Isaiah 43:8-13

Israel Is God's Witness

8 Bring out the people who are 1blind, even though they have eyes, And the deaf, even though they have ears.
9 All the nations have 2gathered together So that the peoples may be assembled. Who among them can 3declare this And proclaim to us the former things? Let them present 4their witnesses 5that they may be justified, Or let them hear and say, "It is true."
10 "You are 6My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And 7My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that 8I am He. 9Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me.
11 "I, even I, am the LORD, And there is no 10savior 11besides * Me.
12 "It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, And there was no 12strange god among you; So you are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And I am God.
13 "Even 13from eternity 14I am He, And there is 15none who can deliver out of My hand; 16I act and who can reverse it?"

Isaiah 43:8-13 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.

Cross References 16

  • 1. Isaiah 6:9; Isaiah 42:19; Ezekiel 12:2
  • 2. Isaiah 34:1; Isaiah 41:1
  • 3. Is 41:22, 23, 26
  • 4. Isaiah 44:9
  • 5. Isaiah 43:26
  • 6. Isaiah 44:8
  • 7. Isaiah 41:8
  • 8. Isaiah 41:4
  • 9. Isaiah 45:5, 6
  • 10. Isaiah 43:3; Isaiah 45:21; Hosea 13:4
  • 11. Isaiah 44:6, 8
  • 12. Deuteronomy 32:16; Psalms 81:9
  • 13. Psalms 90:2; Isaiah 48:16
  • 14. Isaiah 41:4
  • 15. Psalms 50:22
  • 16. Job 9:12; Isaiah 14:27

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. So with Gr; Heb "from the day"
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