Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 43:18
Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
18. Great as the wonders of the exodus were they shall be far surpassed by that which Jehovah is about to do. The verse resumes the opening clause of Isa 43:16.
Remember ye not ] Cf. Jer 16:14 f., Isa 23:7 f. It is not meant of course that the exodus shall be actually forgotten (see ch. Isa 46:9), but only that it shall no longer be the supreme instance of Jehovah’s redeeming power.
former things things of old ] Cf. ch. Isa 46:9. Obviously the expression “former things,” so often used of past events predicted, here includes the remote incidents of the deliverance from Egypt.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Remember ye not … – So great and wonderful shall be Gods future interpositions in your behalf, that what he has done, great as that was, shall be comparatively forgotten.
The former things – The deliverance from Egypt, and the overthrow of his enemies there.
The things of old – The things that were formerly done.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
But although your former deliverance out of Egypt was in itself a most glorious work, which you ought always to remember and consider; yet this other work of your deliverance out of Babylon by Cyrus, and those blessings which shall follow upon it, and particularly that inestimable mercy of sending the Messiah, shall be so transcendent a layout, that, in comparison thereof, all your former deliverances are scarce worthy of your remembrance and consideration. Which exposition is confirmed by two parallel texts, Jer 16:14,15; 23:7,8. From all which texts laid together, it appears that this latter deliverance, compared with that out of Egypt, is not to be confined to their freedom from the Babylonish captivity, but to be extended to the consequences of it, and especially to the redemption by Christ, because otherwise that Egyptian deliverance was more glorious and wonderful in many respects than the Babylonian.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. So wonderful shall be God’sfuture interpositions in your behalf, that all past ones shall beforgotten in comparison. Plainly the future restoration of Israel isthe event ultimately meant. Thus the “former things” aresuch events as the destruction of Sennacherib and the return fromBabylon. “Things of old” are events still more ancient, thedeliverance from Egypt and at the Red Sea, and entry into Canaan[VITRINGA].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Remember ye not the former things,…. Just now referred to, the bringing of Israel out of Egypt, and through the Red sea, and the drowning of Pharaoh and his army in it; for though these things were worthy to be remembered with thankfulness and praise, and to the glory of God, and for the encouragement of faith, yet not in comparison of what was hereafter to be done; meaning, not the redemption from Babylon, unless as a type of spiritual and eternal redemption by Christ; for otherwise there were greater and more wonderful things done, when Israel were brought out of Egypt, than when they were brought out of Babylon; but the great salvation by the Messiah, which exceeds both the deliverances out of Egypt and Babylon, is meant:
neither consider the things of old; unless as figures of the new, but not to be put upon a foot with them, much less to the undervaluing of them, and indeed to be forgotten in comparison of them; see
Jer 23:7. The Talmudists q, by the “former” things, understand subjection to kingdoms; and, by the “things of old”, the going out of Egypt; as they do by the “new thing”, in the following verse, the war of Gog and Magog.
q T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 13. 1. T. Hieros. Beracot, fol. 4. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
18. Remember not former things. Hitherto the Prophet shewed how great was the power of God in delivering the people. He now declares that all the miracles which God wrought in that first redemption were of little importance as compared with the more remarkable miracle which should soon be wrought; that is, that the glory of this second deliverance shall be so great as to throw the former into the shade. Yet he does not mean that the Jews should forget so great a benefit, which he had commanded them to publish in every age, and to inscribe on permanent records; for in his preface to the Law he begins in this manner,
“
I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” (Exo 20:2.)
He even enjoined parents to repeat it frequently to their children, and from hand to hand to deliver it to their grandchildren and to posterity. This must therefore be understood to be by comparison, like that saying’ of Jeremiah,
“
Behold the days come,” saith the Lord, “that it shall no longer be said, The Lord liveth, who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, The Lord liveth, who led and brought out the seed of the house of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the countries into which I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their land.” (Jer 23:7.)
In short, he shews that this latter redemption, when compared with the former, shall be far more illustrious. Hence it follows, that it is improper to limit this prediction to a small number of years; for the Prophet does not separate between its commencement and its progress, but extends the blessed consequences of their return till Christ, who, by his coming, actually set up the priesthood and the kingdom.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(18, 19) Remember ye not . . .All the wonders of the great historic past of Israel were to be as nothing compared with the new manifestation of the power of Jehovah, which Isaiah sees as already dawning in the future.
Shall ye not know it?Better, Will ye not give heed to it?
I will even make a way in the wilderness . . .The literal and the spiritual senses melt into each other. The very beasts of the field shall lose their ferocity in the presence of the saints of God. For dragons and owls, read jackals and ostriches.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
18. Remember ye not An exhortation not to “remember” the fleeing dwellers, or that event, marvellous as that was: a more marvellous one is to come.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Isa 43:18-21. Remember ye not, &c. Call not to mind former things, &c. Another specimen is here produced of a mighty work of divine providence and grace, of a singular and wonderful benefit to be conferred upon the church, which is here described as greater and more excellent than the former ones. From which work foretold and effected, the truth of the God of Israel is asserted against idolaters, and an argument is drawn for the support and establishment of the hope of believers. God says, that he will make a way in the desart, rivers in the wilderness; that he will cause the beasts of the field, the dragons and the ostriches, to honour him, for the advantage of his people. There can be no doubt that the prophet speaks here of the conversion of the Gentile world under the new oeconomy. The same metaphors and ideas have before occurred and been explained. See chap. Isa 35:1-2, &c. Isaiah here embellishes the figure which he makes use of, with all the graces of variety. He describes the wild-beasts of the desart, and the dragons themselves, as having been parched with thirst, and praising God with their hisses and nocturnal howlings, for watering the sandy plains of Arabia. There is no image in which the eastern writers delight more than this; and he who has travelled himself into those parts, or read the travels of others, can be no stranger to the numerous concourse of wild beasts on the banks of rivers or other waters, and to their tremendous howlings in the night-time. See Michaelis and Vitringa.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
The last of these verses gives a full answer to the inquiry, wherefore the Lord so favoured Israel? All is for the divine glory; and all that glory is in Christ; Eph 1:10 ; Rev 4:11 . Oh, how truly blessed, to behold all glory given to our glorious Head, Christ Jesus, that all may terminate in Jehovah’s glory, and open a source of never ceasing praise to the Father, Son, and Spirit, in and through the Mediator, Christ Jesus! Joh 17:1 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 43:18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
Ver. 18. Remember ye not the former things, ] sc., In comparison of those things I shall now do for you by Cyrus, but especially by Christ, who is that way in the wilderness, and that running rock. 1Co 10:4 Isa 43:14
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 43:18-19. Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing: now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
Do not imagine that what God has done in the past will never be repeated. It will be excelled: he will do yet greater things. Of all the mercy and love which God has shown, we may say that these are only prophecies of what he yet will reveal. There are now things yet to come wherein the splendor of his mercy shall be yet more clearly seen than in all the former things.
Isa 43:20-21. The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise.
However barren may your soul be, and however all your surroundings may seem to be stamped with death, God can come and make you happy and blessed, and surround you with delights, and he will do it in order that in you, whom he has formed for himself, his praise may be seen.
Isa 43:22. But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob.
Prayer has been neglected: praise has been suspended. There has been an ungracious negligence in the service of God. Thou has not called upon me, O Jacob.
Isa 43:22. But thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.
You thought the service long thought the time for prayer came round too soon refused to give to my cause, and said it was a tax. Thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.
Isa 43:23. Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense.
I have not taxed thee. I have not drawn upon thy resources heavily.
Isa 43:24. Thou has bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices:
I left thee to give or not to give, that thy free will might be seen in all thy deeds of love, but nothing has come of it. On the contrary.
Isa 43:24. But thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.
A solemn charge this, which God lays against his people. Now see the next verse and read it with wondering eyes.
Isa 43:25. I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
He has pointed out the fault: he has shown that he is not forgetful of it; and then he pronounces absolution. The transgression is put away. Blessed be his name! Now let us turn to the New Testament, and read in the Epistle to the Romans, the 10th chapter, and we shall there see the way in which pardon is brought home to the soul.
This exposition consisted of readings from Isa 42:1-17; Isa 43:18-25; Rom 10:1-19.
Fuente: Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible
Isa 46:9, Isa 65:17, Deu 7:18, Deu 8:2, 1Ch 16:12, Jer 16:14, Jer 16:15, Jer 23:7, Jer 23:8, 2Co 3:10
Reciprocal: Psa 98:1 – for he Psa 105:5 – Remember 2Co 5:17 – old
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Isa 43:18-19. Remember ye not the former things But although your former deliverance out of Egypt was in itself a most glorious work, which you ought always to remember and consider; yet this other work, of your deliverance out of Babylon, and those blessings which shall follow upon it, and particularly that of sending the Messiah, shall be so transcendent a favour, that, in comparison thereof, all your former deliverances are scarcely worthy of your remembrance and consideration. See two parallel texts, Jer 16:14-15; Jer 23:5-8. From which passages laid together it appears that this latter deliverance, compared with that out of Egypt, is not to be confined to their restoration from captivity, but to be extended to the consequences thereof, and especially to the redemption of the Messiah. Indeed, otherwise the deliverance from Egypt was more glorious and wonderful, in many respects, than that out of Babylon. Behold, I will do a new thing Such a work as was never yet done in the world. Now it shall spring forth The Scripture often speaks of things at a great distance of time, as if they were now at hand, to make us sensible of the inconsiderableness of time and all temporal things, in comparison of God and eternal things; upon which account it is said, that a thousand years are in Gods sight but as one day. Shall ye not know it? Certainly, you Jews shall know it by experience, and shall find I do not deceive you with vain hopes. I will make a way in the wilderness, &c. I will give you direction and provision in the wilderness, where there is commonly no path, and where all necessaries are wanting; which, as it literally speaks of Gods conducting them through the great desert which lay between Babylon and Judea, so it is mystically meant of those spiritual blessings which God, in and through Christ, would confer upon all his people, not the Jews only, but also the Gentiles, who, in prophetical language, are often compared to a wilderness.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Obviously God did not want His people to forget what He had done for them in the Exodus, but neither did He want them to look back on that event and conclude that it was His only act of redemption or the only method He could use to redeem them. The Exodus exemplified God’s ability, but it did not set a pattern that He had to follow thereafter (cf. Jer 23:7-8).