Isaiah 42:9

9 Look! the former things have come, and I declare new things. I {announce} [them] to you before they sprout up."

Isaiah 42:9 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 42:9

Behold, the former things are come to pass
Which the Lord had foretold in former times, as to Abraham, concerning the affliction of his posterity in Egypt, the bringing them out from thence, and settling them in the land of Canaan; and other things by Moses and Joshua, and other prophets; and by Isaiah; and particularly the captivity of the ten tribes, which was now come to pass in the times of Hezekiah: and new things do I declare;
as the captivity of Judah and Benjamin, and their restoration by Cyrus; and more especially the mission and incarnation of Christ, his sufferings and death, and redemption and salvation by him; which were not only things to come, but new things, famous and excellent ones: before they spring up I tell you of them
or "before they bud forth" {r}; while the seeds of them were under ground, sown in the purposes and decrees of God, he spoke of them in prophecy; and now former prophecies being fulfilled, and new ones delivered out, concerning things of which there was no appearance, and yet there was the greatest reason to believe their accomplishment, from the fulfilment of the former; this must be a strong proof and confirmation of the Lord being the true God, and the only one.

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FOOTNOTES:

F18 (hnxmut Mrjb) "antequam pullulent", Montanus, Cocceius; "germinent", Vatablus; "antequam propullulent vel efflorescant", Vitringa.

Isaiah 42:9 In-Context

7 to open [the] blind eyes, to bring [the] prisoner out from [the] dungeon, those who sit [in] darkness from [the] house of imprisonment.

8 I [am] Yahweh; that [is] my name, and I do not give my glory to another, nor my praise to the idols.

9 Look! the former things have come, and I declare new things. I {announce} [them] to you before they sprout up."

10 Sing a new song to Yahweh; praise him from the end of the earth, you who go down [to] the sea and that which fills it, [the] coastlands and their inhabitants.

11 Let [the] desert and its towns lift up their voice, [the] villages [that] Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy; let them shout loudly from [the] {top} of [the] mountains.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "cause to hear"