Isaiah 46:9-11

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 46:10

The goodness of God's pleasure. "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." An anthropopathic expression. Care is necessary in transferring human sentiments and feelings to God. Words may come to be applied in such a way to men that they cannot be wisely used for God. A man's "pleasure" has come to stand for his mere "self-willedness," his unreasoning and often unreasonable "wishes." A man's "pleasure" is simply the thing that he "likes." In such senses we cannot properly... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 46:11

Calling a ravenous bird ; rather, a bird of prey. The imagery is quite natural, and exactly parallel to that by which Nebuchadnezzar is termed "an eagle," both by Jeremiah ( Jeremiah 44:22 ) and Ezekiel ( Ezekiel 17:3 ). There is no need to suppose any allusion to the fact, if fact it be, that the Persians from the time of Cyrus had for a standard a golden eagle, with wings outspread, on the top of a spear-shaft (Xen; 'Cyrop.,' 7.1, § 4; 'Anab.,' 1.10, § 12). From the east (comp. ... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 46:9

Remember the former things ... - Bear in mind the repeated and constant proofs that have been given that Yahweh is the true God - the proofs derived from the prediction of future events, and from the frequent interpositions of his providence in your behalf as a nation.For I am God - (See the notes at Isaiah 44:6). read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 46:10

Declaring the end from the beginning - Foretelling accurately the course of future events. This is an argument to which God often appeals in proof that he is the only true God (see Isaiah 41:22-23; Isaiah 43:12; Isaiah 44:26).My counsel shall stand - My purpose, my design, my will. The phrase ‘shall stand’ means that it shall be stable, settled, fixed, established. This proves:1. That God has a purpose or plan in regard to human affairs. If he had not, he could not predict future events, since... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 46:11

Calling a ravenous bird from the east - There can be no doubt that Cyrus is intended here (see the notes at Isaiah 41:2, Isaiah 41:25). The east here means Persia. The word rendered ‘ravenous bird’ (עיט ‛ayiṭ) is rendered ‘fowl’ in Job 28:7; ‘bird’ or ‘birds’ in Jeremiah 12:9; ‘fowls’ in Genesis 15:11; Isaiah 18:6; and ‘ravenous birds’ in Ezekiel 39:4. It does not occur elsewhere in the Bible. It is used here as an emblem of a warlike king, and the emblem may either denote the rapidity of his... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Isaiah 46:9-11

Isaiah 46:9-11 . Remember the former things What I have done for you and in the world, my evident predictions of future things, justified by the event; and those other miraculous works, whereby I have abundantly proved my divinity. Declaring the end from the beginning Foretelling from the beginning of the world, or from the beginning of your nation, those future events which should happen in succeeding ages, even to the end of the world, or to the end of your commonwealth; for such... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Isaiah 46:1-13

Babylon’s helpless gods (45:20-46:13)Cyrus’s conquest of Babylon will prove to those Babylonians who survive that to trust in idols for victory is useless. Wooden gods could not foresee Cyrus’s conquest, but Yahweh, the only true God, predicted it long ago (20-21). People of surrounding nations may previously have fought against Yahweh by trusting in idols, but now they should forsake those idols and submit to the living God. Then they will find victory, righteousness and strength, and will... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Isaiah 46:9

GOD. Hebrew El. App-4 . God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 . none. See note on Isaiah 5:8 . read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Isaiah 46:11

the man that executeth My counsel = the man of My counsel: i.e. Cyrus, a type of Messiah, set apart by God for this special service. See App-57 . I will also bring it to pass. Reference to Pentateuch (Numbers 23:19 ). read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Isaiah 46:8-9

Isaiah 46:8-9. Remember this— Remember this, and be inflamed with zeal, &c. This is similar to chap. Isaiah 44:21. See also Deuteronomy 30:1. The prophet in the ninth verse proposes a new argument, whereby to prove the divinity of God; namely, the wonderful works which he had done in former times, particularly in delivering his people from Egypt, and settling them in the land of Canaan. read more

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