Who hath wrought and done it "Who hath performed and made these things" - A word is here lost out of the text. It is sups plied by an ancient MS., אלה elleh , "these things; "and by the Septuagint, ταυτα ; and by the Vulgate, haec ; and by the Chaldee, אלן elin ; all of the same meaning. read more
Were afraid "And they were terrified" - Three MSS. have ויחרדו vaiyecheridu , adding the conjunction ו vau , which restores the second member of the sentence to its true poetical form. read more
That it should not be moved "That it shall not move" - Five MSS., (two ancient), and the ancient Versions, add the conjunction ו vau , "and, "reading ולא velo , "and not, "which seems to be right. read more
Keep silence before me, O islands . God is the speaker. The "islands," or maritime lands of Western Asia, are to be silent before him, pondering the facts with a view to future argument. "Then let them speak" (see Isaiah 41:21-29 ). Let the people renew their strength ; rather, the peoples or the nations ; i.e. the inhabitants of the maritime tracts. To judgment; i.e. to a discussion,, which shall terminate in a right verdict. read more
ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE DELIVERER , AND EFFECT ON THE SURROUNDING NATIONS . Isaiah returns to the standpoint of Isaiah 40:9-11 . A deliverer of Israel is about to appear. The nations are therefore summoned to attend, and consider the facts ( Isaiah 40:1 ). He will carry all before him ( Isaiah 40:2 , Isaiah 40:3 ), being raised up by God ( Isaiah 40:4 ). The nations will tremble, and seek the protection of their idol-deities ( Isaiah 40:5-7 ). read more
Argument with the nations. Jehovah calls the countries to "come silently" unto him. Let the people pluck up what strength they may have, and let the cause between them and Jehovah come to the tribunal of reason. Have the idols any spiritual power? or is Jehovah only the true God? 1. THE VICTORIOUS CAREER OF CYRUS . This great man has, in the prophet's thought, a vocation from God. He is the minister of the Divine righteousness ( Isaiah 42:6 ; Isaiah 45:13 ). Cyrus is... read more
The false refuge and the true. In the regulation of his life, a wise man will give a large place to the consideration of what resources he will have in the times of great emergency. For he knows that such times must come to him as they come to all men, and when they come there is urgent and even terrible need of a refuge to which the stricken soul may flee. We are here reminded of— I. THE REFUGE WHICH IS FALSE , AND WHICH WILL FAIL US . ( Isaiah 41:5-7 .) We smile... read more
Who raised up the righteous man , etc.? rather, who raised up from the East one whom righteousness will call to his foot. It is generally agreed among moderns that the reference is to Cyrus, who is further referred to in Isaiah 41:25 , in Isaiah 44:28 ; Isaiah 45:1-4 , Isaiah 45:13 ; and Isaiah 46:11 . Cyrus, whether we regard him as King of Persia, or as King of Elam (Susiana), would come from a land lying east of Babylon. "Righteousness called him to his foot" when God, the... read more
He pursued them, and passed safely ; rather, he shall pursue them , and shall pass on in safety. Even by the way that he had not gone with his feet ; rather, a path with his feet he shall not tread. ,The meaning seems to be that he will dispense with customary paths, making his advance everywhere over all obstacles, by untrodden ways. Compare the frequent boasts of the Assyrian kings: "To the recesses of the deep forests and the peaks of the difficult mountains, which had never been... read more
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Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 41:3
And passed safely "He passeth in safety" - The preposition seems to have been omitted in the text by mistake; the Septuagint and Vulgate seem to have had it in their copies; εν ειρηνῃ , to pace, בשלום beshalom , "prosperously." It is so in one of De Rossi's MSS. read more