Isaiah 43:22-28

22 "Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob; but 1you have been weary of me, O Israel!
23 2You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings, or honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, 3or wearied you with frankincense.
24 You have not bought me sweet cane with money, or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities.
25 "I, I am he 4who blots out 5your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.
26 Put me in remembrance; 6let us argue together; set forth your case, that you may be proved right.
27 7Your first father sinned, and 8your mediators transgressed against me.
28 Therefore 9I will profane the princes of the sanctuary, and 10deliver Jacob to utter destruction and Israel to reviling.

Isaiah 43:22-28 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References 10

  • 1. Micah 6:3
  • 2. [Amos 5:25]
  • 3. [See ver. 22 above]
  • 4. Isaiah 44:22; [Ezekiel 36:25, 26]
  • 5. [Isaiah 46:8]
  • 6. Isaiah 1:18
  • 7. [Ezekiel 16:3]
  • 8. [Jeremiah 5:31]
  • 9. Lamentations 2:2
  • 10. [Jeremiah 24:9; Jeremiah 29:22]
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.