Commentari biblici

1. Yet now] But now; marking the contrast, exactly as in ch. Isaiah 43:1.

Isaiah 44:1-5. Once more the gloom of the present is lighted up by the promise of a brilliant future; the Divine spirit shall be poured out on Israel, and strangers shall esteem it an honour to attach themselves to the people of Jehovah.

2. formed thee from the womb] See Isaiah 44:24, ch. Isaiah 49:5.

Jeshurun occurs again only in Deuteronomy 32:15; Deuteronomy 33:5; Deuteronomy 33:26; always as a synonym for Israel and a title of honour (hardly a diminutive, as the termination might suggest). It means the “Upright One,” being formed from an adj. yâshâr, which is applied to Israel in Numbers 23:10, and perhaps also in the phrase “book of Jashar” (see Joshua 10:13, R.V.). The history of the name is, however, altogether obscure. The opinion that it was coined in opposition to Jacob (“the supplanter”) has little to recommend it; although that antithesis may have led to its selection by this prophet.

Should the recent supposed discovery of the name Israel on an Egyptian monument of the reign of Merenptah be confirmed, it is possible that fresh light may be thrown on the relation of the two names Israel and Jeshurun. The form in which the word there appears is said to be Yishir’il, the sibilant agreeing with Jeshurun but differing from the traditional pronunciation of Yisrâ’el. Yishir’il and Yeshûrûn might be derivations from a common root, yâshar. (Brandt, Theologisch Tijdschrift, 1896, p. 511; cf. Renan, Hist. du peuple d’Israël, Vol. i., p. 106).

3. On the first half of the verse see ch. Isaiah 41:17 ff. Here, however, a figurative sense predominates, as is shewn by what follows. The “spirit” is the agent both of physical and moral regeneration, as in ch. Isaiah 32:15 (cf. Ezekiel 37:11-14); the former idea being prominent; hence the parallelism “spirit”—“blessing,” the former being the cause, the latter the effect. On the figure of water for the spirit, cf. John 1:33 etc. seed and offspring are individual Israelites.

4. spring up as among the grass] R.V., more accurately, omits “as”; but the text is unquestionably corrupt. There is no doubt that the LXX. preserves the true reading: spring up as grass among the waters. (Instead of the impossible בבן חציר, read כבין מים חציר.)

willows] or poplars; see on ch. Isaiah 15:7.

5. The result of the Divine blessing manifested in Israel’s restoration will be that foreigners shall attach themselves as proselytes to the Jewish community. The promise therefore goes far beyond ch. Isaiah 43:5-7. It is perhaps barely possible (with Dillmann) to understand this verse also of Israelites by birth, in the sense that they shall esteem it an honour to belong to their own nation; but this is certainly unnatural and scarcely to be reconciled with the second and fourth members of the verse.

call himself by the name of Jacob] The words, strictly rendered, would mean “call on the name of Jacob.” It simplifies the construction greatly if, with Duhm, we vocalize this verb (as well as the last verb of the verse) as a passive:—“shall be called” etc.

subscribe with his hand unto the Lord] Rather: inscribe his hand ‘To Jehovah.’ The allusion is to the practice of branding slaves with the name of their owner, or perhaps to the religious custom of tattooing sacred marks on the person (Leviticus 19:28). See Ezekiel 9:4; Galatians 6:17; Revelation 7:3; Revelation 13:16.

surname himself (or better be surnamed, see above) by the name of Israel] The verb is connected etymologically with an Arabic word kunya, although it is used here in a wider sense. The kunya is a sort of household name, which consists in designating a man as the father of a particular child; thus in Nimmer ibn Koblân Abû Faris (N., son of K., father of F.) the last title is the kunya. (Seetzen, Reisen, Vol. ii., p. 327.) Besides this, however, the Arabs make great use of honorific titles, like Nûr-eddîn (“Light of the Religion”) etc.; and it is in a sense corresponding to this that the Heb. verb is always used; cf. ch. Isaiah 45:4 and esp. Job 32:21 f. (A.V. “give flattering titles”). The meaning, therefore, is that in addition to their personal names the proselytes will adopt the name of Israel as a title of honour. Cf. Psalm 87:4 f.

6–8. There is no God but Jehovah and Israel is His witness: this is the substance of the verses, and the proof is the familiar one from prophecy.

the King of Israel] See on ch. Isaiah 41:21.

the Lord of hosts] this solemn appellation (see on ch. Isaiah 1:9) occurs here for the first time in this prophecy (cf. ch. Isaiah 45:13, Isaiah 47:4, Isaiah 48:2, Isaiah 51:15, Isaiah 54:5).

I am the first and I am the last] So ch. Isaiah 48:12; see on Isaiah 41:4, and cf. Revelation 1:8; Revelation 1:17; Revelation 22:13. besides me there is no God] a fuller expression of monotheism than ch. Isaiah 43:10.

Ch. Isaiah 44:6-23. The Reality of Jehovah’s Godhead, evinced by His Predictions, and contrasted with the manifold absurdities of Idolatry

The passage, which is merely a restatement of ideas already expressed, consists of three divisions:

i. Isaiah 44:6-8. A re-assertion and demonstration of the eternity and sole Divinity of Jehovah.

ii. Isaiah 44:9-20. A fresh exposure—the most complete and remorseless that the book contains—of the irrationality of idol-worship.

iii. Isaiah 44:21-23. An exhortation to the exiles to lay these truths to heart, and cleave to the God who forgives their sins and who alone can deliver. Isaiah 44:23 is a lyrical effusion, such as the thought of the redemption frequently calls forth from the prophet.

7. The proof of Isaiah 44:6 is found in the incontestable fact of prophecy (as ch. Isaiah 41:22 ff., Isaiah 43:9; Isaiah 43:12; &c.). The verse as translated in A.V. and R.V. reads very awkwardly; it would have to be paraphrased thus: “And which of the other gods shall call etc., as I have done since I appointed the ancient people?’ But the distance of the last clause from the “as I” on which it depends is so great as to make the construction unnatural. It is better, with most commentators, to suppose a parenthesis, and render thus: “And who, as I, proclaims (and let him declare it and set it in order before me) since I founded the people of antiquity?” But a parenthesis is always more or less suspicious in a Hebrew sentence, and this one is doubly so on account of the “and” which introduces it. The LXX. reads, “And who is like me? Let him stand and proclaim &c.” The additional verb (“stand”) is likely to be original, and the construction of the first part of the clause is faultless. The only difficulty is presented by the temporal clause, “since I appointed” etc., on which see below.

call] means proclaim or “prophesy,” as in ch. Isaiah 40:6.

set [it] in order] used of the arrangement of discourse, as Job 32:14; Psalm 50:21, Isaiah 44:3.

since I appointed the …] Better: “since I founded the people of antiquity.” The most probable meaning is that prophecy has been continuous during the long period since Israel was formed into a nation. Some take the expression to denote the earliest population of the world (cf. ch. Isaiah 41:4); but this is less likely. Ewald applies it to Israel, but in the sense “everlasting people.” In Ezekiel 26:20 the same phrase is used of the shades in the underworld.

Several difficulties in the verse are got rid of by an attractive emendation of Oort (followed by Duhm), which makes this clause read; “who hath announced from of old?” (מי השמיע מעולם instead of עם־עולם משמי; cf. ch. Isaiah 45:21). The whole verse would then be rendered: And who is like me? Let him stand and proclaim, and declare it and set in order to me. Who hath announced from of old future things? and things to come let them declare.

things that are coming and that shall come are equivalent expressions; there is no foundation for Delitzsch’s notion that the former denotes the future in general, and the latter the immediate future (see on ch. Isaiah 41:22).

8. Fear ye not] in the coming convulsions; the ground of confidence is that Jehovah has proved His control over these events by foretelling them. The verb for be afraid does not occur elsewhere.

from that time] Rather beforehand, or, from of old; as ch. Isaiah 45:21, Isaiah 48:3; Isaiah 48:5; Isaiah 48:7.

and ye are my witnesses (R.V.)] Cf. ch. Isaiah 43:10; Isaiah 43:12.

no God] no Rock, as R.V. Cf. Deuteronomy 32:4, etc.