Isaiah 48:2-8

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 48:1-8

We may observe here, I. The hypocritical profession which many of the Jews made of religion and relation to God. To those who made such a profession the prophet is here ordered to address himself, for their conviction and humiliation, that they might own God's justice in what he had brought upon them. Now observe here, 1. How high their profession of religion soared, what a fair show they made in the flesh and how far they went towards heaven, what a good livery they wore and what a good face... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 48:2

For they call themselves of the holy city ,.... The city Jerusalem, so called because the temple, the place of divine worship, was in it, the residence of the Holy One of Israel: they valued themselves, not only upon their being of the family of Jacob, and of the tribe of Judah, but that they were inhabitants of Jerusalem, the holy city; as many now call themselves fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, when they are strangers both to God and his people in the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 48:3

I have declared the former things from the beginning ,.... From the time of their first ancestors, from the time of Abraham their father, to whom was declared what should befall his posterity; that they should sojourn in Egypt, be afflicted there, and come out from thence with great substance; that they be brought into the land of Canaan, and the inhabitants of it being driven out before them, Genesis 15:13 . And they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them ; they were told to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 48:4

Because I knew that thou art obstinate ,.... Or "hard" F1 כי קשה אתה "quod durus tu es", Pagninus, Montanus; "te durum esse", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Vitringa. , hard hearted, an obdurate and rebellious people, contradicting and gainsaying: and thy neck is as an iron sinew ; stiffnecked, inflexible, not compliant with the will of God, and his commands; unwilling to admit his yoke, and bear it: and thy brow brass ; impudent, not ashamed of sin, nor blushing at... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 48:5

I have even from the beginning declared it to thee ,.... From the beginning of their being a people, even before they were formed into a body politic; yea, from the original of them, from the time of Abraham their ancestor, as before observed: before it came to pass I showed it thee ; some hundreds of years before; first to Abraham, then to Isaac, then to Jacob, then to Joseph, and then to Moses, and by him to the children of Israel: lest thou shouldest say, mine idol hath done them,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 48:6

Thou hast heard, see all this: and will ye not declare it ?.... You have heard of all these things, how they were foretold before they were; how they came to pass exactly as they were predicted; now look over these prophecies, and compare them with the events; see the exact completion of them; and when you have so done, can you be so stouthearted and impudent as to deny them, or not own and confess them? I have showed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 48:7

They are created now, and not from the beginning ,.... Not that they were now done or brought into being, for as yet Cyrus was not born; though the raising of him up, and holding his right hand, and his executing the counsel of God, are spoken of as if they were already done, because of the certainty of them, Isaiah 45:1 . Aben Ezra interprets "created" by "decreed"; though these were not now decreed by God; for no new decrees are made by him; but those which were made by him of old were... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 48:8

Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened ,.... This, as Kimchi rightly observes, is said by way of reproof; showing that they were so far from knowing these things before the prophecy of them was given out, that when it was, they did not hearken or listen to them; they did not understand them, nor receive and embrace them, but turned a deaf ear to them; their hearts being hardened, and they given up blindness of mind; which was the case... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 48:6

Thou hast heard, see all this "Thou didst hear it beforehand; behold, the whole is accomplished" - For חזה chazeh , see, a MS. has הזה hazzeh , this; thou hast heard the whole of this: the Syriac has וחזית vechazith , "thou hast heard, and thou hast seen, the whole." Perhaps it should be הנה hinneh , behold. In order to express the full sense, I have rendered it somewhat paraphrastically. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 48:1-2

The offence of insincerity. "Not in truth, nor in righteousness." The prophet mentions the usual outward marks of the true Israelite; but, in the case of those whom he addressed, these were mere formalities, they were disconnected from a personal and living faith in God. These people said they were Jews, but they were not. Their professions could not stand the examinations of the Heart-searcher. To the good man—and how much more to the great and holy God!—insincerity is absolutely... read more

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