‏ Isaiah 41

Summary for Isa 41:1-7: 41:1-7  ^a The Lord here invited the nations to a trial where he would prove that he alone is God. They were defenseless as he declared that a king from the east (41:2  ^b) would crush Babylon, opening the way for Israel to return. 41:1  ^c The nations coming together for a trial have to listen in silence to the presentation of God’s arguments.

• Bring your strongest arguments: Literally let them find new strength, a play on 40:31  ^d.

• God invited the nations to come ... and speak, challenging them to refute his case.
41:2  ^e This king from the east was Cyrus, the Persian king who conquered Babylon in 539 BC and permitted the Jews to return to their land and rebuild Jerusalem (538 BC; Ezra 1:1-4  ^f). Isaiah’s prophecies about Cyrus (see Isa 44:28–45:13  ^g; 48:14-15  ^h) encouraged Israel to look to the Lord as sovereign over all of human history, including the actions of great kings.

• Who gives this man victory over many nations? As victorious as the conquering Cyrus was, he was still subject to the Lord.
41:4  ⁱ each new generation from the beginning of time: God is sovereign over all things. From the beginning he has unfolded each stage of history according to his plan.

• In the book of Revelation, Jesus identifies himself as the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Rev 1:8  ^j, 17  ^k; 2:8  ^l; 21:6  ^m; 22:13  ⁿ).

• I alone am he: The Lord alone is God (see also Isa 43:10  ^o, 13  ^p; 46:4  ^q; 48:12  ^r; Deut 32:39  ^s). Jesus used similar expressions for himself (see John 6:35  ^t; 8:12  ^u, 24  ^v; 9:5  ^w; 10:7  ^x, 9  ^y, 11  ^z, 14  ^aa; 11:25  ^ab; 14:6  ^ac; 15:1  ^ad, 5  ^ae).
Summary for Isa 41:5-7: 41:5-7  ^af This taunt against idolatry was a response to God’s raising up of Cyrus; the nations hope to find protection in their idols.
41:6  ^ag Be strong! The nations put their hope in things that have no strength, objects made by human craftsmen.
Summary for Isa 41:8-16: 41:8-16  ^ah These two prophecies of salvation for God’s servant Israel (41:8-13  ^ai, 14-16  ^aj) prepare for the first of the suffering servant songs (see study note on 42:1-4). 41:8  ^ak The servant—here the nation of Israel—was God’s chosen one, whose calling was grounded in God’s purposes.

• Abraham my friend: The phrase in Hebrew could mean Abraham who loves me or Abraham whom I love. See also Jas 2:23  ^al.
41:9  ^am I have chosen you restates 41:8  ^an to emphasize God’s commitment and faithfulness to his people Israel, who had not been faithful to him.

• not throw you away: Because of the Exile, the people felt that God had rejected them (see 49:21  ^ao; 54:6  ^ap). However, God had good purposes for them.
41:10  ^aq I am with you: The promise of God’s presence (see 7:14  ^ar) is central to the Bible. Because God is present, his people do not need to fear (see also 43:1-2  ^as, 5  ^at).

• I am your God: The Lord used the language of the covenant to affirm that he is their God and that they are his people (see also Jer 7:23  ^au; 31:1  ^av, 33  ^aw; Ezek 14:11  ^ax; 36:28  ^ay; 37:27  ^az; Zech 8:8  ^ba).

• hold you ... my victorious right hand: The Lord used language reminiscent of the Exodus (cp. Exod 15:6  ^bb) to encourage Israel (see also Isa 41:13  ^bc; 63:12  ^bd).
41:14  ^be In exile, Israel was in a lowly state.

• God is the Redeemer. He works mightily to rescue and restore people from sin and its consequences (for Israel, the Exile; for application to Jesus, see Luke 2:38  ^bf; 21:28  ^bg; Rom 3:24  ^bh; 1 Cor 1:30  ^bi; Gal 4:5  ^bj; Eph 1:1-14  ^bk; Titus 2:14  ^bl; Heb 9:12  ^bm).
41:16  ^bn When the grain is thrown into the wind, the chaff is blown away. Likewise, Israel’s enemies appeared to be strong but would easily be driven off.
41:18  ^bo rivers ... fountains ... pools of water ... springs: These images would strike a responsive chord in an agrarian culture. They also suggest that rescue from the Exile would be a second exodus (cp. Exod 15:27  ^bp; 17:6  ^bq).
Summary for Isa 41:21-29: 41:21-29  ^br This trial scene develops the Lord’s case against idolatry. Idols are nothing but a human creation, whereas God is the Creator of all things. Idols cannot speak, act, accomplish anything, or save their worshipers. 41:21  ^bs the King of Israel: See 6:5  ^bt; 43:15  ^bu; 44:6  ^bv.
41:25  ^bw I have stirred up a leader: The God who had planned the Exile through Babylon had already planned for Israel’s restoration from exile through Cyrus (see 41:2  ^bx; see also 13:17  ^by).

• Although Persia is located to the east, rough terrain required those traveling to Israel and Judah to enter from the north.

• I will give him victory ... He will trample them: As Babylon was sent to trample Assyria, so Persia would trample Babylon.
41:26  ^bz Idols and false gods could not predict the future.
41:27  ^ca The messenger with good news told of God’s coming to rescue his people (see 40:9  ^cb).

‏ Isaiah 42

Summary for Isa 42:1-4: 42:1-4  ^cc The servant here is not the people Israel (as in 41:8-28  ^cd and elsewhere in chs 41–48  ^ce; see 49:5-6  ^cf) but is a royal figure who accomplishes his mission with care for people, especially for those who are hurting. The passage is the first of four songs about this servant (42:1-4  ^cg; 49:1-13  ^ch; 50:4-11  ^ci; 52:13–53:12  ^cj). He brings in an era of universal justice. For the connection of the servant with Jesus Christ, see Matt 12:18-21  ^ck. 42:1  ^cl who pleases me: God used similar language at Jesus’ baptism (Matt 3:17  ^cm).

• I have put my Spirit upon him: Any leader might be called a servant, but the presence of the Spirit suggests a king of David’s line or a prophet like Moses (see Num 11:17  ^cn, 24-29  ^co).

• Establishing justice is the responsibility of a king (see Isa 9:6-7  ^cp; Ps 72:1  ^cq).

• This king’s mission will be a greater mission to the nations than simply governing the small nation of Judah.
42:2  ^cr shout or raise his voice: The royal servant will have calm confidence in his message and calling from God (see also 11:1-5  ^cs).
42:3  ^ct The royal servant will be gentle with the oppressed and discouraged (see 3:15  ^cu; 41:17  ^cv).
42:4  ^cw distant lands: The nations long for justice and for instruction on bringing it about. In this regard the servant is like Moses, to whom the law was given. However, the servant is greater in that he extends justice beyond Israel to all the nations.
42:6  ^cx my people, Israel ... my covenant with them (literally a covenant for the people): It is also possible that “the people” referred to all the peoples/nations of the earth (see 49:6  ^cy).

• light to guide the nations: See also 51:4  ^cz; Acts 13:47  ^da.
42:7  ^db The servant will open the eyes of the spiritually blind (see 6:10  ^dc; 29:18  ^dd) and free the spiritual captives from the prison of sin, in addition to those who were captive in the Babylonian exile (see 61:1  ^de with Luke 4:18  ^df).
Summary for Isa 42:8-9: 42:8-9  ^dg I am the Lord: As Creator of the world, and as the only one who can bring about the things he predicts, the Lord alone is glorious and worthy of praise.
Summary for Isa 42:10-11: 42:10-11  ^dh The various geographical regions represent the extremes of human habitation. The whole earth is called to praise God for his commitment to redeem humanity.

• Kedar and Sela (42:11  ^di; see also 16:1  ^dj; 21:16-17  ^dk) were representative desert sites.
42:13  ^dl a mighty hero ... a warrior: The background of this theme is God’s victory at the Red Sea during the Exodus (Exod 15:3  ^dm).

• God will be victorious over all his enemies in order to rescue his people (Isa 51:9  ^dn; 63:1-6  ^do; see also Pss 54:7  ^dp; 108:9  ^dq; 112:8  ^dr).
42:14  ^ds I have long been silent ... restrained myself: Israel had experienced God’s absence in the Exile, which came about because of their idolatrous ways (57:11-13  ^dt; 2 Kgs 17:6-24  ^du). The godly will pray for God’s presence and renewed involvement in their situation (Isa 64:12  ^dv), and the Lord will answer their prayers because of his commitment to their redemption (62:1  ^dw, 6  ^dx).
Summary for Isa 42:18-20: 42:18-20  ^dy The Israelites who refused to listen to what God said and to understand what they saw God doing in history were rendered spiritually blind and deaf (see 6:9-10  ^dz). They had knowledge of the truth through God’s word and the prophets, but their closed minds refused to act upon it.
42:21  ^ea exalted his glorious law: God’s word is a witness to his righteous rule (see 1:10  ^eb).
Summary for Isa 42:22-25: 42:22-25  ^ec Throughout its history, Israel’s sin (42:24  ^ed) made Israel fair game for foreign oppressors. Many nations, Assyria and Babylon in particular, became instruments God used to pour out his fury (42:25  ^ee) on his rebellious people.
42:25  ^ef Generation after generation of Israelites did not learn their lesson, even when God disciplined them through military defeat.

‏ Isaiah 43

Summary for Isa 43:1-7: 43:1-7  ^eg In this promise of salvation, the Lord addressed his plundered people in the first person. 43:1  ^eh the Lord who created you: The language of creation (see study note on 40:28) was now applied to God’s formation of the nation Israel.

• I have ransomed you: At the Exodus, when God brought his people out of bondage. Similarly, God planned to bring his people out of exile and back into their land. Ultimately, Jesus gave his life as a ransom for all humanity (Matt 20:28  ^ei; 1 Tim 2:6  ^ej; Heb 9:15  ^ek)

• I have called you by name; you are mine: Despite having faced his wrath, the people of Israel are still God’s chosen people.
43:2  ^el Conquering forces could be compared to flooding rivers (see 8:8  ^em).

• I will be with you: God is committed to being with his people to protect and care for them (see 7:14  ^en; 41:10  ^eo; 43:5  ^ep; 45:14  ^eq).

• Israel experienced God’s judgment as the fire of oppression during the Exile.
43:7  ^er One of God’s purposes in restoring his people was to display his glory to the watching world.
Summary for Isa 43:8-13: 43:8-13  ^es The Lord here called on Israel, his blind servant, to be his star witness in a mock trial against idols and false gods. Israel knew that the Lord alone is God, and the people had experienced his salvation.
43:10  ^et you are my witnesses: By their very presence in exile, Israel was evidence that God is truly God. He predicted the Exile long beforehand, and now it had come to pass. God alone is the true God because he speaks and acts and controls all of history. Idols and false gods could do none of these things. Israel would later become even greater evidence because God had also predicted their redemption (43:11-12  ^eu).
Summary for Isa 43:14-21: 43:14-21  ^ev The Lord assured Israel of its coming redemption from Babylon; the redemption would be modeled on Israel’s past redemption from Egypt and would be greater in some ways (43:18  ^ew).
43:18  ^ex God did not want the Israelites to forget the exodus from Egypt. However, they needed to look forward in faith to the spectacular event that was about to occur rather than dwelling on the past.
43:21  ^ey One purpose of redemption is to honor God through the praises of the redeemed (see 1 Pet 2:9  ^ez).
43:22  ^fa Israel’s history of rebellion had led them into crisis after crisis, yet their rebellion was so great that they stubbornly refused to ask God for help. When they did pray, their wickedness often caused their prayers not to be heard (1:15  ^fb).
43:25  ^fc God alone can and does blot out ... sins, no matter how many or how great (see also 44:22  ^fd).
43:27  ^fe leaders: God held Israel’s and Judah’s kings especially responsible for leading the nation into sin (see 2 Kgs 21  ^ff).

‏ Isaiah 44

Summary for Isa 44:1-5: 44:1-5  ^fg The promise of salvation extended the usefulness of sinful Israel to another generation (44:3  ^fh). The past was bleak (see 43:22-28  ^fi), but the future would be a glorious new era transformed by the Spirit.
44:3  ^fj The restoration theme is connected with God’s promise to pour out the Spirit (see also 32:15-17  ^fk; Joel 2:28-32  ^fl; Acts 2:16-18  ^fm).

• on your descendants ... children: The next generation of Israelites offered hope.
Summary for Isa 44:6-20: 44:6-20  ^fn This passage uses the form of a trial speech to press God’s argument that disgrace comes to all who trust in idols and false gods.
Summary for Isa 44:15-17: 44:15-17  ^fo he uses part of the wood to make a fire ... he takes the rest of it and makes himself a god to worship: This description of the process of making an idol drips with sarcasm and ridicule at the stupidity of the foolish idol worshipers (see also 44:19  ^fp).
Summary for Isa 44:18-19: 44:18-19  ^fq Their minds are shut: Idol worshipers cannot see the irony in using one part of a log to warm themselves and another part of the same log to be their god.
Summary for Isa 44:21-22: 44:21-22  ^fr The Lord promised to forgive Israel’s sins.
44:23  ^fs All creation is called to celebrate God’s redemption of Israel (cp. 1:2  ^ft).
Summary for Isa 44:24-45:8: 44:24–45:8  ^fu The Lord alone is sovereign over history. He raised up Cyrus of Persia to execute judgment on Babylon and restore Israel to the Holy Land.
44:25  ^fv False prophets and fortune-tellers used forbidden forms of divination to try to predict the future. Eventually God would expose them as deluded liars (see 3:2  ^fw; 9:15  ^fx; 47:13  ^fy; Deut 18:10-11  ^fz).
44:27  ^ga The sudden depletion of natural resources at times indicates a divine judgment (see 42:15  ^gb; cp. 43:20  ^gc). Here, however, God’s ability to dry up streams with just a word illustrates his power to do what he said he would do through Cyrus of Persia.
44:28  ^gd He is my shepherd: Cyrus went beyond simply permitting the Jews to return to their homeland. He facilitated a major restoration project to rebuild Jerusalem and restore the Temple (see 45:13  ^ge; Ezra 1:2-4  ^gf; 6:3-5  ^gg).

‏ Isaiah 45

45:1  ^gh anointed one: This designation, commonly reserved for David or the Messiah, is here applied to Cyrus. Cyrus was anointed in the sense that he was selected to fulfill a special mission. This title was never used of any other foreign ruler (cp. 1 Sam 10:1  ^gi; Rom 13:1  ^gj).

• whose right hand he will empower: The Lord would give Cyrus victory over Babylon (see Isa 43:14  ^gk).
45:3  ^gl so you may know: Cyrus’s victories provided factual proof that the Lord has the power to fulfill his plans, whereas idols and false gods do not (see 41:21-29  ^gm).
Summary for Isa 45:4-5: 45:4-5  ^gn I call you by name: Cyrus did not know the Lord, but the Lord knew him. Isaiah predicted the rescuer Cyrus by name 150 years in advance. This prophecy would prove to the exiles that the Lord is indeed God and that he knows the future.
45:7  ^go light ... darkness ... good times and bad times: Everything is under God’s control.
Summary for Isa 45:9-13: 45:9-13  ^gp The Lord confronts those who question his right to use a pagan king to achieve his purposes. He, the Creator, is free and sovereign in his activities. He promised to bring his people back to their land, and he would use anyone he chose to accomplish that purpose.
Summary for Isa 45:9-11: 45:9-11  ^gq pot ... its maker ... baby ... its father: It is ridiculous for a creature to question the wisdom of its creator.
45:14  ^gr Egyptians ... Ethiopians ... Sabeans: Israel’s restoration would bring them a new sovereignty. Foreign nations would honor God, and because they recognized God’s special blessing on his people, they would also want to honor his people.
45:17  ^gs Israel would never again be humiliated and disgraced, oppressed, harassed, or abused. The finality of these declarations suggests that this promise will be fulfilled at the end of time.
Summary for Isa 45:18-25: 45:18-25  ^gt Salvation is from the Lord alone. He is the creator, the revealer, and the executor of his will in human history. He promised to establish a new era of salvation and righteousness (see 45:8  ^gu). Every human being will submit to God, either willingly or unwillingly (45:23-24  ^gv). 45:18  ^gw Ancient pagan people viewed the world as a place of empty chaos. However, God’s purposes are good, and he made the world from the beginning as a place to be lived in with him in harmony.
45:22  ^gx Let all the world look to me: All humanity needs to seek the Lord, the true God who created all things, while he may be found (55:6  ^gy).

• In God there is salvation, the only hope for all of humanity (45:8  ^gz).
45:23  ^ha God’s words are always true. God’s swearing by his own name reinforces the certainty that he will never go back on his word (see also 14:24  ^hb; 54:9  ^hc; 62:8  ^hd; Heb 6:13  ^he).

• Every knee ... every tongue: At the end of time all nations will submit to his authority, whether willingly or unwillingly (see Rom 14:11  ^hf; 1 Cor 15:25-27  ^hg; Phil 2:10-11  ^hh).
45:24  ^hi In this context, the people are all who turn to the Lord for salvation, even those from foreign nations (45:22  ^hj).
45:25  ^hk justified: Literally righteous (see also 45:8  ^hl, 24  ^hm).

‏ Isaiah 46

Summary for Isa 46:1-2: 46:1-2  ^hn This taunt was against the self-contradiction of Babylonian religion. 46:1  ^ho Marduk-bel was the most important god in the Babylonian pantheon. Bel (similar to “Baal”) designated lordship.

• Nebo (Nabu, Nebu), the patron deity of Babylonian scribes, was thought to be the son of Marduk-bel.

• Instead of being paraded in glory at a Babylonian festival, these gods would be hauled away on ox carts and disposed of, rejected by the Babylonian people.
46:3  ^hp Those who remain in Israel refers to the remnant that would be left alive after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC.

• The Lord, the Creator of humanity, cares for and carries his people (contrast the Babylonian idols that must be carried instead).

• since you were born ... before you were born: The Lord chose Israel even before they were a nation (see also 49:5  ^hq).
Summary for Isa 46:8-13: 46:8-13  ^hr Many of the exiles would be completely discouraged and not believe the prediction of God’s rescue. God challenged this unbelief.
46:10  ^hs God knows the future before it even happens; he has comprehensive control over all events, and all his acts match his words (41:4  ^ht, 26  ^hu). He is the First and the Last (44:6  ^hv; 48:12  ^hw).
46:11  ^hx The swift bird of prey from the east refers to Cyrus, the Persian king (see study note on 41:2).
46:12  ^hy Formerly, Israel cared little for doing right (literally righteousness; see also 58:2  ^hz; 59:9  ^ia).
46:13  ^ib The good news for Israel was that God was coming to set things right (literally I will bring my righteousness near; see 40:9  ^ic; 51:5  ^id).

• show my glory to Israel: Unlike a craftsman who bestows material splendor on an idol (44:13  ^ie), the Lord bestows true dignity on his people.

‏ Isaiah 47

Summary for Isa 47:1-48:22: 47:1–48:22  ^if Two conclusions can be drawn from the preceding evidence that the Lord alone is God: (1) Babylon’s great pride is foolishness (47:1-15  ^ig); (2) Israel needs to pay attention to the word of the Lord (48:1-22  ^ih).
Summary for Isa 47:1-4: 47:1-4  ⁱⁱ In this taunt against Babylon, the queen of nations is humiliated, forced to work as a servant girl. 47:1  ^ij To sit in the dust was a way of expressing humiliation.
47:3  ^ik God’s vengeance against those who oppose him and those who oppress his people (see 34:8  ^il) will bring justice to the world by purging it of wickedness.
Summary for Isa 47:5-11: 47:5-11  ^im Babylon’s confidence and arrogance were well known (see 14:13-17  ⁱⁿ; Dan 4:30  ^io). All of this nation’s charms, magic, and wisdom were useless against the disaster decreed for it.
47:6  ^ip The people of Israel had provoked God’s wrath, prompting him to use Babylon to punish them. Now wicked Babylon itself would be punished.
47:8  ^iq I am the only one, and there is no other: This was a claim to divinity (cp. 45:5  ^ir; 47:10  ^is). Only the Lord can make such a claim. For any created thing, including a nation, to utter this is the height of hubris.

• To be a widow or to lose one’s children was a disgrace.
47:9  ^it Witchcraft and magic were commonly used in an attempt to ward off evil and to secure a happy future.
47:10  ^iu In this context, ‘wisdom’ and ‘knowledge’ probably refer sarcastically to the pseudo-knowledge gained through occult practices, which actually led Babylon away from the truth and into disaster (47:11  ^iv).
Summary for Isa 47:12-15: 47:12-15  ^iw In the face of calamity, Babylon would turn to occult practices for help, but it would not find help.
47:13  ^ix Babylon was advanced in astronomy, which the astrologers and stargazers used as a form of divination (see Dan 2:2  ^iy, 10  ^iz; 5:7  ^ja).

‏ Isaiah 48

Summary for Isa 48:1-22: 48:1-22  ^jb The Lord here calls on Israel to forsake her historic rebelliousness and listen to what he says. The Hebrew word translated listening is often synonymous with obeying or acting upon what is heard.
Summary for Isa 48:1-11: 48:1-11  ^jc This prophecy is a disputation, a speech in which the prophet argues a set of points against his audience.
Summary for Isa 48:1-2: 48:1-2  ^jd Israel was religious but not truly committed to the Lord. 48:1  ^je Jacob ... Judah: Although Isaiah’s normal focus was on Judah, here he addressed all the tribes of Israel.
48:3  ^jf The Lord had forewarned Israel of what was going to happen in the Exile.
Summary for Isa 48:6-7: 48:6-7  ^jg Even though Israel had repeatedly failed to believe God’s past predictions, here he revealed new things that were not yet heard. Specifically, God revealed that Babylon would fall and Israel would be restored.
48:10  ^jh The Exile was a furnace of suffering (cp. Deut 4:20  ^ji) through which God refined Israel.
48:11  ^jj I will not let my reputation be tarnished: Israel’s exile raised questions among the nations about the Lord’s character and reputation. The nations would not have perceived that Israel’s wicked character led to the Exile. Instead they would have viewed it as a failure of Israel’s God to protect his people and their land (see 36:19-20  ^jk; 37:12  ^jl; Ezek 36:19-26  ^jm).
Summary for Isa 48:12-22: 48:12-22  ^jn This final trial speech reviews the arguments of chs 40–48  ^jo and announces the final conclusion.
48:14  ^jp chosen Cyrus (literally him) as his ally: See 44:28  ^jq; 45:1-2  ^jr.
48:15  ^js I will send him and will help him succeed: Cyrus would humiliate Babylon and liberate Israel (45:1-4  ^jt).
48:16  ^ju I have told you plainly: God’s promises are clear, though not always specific as to manner and time.

• now the Sovereign Lord and his Spirit have sent me with this message: The identity of the one who is sent is unclear. Isaiah might be referring to himself as a Spirit-inspired prophet who spoke the very words of God to Israel. The connection with the Spirit suggests that it refers to the promised servant, the Messiah.

• The presence of the Spirit assures the servant’s success.
48:18  ^jv Peace and righteousness will be established when the Kingdom of God comes in its fullness (see 66:12  ^jw).

• like a gentle river ... like waves: An abundance of comforting peace and overflowing resources of righteousness (cp. Amos 5:24  ^jx) could have been Israel’s if its people had only listened to God.
48:19  ^jy Your descendants ... like the sands: This would fulfill God’s covenant to Abraham (Gen 22:17  ^jz); by contrast, the Israelites were nearly wiped out in the Exile (see Isa 44:26  ^ka).
48:20  ^kb Leave Babylon: See also 52:11-12  ^kc; 55:12  ^kd.
48:21  ^ke not thirsty ... rock ... water gushed: These reminders of God’s provision in the Exodus provide a fitting summary of what he would do to rescue Israel from captivity in Babylon (see Num 20:11  ^kf).
48:22  ^kg This refrain, no peace for the wicked (also 57:21  ^kh), continues the sharp divide between the godly and the wicked (see 66:24  ^ki). Peace speaks of God’s kingdom, from which the wicked are excluded.