Bibelkommentare

Ch. 48. Exhortations addressed to the Exiles in the near Prospect of Deliverance

The chapter is largely a recapitulation of certain outstanding themes of the prophecy, several of which are here touched upon for the last time. The references to the victories of Cyrus, the predictions of the fall of Babylon, the appeal to prophecy, and the distinction between “former things” and “new things” henceforth disappear from the circle of the author’s thoughts, along with other familiar subjects, such as the polemic against idolatry and the impressive inculcation of the sole deity of Jehovah. This circumstance indicates that we have reached the end of the first great division of the prophecy, and the impression is confirmed by the closing hymn of praise, which carries us forward to the very eve of the departure from Babylon. On some critical difficulties of the passage see the introductory notes to Isaiah 48:1-11; Isaiah 48:17-19, below.

There are four distinct sections:

(i) Isaiah 48:1-11. The prophet vindicates the methods of Jehovah’s revelation to Israel; predictions have been given and withheld in such a way as to remove every excuse for attributing the great events of history to any other cause than the will of God.

(ii) Isaiah 48:12-16. An instance of the withholding of prophecy till the eve of its accomplishment is the present announcement of the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus; it is the crowning proof of Jehovah’s abiding presence with His people.

(iii) Isaiah 48:17-19. Jehovah’s compassion finds expression in a cry of distress over the neglect of His commandments, which has stood in the way of Israel’s salvation.

(iv) Isaiah 48:20-22. In a final jubilant outburst of praise, the exiles are summoned to flee from Babylon, whose power is already broken, and to proclaim the marvels of their redemption to the ends of the earth.

1. Hear ye this] refers to the following oracle, which commences with Isaiah 48:3 (cf. Isaiah 46:3 and Isaiah 48:12). The rest of Isaiah 48:1 f. is an editorial insertion, in the view of Duhm and Cheyne (see above).

which are called] Or, which call themselves, as in Isaiah 48:2 (cf. ch. Isaiah 44:5). For the remnant of the tribe of Judah, whom the author has in his view, the name “Israel” was really a title of honour.

out of the waters of Judah] The metaphor can be explained from Psalm 68:26 (R.V.), where the ancestor of the nation is compared to a fountain or cistern. It is perhaps better, however, to read (with Secker) mimm‘ê for mimmê, rendering from the bowels (as Isaiah 48:19) of Judah.

To swear by the name of the Lord is a profession of allegiance to Him, and as such is enjoined as a religious duty (Deuteronomy 6:13; Deuteronomy 10:20).

make mention of] i.e. celebrate; Psalm 20:7. The words not in truth, nor in righteousness do not refer specially to false swearing, but mean that the profession is formal and insincere.

1–11. These verses present some peculiar features, both of thought and style, which have been felt by scholars representing widely diverging critical tendencies. The severe judgement on the people goes beyond anything else in the prophecy; and, as has been pointed seems to breathe the spirit of Ezekiel rather than of the second Isaiah. Israel is addressed as a nation of hypocrites, of apostates, and of persistent idolaters. Then the argument of the passage as a whole is very remarkable. The “former things” (i.e. the events that have just taken place) were announced long beforehand, lest Israel should be led to ascribe them to some false god (Isaiah 48:3-6 a); but the “new things” (the subject of the present prophecy) have been “hidden” till the last moment, lest the people in their perversity should say they had known of them all along (6 b–8). Duhm and Cheyne agree in assigning these peculiarities to an editor, who has supplied a running commentary on the words of the original author, in the shape of annotations. There is much in the section which would be more intelligible if inserted by a later writer; but the method attributed to the editor is peculiar, and no motive suggests itself for his systematic attempt to correct the tendency of this isolated passage. The difficulties are perhaps exaggerated; the stern attitude towards the nation is not without parallels (see ch. Isaiah 45:9 ff., and on ch. Isaiah 46:8), and the special development of the argument from prophecy cannot be shown to involve a radical inconsistency with the prophet’s general conceptions.

2. of (or by) the holy city] The phrase is here applied to Jerusalem for the first time in the O.T. It occurs again in ch. Isaiah 52:1, elsewhere only in the books of Nehemiah and Daniel (comp. Matthew 4:5).

3–6 a inculcate the lesson of the “former things,” i.e. the events that have now taken place, especially the appearance of Cyrus. These were predicted in advance, that Israel might not be able to say they were done by the false gods (Isaiah 48:5).

3. For from the beginning, render beforehand, or (as R.V.) “from of old.”

they (the predictions) went forth out of my mouth … I did them] brought the events to pass; the rî’shônôth including both the predictions and their historical fulfilments (see on ch. Isaiah 41:22).

4. Cf. Ezekiel 3:7-9.

thy neck is an iron sinew] Cf. for the idea Exodus 32:9; Deuteronomy 9:6; Deuteronomy 9:13.

5. I have even … thee] And I announced it to thee beforehand (Isaiah 48:3).

lest thou shouldest say &c.] But for the predictions the appearance of Cyrus would have been attributed to the idols rather than to the God who spoke through the prophets. The prevalence of idolatry among the exiles is abundantly proved by the book of Ezekiel.

6. see all this] see it all (sc. fulfilled).

and will not ye declare it?] Better (with the change of a consonant) and you, will ye not bear witness? (Duhm). Cf. ch. Isaiah 43:12.

6 b–8. Jehovah has proved His power to foretell by the fulfilment of past predictions (vv.3–6 a); now He announces new things.

I have shewed thee] Rather: I shew thee (in the act of speaking).

new things] viz. those specified in Isaiah 48:14,—the conquest of Babylon and all that results from it, the deliverance of Israel, the overthrow of heathenism and the manifestation of the glory of Jehovah.

hidden things] Lit. “things kept” (in reserve). and thou didst not know them] which thou hast not known (R.V.). With the exception of one letter the clause coincides with one in Jeremiah 33:3 (“difficult things which thou knowest not”).

7. They are created now] To create is to call into being by a word; and the idea here seems to be that the prophetic word which announces, is at the same time the creative fiat of Jehovah.

not from the beginning] not aforetime (see Isaiah 48:3).

even before the day when &c.] Render with R.V. and before this day thou heardest them not. The phrase “before the day” means “heretofore,” the opposite of “from this day forth” in ch. Isaiah 43:13.

Behold, I knew them] The events would have lost the effect of novelty if announced long before. Unbelief dies hard; when it can no longer say, “My idol did it,” it is apt to take refuge in another subterfuge and say, “It is what I expected.”