Isaiah 44:1-10

The Blessings of Israel

1 "But now listen, O Jacob, My ¹servant, And Israel, whom I have chosen:

2 Thus says the LORD who made you And ²formed you from the womb, who ³will help you, '⁴Do not fear, O Jacob My servant; And you ⁵Jeshurun whom I have chosen.

3 'For ⁶I will pour out water on the thirsty land And streams on the dry ground; I will ⁷pour out My Spirit on your ⁸offspring And My blessing on your descendants;

4 And they will spring up among the grass Like ⁹poplars by streams of water.'

5 "This one will say, 'I am the LORD'S '; And that one will call on the name of Jacob; And another will ¹⁰write on his hand, 'Belonging to the LORD,' And will name Israel's name with honor.

6 "Thus says the LORD, the ¹¹King of Israel and his ¹²Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the ¹³first and I am the last, And there is no God ¹⁴besides * Me.

7 'Who is like Me? ¹⁵Let him proclaim and declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me in order, From the time that I established the ancient nation. And let them declare to them the things that are coming And the events that are going to take place.

8 'Do not tremble and do not be afraid; ¹⁶Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And ¹⁷you are My witnesses. Is there any God ¹⁸besides * Me, Or is there any other ¹⁹Rock? I know of none.' "

The Folly of Idolatry

9 Those who fashion a graven image are all of them futile, and their precious things are of no profit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be ²⁰put to shame.

10 Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to ²¹no profit?

Isaiah 44:1-10 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 44

In this chapter the Lord comforts his people with the promise of the effusion of his Spirit, and the blessings of his grace upon them; the consequence of which would be fruitfulness in them, and the conversion of others, who should profess themselves the Lord's people, Isa 44:1-5, he proves his deity in opposition to all false gods from his eternity, omniscience, and foretelling future events, Isa 44:6-8, exposes the stupidity of idol makers and the worshippers of them, Isa 44:9-20, makes gracious promises of the remembrance of his people, the remission of their sins, and their redemption by Christ, Isa 44:21-23, of which redemption from Babylon was a type; and of that assurance is given, from the Lord's creating all things by his power; from his frustrating and infatuating diviners and wise men; from his fulfilling his predictions delivered by his prophets; and from his mentioning by name the instrument of their redemption, Cyrus, Isa 44:24-28, which makes way for a particular prophecy concerning him in the next chapter.

Cross References

• 1. Isaiah 41:8; Jeremiah 30:10; Jeremiah 46:27, 28
• 2. Isaiah 44:21, 24
• 3. Isaiah 41:10
• 4. Isaiah 43:5
• 5. Deuteronomy 32:15; Deuteronomy 33:5, 26
• 6. Isaiah 41:17; Ezekiel 34:26; Joel 3:18
• 7. Isaiah 32:15; Joel 2:28
• 8. Isaiah 61:9; Isaiah 65:23
• 9. Leviticus 23:40; Job 40:22
• 10. Exodus 13:9; Nehemiah 9:38
• 11. Isaiah 41:21; Isaiah 43:15
• 12. Isaiah 41:14; Isaiah 43:1, 14
• 13. Isaiah 41:4; Isaiah 43:10; Isaiah 48:12; Revelation 1:8, 17; Revelation 22:13
• 14. Isaiah 43:11; Isaiah 44:8; Isaiah 45:5, 6, 21
• 15. Isaiah 41:22, 26
• 16. Isaiah 42:9; Isaiah 48:5
• 17. Isaiah 43:10
• 18. Deuteronomy 4:35, 39; 1 Samuel 2:2; Isaiah 45:5; Joel 2:27
• 19. Isaiah 17:10; Isaiah 26:4; Isaiah 30:29
• 20. Psalms 97:7; Isaiah 42:17; Isaiah 44:11; Isaiah 45:16
• 21. Isaiah 41:29; Jeremiah 10:5; Habakkuk 2:18; Acts 19:26

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "him who is thirsty"
• [b]. Another reading is "like grass among the waters"
• [c]. Another reading is "will be called by the name of Jacob"
• [d]. Or "with"
• [e]. Lit "From My establishing of"
• [f]. Or "people"
• [g]. Or "an idol"
• [h]. Or "a graven image"