Isaiah 48:1-11 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

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Bible Comments

A Recapitulation of the Argument from Prophecy. To the original text a redactor has added a commentary (bracketed below) from a different standpoint. Whereas the prophet regarded Israel as having more than paid the penalty of her sins, the additions represent her as obstinately and inveterately sinful, and long addicted to the worship of images.

Hearken, says Yahweh to His people [proud of their nationality and attached to His cultus]. Long ago I predicted what later I suddenly accomplished. [Knowing thine inveterate obstinacy, Isaiah 48:4] I announced beforehand my intentions [lest thou shouldst attribute the events to thine idols, Isaiah 48:5 b]. Thou hast heard. wilt thou not admit it? Now I announce things hitherto unrevealed [lest thou shouldst say, I knew them, Isaiah 48:7 c] unheard and unknown by thee [because I knew that thou hast ever been a traitor. For My own sake I am not destroying thee. I have refined thee in a furnace, but no silver did I gain, Isaiah 48:8 b - Isaiah 48:10]. For My name's sake I do it [how it is profaned!] and share My glory with none other.

Isaiah 48:1 f. All after Jacob is from the redactor: note the change from 2nd to 3rd person. waters: read loins.

Isaiah 48:6. Render, I am showing (cf. mg.).

Isaiah 48:8. Read, thine ear have I not opened (LXX).

Isaiah 48:9. Yahweh will not extirpate His people because then His cultus would come to an end. Read, and for my praise do I spare thee.

Isaiah 48:10. Render, but not with gain of silver. Read perhaps, I have tried (mg.) thee in the furnace in vain.

Isaiah 48:11 a. Read simply, For my name's sake will I do it.

Related Commentaries of Isaiah 48:1

Isaiah 48:1-11

1 Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.

2 For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name.

3 I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.

4 Because I knew that thou art obstinate,a and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;

5 I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.

6 Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.

7 They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.

8 Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.

9 For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.

10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.