Let them show unto them "Let them declare unto us" - For למו lamo , unto them, the Chaldee reads לנו lanu , unto us The Septuagint read לכם lachem , unto you; which is preferable to the reading of the text. But למו lamo , and לנו lanu , are frequently mistaken one for the other, see Isaiah 10:29 ; Psalm 80:7 ; Psalm 64:6 . read more
Fear ye not - to - תרהו tirehu never occurs. Perhaps it should be תיראו tireu , fear ye. Two MSS. read תירהו tirehu , and one of mine תהרו taharu . read more
That they may be ashamed. Who hath formed a god "That every one may be ashamed, that he hath formed a god" - The Bodleian MS., one of the first extant for its antiquity and authority, instead of מי mi , at the beginning of the tenth verse, has כי ki , which greatly clears up the construction of a very obscure passage. Doederlein approves of this reading. The Septuagint likewise closely connect in construction the end of Isaiah 44:9 ; with the beginning of Isaiah 44:10 ; and... read more
His fellows - חבריו chaberaiv : but עבדיו abadaiv , his servants or worshippers, is the reading of one of De Rossi's MSS., and of the Chaldee. And the workmen, they are of men "Even the workmen themselves shall blush" - I do not know that any one has ever yet interpreted these words to any tolerably good sense: מאדם המה וחרשים vecharashim hemmah meadam . The Vulgate and our translators, have rendered them very fairly, as they are written and pointed in the text: Fabri enim... read more
The smith with the tongs, etc. "The smith cutteth off a portion of iron" - מעצד meatstsed , Participium Pihel of עצד atsad , to cut; still used in that sense in the Arabic. See Simonis Lex. Hebrews The Septuagint and Syriac take the word in this form: but they render it sharpeneth the iron. See Castell. Lex. in voce. The sacred writers are generally large and eloquent upon the subject of idolatry; they treat it with great severity, and set forth the absurdity of it in the strongest... read more
He heweth him down "He heweth down" - For לכרת lichroth , the Septuagint and Vulgate read כרת carath or יכרת yichroth . read more
With part "And with part" - Twenty-three MSS., the Septuagint, and Vulgate add the conjunction ו vau , and ועל veal . read more
He falleth down unto it - There were four forms of adoration used among the Hebrews: השתחוה Hishtachavah , The prostration of the whole body. קדד Kadad , The bowing of the head. כרע Cara , The bending of the upper part of the body down to the knees. 4. ברך Barach , Bowing the knee, or kneeling. See on Isaiah 49:23 ; (note). read more
He hath shut their eyes "Their eyes are closed up" - The Septuagint, Chaldee, and Vulyate, for טח tach , read טחו tachu . See note on Isaiah 6:10 . read more
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John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 44:23
Sing, O ye heavens, for the Lord hath done it ,.... Done what he promised, the forgiveness of the sins of his people, and the redemption of them. So the Targum, "because the Lord hath wrought redemption for his people.' The Vulgate Latin version adds, "mercy" F15 "Quia fecit misericordiam", V. L. ; and so the Septuagint version, "because God hath had mercy on Israel" F16 οτι ηλεησεν ο θεος τον ισραηλ , Sept. ; and therefore the heavens are called upon to sing on this... read more