa 49:1, which is the continuation of the forty-eighth chapter, from
Isa 48:16, where the change of speaker from God (
Isa 48:1,
Isa 48:12-
Isa 48:15) begins, is the language of Messiah.
Luke 4:1,
Luke 4:14,
Luke 4:18, shows that the Spirit combined with the Father in sending the Son: therefore "His Spirit" is nominative to "sent," not accusative, following it.
17 teacheth . . . to profit--by affliction, such as the Babylonish captivity, and the present long-continued dispersion of Israel (
Heb 12:10).
18 peace-- (
Ps 119:165). Compare the desire expressed by the same Messiah (
Matt 23:37;
Luke 19:42).
river-- (
Isa 33:21;
Isa 41:18), a river flowing from God's throne is the symbol of free, abundant, and ever flowing blessings from Him (
Ezek 47:1;
Zech 14:8;
Rev 22:1).
righteousness--religious prosperity; the parent of "peace" or national prosperity; therefore "peace" corresponds to "righteousness" in the parallelism (
Isa 32:17).
19 sand--retaining the metaphor of "the sea" (
Isa 48:18).
like the gravel thereof--rather, as the Hebrew, "like that (the offspring) of its (the sea's) bowels"; referring to the countless living creatures, fishes, &c., of the sea, rather than the gravel [MAURER]. JEROME, Chaldee, and Syriac support English Version.
his name . . . cut off--transition from the second person, "thy," to the third "his." Israel's name was cut off "as a nation" during the Babylonish captivity; also it is so now, to which the prophecy especially looks (
Rom 11:20).
20 Go . . . forth . . . end of the earth--Primarily, a prophecy of their joyful deliverance from Babylon, and a direction that they should leave it when God opened the way. But the publication of it "to the ends of the earth" shows it has a more world-wide scope antitypically;
Rev 18:4 shows that the mystical Babylon is ultimately meant.
redeemed . . . Jacob-- (
Isa 43:1;
Isa 44:22-
Isa 44:23).
21 Ezra, in describing the return, makes no mention of God cleaving the rock for them in the desert [KIMCHI]. The circumstances, therefore, of the deliverance from Egypt (
Exod 17:6;
Num 20:11;
Ps 78:15;
Ps 105:41) and of that from Babylon, are blended together; the language, while more immediately referring to the latter deliverance, yet, as being blended with circumstances of the former not strictly applicable to the latter, cannot wholly refer to either, but to the mystic deliverance of man under Messiah, and literally to the final restoration of Israel.
22 Repeated (
Isa 57:21). All the blessings just mentioned (
Isa 48:21) belong only to the godly, not to the wicked. Israel shall first cast away its wicked unbelief before it shall inherit national prosperity (
Zech 12:10-
Zech 12:14;
Zech 13:1,
Zech 13:9;
Zech 14:3,
Zech 14:14,
Zech 14:20-
Zech 14:21). The sentiment holds good also as to all wicked men (
Job 15:20-
Job 15:25,
Job 15:31-
Job 15:34).
Messiah, as the ideal Israel (
Isa 49:3), states the object of His mission, His want of success for a time, yet His certainty of ultimate success.
