Isaiah 44:18-28

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 44:9-20

Often before, God, by the prophet, had mentioned the folly and strange sottishness of idolaters; but here he enlarges upon that head, and very fully and particularly exposes them to contempt and ridicule. This discourse is intended, 1. To arm the people of Israel against the strong temptation they would be in to worship idols when they were captives in Babylon, in compliance with the custom of the country (they being far from the city of their own solemnities) and to humour those who were now... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 44:21-28

In these verses we have, I. The duty which Jacob and Israel, now in captivity, were called to, that they might be qualified and prepared for the deliverance designed them. Our first care must be to get good by our afflictions, and then we may hope to get out of them. The duty is expressed in two words: Remember and return, as in the counsel to Ephesus, Rev. 2:4, 5. 1. ?Remember these, O Jacob! Remember what thou hast been told of the folly of idolatry, and let the convictions thou art now... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 44:18

They have not known nor understood ,.... Who the true God is, nor the worship that is due to him alone; they do not know nor understand divine and spiritual things; nay, they have not the knowledge and understanding of men; they want common sense that can do and say such things as before mentioned, both idol makers and idol worshippers: for he hath shut their eyes that they cannot see, and their heart that they cannot understand ; either the devil, as some think, the god of this world,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 44:19

And none considereth in his heart ,.... Or, "and he does not return it to his heart" F11 ולא ישיב אל לבו "et non reducet ad cor suum", Pagninus, Montanus; "reducit", Piscator. ; he does not come to himself again, or return to his right mind, but lives and dies under the infatuation; never once revolving it in his mind, pondering within himself what he has done, or is doing, whether right or wrong: neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say ; within himself, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 44:20

He feedeth of ashes ,.... That is, the idolater delights in his idol, pleases himself with seeks comfort and satisfaction from it, fills and feeds himself with hopes and expectations of being helped and delivered by it; but this is all vain hope, a mere delusion; it is as if a man fed on ashes instead of food; it is feeding on that which has no savour nor substance, can yield no nourishment, but, on the contrary, is pernicious and hurtful; and it is like Ephraim's feeding on wind, Hosea... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 44:21

Remember these, O Jacob, O Israel ,.... Remember these persons, these idolaters before spoken of; or these things, the gross idolatries they were guilty of, and loath and abhor them, shun and avoid them, and not imitate them, and do the same things: or remember that this was formerly your case, and admire the distinguishing grace of God, in turning you from idols to serve him: for by Jacob and Israel may be meant the spiritual Israel of God, or those from among the Gentiles called by the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 44:22

I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions, and as a cloud thy sins ,.... Sins and transgressions are compared to clouds, for the number of them, they being many as the fleeting clouds of the air; and for the nature and quality of them: as clouds are vapours rising out of the earth and sea, so these arise out of the earthly and corrupt heart of man, which is as a troubled sea; and, like the clouds, they reach up to the heavens, and the cry of them calls aloud for vengeance from... read more

John Gill

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 44:24

Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer ,.... These are the words of the Son of God, of Christ, the Redeemer of his people; and the following show him to be the mighty God, and so able to redeem them, and therefore was appointed to this work, and undertook it: and he that formed thee from the womb ; that formed thee in it, and brought thee out of it, separated thee from it, and called thee by his grace: I am the Lord that maketh all things ; that made all things out of nothing at first;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 44:25

That frustrateth the tokens of the liars ,.... Struck dumb the oracles of the Heathens, disappointed their lying priests, and made void all the signs and tokens they gave the people, that such and such things would come to pass, which did not, and which proved them to be liars: and maketh diviners mad ; soothsayers, astrologers, and such sort of persons, who pretended to foretell future events; but these not answering to their predictions, they became mad, because their credit was... read more

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