Isaiah 50:2

2 For I came, and no man was; I called, and none was that heard. Whether mine hand is abridged, and made little, that I may not again-buy? either strength is not in me for to deliver? Lo! in my blaming I shall make the sea forsaken, either desert, I shall set floods in(to) the dry place; fishes without water shall wax rotten, and shall die for thirst. (For I came, but there was no one there; I called, but no one heard me. Is my hand shortened, yea, is my power made so little, that I cannot redeem, or cannot rescue, you? or is strength not in me to save you? Lo! by my command I can make the sea into a desert, and I can make rivers into a dry place, and the fish grow rotten for a lack of water, and die of thirst.)

Isaiah 50:2 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 50:2

Wherefore, when I came, was there no man?
&c.] The Targum is,

``why have I sent my prophets, and they are not converted?''

And so Aben Ezra and Kimchi interpret it of the prophets that prophesied unto them, to bring them to repentance: the Lord might be said to come by his prophets, his messengers; but they did not receive them, nor their messages, but despised and rejected them, and therefore were carried captive, ( 2 Chronicles 36:15 2 Chronicles 36:16 ) , but it is best to understand it of the coming of Christ in the flesh; when there were none that would receive, nor even come to him, but hid their faces from him, nor suffer others to be gathered unto him, or attend his ministry; they would neither go in themselves into the kingdom of the Messiah, nor let others go in that were entering, ( John 1:11 ) ( 5:40 ) ( Matthew 23:13 Matthew 23:37 ) , when I called, was there none to answer?
he called them to the marriage feast, to his word and ordinances, but they made light of it, and went about their worldly business; many were called externally in his ministry, but few were chosen, and effectually wrought upon; he called, but there was no answer given; for there was no internal principle in them, no grace to answer to the call; he stretched out his hands to a rebellious and gainsaying people, ( Matthew 22:2-5 Matthew 22:16 ) ( Isaiah 65:2 ) ( Proverbs 1:24 ) , is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power
to deliver?
they did not know him to be the mighty God; they took him to be a mere man; and being descended from such mean parents, and making such a mean appearance, they could not think he was able to be their Redeemer and Saviour; but that he had sufficient ability appears by what follows: behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea;
he was able to do it, and did do it for the children of Israel, and made a passage through the Red sea for them, as on dry land; which was done by a strong east wind he caused to blow, here called his "rebuke", ( Exodus 14:20 Exodus 14:21 ) ( Psalms 106:9 ) , of Christ's rebuking the sea, see ( Matthew 8:26 ) . I make the rivers a wilderness;
as dry as the wilderness, and parched ground; in which persons may pass as on dry ground, and as travellers pass through a wilderness; so Jordan was made for the Israelites, ( Joshua 3:17 ) , and may be here particularly meant; called "rivers" because of the excellency of it, and the abundance of water in it, which sometimes overflowed its banks; and because other rivers fall into it, as Kimchi observes: their flesh stinketh because there is no water, and dieth for thirst;
as they did when the rivers of Egypt were turned into blood, ( Exodus 7:21 ) .

Isaiah 50:2 In-Context

1 The Lord saith these things, What is this book of forsaking of your mother, by which I let go her? either who is he, to whom I owe, to whom I sold you? [or whom is my creancer (or who is my creditor), to whom I sold you?] For lo! ye be sold for your wickednesses, and for your great trespasses I let go your mother. (The Lord saith these things, Where is the book of the forsaking, or for the divorcing, of your mother, by which I let her go? or who is he to whom I owed, and so to whom I sold you? For lo! ye were sold because of your wickednesses, and because of your great trespasses, I let your mother go.)

2 For I came, and no man was; I called, and none was that heard. Whether mine hand is abridged, and made little, that I may not again-buy? either strength is not in me for to deliver? Lo! in my blaming I shall make the sea forsaken, either desert, I shall set floods in(to) the dry place; fishes without water shall wax rotten, and shall die for thirst. (For I came, but there was no one there; I called, but no one heard me. Is my hand shortened, yea, is my power made so little, that I cannot redeem, or cannot rescue, you? or is strength not in me to save you? Lo! by my command I can make the sea into a desert, and I can make rivers into a dry place, and the fish grow rotten for a lack of water, and die of thirst.)

3 I shall clothe (the) heavens with darknesses, and I shall set a sackcloth (to be) the covering of them.

4 The Lord gave to me a learned tongue, that I know how to sustain him by (a) word that failed; early the father raiseth [up], early he raiseth [up] an ear to me, that I hear as a master. (The Lord gave me a learned tongue, so that I know how to sustain with a word him who faileth; early the Father raiseth up, yea, early he raiseth up an ear for me, so that I might hear like a master.)

5 The Lord God opened an ear to me; forsooth I against-say not, I went not aback. (The Lord God opened my ears; and I did not rebel, nor did I turn away from him.)