Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 41:9
[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.
9. taken (better, as R.V., taken hold of) from the ends of the earth ] It is disputed whether the reference is to the call of Abraham, or to the Exodus. It is a little difficult to suppose that Egypt could be described as the “ends of the earth” by a Jew; for although the writer may have lived in Babylonia, he could hardly divest himself of the historic consciousness of his nation, that Egypt was the neighbour of Israel. It is more probable, therefore, that he is thinking of Mesopotamia, and of the choice of Israel as effected in the call of Abraham. For chief men render corners (R.V.).
cast thee away ] rejected thee because of thy smallness.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth – From Chaldea – regarded by the Jews as the remote part of the earth. Thus in Isa 13:5, it is said of the Medes that they came from a far country, from the end of heaven (see the note on that place). Abraham was called from Ur of the Chaldees – a city still remaining on the east of the river Euphrates. It is probably the same place as the Persian fortress Ur, between Nesibis and the Tigris. It was visited by Mr. Wolfe, Mr. Buckingham, and by others.
And called thee from the chief men thereof – Or rather, from the extremities of the earth. The word ‘atsiyl means properly a side; and when applied to the earth, means the sides ends, or extremities of it. In Exo 24:11, it is rendered nobles, from an Arabic word signifying to he deep-rooted, and hence, those who are sprung from an ancient stock (Gesenius). In this place it is evidently used in the same sense as the word ( ‘etsel) meaning side, in the sense of extremity, or end. The parallelism requires us to give this interpretation to the word. So Jerome renders it, longinquis ejus (sc. terroe). The Septuagint renders it, Ek ton skopion – From the speculations of the earth (Thompson), or rather perhaps meaning from the extremity of vision; from the countries lying in the distant horizon; or from the elevated places which offered an extensive range of vision. The Chaldee renders it, From the kingdoms I have selected thee. Symmachus renders it, Apo ton angkonon autes – from its angles, its corners, its extremities. Some have supposed that this refers to the deliverance from Egypt, but the more probable interpretation is that which refers it to the call of Abraham from Chaldea; and the idea is, that as God had called him from that distant land, and had made him his friend, he would preserve and guard his posterity. Perhaps it may be implied that he would be favorable to them in that same country from where he had called their illustrious progenitor, and would in like manner conduct them to the land of promise, that is, to their own land.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 9. And called thee from the chief men thereof – “And called from the extremities thereof”] atsil meatsileyha, signifies the arm, ascilla, ala; and is used like canaph, “the wing,” for any thing extended from the extremity of another, or joined on to it. It is here parallel with and synonymous to mikkatsoth, “from the ends,” in the preceding member.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth; thou, Israel, whom I took to myself, and brought hither in the loins of thy father Abraham from a remote country, to wit, Chaldea; or, whom I brought back out of Babylon into thine own land, which though yet to come, he may speak of as of a thing past, as the prophets use to do, as was noted before. Jut the former interpretation seems to agree better with the foregoing verse. From the chief men thereof; from the midst of many great and noble persons, among whom he lived in Chaldea. So this notes Gods singular mercy to Abraham, and consequently to the Israelites descended from him, that he passed by many of Abrahams betters, and called him into fellowship with himself.
I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away; I have chosen thee not for a small moment, but for ever, by making an everlasting covenant with thee and thy seed through all generations. Or the sense is this; As I have chosen thee at first, so I have not since that time cast thee off, as thou hadst frequently given me sufficient occasion to do. Or, and did not refuse thee, as this word is elsewhere used. So the same thing is repeated in other words, not without some emphasis; for he intimates that he chose them when he had just cause of refusing them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. Abraham, the father of theJews, taken from the remote Ur of the Chaldees. Others take it ofIsrael, called out of Egypt (Deu 4:37;Hos 11:1).
from the chief menliterally,”the elbows”; so the joints; hence the rootwhich joins the tree to the earth; figuratively, those of ancient andnoble stock. But the parallel clause “ends of the earth”favors GESENIUS, whotranslates, “the extremities of the earth”; soJEROME.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,…. Meaning not Abraham, nor his natural seed; but such who believed in Christ, who dwelt in the furthest parts of the earth, to whom the Gospel came, and by which they were laid hold upon, and apprehended by Christ as his own:
and called thee from the chief men thereof; from among the great men of the earth, out of their families, courts, and palaces: or rather called them by grace, when such personages were passed by and left; not many noble, not many mighty, being called in those times, 1Co 1:26:
and said unto thee, thou art my servant; and not only called them by the name, but made them such in reality: adding,
I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away; nor does the Lord cast away any whom he has chosen and foreknown; and therefore being thus dear to God, as all the above titles and acts of grace show, and being secured by him from perishing or being eternally lost, this should encourage them to suffer persecution patiently for his name’s sake, and not be afraid of any of their enemies, as follows.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
9. For I have taken thee from the end of the earth. Isaiah continues the same subject; for we know by experience how necessary it is that consolations be repeated when adversity presses upon us; so that it is not wonderful that the Prophet dwells so largely on this subject. But from one person, Abraham, he passes to the whole nation, mentioning the benefits which all of them have received from God. The relative אשר (asher) (141) appears to me to be here put for an illative particle; for he assigns the reason why the people ought to be courageous amidst adversity. It is because they have formerly experienced his kindness, and consequently ought to cherish equally favorable expectations for the future. “The ends of the earth” may be understood in two ways; either that the people were brought from a distant country, of which Abraham was a native, or that God, who embraces within his dominion the utmost boundaries of the world, deigned to stretch forth his hand to none but a single people.
From its eminences have I called thee. אצילים (atzilim) has been generally translated “eminences.” Others prefer to take it in the masculine gender, as meaning “princes” or “nobles,” in a sense not very different from the other; for the Prophet extols the grace of God, because, passing by very illustrious nations, he has adopted to himself a mean and obscure people. Others refer it to the kingdom of Egypt, from which the Jews were brought out; for we know how great was the renown of that people, and how far superior to other nations they reckoned themselves to be in learning, antiquity, nobility, and many other accomplishments.
But I interpret it differently; for I refer it to the election of the people, who were chosen out of the midst of other nations far superior to them; and therefore I consider מ (mem) to mean “from,” or “more than,” so that there is a comparison between the Jews and other nations. In like manner also, Moses shews that they were not elected,
“
because they were more or better than other nations, (for they were far fewer,) but because the Lord loved them, and determined to keep the covenant which he had sworn to their fathers.” (Deu 7:7.)
Again, he says,
“
Not for thy righteousness, or the uprightness of thy heart, dost thou come to possess the land.” (Deu 9:5.)
Thus, while they were far less than other nations, still they were elected; and this shews the greatness of the love of God, and that there was no reason why, after having received blessings so numerous and so great, they should afterwards distrust so kind a Father. Besides, he adds, that a proof of this favor was given to the people in the Law; as if he had said that it was not hidden, but, on the contrary, was engraven on public tables, when God made a covenant with them by giving them the Law; for God did not wish that they whom he had taken to be his own people should wander hither and thither, but bound them to himself by a promise of salvation.
And have not cast thee off. This last expression might be thought superfluous, and even unseasonable, if Jewish writers had not frequently employed this form of speech, which is very emphatic; for it denotes the firmness of election, as if he had said, “After having once adopted thee, I did not desert or forsake thee, though I had various occasions for casting thee off.” So great had been the ingratitude of the Jews, that he might justly have rejected them if he had not resolved to continue to be like himself.
What is said about them relates also to us; for the saying of Paul holds good, that “the gifts of God are without repentance.” (Rom 11:29.) Though he cut off the greatest part of men on account of their unbelief, yet he reserves some seed of adoption, that the calling may continue in some furrows; for the wickedness of men cannot change the election of God. Let us therefore remember that we have been elected by God on this condition, that we shall continue in his family, though we might justly have been abandoned.
(141) That is, instead of the usual and natural rendering, “whom I have taken,” Calvin renders the clause, “ because I have taken thee.” — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(9) From the ends of the earth.Ur of the Chaldees, as belonging to the Euphrates region, is on the extreme verge of the prophets horizon.
From the chief men thereof.Better, from the far-off regions thereof.
I have chosen . . .Isaiah becomes the preacher of the Divine election, and finds in it, as St. Paul found, the ground of an inextinguishable hope for the nation of which he was a member. As in St. Peters teaching, it remained for them to make their calling and election sure (2Pe. 1:10), though God, in the unchangeableness of His nature, had chosen them before the foundation of the world.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 41:9 [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.
Ver. 9. Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, ] sc., In the loins of Abraham thy progenitor.
And called thee from the chief men thereof.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the chief men = the remote parts.
I have chosen thee. Gen 12:1. Jos 24:2-4. Neh 9:7. Act 7:2-7. Reference to Pentateuch (Deu 7:6; Deu 10:15; Deu 14:2). App-92.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
whom: Isa 41:2, Jos 24:2-4, Neh 9:7-38, Psa 107:2, Psa 107:3, Luk 13:29, Rev 5:9
called: Deu 7:7, 1Co 1:26-29, Jam 2:5
I have chosen: 1Sa 12:22, Psa 94:14, Jer 33:25, Jer 33:26, Rom 11:1, Rom 11:2
Reciprocal: Gen 12:1 – had Deu 4:37 – because Isa 29:22 – who redeemed Isa 44:21 – thou art Isa 45:4 – Jacob Isa 63:7 – mention Eze 16:8 – thy time Eze 20:5 – In the Zec 1:17 – choose Zec 2:12 – and shall Mal 1:2 – I have Joh 6:37 – I will Act 7:4 – came Act 13:17 – God Rom 8:30 – Moreover Rom 11:28 – but Eph 1:4 – as
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
God reminded His people that He had called them from the remotest part of the earth to be His servant. He did this in Abraham’s case when He called him out of Ur into the Promised Land, and He did it in Jacob’s case when He brought him back into the land from his sojourn near Haran. God had determined not to reject His people. Israel had nothing to fear (cf. Joh 15:14-15).