Geneva Study Bible Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment. Keep {a} silence before me, O isles; and let the people {b} renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.
(a) God as though he pleaded his cause with all nations requires silence, that he may be heard in his right. (b) That is, gather all their power and supports. Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow. Who raised up the {c} righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.
(c) Who called Abraham (who was the pattern of God's justice in delivering his Church) from the idolatry of the Chaldeans to go to and fro at his commandment and placed him in the land of Canaan. He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet. He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet.
Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he. Who hath wrought and done it, calling the {d} generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the {e} first, and with the last; I am he.
(d) Who has created man and maintained his succession. (e) Though the world set up many gods, yet they diminish nothing of my glory: for I am all one, unchangeable, which have ever been and will be for ever. The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came. The isles saw it, and {f} feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and {g} came.
(f) Considering my excellent works among my people. (g) They assembled themselves and conspired against me to maintain their idolatry. They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage. They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, {h} Be of good courage.
(h) He notes the obstinacy of the idolaters to maintain their superstitions. So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved. So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.
But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. But thou, Israel, art my {i} servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.
(i) And therefore ought not to pollute yourself with the superstition of the Gentiles. Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the {k} right hand of my righteousness.
(k) That is, by the force of promise, in the performance of which I will show myself faithful and just. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.
Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not {l} find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of naught.
(l) Because they will be destroyed. For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Fear not, thou {m} worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
(m) Thus he calls them because they were contemned of all the world, and that they considering their own poor estate should seek him for help. Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the {n} mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.
(n) I will make you able to destroy all your enemies no matter how mighty, and this chiefly is referred to the kingdom of Christ. Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel. Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.
When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. When {o} the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
(o) That is, they who will be afflicted in the captivity of Babylon. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry {p} land springs of water.
(p) God would rather change the order of nature than that they should want anything, who cry to him by true faith in their miseries: declaring to them by this that they will lack nothing by the way, when they return from Babylon. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together: I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together:
That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it. That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel {q} hath created it.
(q) That is, has appointed and determined that it will come to pass. Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. {r} Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.
(r) He bids the idolaters to prove their religion and to bring forth their idols, that they may be tried whether they know all things, and can do all things, which if they cannot do, he concludes that they are not gods, but vile idols. Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come.
Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together. Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.
Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you. Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of naught: an abomination is he that {s} chooseth you.
(s) So that a man cannot make an idol, without doing that which God detests and abhors for he chooses his own devises and forsakes the Lords. I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth clay. I have raised up one from the north, {t} and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he {u} call upon my name: and he shall come upon {x} princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth clay.
(t) Meaning, the Chaldeans. (u) That is, Cyrus, who will do all things in my name and by my direction: by which he means that both their captivity and deliverance will be ordered by God's providence and appointment. (x) Both of the Chaldeans and others. Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words. Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and in times past, that we may say, He is righteous? verily, there is none that sheweth, verily, there is none that declareth, verily, there is none that heareth {y} your words.
(y) Meaning, that none of the Gentile gods can work any of these things. The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings. The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold {z} them: and I will give to Jerusalem {a} one that bringeth good tidings.
(z) That is, the Israelites who return from the captivity. (a) That is, a continual succession of prophets and ministers. For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counseller, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word. For {b} I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counsellor, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
(b) When I looked whether the idols could do these things, I found that they had neither wisdom nor power to do anything: therefore he concludes that all are wicked that trust in such vanities. Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion. Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion. The Geneva Bible Translation Notes [1599] Bible Hub |
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