Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 48:15
I, [even] I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
I, even I, have spoken – The word I is repeated to give emphasis, and to furnish the utmost security that it should be certainly accomplished. It means, that Yahweh, and he alone, had declared this, and that it was entirely by his power that Cyrus had been raised up, and had been made prosperous.
Yea, I have called him – (See the note at Isa 41:2).
I have brought him – I have led him on his way in his conquests.
And he shall make his way prosperous – There is a change of person in this verse, from the first to the third, which is quite common in the writings of Isaiah.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
I, even I; both the foreknowledge and the execution of this great achievement cannot be ascribed to idols, but to me only.
He shall make his way prosperous; God will give him good success in this undertaking. Here is a sudden change of the person from I to he, which is very usual. Or, as others render it, he shall prosper in his way; the preposition in being most frequently understood.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
15. broughtled him on hisway.
hechange from thefirst to the third person [BARNES].Jehovah shall make his (Cyrus’) way prosperous.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I, even I, have spoken,…. What I will do, and what shall certainly come to pass; for not one word of the Lord ever fails; what he has spoken he will make good; what he has said to his Son in his council, and in covenant, or has delivered out by promise or prophecy, Nu 23:19:
yea, I have called him; not Abraham, as the Targum; but Cyrus, whom he called by name, as well as called him to his work and office as a deliverer of his people, Isa 45:4 and so he called Christ also to his work and office, which he did not take to himself, but was called of God, Heb 5:4: I have brought him; from a far country, from Persia to Babylon; and who has also brought forth his servant, the branch, the Messiah, Zec 3:8:
and he shall make his way prosperous; or “his way shall be prosperous” m; being made so by the Lord, who directed his way, and removed all difficulties and obstructions in it, Isa 45:1 and so the pleasure of the Lord has prospered in the hands of Christ, who has succeeded in the work of redemption and salvation he was called to,
Isa 53:11, these are the words of God the Father, confirming what the Messiah said in the preceding, and who is introduced speaking in the next verse.
m “et prosperabitur via ejus”, Pagninus, Montanus; “critique prospera via ejus”, Vitringa.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
15. Therefore he shall prosper in his way. He again reminds the Jews of the predictions, and claims for God this honor, that, by foretelling the event in due time, he has removed all doubt; and next he adds, that all that had been foretold shall be accomplished. Accordingly, in the repetition of the pronoun, It is I, it is I who have spoken, there is a double emphasis; first, tlmt none but the God of Israel hath spoken about future and hidden events, and secondly, that, because he is faithful and never deceives, all the events which he has foretold shall undoubtedly take place. Accordingly, in the last clause of the verse I consider the copulative ו (vau) to mean therefore. Here Isaiah has two objects in view; first, that the captive Jews may expect deliverance, and secondly, that, after having been delivered, they may acknowledge God to be the author of so valuable a blessing, and may not imagine that it took place either by the assistance of men or by chance.
Surely I have called him, I have conducted him. He declares that everything shall go prosperously with Cyrus, because Jehovah “hath called him;” not that he deserved so high a favor, or obtained it by his own industry or power, but because the Lord was pleased to employ the agency of Cyrus in delivering his people. As to his calling him beloved in the preceding verse, and now saying that he has been “called and conducted,” I explained a little before that this cannot refer to the love of God, by which he adopts us to be his children and calls us to himself; for in this sense Cyrus was not “beloved” or “called.” Though he was endowed with great virtues, yet he was stained by very great vices, ambition and the lust of power, avarice, cruelty, and other vices; and his lamentable end shewed what kind of person he was. The Prophet therefore means that God was favorable to Cyrus, so as to bestow upon him an external blessing, but not so as to adopt him, and to impart to him that grace which he bestows on the elect. We must consider the reason why he calls him by these names. It is because he makes use of the agency of Cyrus for delivering the Church, as we have already explained.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
15. I, even I, have spoken I have called The Lord is here the speaker. The thrice-repeated “I” denotes the strength of purpose the certainty of the fulfilment of the prediction.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Though the whole passage is but a continuation of the same blessed discourse, in which God himself is the speaker; yet I stop the Reader under these two verses, to remark the peculiarity of what is said. If Jesus, under the spirit of prophecy, be here delivering these gracious truths to the Church, (as I think cannot be questioned) then will it follow, that all the three persons of the Godhead are here introduced as engaged in this blessed sermon. Jesus opened his gospel, and spoke not in secret, but openly to the people: so he received his commission, Isa 6:8-10 ; and so, in the synagogue, he declared the Spirit of Jehovah to be upon him; compare Isa 61:1 , etc. with Luk 4:18 , etc. And if Jehovah and his Spirit (as in those verses is said to have been the case) be thus sent, who will not see, as in the baptism of Jesus, all the three persons of the Godhead engaged in this act of grace, Mat 3:16-17 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 48:15 I, [even] I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
Ver. 15. I have brought him. ] Heb., Made him to go, or caused him to come, who of himself had no such mind to come on such a design. Herodotus telleth us that Cyrus had once resolved to abandon the siege of Babylon as unfeasible: but God altered his mind, as we here read, and prospered his work.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
I . . . I. Note the Figure of speech Epizeuxis.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Jos 1:8, Psa 45:4, Eze 1:2
Reciprocal: Gen 24:56 – prospered Exo 14:17 – behold Num 18:6 – And I Isa 22:25 – for the Isa 44:28 – Cyrus Isa 45:3 – which call Isa 45:13 – raised him Isa 46:11 – the man Jer 23:39 – even I Jer 50:25 – this Eze 34:11 – I Hab 2:7 – they Zec 2:8 – sent
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
What God had decided and declared would stand. Cyrus would prosper in his assignment because God had called him to do it. As surely as God had called the host of heaven (Isa 48:13), Israel (Isa 48:12), and Assyria (cf. Isa 10:6), He had called Cyrus.