Isaiah 48:20,21 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Go ye forth of Babylon— Hitherto the Son of God had proceeded with reproof, but the most gentle of its kind. In the mean time, the Chaldeans, in this part of the prophetic vision, are supposed to have been conquered by Cyrus; Babylon is supposed to be taken, and the time to be at hand wherein the captivity of the Jews should cease, and the edict for their deliverance be promulged; when he turns himself, by an apostrophe, to the faithful among the people, exhorting, or rather commanding them, that they should depart with all speed from Babylon and the land of the Chaldeans, and declare throughout all the world, that God had redeemed his servant Jacob, Isaiah 48:20 and not only so, but had performed the most singular acts of providence and care for them in their return to their country, so as to enable them to finish their journey without inconvenience, Isaiah 48:21. The ideas in this verse are taken from God's deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, and are to be understood metaphorically, that, as God wrought wonders to procure the salvation of his people from Egyptian bondage, and by his mighty providence protected and preserved them, so would he, in like manner, take care of the captives delivered from Babylon, preserve them from dangers, and supply them with all things necessary for them. This he did by the remarkable favour wherewith he inspired Cyrus toward them. See Ezra 1:1-4 and Vitringa; who is of opinion, that the prophesy has still a further and mystical view to the deliverance of the church from spiritual Babylon by Jesus Christ, that living rock whence spiritual waters flow for the salvation of his people. See 1 Corinthians 10:4.