Isaiah 43
43
1But now thus saith Jehovah, that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 2When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 3For I am Jehovah thy God#GodHebrew: Elohim the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. 4Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee; and I will give men for thee, and peoples for thy life. 5Fear not, for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; 6I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the end of the earth, 7every one that is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory: I have formed him, yea, I have made him.
8Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears. 9Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled: who among them declareth this, or causeth us to hear former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified; or let them hear, and say, It is truth. 10Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am HE: before me there was no ·God#GodHebrew: El formed, neither shall there be after me. 11I, I am Jehovah; and besides me there is no saviour. 12It is I that have declared, and have saved, and have shewed, when there was no strange god among you; and ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, that I am ·God#GodHebrew: El 13Yea, since the day was, I am HE, and there is none that delivereth out of my hand: I will work, and who shall hinder it?
14Thus saith Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought all of them down as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships. 15I am Jehovah, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. 16Thus saith Jehovah, who maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters, 17who bringeth forth chariot and horse, army and power — they lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched as tow: 18— Remember not the former things, neither consider the ancient things: 19behold, I do a new thing; now it shall spring forth: shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the waste. 20The beast of the field shall glorify me, the jackals and the ostriches; for I will give waters in the wilderness, rivers in the waste, to give drink to my people, my chosen. 21This people have I formed for myself: they shall shew forth my praise.
22— But thou hast not called upon me, Jacob; for thou hast been weary of me, O Israel: 23thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt-offerings, neither hast thou glorified me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to toil with an oblation, nor wearied thee with incense. 24Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices; but thou hast made me to toil with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities. 25— I, I am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and I will not remember thy sins. 26Put me in remembrance, let us plead together; rehearse thine own cause, that thou mayest be justified. 27Thy first father hath sinned, and thy mediators have rebelled against me. 28And I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the ban, and Israel to reproaches.
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Isaiah 43: DARBY
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Isaiah 43
43
Promise of Restoration
1Now, this is what Yahweh says:
“Listen, Jacob, to the One who created you,
Israel, to the one who shaped who you are. # 43:1 Jacob was created, but Israel was formed. God forms (transforms) Jacob into Israel. God is seen here as the one who changes the nature of man. See Gen. 32:28.
Do not fear,
for I, your Kinsman-Redeemer, will rescue you.
I have called you by name, and you are mine.
2When you pass through # 43:2 God’s method of deliverance is often not “out of” but “through.” His presence as we go through difficulties becomes our deliverance. See Ps. 23:4. the deep, stormy sea,
you can count on me to be there with you.
When you pass through raging rivers,
you will not drown.
When you walk through persecution like fiery flames,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not harm you,
3for I am your Savior, Yahweh, your mighty God,
the Holy One of Israel!
I give up Egypt as the price to set you free,
Cush and Seba in exchange to bring you back. # 43:3 Seba was an African nation that bordered Egypt. God was saying that there is no price too high for him to pay to set his people free. In the days of Isaiah, these nations (Egypt, Cush, and Seba) were united as one dynasty. They were given in exchange, as it were, to Persia for Israel’s future deliverance through the successors of Cyrus.
4Since you are cherished and precious # 43:4 Or “dear,” “costly,” or “of great price.” in my eyes,
and because I love you dearly and want to honor # 43:4 This is the Hebrew word for “glory” (kabod). you,
I willingly give up nations in exchange for you—
a man # 43:4 Or “people” (Hb. adam). God gave up a Man (the last “Adam,” 1 Cor. 15:45) for those who are precious to him. to save your life.
5I am with you now, even close to you,
so never yield to fear.
I will bring your children # 43:5 Or “your seed.” from the east;
from the west I will gather you.
6I will say to the north, ‘Hand them over!’
and to the south, ‘Don’t hold them back!’
Bring me my sons from far away,
my daughters from the ends of the earth!
7Bring me everyone who is called by my name, # 43:7 Isaiah was prophesying Israel’s restoration and foretelling a great worldwide harvest among the nations as a fulfillment of the Feast of Ingathering (Harvest), also known as the Feast of Tabernacles.
the ones I created to experience my glory. # 43:7 Or “for my glory.”
I myself formed them to be who they are
and made them for my glory.” # 43:7 We were created both to bring God glory and to experience his glory. See Rom. 8:30; Rev. 4:11.
God’s Witness
8Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,
those who have ears but are deaf.
9Let all the nations gather together and the people assemble.
Which of their gods # 43:9 Or “Who of them.” prophesied this?
Which of them foretold what is about to happen?
Let them bring out their witnesses to make their case;
let them take the stand and testify, “It is true.”
10Yahweh says, “You are my witnesses, my chosen servants.
I chose you in order that you would know me intimately,
believe me always, and fully understand that I am the only God.
There was no god before me,
and there will be no other god after me.
11I, only I, am Yahweh, and there is no Savior-God but me.
12I am the only one who revealed this to you.
I saved you, foretold # 43:12 Or “proclaimed,” a word often used for proclaiming what is to come (see v. 9). the future, and brought it to pass.
It was not some foreign god who did this!
You are my witnesses that I am God,” declares Yahweh.
13“From the very beginning, I am the only God! # 43:13 Or “Ever since day was, I am he.”
No one can be snatched from my hand. # 43:13 See John 10:28–29.
When I choose to act, who can reverse it?”
God, Israel’s Protector
14This is what Yahweh,
your Kinsman-Redeemer, # 43:14 It is a beautiful thought that the Holy One, who must punish evil, is also our Kinsman-Redeemer. He loves us so much that he became the sacrifice to return us to God. See Lev. 25:25; Ruth 3:9; 4:14; Isa. 44:24. the Holy One of Israel, says:
“For your good, I will send for the Babylonians;
I will bring them all as fugitives
and turn the shouting of the Chaldeans into mourning. # 43:14 Or “in ships their joyful shout.” The Hebrew of this clause is uncertain.
15I am Yahweh, your Holy One and your King,
the Creator of Israel.”
God Will Do a New Thing
16Yahweh is the one who makes a way in the sea,
a pathway in the mighty waters. # 43:16 Jesus, walking on the water, made a way (or journey) in the sea. See Ps. 77:19.
17He destroyed # 43:17 Or “led out [to destruction].” chariots and horses # 43:17 Chariots and horses are frequent biblical metaphors for the strength of the flesh.
and all their mighty warriors.
They fell, never to rise again—
gone forever, snuffed out like a wick. This is what he says:
18“Stop dwelling on the past.
Don’t even remember these former things.
19I am doing something brand new, something unheard of.
Even now it sprouts and grows and matures.
Don’t you perceive it? # 43:19 See Amos 3:7.
I will make a way in the wilderness
and open up flowing streams # 43:19 Or “paths” (Dead Sea scroll 1QIsaa). See John 7:37–39. in the desert.
20Wild beasts, # 43:20 The beast is a common biblical metaphor for human nature. See Ps. 73:22. jackals, and owls will glorify me. # 43:20 The Hebrew word for “jackals” (tannim) can also be translated “dragon.”
For I supply streams of water in the desert
and rivers in the wilderness
to satisfy the thirst of my people, my chosen ones,
21so that you, whom I have shaped and formed for myself,
will proclaim my praise. # 43:21 See 1 Peter 2:9–10.
22Yet you did not call out to me, O Jacob.
Are you so weary # 43:22 Or “weary yourself [with longing].” of me, O Israel?
23You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings
or honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you by requiring many grain offerings
or wearied you with demands for frankincense.
24You did not buy me fragrant calamus reeds
or lavish me with the fat of your sacrifices. # 43:24 See Heb. 13:15.
Instead, you have burdened me with your many sins
and wearied me with your evil deeds.
25I, yes I, am the One and Only, # 43:25 This is doubly emphatic in the Hebrew. God refers to himself with fifteen emphatic personal pronouns in this chapter.
who completely erases your sins, never to be seen again.
I will not remember them again.
Freely I do this because of who I am! # 43:25 Or “for my own sake.”
26Help me remember the past. Let’s debate!
Bring me your version to prove your innocence.
27Your earliest ancestor # 43:27 Some believe this to be a reference to Abraham, Jacob, or Adam. sinned,
and your spokesmen # 43:27 This is most likely the teaching priests. rebelled against me.
28So I brought disgrace on the holy priests
of the holy sanctuary # 43:28 One ancient manuscript reads “Your rulers [priests] profaned my holy sanctuary.”
and brought destruction to Jacob,
humiliation and scorn to Israel.
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