Isaías 43

1 Mas ahora, así dice el SEÑOR tu Creador, oh Jacob, y el que te formó, oh Israel: No temas, porque yo te he redimido, te he llamado por tu nombre; mío eres tú.

2 Cuando pases por las aguas, yo estaré contigo, y si por los ríos, no te anegarán; cuando pases por el fuego, no te quemarás, ni la llama te abrasará.

3 Porque yo soy el SEÑOR tu Dios, el Santo de Israel, tu Salvador; he dado a Egipto por tu rescate, a Cus y a Seba en lugar tuyo.

4 Ya que eres precioso a mis ojos, digno de honra, y yo te amo, daré a otros hombres en lugar tuyo, y a otros pueblos por tu vida.

5 No temas, porque yo estoy contigo; del oriente traeré tu descendencia, y del occidente te reuniré.

6 Diré al norte: "Entrégalos;" y al sur: "No los retengas." Trae a mis hijos desde lejos, y a mis hijas desde los confines de la tierra,

7 a todo el que es llamado por mi nombre y a quien he creado para mi gloria, a quien he formado y a quien he hecho.

8 Sacad al pueblo ciego, aunque tiene ojos, y a los sordos, aunque tienen oídos.

9 Todas las naciones a una se han reunido y se han congregado los pueblos. ¿Quién de ellos declarará esto y nos proclamará las cosas anteriores? Que presenten sus testigos y que se justifiquen, que oigan y digan: Es verdad.

10 Vosotros sois mis testigosdeclara el SEÑOR y mi siervo a quien he escogido, para que me conozcáis y creáis en mí, y entendáis que yo soy. Antes de mí no fue formado otro dios, ni después de mí lo habrá.

11 Yo, yo soy el SEÑOR, y fuera de mí no hay salvador.

12 Yo soy el que lo he anunciado, he salvado y lo he proclamado, y no hay entre vosotros dios extraño; vosotros, pues, sois mis testigosdeclara el SEÑOR y yo soy Dios.

13 Aun desde la eternidad, yo soy, y no hay quien libre de mi mano; yo actúo, ¿y quién lo revocará?

14 Así dice el SEÑOR vuestro Redentor, el Santo de Israel: Por vuestra causa envié a Babilonia e hice descender como fugitivos a todos ellos, es decir, a los caldeos, en las naves de las cuales se gloriaban.

15 Yo soy el SEÑOR, vuestro Santo, el Creador de Israel, vuestro Rey.

16 Así dice el SEÑOR, que abre camino en el mar y sendero en las aguas impetuosas;

17 el que hace salir carro y caballo, ejército y fuerza (a una se echarán y no se levantarán, como pabilo han sido apagados y extinguidos):

18 No recordéis las cosas anteriores ni consideréis las cosas del pasado.

19 He aquí, hago algo nuevo, ahora acontece; ¿no lo percibís? Aun en los desiertos haré camino y ríos en el yermo.

20 Me glorificarán las bestias del campo, los chacales y los avestruces, porque he puesto aguas en los desiertos y ríos en el yermo, para dar de beber a mi pueblo escogido.

21 El pueblo que yo he formado para mí proclamará mi alabanza.

22 Pero no me has invocado, Jacob, sino que te has cansado de mí, Israel.

23 No me has traído las ovejas de tus holocaustos, ni me has honrado con tus sacrificios. No te he abrumado exigiendo ofrendas, ni te he cansado exigiendo incienso.

24 No me has comprado con dinero caña aromática, ni con la grosura de tus sacrificios me has saciado; por el contrario me has abrumado con tus pecados, y me has cansado con tus iniquidades.

25 Yo, yo soy el que borro tus transgresiones por amor a mí mismo, y no recordaré tus pecados.

26 Hazme recordar, discutamos juntos nuestro caso; habla tú para justificarte.

27 Tu primer padre pecó, y tus voceros prevaricaron contra mí.

28 Por tanto, profanaré a los príncipes del santuario, y entregaré a Jacob al anatema y a Israel al oprobio.

Isaías 43 Commentary

God's unchangeable love for his people. (1-7) Apostates and idolaters addressed. (8-13) The deliverance from Babylon, and the conversion of the Gentiles. (14-21) Admonition to repent of sin. (22-28)

Verses 1-7 God's favour and good-will to his people speak abundant comfort to all believers. The new creature, wherever it is, is of God's forming. All who are redeemed with the blood of his Son, he has set apart for himself. Those that have God for them need not fear who or what can be against them. What are Egypt and Ethiopia, all their lives and treasures, compared with the blood of Christ? True believers are precious in God's sight, his delight is in them, above any people. Though they went as through fire and water, yet, while they had God with them, they need fear no evil; they should be born up, and brought out. The faithful are encouraged. They were to be assembled from every quarter. And with this pleasing object in view, the prophet again dissuades from anxious fears.

Verses 8-13 Idolaters are called to appear in defence of their idols. Those who make them, and trust in them, are like unto them. They have the shape and faculties of men; but they have not common sense. But God's people know the power of his grace, the sweetness of his comforts, the kind care of his providence, and the truth of his promise. All servants of God can give such an account of what he has wrought in them, and done for them, as may lead others to know and believe his power, truth, and love

Verses 14-21 The deliverance from Babylon is foretold, but there is reference to greater events. The redemption of sinners by Christ, the conversion of the Gentiles, and the recall of the Jews, are described. All that is to be done to rescue sinners, and to bring the believer to glory, is little, compared with that wondrous work of love, the redemption of man.

Verses 22-28 Those who neglect to call upon God, are weary of him. The Master tired not the servants with his commands, but they tired him with disobedience. What were the riches of God's mercy toward them? I, even I, am he who yet blotteth out thy transgressions. This encourages us to repent, because there is forgiveness with God, and shows the freeness of Divine mercy. When God forgives, he forgets. It is not for any thing in us, but for his mercies' sake, his promise' sake; especially for his Son's sake. He is pleased to reckon it his honour. Would man justify himself before God? The attempt is desperate: our first father broke the covenant, and we all have copied his example. We have no reason to expect pardon, except we seek it by faith in Christ; and that is always attended by true repentance, and followed by newness of life, by hatred of sin, and love to God. Let us then put him in remembrance of the promises he has made to the penitent, and the satisfaction his Son has made for them. Plead these with him in wrestling for pardon; and declare these things, that thou mayest be justified freely by his grace. This is the only way, and it is a sure way to peace.

Footnotes

• [a]. Otra posible lectura de esta lnea es: en cuanto a los caldeos, su regocijo se convierte en lamentaciones

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 43

Is this chapter the Lord comforts his own people, under their afflictions, with many precious promises; asserts his deity against the idols of the nations; promises deliverance from Babylon, and a greater redemption than that; one branch of which is forgiveness of sin; and closes the chapter with a prediction of the destruction of the Jews by the Romans, for their iniquities. The Lord claims his interest in his people, not only on the foot of creation, but of redemption and calling, and promises them his presence in the midst of afflictions, Isa 43:1,2, puts them in mind of what he had done for them; and assures them of future layouts, as the effect of his unchangeable love to them, Isa 43:3,4 and promises the conversion of their seed and offspring in the several parts of the world, Isa 43:5-7 then challenges the Heathen nations to give such proofs of the deity of their idols as he was capable of giving of his, as his people were witnesses, taken from his eternity and immutability, as the alone Jehovah, and from his omniscience and omnipotence, Isa 43:8-13, after which the destruction of Babylon is prophesied of, and the redemption of his people out of it; which they are encouraged to believe from his being Jehovah, their Sanctifier, Creator, and King; and from what he had done formerly for them, when he brought them out of Egypt, Isa 43:14-17, and which yet was not to be mentioned or remembered, in comparison of what he would do in the world, a new thing, redemption by the Messiah, and the conversion of the Gentiles to the glory of his grace, Isa 43:18-21, the sins of omission and commission the people of God had been guilty of are mentioned, which are freely pardoned for Christ's sake, Isa 43:22-25 when the body and bulk of the Jewish nation were given up to destruction, because of their sins, Isa 43:26-28.