Yeshayah 45:19

19 I have not spoken baseter (in secret), in a makom eretz choshech; I said not unto the zera Ya’akov, Seek ye Me tohu (in chaos); I am Hashem, the One speaking tzedek, proclaiming meisharim (upright things).

Yeshayah 45:19 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 45:19

I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth,
&c.] In a private whisper, in a muttering manner, and out of the belly, as the Heathen priests did; and from out of cells, dens, and caverns of the earth, from whence the oracles of Heathen deities were delivered; but in a free, open, clear, and public manner, before multitudes, in the face of all men, or where there was a great concourse of people: so Christ delivered the law on Mount Sinai, in an audible manner, attended with a multitude of angels, and before all the people; and when here on earth he said nothing in secret, but openly to the world, in the synagogues and temple of the Jews, where they resorted in great numbers, ( John 18:20 ) and ordered his disciples also to publish on the housetops what they heard with their ears, ( Matthew 10:27 ) : I said not unto the seed of Jacob, seek ye me in vain;
that is, he never suffered the seed of Jacob, Israelites indeed, praying Jacobs and prevailing Israels, the true worshippers of him, to seek him in vain; to pray unto and worship him to no purpose, or without fruit to themselves; for all such who seek him early and earnestly, heartily and diligently, and where he may be found, always find him; he receives them, and not rejects them; and they receive that from him which is worth seeking after, and amply rewards all their trouble. The Targum is,

``nor have I said to the seed of the house of Jacob in vain, seek my fear:''

I the Lord speak righteousness;
the word of righteousness, the doctrine of justification by his own righteousness; that which he wrought out by his obedience, sufferings, and death, he declared and brought near in the ministry of the word; see ( Isaiah 46:13 ) . The Targum renders it, "truth"; grace and truth came by Christ, ( John 1:17 ) : I declare things that are right;
according to right reason, agreeably to the word of God, both law and Gospel, fit for men to receive, and what made for his own and his Father's glory; see ( Proverbs 8:6 Proverbs 8:18 ) .

Yeshayah 45:19 In-Context

17 But Yisroel shall be saved in Hashem with a Teshuat Olamim (an everlasting salvation); ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded ad olemei ad (for all eternity).

18 For thus saith Hashem Borei HaShomayim hu HaElohim Yotzer ha’aretz and its Maker; He hath established it, He created it not tohu (chaos), He formed it to be inhabited; I am Hashem; and there is no other [G-d].

19 I have not spoken baseter (in secret), in a makom eretz choshech; I said not unto the zera Ya’akov, Seek ye Me tohu (in chaos); I am Hashem, the One speaking tzedek, proclaiming meisharim (upright things).

20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are fugitives escaped of the Goyim; they have no da’as (knowledge, rationality) that burden themselves with their etz pesel (wooden idol), the ones davening to an el lo yoshia (g-d who cannot save).

21 Declare ye, and approach; yes, let them take counsel together. Who hath made this known from mikedem (from olden time)? Who hath preached it from long ago? Have not I, Hashem? And there is no other Elohim besides Me: El Tzaddik and Moshi’a; there is none besides Me.