waters. Some codices, with three early printed editions, read "days". swear by the name, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 6:13 ). App-92 . the Lord. Hebrew. Jehovah. the God of Israel. See note on Isaiah 29:23 . in truth. See note on Isaiah 10:20 . read more
the former things, &c. Such as the birth of Isaac, the Exodus, &c. read more
thy neck, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Exodus 32:9 ). read more
"Here we have a recapitulation of the preceding eight chapters, closing with a summons to flee Babylon, and a solemn declaration excluding the ungodly from a share in the promises."[1] The chapter falls into three divisions: "Each commencing with a call on Israel to pay attention: (1) `Hear ye this ...' (Isaiah 48:1-11); (2) `Hearken unto me ...' (Isaiah 48:12-15), and (3) `Come ye near unto me, hear ye this ...' (Isaiah 48:16-22)."[2]The chapter is definitely addressed to two classes of... read more
"I have declared the former things from of old; yea they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them: suddenly I did them, and they came to pass. Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thou brow brass; therefore I have declared it to thee from of old; before it came to pass I showed it thee; lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.""Things from of old ..." (Isaiah 48:3). What were... read more
"Thou hast heard it; behold all this; and ye will not declare it? I have showed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, which thou hast not known. They are created now, and not from of old, and before this day thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them. Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from of old thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou didst deal very treacherously, and was called a transgressor from the womb".The scriptures here... read more
Isaiah 48:1-2. Hear ye this, O house of Jacob— These verses contain a just and solemn address to the Jewish people; who, though by their profession and external worship seeming to cultivate the true religion, to call God their God, and to depend upon him, yet were obstinately incredulous, extremely inclined to idolatry, and little regardful of those prophesies which Isaiah and other true prophets delivered to them. The meaning of the phrase, Are come forth out of the waters of Judah, is very... read more
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Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Isaiah 48:1-22
The past and the future (48:1-22)Before returning to their homeland, the people are reminded of the sins that led the nation into captivity. They must not repeat former errors. The people’s chief failing was that they honoured God with their words but not with their conduct (48:1-2). Knowing their tendency towards idolatry, God gave his people advance revelations of his will, to prevent them from turning to idols for guidance. But they still stubbornly rejected his teaching (3-5).Nevertheless,... read more