Isaiah 41:27

27 I was the first to tell Zion, ‘Look! Help is on the way!’ I will send Jerusalem a messenger with good news.

Isaiah 41:27 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 41:27

The first shall say to Zion, behold, behold them
Or, "I the first say to Zion"; I who am the first and the last, ( Isaiah 41:4 ) which some ancient Jewish writers ^F4 observe is the name of the Messiah, and apply the passage to him; or, I am the "first" that say these things to Zion ^F5, behold, behold them;
behold such and such things shall come to pass, and accordingly they have come to pass; or, "behold", the promised Messiah, whom I have long spoken of, behold, he is come; see ( Isaiah 42:1 ) , and behold them, his apostles and ministers, publishing the good tidings of salvation, as follows. The Targum is,

``the words of consolation which the prophets prophesied from the beginning concerning Sion, behold they come;''

they come to pass; which is such a proof of deity the idols and their worshippers cannot give: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings;
which some interpret of Isaiah; others of Cyrus; others of Christ; and others of John the Baptist. I suppose the singular put for the plural, "one that bringeth good tidings", or, "an evangelist for evangelists"; and may be understood of Gospel teachers, whom the Lord gave to his church and people, and by means of whom he spread his Gospel, not only in Judea, but in the Gentile world, to the overthrow of Paganism.

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FOOTNOTES:

F4 T. Bab. Pesach. fol. 5. 1. Bereshit Rabba, sect. 63. fol. 55. 3. and Vajikra Rabba, sect. 30. fol. 171. 2.
F5 (Nwyul Nwvar) "ego primus sum qui dico haec Sioni", Tigurine version.

Isaiah 41:27 In-Context

25 “But I have stirred up a leader who will approach from the north. From the east he will call on my name. I will give him victory over kings and princes. He will trample them as a potter treads on clay.

26 “Who told you from the beginning that this would happen? Who predicted this, making you admit that he was right? No one said a word!

27 I was the first to tell Zion, ‘Look! Help is on the way!’ I will send Jerusalem a messenger with good news.

28 Not one of your idols told you this. Not one gave any answer when I asked.

29 See, they are all foolish, worthless things. All your idols are as empty as the wind.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or ‘Look! They are coming home.’