Isaiah 44:8

8 Do not tremble with fear. Do not be afraid. Didn't I announce everything that has happened? Didn't I tell you about it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any other God but me? No! There is no other Rock. I do not know even one."

Isaiah 44:8 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 44:8

Fear ye not, neither be afraid
Of the accomplishment of prophecies and promises, and of professing the true God, and of adhering to Jesus Christ, the only Redeemer and Saviour; or of the gods of the Heathens, and of persecuting tyrants, and what they can do against you, and in favour of their idolatrous religion: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it?
what should come to pass, before it did, even everything that has since the appointment of the ancient people; and particularly what troubles and persecutions the apostles, ministers of the word, the first Christians should meet with among the Heathens, for professing and propagating the Gospel, and what success they should meet with, which came to pass accordingly: ye are even my witnesses;
as especially the apostles were, who had it from Christ's own mouth, that they should be hated and persecuted for the sake of the Gospel, and should be successful wherever they came; as they also were his witnesses in Jerusalem, and Judea, and Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth, of his person, doctrine, miracles, death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven, ( Acts 1:8 ) : is there a God besides me?
that is a true God; for there were many fictitious and false deities, but none omniscient and omnipotent, that could foretell future events, and accomplish them as he did; there is no god but the one God, Father, Son, and Spirit; for this an appeal is made to the witnesses: yea, there is no God, I know not any;
or, there is "no rock" F1; or, is there any? a word used for God, ( Deuteronomy 32:4 Deuteronomy 32:18 Deuteronomy 32:30 Deuteronomy 32:31 ) , there is no rock to build upon for salvation, no rock for shelter and safety, but Christ the rock of ages, on which the church is built, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it, ( Matthew 16:18 ) , and if God, who is omniscient, knows none else, there can be no other.


FOOTNOTES:

F1 (rwu Nya) "nulls rupes", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "non est petra", Montanus, Cocceius; "estne rupes?" Vitringa.

Isaiah 44:8 In-Context

6 "I am Israel's King. I set them free. I am the LORD who rules over all. So listen to what I am saying. I am the First and the Last. I am the one and only God.
7 Who is like me? Let him come forward and speak boldly. Let him tell me everything that has happened since I created my people long ago. And let him tell me what has not happened yet. Let him announce ahead of time what is going to take place.
8 Do not tremble with fear. Do not be afraid. Didn't I announce everything that has happened? Didn't I tell you about it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any other God but me? No! There is no other Rock. I do not know even one."
9 Those who make statues of gods don't amount to anything. And the statues they think so much of are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind. They don't know anything. So they will be put to shame.
10 People make statues of gods. But those gods can't do them any good.
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