Isaiah 48:7-17

7 "They are created now and not long ago; And before today you have not heard them, So that you will not say, 'Behold, I knew them.'

8 "You have not ¹heard, you have not known. Even from long ago your ear has not been open, Because I knew that you would deal very treacherously; And you have been called a ²rebel from birth.

9 "³For the sake of My name I ⁴delay My wrath, And for My praise I restrain it for you, In order not to cut you off.

10 "Behold, I have refined you, but ⁵not as silver; I have tested you in the ⁶furnace of affliction.

11 "⁷For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My ⁸glory I will not give to another.

Deliverance Promised

12 "Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; ⁹I am He, ¹⁰I am the first, I am also the last.

13 "Surely My hand ¹¹founded the earth, And My right hand spread out the heavens; When I ¹²call to them, they stand together.

14 "¹³Assemble, all of you, and listen! ¹⁴Who among them has declared these things? The LORD loves him; he will ¹⁵carry out His good pleasure on ¹⁶Babylon, And His arm will be against the Chaldeans.

15 "I, even I, have spoken; indeed I have ¹⁷called him, I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful.

16 "¹⁸Come near to Me, listen to this: From the first I have ¹⁹not spoken in secret, ²⁰From the time it took place, I was there. And now ²¹the Lord GOD has sent Me, and His Spirit."

17 Thus says the LORD, your ²²Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, Who ²³leads you in the way you should go.

Isaiah 48:7-17 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 48

The prophecy of this chapter is concerning the deliverance and salvation of the Jews, and is addressed unto them; who are described by their natural descent and lineage, and by their hypocrisy in religious things, Isa 48:1,2. By their obstinacy and impudence, and by their proneness to idolatry, and to ascribe that to idols which belonged to God; which were the reasons why the Lord foretold all former things to them, before they came to pass, Isa 48:3-5. And for the same reasons also he declared unto them what should be hereafter, particularly the destruction of Babylon, and their deliverance by Cyrus, Isa 48:6-8. From which account of them it would clearly appear, that it was not for any merits of theirs, but for his own name's sake, for his own glory, that he chose them, purified, and saved them as gold tried in the fire, Isa 48:9-11. He observes his own perfections, his eternity and immutability, and power displayed in creation, to engage their faith in the promise of deliverance, Isa 48:12,13 and points out the deliverer Cyrus, a type of Christ, whom he loved, called, sent, and made him prosperous, Isa 48:14-16. Then he directs them to walk in his ways, with promises of peace and prosperity, Isa 48:17-19. And the chapter is concluded with an exhortation to go out of Babylon with joy, publishing wherever they came their redemption, and who would be supplied with all necessaries in their return to their own land; only it should be observed, that there was no peace or happiness for the wicked, Isa 48:20-22.

Cross References

• 1. Isaiah 42:25; Isaiah 47:11; Hosea 7:9
• 2. Deuteronomy 9:7, 24; Psalms 58:3; Isaiah 46:8
• 3. Isaiah 48:11
• 4. Nehemiah 9:30, 31; Psalms 78:38; Psalms 103:8-10; Isaiah 30:18; Isaiah 65:8
• 5. Jeremiah 9:7; Ezekiel 22:18-22
• 6. Deuteronomy 4:20; 1 Kings 8:51; Jeremiah 11:4
• 7. 1 Samuel 12:22; Psalms 25:11; Psalms 106:8; Isaiah 37:35; Isaiah 43:25; Jeremiah 14:7; Ezek 20:9, 14, 22, 44; Daniel 9:17-19
• 8. Deuteronomy 32:26, 27; Isaiah 42:8
• 9. Isaiah 41:4; Isaiah 43:10-13; Isaiah 46:4
• 10. Isaiah 44:6; Revelation 1:17; Revelation 22:13
• 11. Exodus 20:11; Psalms 102:25; Isaiah 42:5; Isaiah 45:12, 18; Hebrews 1:10-12
• 12. Isaiah 40:26
• 13. Isaiah 43:9; Isaiah 45:20
• 14. Isaiah 45:21
• 15. Isaiah 46:10, 11
• 16. Is 13:4, 5, 17-19; Jeremiah 50:21-29; Jeremiah 51:24
• 17. Isaiah 41:2; Isaiah 45:1, 2
• 18. Isaiah 34:1; Isaiah 41:1; Isaiah 57:3
• 19. Isaiah 45:19
• 20. Isaiah 43:13
• 21. Zechariah 2:9, 11
• 22. Isaiah 41:14; Isaiah 43:14; Isaiah 49:7, 26; Isaiah 54:5, 8
• 23. Psalms 32:8; Isaiah 30:21; Isaiah 49:9, 10

Footnotes

• [a] Or "transgressor"
• [b] Lit "the belly"
• [c] Lit "My called one"
• [d] Heb "YHWH," usually rendered LORD