Isaiah 43:20-28

20 "The beasts of the field will glorify Me, The 1jackals and the ostriches, Because I have 2given waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My chosen people.
21 "The people whom 3I formed for Myself 4Will declare My praise.

The Shortcomings of Israel

22 "Yet you have not called on Me, O Jacob; But you have become 5weary of Me, O Israel.
23 "You have 6not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings, Nor have you 7honored Me with your sacrifices. I have not 8burdened you with offerings, Nor wearied you with 9incense.
24 "You have bought Me not 10sweet cane with money, Nor have you filled Me with the fat of your sacrifices; Rather you have burdened Me with your sins, You have 11wearied Me with your iniquities.
25 "I, even I, am the one who 12wipes out your transgressions 13for My own sake, And I will 14not remember your sins.
26 "Put Me in remembrance, 15let us argue our case together; State your cause, 16that you may be proved right.
27 "Your 17first forefather sinned, And your 18spokesmen have transgressed against Me.
28 "So I will pollute the princes of the sanctuary, And I will consign Jacob to the 19ban and Israel to 20revilement.

Isaiah 43:20-28 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 20

  • 1. Isaiah 13:22; Isaiah 35:7
  • 2. Isaiah 41:17, 18; Isaiah 48:21
  • 3. Isaiah 43:1
  • 4. Psalms 102:18; Isaiah 42:12; Luke 1:74, 75; 1 Peter 2:9
  • 5. Micah 6:3; Malachi 1:13; Malachi 3:14
  • 6. Amos 5:25
  • 7. Zechariah 7:5, 6; Malachi 1:6-8
  • 8. Jeremiah 7:21-26
  • 9. Exodus 30:34; Leviticus 2:1; Leviticus 24:7
  • 10. Exodus 30:23; Jeremiah 6:20
  • 11. Psalms 95:10; Isaiah 1:14; Isaiah 7:13; Ezekiel 6:9; Malachi 2:17
  • 12. Isaiah 44:22; Isaiah 55:7; Jeremiah 50:20
  • 13. Isaiah 37:35; Isaiah 48:9, 11; Ezekiel 36:22
  • 14. Isaiah 38:17; Jeremiah 31:34
  • 15. Isaiah 1:18; Isaiah 41:1; Isaiah 50:8
  • 16. Isaiah 43:9
  • 17. Isaiah 51:2; Ezekiel 16:3
  • 18. Isaiah 9:15; Isaiah 28:7; Isaiah 29:10; Jeremiah 5:31
  • 19. Isaiah 24:6; Isaiah 34:5; Jeremiah 24:9; Daniel 9:11; Zechariah 8:13
  • 20. Psalms 79:4; Ezekiel 5:15

Footnotes 9

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