Isaiah 49:21 - Exposition

Who hath begotten me these? The Jewish Church is astounded at the influx of the Gentiles, and asks, "Where did they come from? Who has made them my children? Who has trained them?" That they are not her natural children she is sure, since she knows that she has been for a long time "bereaved and unfruitful" (Cheyne)—a captive, and a "wanderer" (Kay). It is certain that the Jewish Church did not at first altogether welcome the incoming of the Gentiles ( Acts 11:1-3 ; Acts 15:1-11 ; Galatians 2:11-14 , etc.). But the guidance of the Holy Spirit surmounted the difficulty ( Acts 15:28 ).