Isaiah 44:1

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.)

Isaiah 44:1 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 44:1

Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant
These words are directed to a remnant according to the election of grace among the Jews, about the time when their princes should be profaned, and the body of the people should be given to curse and reproaches; and who are distinguished from them by the title of the Lord's "servants": who, being called by grace, were made willing to serve him in righteousness and holiness, either by preaching his Gospel, and so had the title of the servants of the most high God, which show unto men the way of salvation; or by observing his commands and ordinances, and walking agreeably to his will, serving him acceptably with reverence and godly fear; as they are also, in the next clause, distinguished from the rest by their being "chosen" of God: and these, having ears to hear, are called upon to hearken to what the Lord had to say unto them; for, notwithstanding the sorrowful things delivered out in the latter part of the preceding chapter, threatening destruction to the nation of the Jews; yet he had some comfortable things to say to this remnant, and therefore would now have them hear them, and attend unto them for their use and comfort: and Israel whom I have chosen;
an Israel out of Israel; a seed the Lord had reserved for himself, whom he had chosen in Christ before the world was; to be holy and happy, to grace here and glory hereafter, to believe in him, and profess his name, and to serve him in their day and generation, either in a more public, or in a more private way; chosen vessels they were to bear his name, and show forth his praise. What they were to hear and hearken to is as follows,

Isaiah 44:1 In-Context

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.)