Isaiah 43:3-13

3 For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush[a] and Seba in your stead.
4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
8 Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf.
9 All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Which of their gods foretold this and proclaimed to us the former things? Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right, so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”
10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.
11 I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior.
12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God.
13 Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?”

Isaiah 43:3-13 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 37

  • 1. S Exodus 20:2
  • 2. S Isaiah 41:20
  • 3. S Exodus 14:30; S Judges 2:18; S Psalms 3:8; S Isaiah 25:9
  • 4. S Psalms 68:31; Isaiah 19:1; Ezekiel 29:20
  • 5. S Isaiah 20:3
  • 6. S Genesis 10:7
  • 7. S Proverbs 21:18
  • 8. Exodus 19:5; Isaiah 49:5
  • 9. Isaiah 63:9; Revelation 3:9
  • 10. S Genesis 15:1; Isaiah 44:2
  • 11. S Genesis 21:22; S Exodus 14:22; Jeremiah 30:10-11
  • 12. Isaiah 41:8; Isaiah 54:3; Isaiah 61:9; Isaiah 66:22
  • 13. S Isaiah 11:12; S Isaiah 49:18
  • 14. S Isaiah 24:14; Zechariah 8:7; S Matthew 8:11
  • 15. Psalms 107:3
  • 16. Isaiah 60:4; Ezekiel 16:61; 2 Corinthians 6:18
  • 17. S Deuteronomy 30:4; S Isaiah 11:12; Jeremiah 23:8; Ezekiel 36:24
  • 18. Isaiah 48:1; Isaiah 56:5; Isaiah 62:2; Isaiah 63:19; Isaiah 65:1; Jeremiah 15:16; James 2:7
  • 19. S Isaiah 27:11
  • 20. S Psalms 86:9
  • 21. ver 1,21; Psalms 100:3; S Isaiah 19:25; Ephesians 2:10
  • 22. S Isaiah 6:9-10
  • 23. S Isaiah 42:20; Ezekiel 12:2
  • 24. S Isaiah 41:1; Isaiah 45:20; Isaiah 48:14
  • 25. S Isaiah 41:26
  • 26. ver 12; S Joshua 24:22
  • 27. S Isaiah 20:3; Isaiah 41:8-9
  • 28. S Exodus 6:7
  • 29. ver 11; S Psalms 86:10; Isaiah 19:21; Isaiah 44:6,8; Isaiah 45:5-6,14
  • 30. S Deuteronomy 4:35; S Deuteronomy 32:39; Jeremiah 14:22
  • 31. S Exodus 6:2; S Isaiah 42:8
  • 32. S ver 10; S Psalms 3:8; S Psalms 18:31; S Isaiah 25:9; Isaiah 64:4; Isaiah 45:21
  • 33. S Deuteronomy 32:12; Psalms 81:9
  • 34. S ver 10; Isaiah 44:8
  • 35. Psalms 90:2
  • 36. S Deuteronomy 32:39; Isaiah 46:4; Isaiah 48:12
  • 37. S Numbers 23:8; S Job 9:12; Isaiah 14:27

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. That is, the upper Nile region
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