Isaiah 44:23

23 Ye heavens, praise, for the Lord hath done mercy; the last parts of [the] earth, sing ye heartily song (the ends of the earth, heartily sing ye songs); hills, sound ye praising; the forest, and each tree thereof, praise God; for the Lord again-bought Jacob, and Israel shall have glory.

Isaiah 44:23 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 44:23

Sing, O ye heavens, for the Lord hath done it
Done what he promised, the forgiveness of the sins of his people, and the redemption of them. So the Targum,

``because the Lord hath wrought redemption for his people.''

The Vulgate Latin version adds, "mercy" ^F15; and so the Septuagint version, "because God hath had mercy on Israel" ^F16; and therefore the heavens are called upon to sing on this occasion, as the angels of heaven did when the Redeemer was born, and who rejoice at the salvation of God's elect, ( Luke 2:13 Luke 2:14 ) ( 15:10 ) : shout, ye lower parts of the earth;
the earth, which is low in comparison of the heavens; the inhabitants of it, especially the Gentiles, which dwelt in the lower parts of the world, in comparison of Judea, which lay high: break forth into singing, ye mountains;
kings and great men of the earth, like the strong and lofty mountains: O forest, and every tree therein;
the multitude of the common people; see ( Isaiah 10:18 Isaiah 10:19 ) these are called upon to express their joy, for the following reason: for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel;
which is to be understood not merely of their redemption from the Babylonish captivity, but of the redemption by Christ, which the former was a type of, and in which all God's people in all nations are concerned, and therefore have reason to rejoice; and in which all the divine perfections are glorified, not only the wisdom, power, goodness, grace, and mercy of God, but his holiness and justice; and saints not only have reason to rejoice, because they are redeemed from sin and Satan, and the law, and death and hell, and all spiritual enemies, but because the glory of God is great in their salvation.

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 "Quia fecit misericordiam", V. L.
F16 (oti hlehsen o yeov ton israhl) , Sept.

Isaiah 44:23 In-Context

21 Thou, Jacob, and Israel, have mind of these things (Thou, Jacob, O Israel, remember these things), for thou art my servant; I formed thee, Israel, thou art my servant; thou shalt not forget me.

22 I did away thy wickednesses as a cloud, and thy sins as a mist; turn thou again to me, for I again-bought thee. (I did away thy wickednesses like a cloud, and thy sins like a mist; return thou to me, for I have bought thee back, that is, I have ransomed, or I have redeemed, thee.)

23 Ye heavens, praise, for the Lord hath done mercy; the last parts of [the] earth, sing ye heartily song (the ends of the earth, heartily sing ye songs); hills, sound ye praising; the forest, and each tree thereof, praise God; for the Lord again-bought Jacob, and Israel shall have glory.

24 The Lord, thine again-buyer, and thy former from the womb (and thy Maker from the womb), saith these things, I am the Lord, making all things, and I alone stretch forth (the) heavens, and stablish the earth, and none is with me;

25 and I make void the signs of false diviners, and I turn into madness diviners that divine by sacrifices offered to fiends; and I turn wise men backward, and I make their science fond.