Isaiah 43
43
The Lord Will Rescue His People
1 Now, this is what the Lord says,
the one who created you, O Jacob,
and formed you, O Israel:
“Don’t be afraid, for I will protect#tn Or “redeem.” See the note at 41:14. Cf. NCV “saved you”; CEV “rescued you”; NLT “ransomed you.” you.
I call you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I am with you;
when you pass#tn The verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line). through the streams, they will not overwhelm you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;
the flames will not harm#tn Heb “burn” (so NASB); NAB, NRSV, NLT “consume”; NIV “set you ablaze.” you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,#sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4. your deliverer.
I have handed over Egypt as a ransom price,
Ethiopia and Seba#sn Seba is not the same as Sheba in southern Arabia; cf. Gen 1:10; 1 Chr 1:9. in place of you.
4 Since you are precious and special in my sight,#tn Heb “Since you are precious in my eyes and you are honored.”
and I love you,
I will hand over people in place of you,
nations in place of your life.
5 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
From the east I will bring your descendants;
from the west I will gather you.
6 I will say to the north, ‘Hand them over!’
and to the south, ‘Don’t hold any back!’
Bring my sons from distant lands,
and my daughters from the remote regions of the earth,
7 everyone who belongs to me,#tn Heb “everyone who is called by my name” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed – yes, whom I made!
The Lord Declares His Sovereignty
8 Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes,
those who are deaf, even though they have ears!
9 All nations gather together,
the peoples assemble.
Who among them announced this?
Who predicted earlier events for us?#tn Heb “and the former things was causing us to hear?”
Let them produce their witnesses to testify they were right;
let them listen and affirm, ‘It is true.’
10 You are my witnesses,” says the Lord,
“my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may consider#tn Or “know” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). and believe in me,
and understand that I am he.
No god was formed before me,
and none will outlive me.#tn Heb “and after me, there will not be”; NASB “there will be none after Me.”
11 I, I am the Lord,
and there is no deliverer besides me.
12 I decreed and delivered and proclaimed,
and there was no other god among you.
You are my witnesses,” says the Lord, “that I am God.
13 From this day forward I am he;
no one can deliver from my power;#tn Heb “hand” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “No one can oppose what I do.”
I will act, and who can prevent it?”
The Lord Will Do Something New
14 This is what the Lord says,
your protector,#tn Or “kinsman redeemer.” See the note at 41:14. the Holy One of Israel:#sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
“For your sake I send to Babylon
and make them all fugitives,#tn Heb “and I bring down [as] fugitives all of them.”
turning the Babylonians’ joyful shouts into mourning songs.#tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “as for the Babylonians, in ships their joyful shout.” This might be paraphrased, “even the Babylonians in the ships [over which] they joyfully shouted.” The point would be that the Lord caused the Babylonians to flee for safety in the ships in which they took such great pride. A slight change in vocalization yields the reading “into mourning songs,” which provides a good contrast with “joyful shout.” The prefixed bet (בְּ) would indicate identity.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,#sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
the one who created Israel, your king.”
16 This is what the Lord says,
the one who made a road through the sea,
a pathway through the surging waters,
17 the one who led chariots and horses to destruction,#tn Heb “led out chariots and horses.” The words “to destruction” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The verse refers to the destruction of the Egyptians at the Red Sea.
together with a mighty army.
They fell down,#tn Heb “lay down”; NAB “lie prostrate together”; CEV “lie dead”; NRSV “they lie down.” never to rise again;
they were extinguished, put out like a burning wick:
18 “Don’t remember these earlier events;#tn Heb “the former things” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “forget all that.”
don’t recall these former events.
19 “Look, I am about to do something new.
Now it begins to happen!#tn Heb “sprouts up”; NASB “will spring forth.” Do you not recognize#tn Or “know” (KJV, ASV); NASB “be aware of”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “perceive.” it?
Yes, I will make a road in the desert
and paths#tn The Hebrew texts has “streams,” probably under the influence of v. 20. The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has נתיבות (“paths”). in the wilderness.
20 The wild animals of the desert honor me,
the jackals and ostriches,
because I put water in the desert
and streams in the wilderness,
to quench the thirst of my chosen people,
21 the people whom I formed for myself,
so they might praise me.”#tn Heb “[so] they might declare my praise.”
The Lord Rebukes His People
22 “But you did not call for me, O Jacob;
you did not long#tn Or “strive”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “been weary of me.” for me, O Israel.
23 You did not bring me lambs for your burnt offerings;
you did not honor me with your sacrifices.
I did not burden you with offerings;
I did not make you weary by demanding#tn Heb “with.” The words “by demanding” are supplied in the translation for clarification. incense.
24 You did not buy me aromatic reeds;#tn That is, “calamus” (so NIV); NCV, TEV, NLT “incense”; CEV “spices.”
you did not present to me#tn Heb “you did not saturate me”; NASB “Neither have you filled Me.” the fat of your sacrifices.
Yet you burdened me with your sins;
you made me weary with your evil deeds.#sn In vv. 22-24 the Lord appears to be condemning his people for failure to bring the proper sacrifices. However, this is problematic. If this refers to the nation’s behavior while in exile, such cultic service was impossible and could hardly be expected by the Lord. If this refers to the nation’s conduct before the exile, it contradicts other passages that depict Israel as bringing excessive sacrifices (see, e.g., Isa 1:11-14; Jer 6:20; Amos 4:4-5, 5:21-23). Rather than being a condemnation of Israel’s failure to bring sacrifices, these verses are better taken as a highly rhetorical comment on the worthlessness of Israel’s religious ritual. They may have brought sacrifices, but not to the Lord, for he did not accept them or even want them. See C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 127, and R. Whybray, Isaiah 40-66 (NCBC), 91.
25 I, I am the one who blots out your rebellious deeds for my sake;
your sins I do not remember.
26 Remind me of what happened! Let’s debate!
You, prove to me that you are right!#tn Heb “you, tell in order that you may be right”; NAB “prove your innocence.”
27 The father of your nation#tn Heb “your first father.” This could refer to Abraham (see 51:2), but elsewhere in Isaiah he does not appear in a negative light (see 29:22; 41:8; 63:16). A more likely candidate is Jacob/Israel, also referred to as the nation’s “father” elsewhere (see 58:14; 63:16). sinned;
your spokesmen#tn On the meaning of the term לִיץ (lits), see HALOT 590 s.v. מֵלִיץ. This may refer to the nation’s prophets, priests, and/or kings. rebelled against me.
28 So I defiled your holy princes,
and handed Jacob over to destruction,
and subjected#tn The word “subjected” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. Israel to humiliating abuse.”
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Isaiah 43
43
Restoration of Israel
1Now this is what the Lord says —
the one who created you, Jacob,
and the one who formed you, Israel#Is 43:7,15,21; 44:2,21,24 —
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;#Is 44:22–23; 48:20
I have called you by your name; you are mine.#Gn 32:28; Is 45:3–4
2When you pass through the waters,#Ps 66:12; Is 8:7–8
I will be with you,#Dt 31:6,8,23; Jos 1:5; 3:7; Jr 1:8; 30:11; 46:28
and the rivers will not overwhelm you.
When you walk through the fire,#Is 29:6; 30:27–29; Dn 3:25,27
you will not be scorched,
and the flame will not burn you.
3For I am the Lord your God,#Ex 20:2; Is 41:13
the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior.#Is 19:20; 43:11; 45:15,21; 49:26; 60:16; 63:8
I have given Egypt as a ransom for you,
Cush and Seba in your place.
4Because you are precious in my sight#2Kg 1:13–14; Ps 36:7; 72:14; Pr 3:15; Is 28:16
and honored, and I love you,#Is 63:9
I will give people in exchange for you
and nations instead of your life.
5Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your descendants from the east,#Is 41:8; 61:9
and gather you from the west.#Is 49:12
6I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back!’
Bring my sons from far away,#2Co 6:18
and my daughters from the ends of the earth#Is 45:22 —
7everyone who bears my name
and is created for my glory.
I have formed them; indeed, I have made them.”
8Bring out a people who are blind, yet have eyes,#Is 6:9; 42:19; Ezk 12:2
and are deaf, yet have ears.
9All the nations are gathered together,
and the peoples are assembled.#Is 34:1; 41:1
Who among them can declare this,#Is 41:22–23,26
and tell us the former things?
Let them present their witnesses
to vindicate themselves,
so that people may hear and say, “It is true.”
10“You are my witnesses”#Is 44:8; Ac 1:8 —
this is the Lord’s declaration —
“and my servant whom I have chosen,#Is 41:8
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.#Is 41:4
No god was formed before me,
and there will be none after me.#Is 44:6,8; 45:5–6
11I — I am the Lord.
Besides me, there is no Savior.#Is 43:3; 45:21; Hs 13:4
12I alone declared, saved, and proclaimed —
and not some foreign god#43:12 Lit not a foreigner among you.
So you are my witnesses” —
this is the Lord’s declaration —
“and#43:12 Or that I am God.#Ps 46:10; 50:7; Is 45:22; 46:9
13Also, from today on I am he alone,
and none can rescue from my power.#Dt 32:39; Jn 10:28–29
I act, and who can reverse it?” #Jb 9:12; Is 14:27
God’s Deliverance of Rebellious Israel
14This is what the Lord, your Redeemer,#Jb 19:25; Ps 19:14; 78:35; Pr 23:11; Is 41:14; Jr 50:34 the Holy One of Israel#Is 1:4 says:
Because of you, I will send an army#43:14 an army supplied for clarity to Babylon
and bring all of them as fugitives,#43:14 Or will break down all their bars
even the Chaldeans#Is 23:13 in the ships in which they rejoice.#43:14 Hb obscure
15I am the Lord, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.
16This is what the Lord says —
who makes a way in the sea,
and a path through raging water,#Ex 14:21–22; Ps 77:19; Is 11:15; 44:27; 50:2; 51:10; 63:11–12
17who brings out the chariot and horse,#Ex 15:19
the army and the mighty one together
(they lie down, they do not rise again;
they are extinguished, put out like a wick#Ps 118:12; Is 1:31) —
18“Do not remember the past events;
pay no attention to things of old.#Is 65:17; Jr 23:7
19Look, I am about to do something new;#Is 42:9; 48:6; 2Co 5:17
even now it is coming. Do you not see it?
Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness,#Ex 17:6; Nm 20:11; Dt 8:15; Ps 78:16; Is 35:1,6; 41:18–19; 49:10; 51:3
rivers#43:19 DSS read paths in the desert.
20Wild animals —
jackals and ostriches — will honor me,
because I provide water in the wilderness,
and rivers in the desert,#Is 41:17–18; 48:21
to give drink to my chosen people.
21The people I formed for myself
will declare my praise.#Ps 102:18; Is 42:12; Lk 1:74–75; 1Pt 2:9
22“But, Jacob, you have not called on me,
because, Israel, you have become weary of me.#Mc 6:3; Mal 1:13; 3:14
23You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings
or honored me with your sacrifices.#Zch 7:5–6; Mal 1:6–8
I have not burdened you with offerings
or wearied you with incense.#43:23 I.e., with demands for offerings and incense
24You have not bought me aromatic cane with silver,
or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins;
you have wearied me#Ps 95:10; Is 1:14; 7:13; Ezk 6:9; Mal 2:17 with your iniquities.#Is 13:11
25“I am the one, I sweep away your transgressions#Is 44:22; 55:7; Jr 50:20; Heb 2:17
for my own sake#Is 37:35; 48:9,11; Ezk 36:22
and remember your sins no more.#Is 38:17; Jr 31:34; Mk 2:7
26Remind me. Let’s argue the case together.#Is 1:18; 41:1; 50:8
Recount the facts, so that you may be vindicated.
27Your first father sinned,#Is 51:2; Ezk 16:3
and your mediators have rebelled against me.#Is 9:15; 28:7; 29:10; Jr 5:31
28So I defiled the officers of the sanctuary,
and set Jacob apart for destruction#Is 24:6; 34:5; Jr 24:9; Dn 9:11; Zch 8:13
and Israel for scorn.
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