Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye [that are] escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god [that] cannot save.
20. that set up the wood ] Render, with R.V., that carry, &c., in religious processions (Amo 5:26), or perhaps into battle (2Sa 5:21). That idols have to be carried is a sign of their powerlessness (Isa 46:1 f.; Jer 10:5).
a god that cannot save ] The contrast in the end of Isa 45:21.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
20, 21. The heathen are now summoned together that they may consider this attribute of Jehovah’s character, as illustrated by the prediction of the victories of Cyrus. The question submitted to them is the same as in Isa 41:1-4; Isa 41:21-29, Isa 43:9-13: who has foretold these events? But this scene is imagined as taking place after the great crisis is over; hence those addressed are the escaped of the nations (cf. Jer 51:50), the survivors of a world-wide judgement, of which Cyrus is the instrument (see Isa 45:14).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Assemble yourselves, and come – This, like the passage in Isa 41:1 ff, is a solemn appeal to the worshippers of idols, to come and produce the evidences of their being endowed with omniscience, and with almighty power, and of their having claims to the homage of their worshippers.
Ye that are escaped of the nations – This phrase has been very variously interpreted. Kimchi supposes that it means those who were distinguished among the nations, their chiefs, and rulers; Aben Ezra, that the Babylonians are meant especially; Vitringa, that the phrase denotes proselytes, as those who have escaped from the idolatry of the pagan, and have embraced the true religion; Grotius, that it denotes those who survived the slaughter which Cyrus inflicted on the nations. Rosenmuller coincides in opinion with Vitringa. The word used here ( palyt) denotes properly one who has escaped by flight from battle, danger, or slaughter Gen 14:13; Jos 8:32. It is not used anywhere in the sense of a proselyte; and the idea here is, I think, that those who escaped from the slaughter which Gyrus would bring on the nations, were invited to come and declare what benefit they had derived from trusting in idol-gods. In Isa 45:16, God had said they should all be ashamed and confounded who thus put their trust in idols; and he here calls on them as living witnesses that it was so. Those who had put their confidence in idols, and who had seen Cyrus carry his arms over nations notwithstanding their vain confidence, could now testify that no reliance was to be placed on them, and could be adduced as witnesses to show the importance of putting their trust in Yahweh.
That set up the wood – The word wood is used here to show the folly of worshipping an image thus made, and to show how utterly unable it was to save.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together; to debate the business with me concerning the divinity of your idols, and hear what I have said, and am now about to say again, in that matter.
Ye that are escaped of the nations; the remnant of the Gentiles, which shall survive those great and many destructions which I am bringing upon the heathen nations for their abominable idolatries and other wickedness. Let these dreadful judgments upon others, and Gods singular mercy in sparing you, awaken you to a more impartial and serious consideration of this point, and cast off those idols, which have now discovered their own vanity and inability to help those who serve them and trust in them.
They have no knowledge; they hereby discover their deep ignorance and stupidity.
That set up in a high place, where it may be seen and worshipped.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
20. escaped of the nationsthoseof the nations who shall have escaped the slaughter inflicted byCyrus. Now, at last, ye shall see the folly of “praying to a godthat cannot save” (Isa45:16). Ultimately, those that shall be “left of all thenations which shall come against Jerusalem” are meant (Zec14:16). They shall then all be converted to the Lord (Isa 66:23;Isa 66:24; Jer 3:17;Zec 8:20-23).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Assemble yourselves, and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations,…. Not that escaped the sword of Cyrus’s army, the Chaldeans; nor the Jews that escaped out of Babylon and other countries, by his means; but the remnant, according to the election of grace among the Gentiles; such who were called out of Heathenish darkness into the marvellous light of the Gospel, and escaped the idolatries that others continued in; these are called and summoned together, as to observe the grace of God to themselves, so to labour to convince others of their gross ignorance and stupidity in worshipping idols, and to judge and pass sentence on the obstinate among them:
they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image; or that “lift up” or “carry the wood of their graven image” d; the inside of whose graven image is wood, though covered with some metal which is graved; and for a man to carry such an image on his shoulders, either in procession or in order to fix it in some proper place for adoration, argues great ignorance and stupidity; such persons can have no knowledge of deity, that can believe that a log of wood, covered with gold or silver, graved by art and man’s device, and which they are obliged to carry upon their shoulders, can be a god, or a fit object of worship:
and pray to a god that cannot save; itself, nor them; cannot hear their prayers, nor return an answer to them; cannot help and assist them in distress, nor deliver them out of their troubles; and therefore it must be the height of madness and folly to pray unto it.
d , Sept. “qui efferunt”, Pagninus; “extollentes”, Montanus; “qui gestant”, Piscator; “gestantes lignum sculptilis sui”, Junius Tremellius “qui portant”, Cocceius, Vitringa.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The salvation of Israel, foretold and realized by Jehovah, becomes at the same time the salvation of the heathen world. “Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye escaped of the heathen! Irrational are they who burden themselves with the wood of their idol, and pray to a god that bringeth no salvation. Make known, and cause to draw near; yea, let them take counsel together: Who has made such things known from the olden time, proclaimed it long ago? have not I, Jehovah? and there is no Deity beside me; a God just, and bringing salvation: there is not without me!” The fulness of the Gentiles, which enters into the kingdom of God, is a remnant of the whole mass of the heathen: for salvation comes through judgment; and it is in the midst of great calamities that the work of that heathen mission is accomplished, which is represented in these prophecies on the one hand as the mission of Cyrus, and on the other hand as the mission of Jehovah and His servant. Hence this summons to listen to the self-assertion of the God of revelation, is addressed to the escaped of the heathen, who are not therefore the converted, but those who are susceptible of salvation, and therefore spared. By “the heathen” ( haggoym ) Knobel understands the allies and auxiliaries of the Babylonians, whom Cyrus put to flight (according to the Cyropaedia) before his Lydian campaign. But this is only an example of that exaggerated desire to turn everything into history, which not only prevented his seeing the poetry of the form, but obscured the fact that prophecy is both human and divine. For the future was foreshortened to the telescopic glance of the prophet, so that he could not see it in all its length and breadth. He saw in one mass what history afterwards unrolled; and then behind the present he could just see as it were the summit of the end, although a long eventful way still lay between the two. Accordingly, our prophet here takes his stand not at the close of any particular victory of Cyrus, but at the close of all his victories; and, in his view, these terminate the whole series of catastrophes, which are outlived by a remnant of the heathen, who are converted to Jehovah, and thus complete the final glory of the restored people of God. Throughout the whole of these prophecies we see immediately behind the historical foreground this eschatological background lifting up its head. The heathen who have been preserved will assemble together; and from the fact that Jehovah proves Himself the sole foreteller of the events that are now unfolding themselves, they will be brought to the conviction that He is the only God. The hithpael hithnaggesh does not occur anywhere else. On the absolute , see at Isa 44:9 (cf., Isa 1:3). To the verb haggshu we must supply, as in Isa 41:22, according to the same expression in Isa 45:21, (your proofs). “ This ” refers to the fall of Babylon and redemption of Israel – salvation breaking through judgment. On m e’az , from the olden time, compare Isa 44:8. God is “a just God and a Saviour,” as a being who acts most stringently according to the demands of His holiness, and wherever His wrath is not wickedly provoked, sets in motion His loving will, which is ever concerned to secure the salvation of men.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| The Folly of Idolatry; Salvation in Christ. | B. C. 708. |
20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. 21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. 22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. 23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. 24 Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. 25 In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.
What here is said is intended, as before,
I. For the conviction of idolators, to show them their folly in worshipping gods that cannot help them, and neglecting a God that can. Let all that have escaped of the nations, not only the people of the Jews, but those of other nations that were by Cyrus released out of captivity in Babylon, let them come, and hear what is to be said against the worshipping of idols, that they may be cured of it as well as the Jews, that Babylon, which had of old been the womb of idolatry, might now become the grave of it. Let the refugees assemble themselves and come together; God has something to say to them for their own good, and it is this, that idolatry is a foolish sottish thing, upon two accounts:–
1. It is setting up a refuge of lies for themselves: They set up the wood of their graven image; for that is the substratum. Though they overlay it with gold, deck it with ornaments, and make a god of it, yet still it is but wood. They pray to a god that cannot save; for he cannot hear, he cannot help, he can do nothing. How do those disparage themselves who give honour to that as a god which cannot, as a god, give good to them! How do those deceive themselves who pray for relief to that which is in no capacity at all to relieve them! Certainly those have no knowledge, or are brutish in their knowledge, who take so much pains, and do so much penance, in seeking the favour of a god that has no power.
2. It is setting up a rival with God, the only living and true God (v. 21): “Summon them all; tell them that the great cause shall again be tried, though once adjudged, between God and Baal. Bring them near, and let them take counsel together what to say in defence of themselves and their idols. It shall, as before, be put upon this issue: let them show when any of their gods did with any certainty foretel future events, as the God of Israel has done, and it shall be acknowledged that they have some colour for their pretensions. But None of them ever did; their prophets were lying prophets; but I the Lord have told it from that time, long before it came to pass; therefore you must own thee is no other God besides me.” (1.) None besides is fit to rule. He is a just God, and rules in justice, and will execute justice for those that are oppressed. (2.) None besides is able to help. As he is a just God, so he is the Saviour, who can save without the assistance of any, but without whom none can save. Those therefore have no sense of truth and falsehood, good and evil, no, nor of their own interest, that set up any in competition with him.
II. For the comfort and encouragement of all God’s faithful worshippers, whoever they are, v. 22. Those that worship idols pray to gods that cannot save; but the God of Israel says it to all the ends of the earth, to his people, though they are scattered into the utmost corners of the world and seem to be lost and forgotten in their dispersion, “Let them but look to me by faith and prayer, look above instruments and second causes, look off from all pretenders, and look up to me, and they shall be saved.” It seems to refer further to the conversion of the Gentiles that live in the ends of the earth, the most distant nations, when the standard of the gospel is set up. To it shall the Gentiles seek. When Christ is lifted up from the earth, as the brazen serpent upon the pole, he shall draw the eyes of all men to him. They shall all be invited to look unto him, as the stung Israelites did to the brazen serpent; and so strong is the eye of faith that by divine grace it will reach the Saviour and fetch in salvation by him even from the ends of the earth; for he is God, and the is none else. Two things are here promised, for the abundant satisfaction of all that by faith look to the Saviour:–
1. That the glory of the God they serve shall be greatly advanced; and this will be good news to all the Lord’s people, that, how much soever they and their names are depressed, God will be exalted, v. 23. This is confirmed by an oath, that we might have strong consolation: I have sworn by myself (and God can swear by no greater, Heb. vi. 13); the word has gone out of my mouth, and shall neither be recalled nor return empty; it has gone forth in righteousness, for it is the most reasonable equitable thing in the world that he who made all should be Lord of all, that, since all beings are derived from him, they should all be devoted to him. He has said it, and it shall be made good, I will be exalted, Ps. xlvi. 10. He has assured us, (1.) That he will be universally submitted to, that the kingdoms of the world shall become his kingdom. They shall do him homage–Unto me every knee shall bow; and they shall bind themselves by an oath of allegiance to him–Unto me every tongue shall swear. This is applied to the dominion of our Lord Jesus, Rom 14:10; Rom 14:11. We shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ and give account to him, for it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God; and it seems to be referred to, Psa 2:9; Psa 2:10. If the heart be brought into obedience to Christ, and made willing in the day of his power, the knee will bow to him in humble adorations and addresses, and in cheerful obedience to his commands, submission to his disposals, and compliance with his will in both; and the tongue will swear to him, will lay a bond upon the soul to engage it for ever to him; for he that bears an honest mind never startles at assurances. (2.) That he will be universally sought unto, and application shall be made to him from all parts of the world: Unto him shall men of distant countries come, to implore his favour. Unto thee shall all flesh come with their request, Ps. lxv. 2. And, when Christ was lifted up from the earth, he drew all men to him. (3.) That it will be to no purpose to make opposition to him. All that are incensed against him, that rage at his bonds and cords–the nations that are angry because he has taken to himself his great power and has reigned, that have been incensed at the strictness of his laws, the success of his gospel, and the spiritual nature of his kingdom–they shall be ashamed; some shall be brought to a penitential shame for it, others to a remediless ruin. One way or other, sooner or later, all that are uneasy at Christ’s government and victories will be made ashamed of their folly and obstinacy. Blessed be God for the assurance here given us that, whatever becomes of us and our interests, the Lord will reign for ever!
2. That the welfare of the souls they are concerned for shall be effectually secured: Surely shall one say, and another shall learn by his example to say the same, so that all the seed of Israel, according to the Spirit, shall say, and stand to it, (1.) That God has a sufficiency for them and that in Christ there is enough to supply all their needs: In the Lord is all righteousness and strength (so the margin reads it); he is himself righteous and strong. He can do every thing, and yet will do nothing but what is unquestionably just and equitable. He has also wherewithal to supply the needs of those that seek to him and depend upon him, upon the equity of his providence and the treasures of his grace; nay, we may say, not only “He has it,” but, “In him we have it,” because he has said that he will be to us a God. In the Lord the captive Jews had righteousness (that is, grace both to sanctify their afflictions to them and to qualify them for deliverance) and strength for their support and escape. In the Lord Jesus we have righteousness to recommend us to the good-will of God towards us, and strength to begin and carry on the good work of God in us. He is the fountain of both, and on him we must depend for both, must go forth in his strength, and make mention of his righteousness, Ps. lxxi. 16. (2.) That they shall have an abundant bliss and satisfaction in this. [1.] The people of the Jews shall in the Lord be justified before men and openly glory in their God. The oppressors reproached them, loaded them with calumny, and boasted even of a right to oppress them, as abandoned by their God; but, when God shall work out their deliverance, that shall be their justification from these hard censures, and therefore they shall glory in it. [2.] All true Christians, that depend upon Christ for strength and righteousness, in him shall be justified and shall glory in that. Observe, First, All believers are the seed of Israel, an upright praying seed. Secondly, The great privilege they enjoy by Jesus Christ is that in him, and for his sake, they are justified before God, Christ being made of God to them righteousness. All that are justified will own it is in Christ that they are justified, nor could they be justified by any other; and those who are justified shall be glorified. And therefore, Thirdly, The great duty believers owe to Christ is to glory in him, and to make their boast of him. Therefore he is made all in all to us, that whose glories may glory in the Lord; and let us comply with this intention.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
20. Assemble yourselves, He challenges all superstitious persons, and, as it were, appoints a day that they may submit to a righteous judgment, as we have formerly seen in expounding other passages, in order to shew that they can plead nothing which shall not be speedily overtumed. Now, indeed, they delight in their superstitions; but all their smoke shall be dispelled, when they come to plead their cause, and without any difficulty they shall be convicted. Let them then “assemble” in crowds, let them conspire and make every effort by fraud, and threatenings, and terrors; the truth shall at length be victorious. This confirmation was highly necessary for the Jews, because in every nation and in every place they beheld the spread of wicked errors which buried the worship of the true God. We also ought to betake ourselves to this refuge, when we see how few and how feeble we are. The Mahometans possess a large portion of the world, the Papists, with elevated crest, triumph far and wide, while we are but a handful of people, (212) and are scarcely reckoned in the number of men. But truth shall at last prevail, and shall cast down all that loftiness which now dazzles the eyes of men.
Ye rejected of the nations (213) פליטי (pelite) is translated by some “rejected,” by others “exiles,” or “those who have escaped;” and the address is supposed to be made to the Jews who had retumed from the captivity. But that is too forced a sense. The more generally received interpretation is, “Rejected of the nations,” because פלט (palat) means “to reject.” Not that he describes the meaner sort, or the refuse of men; but, on the contrary, he directs his discourse to those who were the highest in rank, and wealth, and power, and learning among the Gentiles. He calls them “rejected,” because they are of no value in the sight of God, though they are highly esteemed by men; for
“
that which ranks high among men is detestable in the sight of God.” (Luk 16:15.)
Yet if it be thought preferable to translate it “distant,” I have no objection; as if he had said, “Let them assemble from the farthest parts of the earth.”
That carry the wood of their graven image. He shews how great is the madness which seizes idolaters, who worship images, which they bear on their shoulders and carry round on waggons. Or we may take נשיים (nesum) as denoting “to place on a lofty and elevated spot,” as it was a crafty device of Satan to erect statues on pillars and lofty places, in order to excite the admiration of men, and to lead men to pay honor and reverence by merely looking at them. But we may interpret it simply as denoting all worship that is rendered to images, so as to convict them of vanity and madness. Superstitious persons know that idols need the aid and assistance of men, instead of men needing the aid and assistance of idols, which cannot even be made to stand upright without the agency of men. (214) And this is the meaning of what next follows, to pray to a god that cannot save; for what can be more foolish than to address vows and prayers to wood and stone? and yet infidels run about to dead statues, for the purpose of seeking salvation from them.
(212) “ Qui ne sommes qu’une poignee de gens.”
(213) “Ye (that are) escaped of the nations.” — Eng. Ver. This interpretation, though set aside by our author, is approved by able commentators. “ Escaped of the nations has been variously explained to mean the Jews who had escaped from the oppression of the Gentiles, and the Gentiles who had escaped from the dominion of idolatry. But these last would scarcely have been summoned to a contest. On the whole, it seems most natural to understand the nations who survived the judgments sent by God upon them. The Hebrew phrase is in itself ambiguous, the noun added to פליטי (pelite) sometimes denoting the whole body, out of which a remnant has escaped, sometimes the power from which they are delivered. Compare Jud 12:4; Ezr 6:9; Oba 1:11, with Jer 44:28; Ezr 6:8. The predominant usage and the context here decide in favor of the first interpretation.” — Alexander.
(214) “ Lesquelles ne pourroyent demeurer debout si les hommes n’y mettoyent la main.” “Which could not stand upright, if men did not put their hand to them.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
d. OUTREACH
TEXT: Isa. 45:20-25
20
Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that carry the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
21
Declare ye, and bring it forth; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath showed this from ancient time? who hath declared it of old? have not I, Jehovah? and there is no God else besides me, a just God and a Saviour; there is none besides me.
22
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else.
23
By myself have I sworn, the word is gone forth from my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
24
Only in Jehovah, it is said of me, is righteousness and strength; even to him shall men come; and all they that were incensed against him shall be put to shame.
25
In Jehovah shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.
QUERIES
a.
Why direct the escaped of the nations to gather?
b.
When shall every knee bow, etc.?
c.
Who is incensed against Jehovah?
PARAPHRASE
When this work, begun by Cyrus, resulting in a new Israel shall have culminated, all you Gentiles who wish to escape the judgment of Jehovah gather yourselves together and draw near. Those who worship idols are ignorant and lost; they pray to gods that are unable to save. Let all idol-worshippers who wish to contest My sovereignty combine all their wisdom and power and try to keep My predictions from coming to pass! After all, who has made such prophecies and had them come to pass-one of your idol-gods? No! Only Jehovah knows the future with certainty. I am the Only God there is! I am absolutely just and faithful to keep My word and I am the only Saviour there is; Let all the world turn to Me and be saved, for I am the only God there is; there is no other Savior! Since I am the only Absolute, I have sworn by My absolute sovereignty. I have spoken in these prophecies on the basis of My absolute faithfulness; they will come to pass! Indeed, every human being will ultimately acknowledge My sovereignty; every knee will bow and every tongue will confess some day that I am Lord. Some, who say, Only in Jehovah may we have real righteousness and strength, will come to Me and be saved. Those who continue to hate Jehovah will eventually acknowledge His sovereignty, but in disgrace. Through Jehovahs grace and power all the spiritual offspring of true Israel will be vindicated and justified because they have put their trust in Him, and Jehovah will give them of His glory.
COMMENTS
Isa. 45:20-21 INDICTMENT: These verses continue and amplify the train of thought that has gone before concerning the long-range, culminating result of Jehovahs redemptive work begun with Cyrus freeing of the Jewish exiles. This redemptive work of God will have a world-wide outreach. All those Gentiles who repent of their idolatry and acknowledge, in faith, the sovereignty of Jehovah will be saved. The Hebrew word hikavetzu, translated assemble yourselves, is stronger than merely assemble. It means form yourselves into a specific group. Those that are escaped among the goiyim (Gentiles) are the future people from all nations who will have seen the culmination of the work begun in the return from the captivities (the institution of the messianic kingdom through Jesus Christ), recognize the sovereignty of the God of Israel, wish to escape His judgment and choose to accept His offer of salvation. In other words, it is the church of the New Testament. Isaiah is affirming (in predictive-present) that a specific group of goiyim will thus choose to escape the judgment upon all religions except that of Jehovah which will be made apparent to honest-minded believers through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is salvation in no one else (Act. 4:12) and this will be confirmed and affirmed centuries after Isaiah predicts it here. Many of the Gentiles would, when the new Israel (the church) began to proclaim its gospel, acknowledge the futility of their pagan religions and their own lostness (cf. Act. 19:11-20). The indictment of Jehovah is that idols cannot save and those who worship them are without knowledge of the truth.
Many of the goiyim would challenge that last statement! Even some of the Jews of Isaiahs day would find it objectionable. Through the centuries from Isaiah until Christ, the whole Gentile world remained in ignorance and superstition and idolatry. Even after the resurrection of Christ men continued to cling to their idols and human philosophies (cf. Act. 17:16-33). Hundreds of millions of people today worship gods of wood and stone that cannot save them. But the sovereignty of God is demonstrated, as Isa. 45:21 states, through the fulfillment of Gods prophetic word (cf. 2Pe. 1:16-21). Jehovah offers the goiyim an opportunity to state their case and even invites them to pool their counsel and see if they can gainsay the predictions of Jehovah through His prophets. Jehovah alone knows the future and He has demonstrated it from the beginning of time by predicting events great and small in minute detail, thousands of years before their fulfillment. Much of this was prior to Isaiahs time! There was plenty of evidence even in Isaiahs day that Jehovahs word always came to pass. Isaiah himself was able to believe in the Christ as the culminating work of Jehovah (cf. Joh. 12:36-43); Abraham saw the day of Christ by faith and rejoiced (Joh. 8:56-59). But most certainly, when the prophecies Jehovah made by Isaiah gained their fulfillment, the Gentiles would have every possible proof that Jehovah is God and there is no other!
Isa. 45:22-25 INVITATION: The Hebrew word peneu means turn, thus Isa. 45:22 should read, Turn unto me, and be ye saved. There are two other Hebrew words also used to mean turnshuv and nacham. Peneu means more literally, turn to or towards; follow; turn to face something or someone. Peneu is the imperative of panah, so it is Jehovahs command that all the world turn to Him for salvation. The word translated be ye saved is heuasheu, the imperative of yasha, and so the Lord is here expressing His deep desire that all men be saved (1Ti. 2:3; 2Pe. 3:9). It is really Jehovahs tender insistance that all the world face up to the fact that He is the only God and Savior of mankind there is! Isaiah is truly the spokesman of the Old Testament for the universality of the gospel. Gods outreach is to the ends of the earth. The Lords hand is not shortened that it cannot save (cf. Isa. 59:1-3), it is mans sin (rebellion) that keeps him from being saved. In other words, mans salvation is complete and readily available but in the final analysis, it is up to man. He must choose. He must accept the covenant terms.
The salvation of all mankind. is of great significance. It is what all of history functions for; it is that for which God has stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to return the exiles. Mans redemption and regeneration is that for which God longs, plans, works and sacrifices (even His own Son). It is His total goal. So He supports His invitation to all the world with an oath. He swears by Himself. There is nothing greater to swear by (cf. Heb. 6:13-20) He swears on His eternality (cf. Gen. 22:16; Rom. 14:11). The crucifixion and resurrection of Christ was the greatest, most specific and thoroughly confirmed oath of God ever made. It was there, in history, God validated the certainty of all His promises and the faithfulness of His own nature (cf. 2Co. 1:19-21; Heb. 6:17 f) when He interposed Himself with an oath. God, in the flesh, dying and coming to life again by His own power! Once and for all God proved through the empty tomb that He is the resurrection and the life. He proved that no one comes to the Father but by Jesus Christ. With absolute historic certainty God proved there that every word of His comes to pass in righteousness. He also proved that eventually every knee must bow and every tongue confess that He is God (cf. Rom. 14:11; Php. 2:10 f.). While time lasts, men are free to acknowledge His sovereignty or deny it. But when time ceases to be and men inhabit the eternal destinies they have freely chosen, they will all acknowledge His sovereignty. Eventually every thing created must acknowledge His Lordship. Some, as Isa. 45:24 points out, will confess His righteousness and strength and come to Him (for salvation). Others, incensed, hateful and rebellious to the end will know and acknowledge His sovereignty but will be put to shame.
Jehovah will justify (vindicate) all the seed of Israel and glorify them. In our context (the work of God, begun with Cyrus, culminating in redemption for the whole world) this seed must refer to the spiritual Israel (cf. Rom. 2:28-29; Rom. 4:13-25; Gal. 3:6-9; Gal. 3:27-29; Gal. 6:14-16). All, both Jew and Gentile, who turn to Jehovah for salvation by faith will have that faith vindicated when God, bringing many sons to glory (Heb. 2:10), finishes His work at the consummation of it all. Right now we are being changed, by faith, from one degree of glory to another (2Co. 3:18). One day, when time ceases to be, we shall have all the glory our Great God has prepared for usthen our faith will be vindicated! God is sovereign in salvation!
QUIZ
1.
What is the nature of the assembly the nations are to make?
2.
Who are the escaped?
3.
What is Gods challenge to the Gentiles who will not accept His sovereignty?
4.
How insistent is God that the whole world look to Him for salvation?
5.
What demonstration do we have that Gods good news was universally intended?
6.
What was Gods greatest oath to the world of His faithfulness to keep His promises?
7.
Who are the seed of Israel?
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(20) Ye that are escaped of the nations.Primarily, the words point to the survivors of the conquests of Cyrus, who are contemplated as acknowledging the God of Israel. Ultimately the words find their fulfilment in the conversion of the heathen to the true anointed of Jehovah, of whom Cyrus was a type. They will bear witness from their experience to the vanity of idols. They will learn that it does not avail to set up (or carry) their idols in religious processions (Jer. 10:5; Amo. 5:26; 1Sa. 4:4).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
20. Assemble and come The challenge again (Isa 41:21; Isa 42:9)
to try him and prove that he is an Infinite Reality.
Escaped of the nations The “escaped” are those who have survived the divine judgments which sweep over the idolatrous world.
Have no knowledge Silly idolaters have none. With such, reason and conscience are perverted, truth and error exchange meanings, good sense goes for nothing. The “escaped” ones seem, in this verse, invited to a convocation for a somewhat different object from the one in Isa 41:1, namely, to test the question of prediction, to reason with those demented ones yet in favour of idols.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
I have often read, and I hope with increasing pleasure and profit, the blessedness of the union here made, and by Jehovah himself, of his own glorious attributes, as manifested in the work of redemption:, A just God and a Saviour. Here is, at once, an everlasting distinction made between the true God, and the whole tribe of dunghill-deities. Nothing, in all the code of idol-worship, proposed such an assemblage, as that of blending justice with salvation: and it is only in the person and work of Jesus, that such views are discoverable. In him, mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other, Psa 85:10 . So that the justice of God is strikingly set forth in punishing sin; and his salvation as blessedly set forth in pardoning the sinner. Reader! what comfort is there in this view of God in Christ, to a poor perishing sinner, under all the alarms of a guilty conscience! And how true is that scripture, which saith, God can be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus, Rom 3:26 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 45:20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye [that are] escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god [that] cannot save.
Ver. 20. Ye that are escaped of the nations. ] That have escaped the sword of Cyrus, and well proved how little your gods can do for you.
That set up the wood of their graven image.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Isa 45:20-25
20Gather yourselves and come;
Draw near together, you fugitives of the nations;
They have no knowledge,
Who carry about their wooden idol
And pray to a god who cannot save.
21Declare and set forth your case;
Indeed, let them consult together.
Who has announced this from of old?
Who has long since declared it?
Is it not I, the LORD?
And there is no other God besides Me,
A righteous God and a Savior;
There is none except Me.
22Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth;
For I am God, and there is no other.
23I have sworn by Myself,
The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness
And will not turn back,
That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.
24They will say of Me, ‘Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength.’
Men will come to Him,
And all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.
25In the LORD all the offspring of Israel
Will be justified and will glory.
Isa 45:20 Gather yourselves and come;
Draw near together, you fugitives of the nations;
They have no knowledge
Some say this refers to scattered, exiled Israelites returning home (i.e.,you fugitives of the nations, also note Isa 45:25), while others believe it is another general invitation to the Gentile nations, as in Isa 45:6; Isa 45:22-23 (cf. Rom 14:11; Php 2:10). Both are possible in this context.
There is a series of commands in Isa 45:20-22 related to how humans are to approach YHWH and respond to His offer of availability.
1. gather yourselves – BDB 867, KB 1062, Niphal IMPERATIVE, Isa 45:20
2. come – BDB 97, KB 112, Qal IMPERATIVE, Isa 45:20
3. draw near – BDB 620, KB 670, Hiphil IMPERATIVE, Isa 45:20
4. turn to Me – BDB 815, KB 937, Qal IMPERATIVE, Isa 45:22
5. be saved – BDB 446, KB 448, Niphal IMPERATIVE, Isa 45:22
The NT uses Isa 45:23 in two quotes that refer to all humans (i.e., Rom 14:11 and esp. Php 2:10)! What a wonderful invitation and fulfillment of Gen 3:15; Gen 12:3 (see Special Topic: YHWH’s Eternal Redemptive Plan ).
Who carry about their wooden idol This calls on the nations to reject their idols who cannot act, and come to the God of Israel who can act and who will save them.
Isa 45:21 This is the imagery of a court scene. It predicts (1) Cyrus and his success and (2) the return of Israel as an evangelistic tool to bring the world to God. Here God is called a Savior and in this context implies not of Jews only but of the entire world (cf. Isa 45:22). The obvious implication of monotheism (see Special Topic at Isa 40:14) is that the One God loves all humans created in His image (cf. Gen 1:26-27).
Isa 45:22 Turn to Me This is the Hebrew word that is used for worship (BDB 815, KB 937). As the people turn to God they leave their idolatry and sin (cf. Isa 55:7).
Humans have a choice. They can turn to YHWH and be saved or turn to idols (cf. Lev 19:4; Lev 19:31; Lev 20:6; Deu 31:18; Deu 31:20) and have no hope!
and be saved, all the ends of the earth This is a reference to the universal salvation offered to all humans who will repent and trust in YHWH because there is no other God (cf. Isa 45:21). This universal offer is so characteristic of Isaiah (cf. Isa 2:2-4; Isa 12:4-5; Isa 25:6-9; Isa 42:6-12; Isa 49:5-6; Isa 51:4-5; Isa 60:1-3; Isa 66:23). This can be translated save themselves (Niphal IMPERATIVE), which would be a play on Gen 12:3.
Isa 45:23 I have sworn by Myself There is no higher oath possible!
The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness
And will not turn back
This is the ancient belief in the power of the spoken word (cf. Isa 24:3; Isa 25:8; Isa 40:8; Isa 55:10-11). God said it; He wants the world to be saved (i.e., Joh 3:16)!
That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance This is used in this context of YHWH. However, in Php 2:10 it is used of all conscious creation confessing Jesus Christ as Lord. The context again shows that God wants the whole world to come to Him and later revelation will show it is through His Messiah, Jesus Christ, that this universal offer is accomplished (cf. Mar 10:45; 2Co 5:21).
The theological issue is very clear. If the NT is revelation, then the OT promises to national Israel have been widened.
SPECIAL TOPIC: Why are OT Covenant Promises so Different from NT Covenant Promises?
Isa 45:24 And all who are angry at Him shall be put to shame This does show that one day all peoples, whether they believe in YHWH or not, will acknowledge Him as Lord (cf. Philippians 2). Some will have previously acknowledged Him and be saved, but some will acknowledge Him just before judgment and separation (cf. Mat 25:31-46; Rev 20:11-15).
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.
1. List the characteristics of God mentioned in Isa 44:24-28. (there are nine relative clauses)
2. Why did God choose Cyrus?
3. What is the significance of the Hebrew word know (cf. Isa 45:4-6)?
4. Why is Isa 45:6 so significant?
5. List the number of times and ways the doctrine of monotheism is mentioned in this passage.
6. Does Isa 45:8 refer to the return from exile or the Messianic kingdom? Why?
7. What is the significance of Isa 45:22?
8. How is Isa 45:23 used in the NT and what significance does it have for this passage?
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Isa 45:20-25
Isa 45:20-25
“Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that carry the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. Declare ye, and bring it forth; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath showed this from ancient time? who hath declared it of old? have not I, Jehovah? and there is no God else besides me, a just God and a Saviour; there is none besides me. Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else. By myself have I sworn, the word is gone forth from my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue swear. Only in Jehovah, it is said of me, is righteousness and strength; even to him shall men come; and all they that were incensed against him shall be put to shame. In Jehovah shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.”
The Old Israel is hardly in this passage at all, for it is addressed “unto them that escaped of the nations,” to all of the redeemed of the whole earth, as indicated in Isa 45:22.
Note also that the last two verses here have the expressions “Only in Jehovah,” and “In Jehovah shall all the seed of Israel be blessed,” these being the exact parallels of the great Pauline conception of salvation “in the Lord,” “in Christ,” “in him,” “in the Beloved,” and equivalent expressions, which are found “one hundred-sixty nine times in Paul’s New Testament writings.”
There is a widespread misunderstanding of what is meant by Isa 45:23. Wardle thought that the meaning is, “Every man shall swear allegiance to God”; However, the New Testament usage of this passage shows more clearly what the Spirit says. “At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father” (Php 2:10-11). Also, in Rev 6:14-17, we are given a more intimate glimpse of the nature of that confession which even the most wicked of men shall eventually make.
This passage also teaches that “no Israelite shall be saved apart from his union with Jehovah and “in Jehovah,” a status that has never been attained by any person who ever lived apart from his being baptized “into Christ” (Rom 6:3-5; 1Co 12:13; and Gal 3:27); because Christ is indeed “God come in the flesh.” He is actually called “God,” no less than ten times in the Greek New Testament (Joh 1:1; Joh 1:18; Joh 20:28; Act 20:28; Heb 1:8; Php 2:6; Rom 9:5; 1Ti 3:16; Tit 2:13; and 1Jn 5:20, etc.). Thus, in these verses the great climax of Isaiah’s prophecies is fully realized in the glorious salvation to all men in the New Covenant. “The religion of Israel is to become the religion of all mankind; and this anticipation finds its fulfillment in the Christian dispensation,” and this is proved by Paul’s application of these verses to Christ in Php 2:10-11, and in Rom 14:11.
We should not overlook the fact that this passage “also abolishes the last vestiges of nationalism in the true religion.” It is also inherent in the same truth that the last vestiges of racism have also been forever removed in the true religion. No man will ever be saved on account of his race, or denied salvation on the basis of it. “Preach the Gospel to the whole creation; he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” (Mar 16:16).
Isa 45:20-21 INDICTMENT: These verses continue and amplify the train of thought that has gone before concerning the long-range, culminating result of Jehovahs redemptive work begun with Cyrus freeing of the Jewish exiles. This redemptive work of God will have a world-wide outreach. All those Gentiles who repent of their idolatry and acknowledge, in faith, the sovereignty of Jehovah will be saved. The Hebrew word hikavetzu, translated assemble yourselves, is stronger than merely assemble. It means form yourselves into a specific group. Those that are escaped among the goiyim (Gentiles) are the future people from all nations who will have seen the culmination of the work begun in the return from the captivities (the institution of the messianic kingdom through Jesus Christ), recognize the sovereignty of the God of Israel, wish to escape His judgment and choose to accept His offer of salvation. In other words, it is the church of the New Testament. Isaiah is affirming (in predictive-present) that a specific group of goiyim will thus choose to escape the judgment upon all religions except that of Jehovah which will be made apparent to honest-minded believers through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is salvation in no one else (Act 4:12) and this will be confirmed and affirmed centuries after Isaiah predicts it here. Many of the Gentiles would, when the new Israel (the church) began to proclaim its gospel, acknowledge the futility of their pagan religions and their own lostness (cf. Act 19:11-20). The indictment of Jehovah is that idols cannot save and those who worship them are without knowledge of the truth.
Many of the goiyim would challenge that last statement! Even some of the Jews of Isaiahs day would find it objectionable. Through the centuries from Isaiah until Christ, the whole Gentile world remained in ignorance and superstition and idolatry. Even after the resurrection of Christ men continued to cling to their idols and human philosophies (cf. Act 17:16-33). Hundreds of millions of people today worship gods of wood and stone that cannot save them. But the sovereignty of God is demonstrated, as Isa 45:21 states, through the fulfillment of Gods prophetic word (cf. 2Pe 1:16-21). Jehovah offers the goiyim an opportunity to state their case and even invites them to pool their counsel and see if they can gainsay the predictions of Jehovah through His prophets. Jehovah alone knows the future and He has demonstrated it from the beginning of time by predicting events great and small in minute detail, thousands of years before their fulfillment. Much of this was prior to Isaiahs time! There was plenty of evidence even in Isaiahs day that Jehovahs word always came to pass. Isaiah himself was able to believe in the Christ as the culminating work of Jehovah (cf. Joh 12:36-43); Abraham saw the day of Christ by faith and rejoiced (Joh 8:56-59). But most certainly, when the prophecies Jehovah made by Isaiah gained their fulfillment, the Gentiles would have every possible proof that Jehovah is God and there is no other!
Isa 45:22-25 INVITATION: The Hebrew word peneu means turn, thus Isa 45:22 should read, Turn unto me, and be ye saved. There are two other Hebrew words also used to mean turn-shuv and nacham. Peneu means more literally, turn to or towards; follow; turn to face something or someone. Peneu is the imperative of panah, so it is Jehovahs command that all the world turn to Him for salvation. The word translated be ye saved is heuasheu, the imperative of yasha, and so the Lord is here expressing His deep desire that all men be saved (1Ti 2:3; 2Pe 3:9). It is really Jehovahs tender insistance that all the world face up to the fact that He is the only God and Savior of mankind there is! Isaiah is truly the spokesman of the Old Testament for the universality of the gospel. Gods outreach is to the ends of the earth. The Lords hand is not shortened that it cannot save (cf. Isa 59:1-3), it is mans sin (rebellion) that keeps him from being saved. In other words, mans salvation is complete and readily available but in the final analysis, it is up to man. He must choose. He must accept the covenant terms.
The salvation of all mankind. is of great significance. It is what all of history functions for; it is that for which God has stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to return the exiles. Mans redemption and regeneration is that for which God longs, plans, works and sacrifices (even His own Son). It is His total goal. So He supports His invitation to all the world with an oath. He swears by Himself. There is nothing greater to swear by (cf. Heb 6:13-20) He swears on His eternality (cf. Gen 22:16; Rom 14:11). The crucifixion and resurrection of Christ was the greatest, most specific and thoroughly confirmed oath of God ever made. It was there, in history, God validated the certainty of all His promises and the faithfulness of His own nature (cf. 2Co 1:19-21; Heb 6:17 f) when He interposed Himself with an oath. God, in the flesh, dying and coming to life again by His own power! Once and for all God proved through the empty tomb that He is the resurrection and the life. He proved that no one comes to the Father but by Jesus Christ. With absolute historic certainty God proved there that every word of His comes to pass in righteousness. He also proved that eventually every knee must bow and every tongue confess that He is God (cf. Rom 14:11; Php 2:10 f.). While time lasts, men are free to acknowledge His sovereignty or deny it. But when time ceases to be and men inhabit the eternal destinies they have freely chosen, they will all acknowledge His sovereignty. Eventually every thing created must acknowledge His Lordship. Some, as Isa 45:24 points out, will confess His righteousness and strength and come to Him (for salvation). Others, incensed, hateful and rebellious to the end will know and acknowledge His sovereignty but will be put to shame.
Jehovah will justify (vindicate) all the seed of Israel and glorify them. In our context (the work of God, begun with Cyrus, culminating in redemption for the whole world) this seed must refer to the spiritual Israel (cf. Rom 2:28-29; Rom 4:13-25; Gal 3:6-9; Gal 3:27-29; Gal 6:14-16). All, both Jew and Gentile, who turn to Jehovah for salvation by faith will have that faith vindicated when God, bringing many sons to glory (Heb 2:10), finishes His work at the consummation of it all. Right now we are being changed, by faith, from one degree of glory to another (2Co 3:18). One day, when time ceases to be, we shall have all the glory our Great God has prepared for us-then our faith will be vindicated! God is sovereign in salvation!
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
yourselves: Isa 41:5, Isa 41:6, Isa 41:21, Isa 43:9
escaped: Isa 4:2, Jer 25:15-29, Jer 50:28, Jer 51:6-9, Eph 2:12, Eph 2:16, Rev 18:3-18
they: Isa 42:17, Isa 42:18, Isa 44:17-20, Isa 46:7, Isa 48:7, 1Ki 18:26-29, Psa 115:8, Jer 2:27, Jer 2:28, Jer 10:8, Jer 10:14, Jer 51:17, Jer 51:18, Hab 2:18-20, Rom 1:21-23
Reciprocal: Deu 4:28 – neither see 1Sa 12:21 – cannot profit Psa 14:4 – Have Isa 44:9 – their own Isa 44:15 – he maketh a god Isa 44:18 – have not Isa 45:16 – General Isa 46:2 – they could Isa 46:6 – lavish Isa 46:12 – Hearken Isa 48:14 – assemble Isa 57:3 – draw Jer 3:23 – in vain Jer 10:3 – one Jer 10:5 – do evil Jer 11:12 – go Jer 48:13 – ashamed Hos 4:6 – for Hos 8:5 – calf Hos 13:2 – according Jon 1:5 – cried Zec 9:1 – when Act 14:15 – from Act 28:11 – whose
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Isa 45:20-22. Draw near together To attend to what I have said, and am now about to say again, concerning the vanity of your idols; ye that are escaped of the nations Ye that survive those many and great destructions which I am bringing upon heathen nations for their abominable idolatries and other wickedness. Let those dreadful judgments upon others, and Gods great mercy in sparing you, awaken you to a more impartial and serious consideration of this subject, and induce you to renounce those idols which have now manifested their inability to afford any help to those who serve and trust in them. They have no knowledge, &c. See on Isa 44:9; Isa 44:17-18. Let them take counsel together To maintain the cause of their idols. See on Isa 41:22; and Isa 43:9; and Isa 44:7. Look unto me, &c., all ye ends of the earth Upon these considerations I call upon all people, from one end of the earth to the other, to cast away their idols, and to turn their eyes and hearts to me, expecting salvation from me, and from me only; and they shall not be disappointed. And this is not only an exhortation to the Gentiles to turn from idols to God, but a prediction that they shall turn to him, and look unto Christ, who is and will be the author of eternal salvation to all that obey him, whether Jews or Gentiles, which is confirmed by the following verse.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
45:20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, {y} ye [that have] escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray to a god [that] cannot save.
(y) All you idolaters who though you seem to have worldly dignity yet in God’s sight you are vile and abject.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The Lord again summoned the people of the world, possibly after Cyrus’ judgments, for a debate (cf. Isa 41:1; Isa 41:21; Isa 43:8-9). He claimed that pagan idol-worshippers were ignorant (cf. Isa 44:9). They carried their gods of wood, rather than being carried themselves by a personal God (cf. 1 Samuel 4-5). And they prayed to gods that could not save.
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
God and idols 45:20-46:7
In the following segment (Isa 45:20-25), God contrasted His salvation with that of the Babylonian idols.
"Throughout chs. 40-55, the people of Israel are envisioned as being in bondage in Babylon. . . . Has not the God of Israel been thoroughly discredited? Should not Israel adopt the gods of her captors? . . . Instead, he [Isaiah] insists that it is the captors, the Babylonians, who need to look to their deliverance. Far from Israel being concerned over whether their God can deliver them from Babylon, it is the mighty Babylonians who should be worrying over whether the gods whom they have served can deliver them!" [Note: Oswalt, The Book . . . 40-66, p. 220.]