Isaiah 44:1-6

1 And now, Jacob, my servant, hear thou, and Israel, whom I chose. (And now, my servant Jacob, listen thou, yea, Israel, whom I chose.)

2 The Lord making and forgiving thee, thine helper from the womb, saith these things, My servant, Jacob, do not thou dread, and thou most rightful, whom I chose. (The Lord who made thee and formed thee, thy helper from the womb, saith these things, My servant Jacob, do not thou fear, and thou Jeshurun, whom I chose.)

3 For I shall shed out waters on the thirsty, and floods on the dry land; I shall shed out my spirit on thy seed, and my blessing on thy generation. (For I shall pour out water upon the thirsty land, and floods upon the dry ground; I shall pour out my Spirit upon thy children, and my blessing upon thy descendants.)

4 And they shall burgeon among herbs, as sallows beside running waters. (And they shall flourish among the herbs, like the willows beside the running water.)

5 This man shall say, I am of the Lord, and he shall call in the name of Jacob; and this man shall write with his hand to the Lord, and shall be likened in the name of Israel. (This person shall say, I am of the Lord, and he shall call himself by Jacob's name; and another person shall write the Lord's name on his hand, and shall add the name of Israel to his own.)

6 The Lord, King of Israel, and again-buyer thereof, the Lord of hosts saith these things, I am the first, and I am the last, and without me is no God. (The Lord, the King of Israel, and its Redeemer, the Lord of hosts saith these things, I am the first, and I am the last, and there is no God besides me.)

Isaiah 44:1-6 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.