Isaiah 43:3-13

3 quia ego Dominus Deus tuus Sanctus Israhel salvator tuus dedi propitiationem tuam Aegyptum Aethiopiam et Saba pro te

4 ex quo honorabilis factus es in oculis meis et gloriosus ego dilexi te et dabo homines pro te et populos pro anima tua

5 noli timere quoniam tecum ego sum ab oriente adducam semen tuum et ab occidente congregabo te

6 dicam aquiloni da et austro noli prohibere adfer filios meos de longinquo et filias meas ab extremis terrae

7 et omnem qui invocat nomen meum in gloriam meam creavi eum et formavi eum et feci eum

8 educ foras populum caecum et oculos habentem surdum et aures ei sunt

9 omnes gentes congregatae sunt simul et collectae sunt tribus quis in vobis adnuntiet istud et quae prima sunt audire nos faciat dent testes eorum et iustificentur et audiant et dicant vere

10 vos testes mei dicit Dominus et servus meus quem elegi ut sciatis et credatis mihi et intellegatis quia ego ipse sum ante me non est formatus deus et post me non erit

11 ego sum ego sum Dominus et non est absque me salvator

12 ego adnuntiavi et salvavi auditum feci et non fuit in vobis alienus vos testes mei dicit Dominus et ego Deus

13 et ab initio ego ipse et non est qui de manu mea eruat operabor et quis avertet illud

Isaiah 43:3-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 43

Is this chapter the Lord comforts his own people, under their afflictions, with many precious promises; asserts his deity against the idols of the nations; promises deliverance from Babylon, and a greater redemption than that; one branch of which is forgiveness of sin; and closes the chapter with a prediction of the destruction of the Jews by the Romans, for their iniquities. The Lord claims his interest in his people, not only on the foot of creation, but of redemption and calling, and promises them his presence in the midst of afflictions, Isa 43:1,2, puts them in mind of what he had done for them; and assures them of future layouts, as the effect of his unchangeable love to them, Isa 43:3,4 and promises the conversion of their seed and offspring in the several parts of the world, Isa 43:5-7 then challenges the Heathen nations to give such proofs of the deity of their idols as he was capable of giving of his, as his people were witnesses, taken from his eternity and immutability, as the alone Jehovah, and from his omniscience and omnipotence, Isa 43:8-13, after which the destruction of Babylon is prophesied of, and the redemption of his people out of it; which they are encouraged to believe from his being Jehovah, their Sanctifier, Creator, and King; and from what he had done formerly for them, when he brought them out of Egypt, Isa 43:14-17, and which yet was not to be mentioned or remembered, in comparison of what he would do in the world, a new thing, redemption by the Messiah, and the conversion of the Gentiles to the glory of his grace, Isa 43:18-21, the sins of omission and commission the people of God had been guilty of are mentioned, which are freely pardoned for Christ's sake, Isa 43:22-25 when the body and bulk of the Jewish nation were given up to destruction, because of their sins, Isa 43:26-28.