43:1 But now thus saith the LORD a that created thee, O Jacob,
and he that formed thee, O Israel, b Fear not: for I have
redeemed thee, I have called [thee] by thy name; thou [art]
mine.
(a) After these threatenings he promises deliverance to his
Church, because he has regenerated them, adopted them,
and called them.
(b) When you see dangers and conspiracies on all sides,
remember this benefit and the love of your God, and it
will encourage you.
43:2 When thou passest through the c waters, I [will be] with
thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee:
when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be
burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
(c) By water and fire he means all kinds of trouble and
peril.
43:3 For I [am] the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy
Saviour: I gave d Egypt [for] thy ransom, Cush and Seba
for thee.
(d) I turned Sennacherib's power against these countries,
and made them suffer the affliction which you would
have done, and so were as the payment of our ransom,
(Isa 37:9).
43:4 Since thou hast been precious in my sight, thou hast been
honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give
e men for thee, and people for thy life.
(e) I will not spare any man, rather than you should
perish, for God values one of his faithful more than
all the wicked in the world.
43:5 Fear not: for I [am] with thee: I will bring thy seed from
the f east, and gather thee from the west;
(f) He prophecies of their deliverance from the captivity
of Babylon, and so of the calling of the universal
Church, alluding to that which is written in
(De 30:3).
43:7 [Even] every one that is called by my g name: for I have
created him for my glory, I have formed him; verily, I have
made him.
(g) Meaning that he could not be unmindful of them, unless
he would neglect his own Name and glory.
43:9 Let all the nations be gathered h together, and let the
people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and
show us former things? let them bring forth their i
witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them k
hear, and say, [It is] truth.
(h) Signifying that no power can resist him in doing this
miraculous work, nor are all their idols able to do the
same, as in (Isa 41:22).
(i) To prove that the things which are spoken of them are
true.
(k) Showing that the malice of the wicked hinders them in
the knowledge of the truth, because they will not hear
when God speaks by his word.
43:10 Ye l [are] my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my m
servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe
me, and understand that I [am] he: before me there was no
god formed, neither shall there be after me.
(l) The prophets and people to whom I have given my law.
(m) Meaning especially Christ, and by him all the
faithful.
43:14 Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of
Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have n
brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose
cry [is] in o the ships.
(n) By Darius and Cyrus.
(o) They will cry when they would escape by my water,
seeing that the course of the Euphrates is turned
another way by the enemy.
43:16 Thus saith the LORD, who maketh a way in p the sea, and
a path in the mighty q waters;
(p) When he delivered Israel from Pharaoh, (Ex 14:22).
(q) When the Israelites passed through Jordan,
(Jos 3:17).
43:17 Who bringeth r forth the s chariot and horse, the army
and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall
not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as a wick.
(r) When he delivered his people out of Egypt.
(s) Pharaoh and his mighty army.
43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth;
shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the
t wilderness, [and] rivers in the desert.
43:20 The u beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons
and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness,
[and] rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my
chosen.
(u) They will have such abundance of all things as they
return home, even in the dry and barren places, that
the very beasts will feel my blessings and will
acknowledge them: much more men ought to be thankful
for the same.
43:22 But thou hast not x called upon me, O Jacob; but thou
hast been y weary of me, O Israel.
(x) You have not worshipped me as you ought to have done.
(y) Because you have not willingly received that which I
commanded you, you grieved me. By which he shows that
his mercies were the only reason for their
deliverance, as they had deserved the contrary.
43:23 Thou z hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt
offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy
sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an
offering, nor wearied thee with incense.
(z) Meaning, in true faith and obedience.
43:24 Thou hast bought me no sweet a cane with money, neither
hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but
thou hast b burdened me with thy sins, thou hast wearied
me with thy iniquities.
(a) Either for the composition of the sweet ointment
(Ex 30:34), or for the sweet incense (Ex 30:7).
43:26 Put me in c remembrance: let us plead together: declare
thou, that thou mayest be justified.
(c) If I forget anything that may make for your
justification, put me in remembrance and speak for
yourself.
43:27 Thy d first father hath sinned, and thy e teachers
have transgressed against me.
(d) Your ancestors.
(e) Your priests and your prophets.
43:28 Therefore I have f profaned the princes of the
sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel
to reproaches.
(f) That is, rejected, abhorred, and destroyed them in the
wilderness and at other times.
