Westminster Annotations, Isaiah · Chapter 44
CHAP. XLIIII.
Vers. 1. O Jacob my servant] Chap. 41. 8. & 43. 1, 7. Jer. 30. 10. & 46. 27.
V. 2. formed thee from the wombe] From thy very first begining: ere thou wast able to do, much lesse to deserve ought, vers. 24. Chap. 46. 3.
Jesur…n] Deut. 32. 15.
V. 3. I will poure, &c.] Chap. 35. 7. Jer. 31. 25. Joel 2. 28. Joh. 7. 38. Act. 2. 18.
water] The spirituall water of grace and comfort, Chap. 12. 3. Joh. 4. 14.
that is thirstie] That is of himself void of it: or, that thirsteth after it, Chap. 55. 1. Matt. 5. 6. Joh. 7. 37. Rev. 22. 17.
poure my spirit, &c.] Chap. 32. 15.
thine off-spring] Chap. 48. 19.
V. 4. shall spring up] Thy posterity shall encrease exceedingly, after their return from captivitie: and thy spirituall issue shall mightily shoot up, Chap. 27. 6. and 61. 9, 11. Ephes. 4. 16. Col. 2. 19. 2 Pet. 3. 18.
as among the grasse] 2 Sam. 23. 4. Job 5. 25.
willows by the water-courses] Lev. 23. 40. Psal. 137. 1, 2. Ezek. 17. 5.
V. 5. One shall say, I am the LORDS] They shall give up their names to God, to be enrolled in his Church-book among the faithfull professours of his service, Psal. 87. 5, 6.
V. 6. I am the first, and I am the last] Chap. 41. 4. and 48. 12. Rev. 1. 8, 17. and 22. 13.
V. 7. shall call] Appoint and design persons to deliver my Church, Chap. 45. 4.
shall declare] Who shall tell me, how I should therein proceed? Chap. 41. 13. and 45. 11.
the ancient people] Mine elect, set apart from the beginning of the world, Gen. 3. 15. Rev. 13. 8. and 17. 8. or, from eternitie, Ephes. 1. 4, 5.
let them shew unto them] Their idols, to those that serve them and trust in them, Chap. 41. 22. and 43. 9.
V. 8. from that time] Or, formerly: or, in times past. Heb. from then. Chap. 16. 13. and 48. 3.
my witnesses] Chap. 43. 10.
there is no God] Heb. rock. Psal. 19. 14. No such rock, as is able to protect and secure those that repair to it for shelter and succour, as God doth those that betake themselves to him, Deut. 4. 35, 39. and 32. 4, 31, 39. 1 Sam. 2. 2. Psal. 18. 31. Pro. 18. 10, 11. Chap. 26. 4. and 45. 5. and 46. 9.
I know not any] Who yet should, if any were.
V. 9. delectable things] Heb. desirable. Chap. 64. 12.
shall not profit] Though they bestow never so much upon them, to make them seem glorious, Chap. 40. 19. and 46. 6. Jer. 10. 4, 9.
they are their own witnesses] They themselves cannot but acknowledge, that their idols neither see, nor know ought. Or, they cannot but see their own blindnesse and senslesnesse, in adoring those, that they see to be such, vers. 18, 19.
the… see not] Or, that they see not. Psal. 115. 4, &c.
V. 10. Who hath formed a god] An extream folly, for a man, to deem ought, that man maketh, to be God, Deut. 27. 15. Psal. 135. 15.
molten a graven image] Chap. 40. 19.
that is profitable for nothing] Heb. not to profit. Jer. 1. 4. And how then fit to be lay-mens books? being unprofitable, vers. 9. Hab▪ 2. 18. abominable, Chap. 41. 24. the work of errors, Jer. 10. 15. and lying teachers, Hab. 2. 18. Jer. 10. 8. and 16. 19.
V. 11. all his fellows, &c.] That joyn with him, either in the making, or worshipping of it, shall be ashamed, Psal. 97. 7. Chap. 1. 29. and 42. 17. and 45. 16.
and the workmen they are of men] Or, more then any man. Chap. 52. 14. Jer. 5. 1.
let them all be gathered together, &c.] The multitude of them shall neither excuse, nor save them, when God cometh to take vengeance.
V. 12. The smith] Heb. workman of iron. Chap. 40. 19. Jer. 10. 3. Wisd. 13. 11.
with the tongs] Or, with an ax. Or, maketh an ax for the wright to use, vers. 13. Jer. 10. 3.
he is hungry] So eager are they upon it, that they neglect their own necessities out of devotion to their idols, Chap. 44. 20.
V. 13. The carpenter] Heb. workman of wood; or, trees.
in the house] In some Temple, or private house, Deut. 27. 15. Jud. 17. 5.
V. 14. which he strengtheneth for himselfe among the trees of the forest] Or, and he useth his strength upon the trees of the wood.
he strengtheneth for himself] Or, taketh courage. 2 Chron. 32. 7.
V. 15. Then shall it be for a man to burn] The extream folly and obstinacie of them; who though they see their idols to be no better, then the residue of the matter, out of which they were made; yet refuse the one part, and make a God of the other; as the Papists do their cake, or wafer-God, and the rest of their idols.
V. 16. with part thereof he eateth flesh] Or, on part thereof. Having made a table, or a trencher of it. Or, he dresseth his meat with it, vers. 19.
seen] Or, felt. Psal. 34, 8.
V. 18. They have not known, nor understood] They are voyd of knowledge and understanding▪ vers. 19. Chap. 45. 20. Jer. 10. 14.
he hath shut their eyes] The idol; as some: God, in just judgement; as others, Chap. 69. 10. but more simply, Their eyes are daubed over: without speciall intimation, how, or by whom. So Gen. 41. 13. 2 Sam. 24. 1. Luk. 6. 38. and 12. 20.
shut] Heb. daubed. Ezek. 13. 10, 13.
V. 19. none considereth in his heart] Heb. setteth. or, returneth it, to his heart. Chap. 46. 8.
I have roste… flesh and eaten it] Or, rosted flesh with it, and eaten thereof.
the stock of a tree] Heb. that which comes of a tree. Job▪ 40. 20.
V. 20. He feedeth of ashes] He is grosly deluded; as one that would eat ashes to slake his hunger. Or, his idol feedeth and entertaineth him with nothing but ashes, matter of sorrow and mourning, Psal. 16. 4. and 102. 9.
a deceived heart hath turned him aside] Hos. 4. 12.
Is there not a lie in my right hand] Is not this mine idol, a meer fancie and fallacie? Jer. 10. 8.
V. 21. Remember these] These things that are now told thee; that thou maist not be carried away with such vanities, when thou comest among them: mans heart by nature being over-prone thereunto. See Chap. 40. 18.
O Jacob and Israel, &c.] Vers. 2.
thou shalt not be forgotten of me] Or, I do not forget thee. though I may seem so to do. See Chap. 49. 14, 15.
V. 22. I have blotted out as a thick cloud, thy transgressions] As the Sunne, when it breaketh forth, dispelleth the clouds with his bright beams, Job 37. 11. Psal. 18. 12. Or, as the wind scattereth them, be they never so thick, Psal 68. 2. Pro. 25. 23. Or, as a cloud vanisheth away, and appeareth no more, then as if it had never been, Job 7. 9. and 30. 15. Hos. 6. 4. and 13. 3. Jam. 4. 14. so do I put away thy sinnes, Chap. 43. 25. that rise up, as a cloud, between thee and me, Chap. 59. 2. hindering the light of my countenance, from shining forth upon thee, Chap. 57. 17. and thy prayers from finding accesse into my presence, Lam. 3. 44. Or, I wipe away as with a thick cloud thy transgressions, and as with a cloud thy sinnes. the preposition omitted, as Chap. 42. 21. Psal. 17. 7, 13, 14. I wash away thy sinnes, as the clouds, with showers of rain, wash away the filth and slime of the earth, Ezek. 22. 24.
I have redeemed thee] And therefore have best right to thee, 1 Cor. 6. 19, 20.
V. 23. Sing, O ye heavens▪ &c.] Implying that Gods work for his people should be such, that even the creatures both above and below, though void of sense, might well seem to be affected therewith, Psal. 96. 11. and 98. 7, 8. Chap. 35. 1. and 49. 13. Jer. 50. 38. and 51. 32.
V. 24. that formed thee from the womb] Vers. 2.
stretcheth forth the heavens, &c.] Chap. 42. 5. Jer. 10. 12.
V. 25. that frustrateth the tokens of the liers] Or, wisards. Jer. 50. 36. This is spoken to arm them against the Babylonians soothsayers, who would bear them in hand, that by the starres they saw, that Babylon should stand, Chap. 47. 12, - 14.
maketh their knowledge foolish] Chap. 29. 14. 2 Sam. 15. 31. 1 Cor. 1. 20. and 3. 19.
V. 26. confirmeth the word of his servant] Isaiah; and other the Prophets, that fore-told Babylons fall, and the deliverance of Gods people thence.
the decayed places] Heb. wasts. Nehem. 1. 5, 8. and 2. 1, &c.
V. 27. saith to the deep, Be drie, &c.] Intimating, that his work in this their deliverance should be no lesse notable, then when he saved them by passage through the red sea, and the river of Jordan. See Chap. 43. 16. and 51. 10, 11. Alluding withall, it may be, to the drying up of Euphrates, by Cyrus his device, for the surprisall of Babylon. See Jer. 50. 38. and 51. 32, 36. Rev. 16. 12.
V. 28. saith of Cyrus] To assure them of deliverance, he nameth the partie, by whom it should be effected, about two hundred yeers before he was born. See Chap. 13. 22. and the like, 1 King. 13. 2. This his name he had from a Persian word, signifying the Sunne; which the Persians honoured as a God. See Chap. 45. 3, 4.
Thou shalt be built] 2 Chron. 36. 22, 23. Ezra 1. 1,—3. Chap. 45. 1, 13.
Thy foundation shall be laid] Ezra 3. 10, 11.