Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 51:12
I, [even] I, [am] he that comforteth you: who [art] thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man [that] shall die, and of the son of man [which] shall be made [as] grass;
12. I am he that comforteth you ] Cf. Isa 40:1, Isa 49:13. The Israelites are here addressed as individuals; this gives place immediately to the feminine collective, Who art thou &c.? and this again in Isa 51:13 to the masc. sing. The rhetorical question means simply “How is it that thou fearest” &c.? (on the use of the consec. impf. see Davidson’s Syntax 51. R. 3). For made as grass we may translate “given up (to destruction) as grass” (cf. ch. Isa 40:6).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
12, 13. An expostulation with the exiles, who having the Almighty Creator for their God, live in constant terror of being destroyed by their oppressors.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
12 16. Jehovah again speaks as the comforter of His people. That the passage is a direct answer to the importunate appeal of Isa 51:9 f., seems probable, although it cannot be confidently affirmed; it is at all events virtually an answer. A point of contact might be found in Jehovah’s assertion of His power over the sea in Isa 51:15; but the connexion of ideas in the last three verses is difficult to make out, and the text itself probably confused.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
I even I am he that comforteth you – The word I is repeated here to give emphasis to the passage, and to impress deeply upon them the fact that their consolation came alone from God. The argument is, that since God was their protector and friend, they had no occasion to fear anything that man could do.
Of a man that shall die – God your comforter will endure forever. But all men – even the most mighty – must soon die. And if God is our protector, what occasion can we have to fear what a mere mortal can do to us?
And of the son of man – This phrase is common in the Hebrew Scriptures, and means the same as man.
Shall be made as grass – They shall perish as grass does that is cut down at mid-day (see the notes at Isa 40:6-7).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Isa 51:12-13
I, even I, am He that comforteth you
Divine comfort is strength
They prayed for the operations of His power (Isa 51:9); He answers them with the consolations of His grace, which may well be accepted as an equivalent.
(M. Henry.)
Our true Comforter
I. THE LORD COMFORTS ALL WHO TRUST HIM, BY REVEALING HIS RELATIONSHIP. It is a delight to know that if the Almighty be a king, He is seated on a throne of grace, to which every man is at liberty to: come; but it is a much more comforting consolation to know that the Lord does not wish to be known to us as our king; it is His desire for us to approach Him as our Father. If you gather the record of all the good and lovable fathers who have ever existed, and can imagine them welded into one being, you will have some idea of our Heavenly Father.
II. THE LORD COMFORTS US, BY HIS CONTINUAL PRESENCE. Have you thought what it means, in prayer, when you close your eyes?
III. THE LORD COMFORTS US, BY PROVING HIS EXTRAORDINARY LOVE. Perhaps you may have sinned grievously, and, though you have repented, and are struggling bravely, the unfeeling world may point its finger of scorn; but do not despair. Listen to the voice of your Heavenly Father, I, even I, am He that comforteth you I
IV. THE LORD COMFORTS US, BY SHOWING THAT HE GOVERNS ALL THINGS. Fear hath torment, and it is the parent of all our cares and anxieties. (W. Birch.)
Who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man?–
The comparative fear of God and man
I. There are TWO PARTIES here spoken of–man that shall die, the son of man that shall be made as grass; and the Lord our Maker, that stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth. It appears to be a main object of the Scriptures, elsewhere as in the text, to set in the most vivid contrast with each other the meanness, the emptiness, the nothingness of man; and the all-sufficiency, the majesty, and the glory of God.
II. In the common intercourse of the world, THE FORMER OF THESE PARTIES, RATHER THAN THE LATTER, IS PRACTICALLY THE OBJECT OF
REVERENCE, RESPECT AND FEAR. Indeed, the whole system of society seems founded on the principle that human sanctions are above Divine.
III. THE MEANING OF THAT EMPHATIC QUESTION WITH WHICH THESE WORDS COMMENCE, WHO ART THOU?
1. The inquiry seems to have been primarily addressed to those whose prevailing fear of man was the result rather of weakness under trying circumstances, than of carnal blindness and depravity of heart. It seems intended for the encouragement of Gods people when threatened with dangers, and particularly when harassed by the terrors which cruel enemies inspire.
2. But in another sense, and with far different emphasis, does it apply to those who, in the genuine spirit of the world, and with the full agreement of the will, pay that homage to man which the deliberately refuse to God. Well may it be said to such, in a tone of mingled indignation and surprise, Who art thou? (H. Woodward, M.A.)
Fear of man removed by reflecting upon God
If, being children of God, by faith in Jesus Christ, we duly reflected on our high calling, and wisely valued our privileges, we should certainly neither stand so much in awe of one another, nor be so guilty as we are of forgetfulness of the Almighty.
I. WHO ART THOU? The question was put to Israel, with reference, not to what they were in themselves–in dependence upon their own strength or holiness; for they were weak and miserable offenders, suffering the punishment of their offences; conquered, and carried into exile by heathen enemies; friendless and hopeless: but it referred to Jehovah s choice of them as a peculiar people, to their experience of the Divine protection, and their covenanted right in the Divine promises. And, without reference to God, and His salvation, what can be the answer of any human being to the question, Who, or what art thou?–nothing, and less than nothing; a vapour, that is exhaled and is not; an atom, that perishes and is forgotten; a sinful and miserable being, the child of perdition, at his best estate altogether vanity. It is not so, however, that God sees us. He beholds all things here below in His blessed Son. Redemption enables every believer to return a lofty answer to the inquiry, Who art thou?
II. If such be a correct draught of the reply which the faithful Christian can make to the question, Who art thou? THE UNFITNESS, THE IMPROPRIETY OF HIS YIELDING TO THE FEAR OF MAN IS MANIFEST.
1. It saps the vital strength of the Christian character, in undermining our faith. I cannot truly believe in God, as He has revealed Himself, and yet stoop to this fear.
2. It leads men to vain ,and unworthy expedients–to trust in the arm of flesh and in refuges of lies.
3. Carnal fear is the very worst form of that unreasonable care and anxiety, against the encroachments of which our Lord cautions, us.
4. But, asks the prophet, who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid? Art not thou–thou, the child of God–of so high a dignity, of a strain and lineage so glorious, that thou oughtest not to be suspected of so degrading a passion as ignoble fear?
III. ALWAYS CONNECTED WITH FEAR OF MAN, IS FORGETFULNESS OF ALMIGHTY GOD. (R. Cattermole, B.D.)
God more to be feared than man
That of two evils the greatest is most to be feared, is a self-evident principle, which, as soon as it is proposed, commands our assent; that he who can inflict a greater evil IS more to be dreaded than he who can inflict only a less, is an immediate consequence of that self-evident principle; that the Lord our Maker, who hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth, is armed with greater power, and can inflict greater and more durable evils than man who shall die, and the son of man who shall be made as grass, is more forcibly expressed than if it were in direct terms declared in the expostulation of the text: that man therefore is not to be feared, and that God is; or that man is not to be feared in comparison with God; not equally to be feared with Him; not at all to be feared, when the fear of man would betray us to do things inconsistent with the fear of God, and such as would argue us to have forgotten the Lord our Maker, is a truth as clearly, plainly and fully demonstrable as any proposition in mathematics.
I. It is certain mater of fact, that IN THE CONDUCT OF OUR LIVES WE ARE MORE AWED BY THE FEAR OF MAN THAN WE ARE BY THE FEAR OF GOD. This is proved from experience and observation. As evident as it is, that men commit those sins in secret which they dare not commit openly; that they take more care to appear religious than really to be religious; that in a licentious age they are afraid to own themselves to be under the influences of religion; that they commit greater sins to hide less; that they choose rather obstinately to persist in an error, than to own they were in the wrong; that they choose rather to break the laws of God than to be out of fashion; that they are time-servers, and play fast and loose with their principles, in order to secure or to promote their interest; that they make shipwreck of their faith when storms arise, and fall away in times of persecution; so evident is it, that in the conduct of their lives they are more swayed by the fear of men than they are by the fear of God.
II. INQUIRE HOW THIS COMES TO PASS.
1. As to the case of habitual, profligate, daring sinners, their conduct in this matter is easily accounted for. By a constant, uninterrupted course of sinning they have worn out all sense of religion, all notions of God, all apprehensions of a future state, and a judgment to come.
2. Every disciple of Christ is not so great a proficient in the doctrine of the Cross, as to reach up to that fulness of stature in Christ to which St. Paul was arrived, when he could, without arrogance, declare his undaunted courage and resolution of mind in that magnanimous, but sincere, profession, which we find him making, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? etc.
3. If persecution is proved to be so strong a temptation, and the faith of the generality of Christians is so weak, it is no great matter of surprise, that men should often yield to the violence of such pressing trials, and should be overawed into sinful compliances, by the fear of those evils, which, though they bear no proportion to the wrath of God, that shall be revealed in the last day, are yet strong enough to betray the succours which reason and religion offer.
4. But still what account can be given why men venture the loss of their immortal souls, to avoid evils of a much less magnitude; such as are shame, disrepute, the displeasure of superiors, the dislike of equals, or even sometimes the disapprobation of inferiors? The best account I am able to give of such extravagant and unjustifiable conduct is this: the sins to which men are drawn by such slight temptations are not usually of that heinous kind, as those are to which they are tempted by the terrors of greater evils; as the temptation is mush weaker, me the aims to which they are tempted are much lighter: though therefore they cannot plead the violence of the temptation, yet they are apt to hope, that the sins into which they are so easily betrayed, being not of the deepest die, will the sooner be blotted out.
III. SHOW THE EXTREME FOLLY AND UNREASONABLENESS OF IT. By the order of nature our passions ought to be under the government of reason; by the laws of God they ought to be subject to the rules of religion. Our reason tells us, that the greatest evils are most to be feared; our religion teaches us, that the evils to come are exceedingly greater than any we can feel at present: both reason, therefore, and religion agree to condemn the avoiding lesser evils, by running into greater, which we always so, when out of fear to offend men we presume to sin against God.
IV. GIVE SOME RULES HOW WE MAY CONQUER THIS VICIOUS AND IMMODERATE FEAR OF MAN.
1. We fear men more than God, because the evils threatened by men are apprehended to be nearer than those threatened by God. To weaken the force of this motive to the fear of men, we should consider that this apprehension of ours may be false; for though the sentence of God against evil works is not always executed speedily, yet the judgments of God do sometimes seize upon the sinner, even in the very act of sinning. But allowing them to be as yet far removed, and to advance with the slowest pace, yet the disproportion which they bear to the sorest evils men can inflict, is so great, that if we view them together, the treasures of wrath which are laid up against the day of wrath cannot appear light and inconsiderable, notwithstanding their present distance. But to take away all danger of our being imposed upon by viewing them as far remote, we ought in our thoughts to bring them nearer to us.
2. It will be further expedient for us to strengthen our good resolutions by considering those supports which we may expect from God, if we bravely bear up against those trials by which our virtue is, at any time, assaulted. The same power of God which will be manifested in our punishment, if we give way to the vicious fear of men, will exert itself in our assistance, that we may effectually overcome it. Having, therefore, these threats and promises of the Lord, let us act like men who are endued with reason, and like Christians who are strong in faith. (Bp. Smalridge.)
Foolish and impious fears
I. THE ABSURDITY OF THOSE FEARS. It is a disparagement to us to give way to them. In the original the pronoun is feminine, Who art thou, O woman; unworthy the name of a man, such a weak and womanish thing is it to give way to perplexing fears. It is absurd–
1. To be in such a dread of a dying man.
2. To fear continually every day (Isa 51:13); to put ourselves upon a constant rack, so as never to be easy, nor have any enjoyment of ourselves. Now and then a danger may be imminent and threatening, and it may be prudence to fear it; but to be always in a toss, to tremble at the shaking of every leaf, is to make ourselves all our lifetime subject to bondage, and to bring upon ourselves that sore judgment which is threatened Deu 28:66-67).
3. To fear beyond what there is cause for. Thou art afraid of the fury of the oppressor. It is true there is an oppressor, and he is furious. He designs, it may be, when he has an opportunity, to do thee mischief, and it will be thy wisdom, therefore, to stand upon thy guard; but thou art afraid of him as if he were ready to destroy, as if he were just now going to cut thy throat and there were no possibility of preventing, it. A. timorous spirit is thus apt to make the worst of everything, and sometimes God is pleased presently to show us the folly of it. Where is the fury of the oppressor? It is gone in an instant, and the danger is over ere thou art aware. His heart is turned, or his hands are tied.
II. THE IMPIETY OF THOSE FEARS. Thou forgettest the Lord, thy Maker, etc. Our inordinate fearing of man is an implicit forgetting of God. (M. Henry.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Who art thou? how unreasonable and distrustful art thou, O my church! how unlike to thyself! how unsuitable in these despondencies unto thy own professions and obligations!
Of the son of man which shall be made as grass; of a weak mortal and perishing creature.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
12. comforteth (Isa 51:3;Isa 40:1).
thouZion.
son of manfrail anddying as his parent Adam.
be made as grasswitheras grass (Isa 40:6; Isa 40:7).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I, even I, am he that comforteth you,…. This is an answer to the prayer of the prophet, or the church by him, in which the Lord promises not only assistance and help, but comfort; not only to exert his power and show his great strength by making bare his arm; but to open his heart, unbosom himself, and show his great love and strong affection for them; and so administer divine comforts unto them, giving more than was asked for: and he promises to do it himself, not by his prophets and ministers, word and ordinances, though these are the usual means; but he himself would do it by his Spirit and grace, and the immediate discoveries of his love; and which he repeats, to show the certainty of it, as well as to point out to their view the great Comforter himself; which is an instance of amazing condescension, and could not fail of exciting admiration and thankfulness in them; see 2Co 1:3,
who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die; a poor faint hearted creature indeed, to be afraid of a frail mortal dying man; which is the case of every man, even of the greatest of men, of the kings and princes of the earth, who all die like other men; the most proud and haughty tyrants, the fierce and furious persecutors of the people of God. Perhaps the Roman Pagan persecutors may be had in view, whose edicts were very terrible to the first Christians, whose persecutions were very violent and furious, and the tortures and deaths they put them to were very dreadful; and which put them in great fear though they had no reason to fear them that could destroy the body, and do no more; and the rather, since these were mortal men, and did die, and their persecutions came to an end. Or it may be, the man of sin, the son of perdition, antichrist, is here referred to, who in his time has made all to tremble at him, Re 13:3 but must die, and his power too, and will be destroyed with the breath of Christ’s mouth, and the brightness of his coming; and therefore his church and people have no reason to be afraid of him:
and of the son of man, which shall be made as grass; as weak as that, which cannot stand before the scythe, is cut down, and tossed about, and trampled upon, and made hay of, and becomes the food of beasts,
Ps 90:5. Or the words may be rendered, “and of the son of man, to whom grass shall be given”; r which if understood of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, of whom the people of the Jews were afraid, and who was a type of antichrist, it was literally true of him, Da 4:32.
r “herba dabitur”, Pagninus, Montanus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
In the second half the promise commences again, but with more distinct reference to the oppression of the exiles and the sufferings of Jerusalem. Jehovah Himself begins to speak now, setting His seal upon what is longed and hoped for. “I am your comforter: who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of a mortal who will die, and of a son of man who is made a blade of grass; that thou shouldst forget Jehovah thy Creator, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth; that thou shouldst be afraid continually all the day of the fury of the tormentor, as he aims to destroy? and where is the fury of the tormentor left? He that is bowed down is quickly set loose, and does not die to the grave, and his bread does not fail him; as truly as I Jehovah am thy God, who frighteneth up the sea, so that its waves roar: Jehovah of hosts is His name.” after is an emphatic repetition, and therefore a strengthening of the subject ( ), as above, in Isa 51:10, in . From this major, that Jehovah is the comforter of His church, and by means of a minor, that whoever has Him for a comforter has no need to fear, the conclusion is drawn that the church has no cause to fear. Consequently we cannot adopt Knobel’s explanation, “How small thou art, that thou art afraid.” The meaning is rather, “Is it really the case with thee (i.e., art thou then so small, so forsaken), that thou hast any need to fear” (fut. consec., according to Ges. 129, 1; cf., ki , Exo 3:11; Jdg 9:28)? The attributive sentence tamuth (who will die) brings out the meaning involved in the epithet applied to man, viz., ‘enosh (compare in the Persian myth Gayomard, from the old Persian gaya meretan , mortal life); = (Psa 37:2; Psa 90:5; Psa 103:15; compare above, Isa 40:6-8) is an equation instead of a comparison. In Isa 51:12 the address is thrown into a feminine form, in Isa 51:13 into a masculine one; Zion being the object in the former, and (what is the same thing) Israel in the latter: that thou forgettest thy Creator, who is also the almighty Maker of the universe, and soarest about in constant endless alarm at the wrath of the tormentor, whilst he is aiming to destroy ( pichad , contremiscere , as in Pro 28:14; ka’asher as in Psa 66:7; Num 27:14, lit., according as; konen , viz., his arrows, or even his bow, as in Psa 11:2; Psa 7:13, cf., Isa 21:13). We must not translate this quasi disposuisset , which is opposed to the actual fact, although syntactically possible (Job 10:19; Zec 10:6). The question with which the fear is met, “And where is the fury of the tormentor?” looks into the future: “There is not a trace of him to be seen, he is utterly swept away.” If hammetsq signifies the Chaldean, Isa 51:14, in which the warning passes into a promise, just as in the first half the promise passed into a warning, is not to be understood as referring to oppression by their own countrymen, who were more heathenish than Israelitish in their disposition, as Knobel supposes; but tsoeh (from tsaah , to stoop or bend) is an individualizing description of the exiles, who were in captivity in Babylon, and some of them actually in prison (see Isa 42:7, Isa 42:22). Those who were lying there in fetters, and were therefore obliged to bend, hastened to be loosed, i.e., would speedily be set at liberty (the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus may be referred to here); they would not die and fall into the pit ( constr. praegnans), nor would their bread fail; that is to say, if we regard the two clauses as the dissection of one thought (which is not necessary, however, though Hitzig supports it), “he will not die of starvation.” The pledge of this is to be found in the all-sufficiency of Jehovah, who throws the sea into a state of trembling (even by a threatening word, g e arah ; is the construct of the participle, with the tone upon the last syllable, as in Lev 11:7; Psa 94:9: see Br’s Psalter, p. 132, from raga , tremefacere ), so that its waves roar (cf., Jer 31:35, and the original passage in Job 26:12).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Vs. 12-16: ZION’S CREATOR IS HER CONFORM
1. In the face of life’s perplexities and fears, there is no real comfort apart from the Lord, (vs. 12a; 2Co 1:3-4).
a. Why should one, whose God is the Lord, be afraid of a man who will die – being made as the grass? (vs. 12b; Isa 2:22; Psa 118:6; Psa 65:4; Psa 65:11; Heb 13:6; Isa 40:6-7; 1Pe 1:24).
b. Fear usually comes through forgetfullness of God – the Maker of heaven and earth (vs. 13a; Isa 17:10-11; Deu 6:12; Deu 8:11-20); the availability of His sufficient grace to meet any human need is not called to remembrance, (Isa 7:4; Isa 10:24-27; comp. Isa 43:2-3; 1Co 10:13; 2Co 12:9; Php_4:19).
c. With such a divine Protector there is no reason for fear -even when the oppressor, who seeks our destruction, is the Antichrist himself!
2. The answer to the question: “Where is the fury of the oppressor?” is given in verse 14.
a. He will loose the captive exile speedily, (Isa 48:20; Isa 52:2).
b. The exile will not perish, or go down into the pit, (comp. Isa 38:18).
c. Nor will his bread fail; GOD IS FAITHFUL! (Isa 33:16; Isa 49:10; Rev 7:16).
3. Let Israel remember that Jehovah of Hosts, her God, is able to speak peace to the troubled sea – though its waves roar, (vs. 15; Isa Psa 107:25; Jer 31:35; Mat 8:23-27).
a. Wickedness, lawlessness and rebellion are likened unto a troubled sea when it cannot rest, (Isa 57:20-21).
b. But God is able to give rest to His people in the midst of the flood! (Isa 57:19).
4. The words of verse 16 seem to be addressed to the Servant -both Israel and Christ, (comp. Isa 49:8).
a. The word of God is in His mouth, (Joh 4:34).
b. He is covered in the shadow of God’s hand – a picture of divine protection, (Isa 49:2).
c. Through Him God will establish a new order – planting the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, (Isa 65:17; Isa 66:22).
d. And to Zion, who had been “Lo-Ammi” (not my people, Hos 1:9), He declares: “You are my people!”.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
12. I, I am. Here the Lord not only promises grace and salvation to the Jews, but remonstrates with them for refusing to believe him, and for valuing his power less than they ought. It is exceedingly base to tremble at the threatenings of men to such a degree as to care nothing about God’s assistance; for he displays his power for this purpose, that he may at least fortify; us against every attack. Accordingly, by an excessive fear of men we betray contempt of God.
Hence it is evident how sinful it is to be agitated by the terrors of men, when God calls us to repose. And indeed it is amazing ingratitude in men, who, when they hear that God is on their side, derive no hope from his magnificent promises, so as to venture boldly to exclaim, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31.) The consequence is, that when dangers arise, they are terrified and confounded, and attribute far more to the power of mortal man in attacking than to the power of God in defending. Justly, therefore, does he upbraid the Jews with not fortifying themselves by these promises, and with not rendering themselves invincible against every danger; for God is treated with the highest dishonor when we doubt his truth, that is, when we are so completely overcome by human terrors that we cannot rest on his promises.
The repetition, I, I, is highly emphatic. He who promises consolation is the God of truth, against whom neither the strength nor the contrivances of men will be of any avail. When thou distrustest him, it follows that thou dost not consider who he is.
That thou shoudest be afraid of a man. He describes how frail, fading, transitory: and unsubstantial is the condition of men, in order to exhibit more fully their criminal stupidity in preferring a shadow and smoke to God. He shews that men, so long as they are mindful of God, cannot be struck down by fear. Consequently, when we are stunned by dangers that assail us, it follows that we have forgotten God; and therefore he adds, —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
FEAR OF GOD AND MAN
Isa. 51:12-13. I, even I, am He that comforteth you, &c.
I. THE TWO PARTIES SET OVER AGAINST EACH OTHER, Man that shall die, &c.; and the Lord thy Maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, &c. It is a main object of the Scriptures to set in the most vivid contrast the meanness, emptiness, nothingness of man; and the all-sufficiency, the majesty, and the glory of God (Isa. 51:7-8; Job. 4:13-19; Job. 14:1-2; Psa. 39:5; Isa. 40:6-7; Jas. 4:14). In striking contrast with mans nothingness, the Scriptures set forth the majesty of Gods glory (Gen. 1:1-3; Psa. 113:5-6; 1Ch. 29:11; Job. 38:4-11; Job. 38:16-17; Job. 38:34-35; Psa. 18:6-15). Not even the language of inspiration could measure the boundless interval which lies between finite and infinite, the creature and the Creator, sinful mortals and a holy God.
II. MAN, RATHER THAN GOD, IS PRACTICALLY THE OBJECT OF REVERENCE, RESPECT, AND FEAR. The whole system of society seems founded on the principle that human sanctions are above Divine. To keep society in order, it is necessary, even where the Lord hath spoken with the most awful sanctions He can employ, that the law of the land should interpose with its more effectual and prevailing influence.
Look at some instances in which these two authorities do not act conjointly. Debts to man are paid; what we owe to God gives us little uneasiness, perhaps none. In courts of justice there is watchful vigilance to observe the rules laid down, in every minute punctilio; it is forgotten that the King of kings is present wherever we turn our eyes. The presence of God, though admitted in a way, produces not half the controlling influence that the presence even of the most insignificant of their fellow-mortals would do. It is a shame, says the apostle, even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret; and yet these secrets are all known to God. The eye of God no more interrupts sinful pleasure than does the notice of infancy or the stupid stare of one of the inferior animals. But, speaking generally, the fear of man, or in other words, the law of public opinion, is the great regulator of life. Other passions are submissive to the master-passionthe fear of man. The profane swearer masters his tongue in refined society. The Sabbath is kept out of regard to man. Debts of common honesty are lightly regarded; debts of honour are binding. The case is too clear to need more proofs. Of by far the greater portion of society it may be affirmed, that all their works they do to be seen of men. To an extent, of which they are not themselves aware, the law of opinion, and not the law of God, is their rule of life. The Bible comes to them filtered through mans opinion, only the filtering is not a purifying process.
III. THE EMPHATIC QUESTION, WHO ART THOU?
The inquiry seems to have been first addressed to those whose prevailing fear of man was the result, rather of weakness under trying circumstances, than of carnal blindness and depravity of heart; it seems intended for the encouragement of Gods people when threatened with dangers, and particularly when harassed by the terrors which cruel enemies inspire; I, even I, am He that comforteth you; then come the words before us, followed by the pathetic expressions, And hast feared continually, &c. And where is the fury of the oppressor? As much as to say, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? To such the text brings reassurance and encouragement.
But with far different emphasis does it apply to those who, in the genuine spirit of the world, pay that homage to man which they refuse to God. The tone is that of indignation and surprise, Who art thou? What reasonable intelligence can fear him who can only kill the body, rather than the dread Being who holds the keys of death and hell? It can only be accounted for in one way, viz., that the senses, which can alone take cognizance of God, are closed. But such judicial blindness is no cloak for this sin, since man brings it on himself (Rom. 2:17-21). To us, favoured above Gods ancient people, with what redoubled force does this voice of expostulation speak! Well may God apply to us such affecting words as are contained in Scripture (Isa. 5:4).
CONCLUSION: Who art thou, that worships and serves the creature more than the Creator? Can man arise and save thee in the time of thy trouble? Can the world pluck from memory a rooted sorrow? Can it lighten the darkness of a dying hour? O then, cease from man, whose breath is in his nostrils!H. Woodward, M.A.: Church of England Magazine, vol. xxii. pp. 5661.
The fear spoken of is misplaced fear; hence fear that weakens and leads astray, and makes unfaithful to God, as well as makes the child of God miserable.
I. SOME OF THE CAUSES OF GROUNDLESS AND DISPROPORTIONATE FEAR.
1. Our over-estimating of temporal interests. Even supposing men do their worst, and the furnace of worldly trouble be heated to its utmost, who art thou, whose interests are so high, and wide-spreading, and enduring, that thou shouldest be greatly cast down? Will the wealthy man lose his sleep, and become miserable, because he has lost sixpence in the street? Not if his mind is sound. If he does, he is diseased; and our souls are diseased if our whole horizon is darkened by mere worldly loss and trouble.
2. Our turning of our eyes wholly to the seen, and shutting them to the unseen. God is invisible; man and worldly difficulties are visible, prominent to the eyes of sense. We must walk by faith and not by sight, if we are to walk calmly and nobly. Faith is the evidence of things not seen. If we allow the visible and sensible to tyrannise over us, they will scourge us more cruelly than Egyptian taskmasters did their slaves. Lord, increase our faith, and we shall be able to sing, God is a present help in trouble.
3. Unbelief in Gods fatherly interest in us. Who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man, &c. Thou dost not realise or remember who thou art. A child of God, redeemed by Christ, the very hairs of thy head numbered.
II. SOME THOUGHTS WHICH INSPIRE AND KEEP UP COURAGE.
1. Man and all created powers are weak; God is omnipotent. God stretched forth the foundations, &c. Man is feeble as the grass. Greater is He that is for you than all that can be against you.
2. Man and all created powers are short-lived; God is eternal. Opposed to thee is a man that shall die; on thy side are the everlasting arms. Make the eternal God thy refuge, and thou wilt not fear them that can kill the body, and have nothing more that they can do.
3. The Lord is thy Maker. There is endless hope in that thought. He that has made knows our frame, and will have mercy on the works of His hands.
4. He has intimate individual knowledge of thee and sympathy with thee. The prophet passes from the plural of the context into the singular in the text. Thou, Thy. Our relations with God are individual. He holds each of us by the hand.
5. He values thee far above the material earth and heaven. He that made and maintains them will not forget His child, that can look in His face, and know, and trust, and love Him. Whether would the mother make surest of saving her jewels or her child in a shipwreck? He has proved His incomparable love to thee in Christ.The Homiletical Library, vol. ii. p. 71.
THE MORTALITY AND FRAILTY OF MAN
Isa. 51:12. Man that shall die, and the son of man which shall be made as grass.
David, when musing upon the sublime scenery which the heavens presented, proposed a question of vast importance: What is man? Man is a wonderful being. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. What the psalmist uttered, modern science has more fully established. It is impossible to contemplate this admirable and beautiful temple of the deathless spirit without awakened wonder. It is one of the finest pieces of mechanism which can possibly be contemplated. He is an intelligent being. As such he is natures kingthe worlds monarch. What majestic powers he possesses! (P. D. 2376, 2380, 2381, 2400.) He is a spiritual being. That must be a spiritual being which is conscious that it exists, and yet cannot be divided into parts. Having a spiritual nature, man is capable of constant thought, perpetual improvement in knowledge, of enjoying union with the Deity, a continual increase of happiness, and everlasting life. These give him a superiority over the brute creation, and render him morally responsible for all his ways. He is a guilty and depraved being (Rom. 1:29-31; Rom. 3:12-18). He is also a mortal and a frail being, and these are the facts presented for our consideration in the text.
I. Man is mortal. Man that must die. All meneven the most mightymust soon become the lifeless tenants of the tomb. [1572] For death has entered our world by sin, and all who have ever lived, save Enoch and Elias, have died, or shall die. It matters not, however beautiful or talented, &c., you must die (H. E. I. 1536, 1537; P. D. 677, 751, 752). God hath decreed ithath declared it (Psa. 90:3; Isa. 51:6; Heb. 9:27).
[1572] When the vault containing the remains of the royal Charlemagne was opened by the Emperor Otho, the body was found, not reclining, but seated on a throne, with a crown on his fleshless brow, kingly robes covering his skeleton, a sceptre in his bony hand, a copy of the Gospels on his knee, and a pilgrims pouch fastened to his girdle. What a humiliating picture of human dignity! What an ineffectual attempt to retain the appearance of life, even amidst the horrors of death! That ghastly skeleton, as it fronts you with a mournful grin, teaches the lesson that even kings must die; crowns and sceptres cannot ward off the blow of the destroyer; he enters alike peasant cot and palace hall.
II. Man is frail; he is as grass. [1575] We are as grass
1. In the frailty of our nature. How fragile is the grass! a breath, an atom, a touch, will kill it. So with man. We are not like the cedars of Lebanon, or the oaks of Bashan. Like the springing grass, we shall soon pass away. What is human life? A mere temporary state of existence (Job. 7:1; Psa. 90:10; Psa. 144:4; 1Pe. 1:17). A short and uncertain duration of being (Job. 14:1; Job. 16:22; Jas. 4:14). What is your life?
[1575] P. D. 2383, 2384. The comparison of a human being with grass is very beautiful, and quite common in the Scriptures. The comparison turns on the fact, that the grass, however green or beautiful it may be, soon loses its freshness; is withered; is cut down, and dies (Psa. 103:15-16; Isa. 40:6-8, a passage which is evidently referred to by Peter in his first epistle, Isa. 1:20; Isa. 1:24; Jas. 1:10-11). This sentiment is beautifully imitated by the great dramatist in the speech of Wolsey:
This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth
The tender leaves of hope, to-morrow blossoms,
And bears his blushing honours thick upon him;
The third day comes a frost, a killing frost,
Andwhen he thinks, good easy man, full surely
His greatness is a-ripeningnips his root,
And then he falls.
A flower that does with opening dawn arise,
And flourishing the day, at evening dies;
A winged eastern blast, just skimming oer
The oceans brow, and sinking on the shore;
A fire, whose flames through crackling stubble fly;
A meteor, shooting from the summer sky;
A bowl, adown the bending mountain rolled;
A bubble breakingand a fable told;
A noontide shadow, and a midnight dream;
Are emblems which, semblance apt, proclaim
Our earthly course.Prior.
2. In the uncertainty of our lives. In all seasons the blade dies. Every moment some grass withers. Every second some man dieseither the infant, the youth, or the aged. But we know not the day or the hour.
3. In the unnoticeableness of our dissolution. Unnumbered blades of grass wither and die every day, yet the landscape is as beautiful as ever, for others spring up and take their place. So with man. Multitudes are dying every day, but all goes on as usual. [1578]
[1578] If the death of ordinary individuals be but as the casting of a pebble from the seashore into the ocean, which is neither missed from the one nor sensibly gained by the other, the death of the more extraordinary ones is but as the foundering of a piece of rock into the abyss beneath: it makes at the time a great splash, but the wave it raises soon subsides into a ripple, and the ripple itself soon sinks to a placid level.J. A. James.
CONCLUSION.What effect ought these truths to produce? They should lead,
1. To the diligent improvement of human life. The great business of life is to know and serve God (1Ch. 28:9; 1Co. 6:19-20; 1Ti. 4:8; Php. 3:8; Ecc. 12:13). Can anything be more important, more rational, more excellent? To seek and secure the salvation of your soul. What a work to be accomplished! and all during this short, this uncertain life! Be diligent.
2. To constant readiness for death (H. E. I. 15621566; P. D. 730, 734).Alfred Tucker.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
(12) I, even I.The iterated pronoun emphasises the true grounds of confidence. If God be with us, what matter is it who may be against us? The enemies are mortal and weak; the Protector is the Eternal and the Strong.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
12, 13. Jehovah speaks as if grieved at such fear lest he may not fulfil his promise of restoration to Zion. It is I I that comforteth you. Not unreliable, mortal man, who is going first to the dust, like decaying grass, and every such fragile thing. Note the comparison, if there can be a comparison, between the strong, eternal Jehovah, in the repeated “I,” and man, a weak creature of a day.
Who art thou So easy to forget the mighty eternal Creator, who spread out the heavens and laid earth’s foundations, yet so timid before a weak, temporary oppressor, (the king of Babylon, whom Cyrus overthrew, or others of his like,) perchance, not calling to mind the fate of Pharaoh and all his kind, (of whom not a trace now remains,) in the past emergencies of God’s Israel? The argument is, that such distrust of Jehovah’s unchangeable fidelity to his covenant of promise and protection should shock Israel’s good sense and crimson his cheek. Even dejection through long exile scarcely excuses the lack of trust, especially when Israel is just at the point of the deliverance which has been so positively promised.
Where is the fury of the oppressor That is, what does it amount to in view of the power at hand ready to crush it at the seasonable moment?
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Loosing of the Exiles
v. 12. I, even I, am He that comforteth you, v. 13. and forgettest the Lord, thy Maker, v. 14. The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, v. 15. But I am the Lord, thy God, the gracious Sovereign, that divided the sea, v. 16. And I have put My words in thy mouth, v. 17. Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, v. 18. There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth, v. 19. These two things are come unto thee, v. 20. Thy Sons have fainted, v. 21. Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, v. 22. Thus saith thy Lord, v. 23. but I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Isa 51:12-16. I, even I, am he that comforteth, &c. The apostrophe being finished, wherein the foundation of this consolation was laid; the thread of the discourse is resumed, and the consolation is continued, which seems more properly to belong to the Father in this place than to the Son; and the sum of the discourse is, to fortify the people of God against the fears and dangers threatened by the adversaries of the true religion, and the princes and chief of those adversaries, who endeavoured by every method to draw the confessors of the true religion from the faith, or at least by threats of the most grievous punishments, to draw them to a public denial of their faith. Vitringa renders the 14th verse, The captive exile shall soon be loosed; and he shall not die in the pit, neither shall his bread fail. That is, “When the fury of the oppressor, and the tyrannical persecutions spoken of in the preceding verses, are over, the persecuted and afflicted shall soon enjoy their liberty, and the consequences of it.” The meaning of the next two verses is this: that all the greater commotions which are raised in the world, some of them immediately in opposition to the church of God, and, as it seems, about to overwhelm it, are subject to the Divine Power, and are appeased according to his wisdom and good pleasure: but, in the mean time, he takes, and will always take, such care of his church and its teachers, that, covered by his counsel and providence, they may be preserved to perfect the great work of the new oeconomy, prepared and designed for his glory. I have put my words in thy mouth, Isa 51:16, refers primarily to Christ, and secondly to Christ’s mystical body; and therein to the pastors and teachers. See chap. Isa 59:21. Planting the heavens, and laying the foundations of the earth, refers to the same idea with that in Isa 51:6. The meaning is, perfecting the work of the new oeconomy. See chap. Isa 65:17 Isa 66:22 and Vitringa.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
This is the Lord’s answer, agreeably to that promise, Isa 65:24 . And observe how the Lord proposeth comfort to his people, even in himself. As if the Lord had said, “The deliverance at the Red Sea was great; but let your joy for that deliverance be in me, the giver.” Redemption is blessed, but the Author of it is more so. The Lord is the only comfort, and the comforter of his people; and how childish is it to fear man, while the Lord is our refuge! The child-like fear of the Lord will drive out all fear of men or devils; just as the fire of the sun will extinguish the fire of the hearth. Oh! for a knowledge of this, in all the circumstances of life! 2Co 1:3 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 51:12 I, [even] I, [am] he that comforteth you: who [art] thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man [that] shall die, and of the son of man [which] shall be made [as] grass;
Ver. 12. I, even I, am he that comforteth you. ] This is certainly an answer to that supplication, Isa 51:10 and it comprehendeth a reprehension and an expostulation about their pusillanimity, which was more than womanly. Therefore it followeth,
Who art thou?
That thou shouldest be afraid of a man?
a At, not Atta.
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Isa 51:12-13
12I, even I, am He who comforts you.
Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies
And of the son of man who is made like grass,
13That you have forgotten the LORD your Maker,
Who stretched out the heavens
And laid the foundations of the earth,
That you fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor,
As he makes ready to destroy?
But where is the fury of the oppressor?
Isa 51:12 man. . .the son of man This is an Hebraic way of referring to a human being (cf. Psa 8:4; Eze 2:1). It became a later title for Jesus because it affirmed His humanity and because of Dan 7:13, His Deity.
SPECIAL TOPIC: THE SON OF MAN
who dies. . .like grass The parallelism emphasizes the frailty and limited life of humans (cf. Isa 40:6-7; Job 14:1-2; Psa 90:5-6; Psa 103:15; 1Pe 1:24). This context, like 1Pe 1:24-25, contrasts the power and eternality of God with that of His creation (i.e., YHWH as creator in Isa 51:13).
Isa 51:13 This may be a veiled allusion to the idolatry of God’s people in worshiping Ba’al as creator, giver of life and fertility instead of YHWH. Their idolatry is what caused their exile and the actions of the oppressor which God allowed.
man. Hebrew. ‘adam. App-14.
Isa 51:12-16
Isa 51:12-16
“I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou art afraid of man that shall die, and of the son of man that shall be made as grass; and hast forgotten Jehovah thy Maker, that stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and learest continually all the day because of the fury of the oppressor, when he maketh ready to destroy? The captive exile shall be speedily loosed; and he shall not die and go down into the pit, neither shall his bread fail. For I am Jehovah thy God, who stirreth up the sea, so that the waves thereof roar: Jehovah of hosts is his name. And I have put my words in thy mouth, and have covered thee in the shadow of my hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.”
Here we have the Lord’s reply to previous petitions in the passage; and it is presented with the utmost tenderness. The double use of the first person pronoun “has the effect of drawing Israel’s attention away from the momentary threat posed by her oppressors and focusing it upon him and the salvation which he is so generously providing for his people.
The unbelievers among Israel especially needed this warning to the effect that men are like grass, doomed to perish after a brief life on earth; however, God promised them that they would be protected against death, failure, and hunger, and that they would surely be freed from their captivity. This should not be understood as promising that none of them would die in captivity, for many did die in Babylon. What was meant is that death, failure, hunger, nor anything else, would be able to thwart God’s purpose of delivering them from bondage.
“Thou hast forgotten Jehovah thy Maker …” (Isa 51:13). “It is not so much apostasy as want of a practical faith with which captive Israel is here reproached, according to Rawlinson; but this was true only of the “righteous remnant,” not of the thousands who would never leave Babylon.
The Hebrew in Isa 51:14 allows the rendition: “He marches on with speed, who cometh to set free the captive. Therefore the promise that “thou shalt not die” means that the delivery shall occur in the lifetime of the nation. This, of course, has a double application: (1) to Cyrus as the deliverer from Babylon, and (2) to Messiah in the spiritual sense.
“I have put my words in his mouth …” (Isa 51:16). This is the same message as that given above in Isa 49:2, the strict application of it being to the Ideal Servant only. Of all the prophets who ever came to mankind, only Jesus Christ delivered God’s Word exclusively to men. The Old Israel was the type of the True Israel; and it was the case with them that, “It was as a bearer of God’s Words (in the Old Testament) that Israel chiefly fulfilled her mission.
“I have covered thee in the shadow of my hand …” (Isa 51:16 b). This also corresponds to Isa 49:2, “He hath hid me, etc.” This prophecy was fulfilled when Jehovah hid the infant Messiah from the wrath of Herod, and brought him up in the isolated and despised village of Nazareth, in a carpenter’s shop.
Isa 51:12-16 PROMISE: Jehovah answers the plea of Isaiah and the remnant by affirming that He is indeed that same Jehovah who kept His covenant with Israel and delivered them from Egypt. The I, even I . . . appears to be a retort in irony to awake, awake. Jehovah is who He is and will always be the same. What the remnant needs is to find its own identity. And that is the interesting thing here; the remnants identity is to be found in who Jehovah is! In other words, if Jehovah is always the same, then who are those who believe and trust in Him? They are those who need not fear mortal men. The same truth is relevant for today. Men and women can only find their true identity in relationship to their commitment to God. If they trust Him and follow Him, they are invincible; He will save them from all that threatens. If they do not trust Him and do not follow Him they will be lost. The fundamental identification of man is his savedness or his lostness! That is who he is! When man forgets his Maker-when man forgets that he is creature and Jehovah is Creator-he is a slave to fear and falsehood. When man forgets his Creator his whole perspective is warped. Anyone who searches for self-identity without first knowing who God is (and all that such knowledge of Him implies) searches in vain! If the remnant of Isaiahs day remembers its Maker, it will be freed from fear of its enemies.
The Hebrew word tzoeh means to bend down; to stoop as though burdened down and is translated he who is bowed down in the RSV. It is predicting the circumstances of the Babylonian exiles being bowed down in chains or in prisons. Zion (the remnant of believers; disciples of Isaiah) may have to go into captivity but she shall speedily be released (70 years). Most assuredly, Jehovah does not intend Zions ultimate destiny to be imprisonment, starvation and death! She will suffer chastening but Jehovah will work through her to create a new Zion.
The final word of Jehovah (Isa 51:16) is manifestly addressed to the Servant because it shall be particularly through the Servant that Jehovah creates the new, ultimate Zion (cf. Heb 12:22). Jehovah reaffirms His promise (cf. Isa 50:4-11) that the Servant will be sent with the incarnate word of the Lord (my words in thy mouth). The special, intimate, divine companionship to the Servant is also reiterated (covered thee in the shadow of my hand). Jehovah will plant and lay the foundations and say unto Zion. Thou art my people. Some commentators think this refers to the creation of a new heavens and earth, or a new cosmos, after the present one is destroyed by fire (as per 2 Peter 3, etc.). That may be the ultimate outcome of the new creation ushered in by the Messiah at His first coming, but we believe Isaiah is not really focusing on the end of the messianic age but on the beginning of it. The messianic age is often pictured as a new creation of Zion (cf. Isa 66:22-24; 2Co 5:16-21, etc.). The Zion of the N.T. was created after the removal of what is shaken (Heb 12:25-29). The old creation (Judaism) was shaken down and the new creation (Christianity) remains and cannot be shaken. The abrogation of the old dispensation and the creation of a new dispensation (especially a dispensation which would include Gentiles in Gods covenant) would not be possible in Jewish thinking without a whole new creation (new heavens and earth)! The prophet figuratively accommodates his language to the Jewish thought-pattern. Of course, God did not intend to create a new physical heaven and earth when He sent the Servant on His first advent. And this is one of the major causes of Jewish rejection of the Messiah! They could not adjust their thought-patterns to the reality of the revelation that Jesus was the Christ and that He came to form a spiritual kingdom in this present earth and not to form a political kingdom in a rejuvenated physical earth! Certainly, God will one day destroy this present cosmos and create a new one. But mankind must be reborn and accept citizenship in a newly created Zion before he is ready for the new cosmos. The Jew, as well as the Gentile, must become a new creature first. Toward this first goal the prophets primarily pointed! Thou art my people is definitely a messianic term (cf. Hos 1:10-11; Hos 2:16-23; Rom 9:23-33; 1Pe 2:9-10).
In the light of so much contemporary emphasis on personal subjectivism and feeling as criteria for proper relationship to God, it is important to notice in this chapter thus far the criterion for proper relationship to God is the objective revelation of His nature. Mans relationship to God is properly built on who God is-not on how man feels. And God has objectively demonstrated-in historical deeds-that He is absolutely powerful and absolutely faithful. Isaiahs contemporaries are exhorted to look back at what Jehovah has done; look now at what He is doing; and look forward to what He promises to do. They are never asked, what do you think He ought to do, or, What is He doing to your feelings!
The Captive Exile Shall Be Loosed
Isa 51:12-23
During the Sepoy mutiny in India, when a number of English men and women were shut up in a quarter of Cawnpore, expecting a terrible death by assault or slow starvation, a torn page of the Bible, containing this passage, was found on the street pavement and was of unspeakable comfort. Oh, the blessedness of appropriating Isa 51:16! See Isa 49:7.
We are too apt to forget that God pleads the cause of His people, even when they have sinned and have reduced themselves to sore straits, Isa 51:17 and Isa 51:22. We think more of the earth than of the over-arching skies; of the fading grass than of the tree of Life; of man than of God. The near obscures the distant, and the flaring earth lights, the shine of the stars! Root yourself in God! Think of Him who sits at the right hand of the throne, the seat of resistless, ceaseless energy! Believe that God has placed Himself between you and all enemies and circumstances which threaten. To fear all day is impossible in face of these paragraphs.
am he: Isa 51:3, Isa 43:25, Isa 57:15-18, Isa 66:13, Joh 14:18, Joh 14:26, Joh 14:27, Act 9:31, 2Co 1:3-5, 2Co 7:5, 2Co 7:6
that thou: Isa 51:7, Isa 51:8, Isa 2:22, Psa 118:6, Psa 146:4, Pro 29:26, Dan 3:16-18, Mat 10:28, Luk 12:4, Luk 12:5
man which: Isa 40:6, Psa 90:5, Psa 90:6, Psa 92:7, Psa 103:15, Psa 103:16, Jam 1:10, Jam 1:11, 1Pe 1:24
Reciprocal: Gen 6:17 – behold Gen 15:1 – Fear Gen 26:24 – fear Exo 14:10 – sore afraid Exo 14:17 – behold Num 18:6 – And I Deu 31:6 – fear not Jos 17:18 – for thou shalt 1Sa 15:24 – I feared 1Sa 17:11 – dismayed 1Sa 27:1 – And David 1Ki 18:2 – went to show 1Ki 19:3 – he arose 2Ki 1:15 – be not afraid of him 2Ki 19:6 – Be not afraid Neh 4:14 – remember Neh 6:13 – that I should Psa 8:4 – son Psa 56:11 – I will not Psa 72:4 – the oppressor Isa 7:4 – fear not Isa 8:12 – A confederacy Isa 26:14 – dead Isa 37:6 – Be not Isa 40:1 – comfort Isa 40:9 – be not Isa 41:10 – Fear Isa 57:11 – of whom Jer 1:8 – not afraid Jer 23:39 – even I Jer 38:19 – I Jer 41:18 – for they Eze 2:6 – be not Eze 32:23 – which Eze 34:11 – I Dan 3:18 – be it Mic 2:13 – their Zec 1:17 – the Lord shall Mat 2:19 – Herod Mat 5:4 – General Mat 10:26 – Fear Mat 14:27 – it Luk 21:9 – when Joh 9:22 – because Joh 16:22 – and your Joh 19:13 – heard Act 4:24 – Lord 2Co 1:4 – comforteth Phi 1:28 – in 2Th 2:17 – Comfort Heb 2:6 – the son Heb 6:18 – we might Heb 11:23 – and they 1Pe 3:14 – and be 1Pe 4:19 – a faithful Rev 21:8 – the fearful
Isa 51:12-13. I, even I, am he that comforteth you They prayed, says Henry, for the operations of his power: he answers them with the consolations of his grace; which may well be accepted as an equivalent. I, even I, he says, will do it: he had ordered his ministers to do it, chap. 40:1; but, because they cannot reach the heart, he takes the work into his own hands; he will do it himself. And those whom he comforts, are comforted indeed. Who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid, &c. How unreasonable and distrustful art thou, O my church, how unlike to thyself! How unsuitable are these despondences to thy professions and obligations! Afraid of a man that shall die, &c. Of a weak, mortal, and perishing creature. And forgettest the Lord thy Maker Dost not consider the infinite power of that God who made thee, and who will plead thy cause; that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth And therefore hath all the hosts and all the powers of both at his command and disposal. And hast feared continually every day Hast been in a state of continual alarm and disquietude; because of the fury of the oppressor It is true there is an oppressor, and he is furious, designing, it may be, to do thee a mischief, and therefore it will be thy wisdom to be on thy guard against him: but thou art afraid of him, as if he were ready to destroy As if it were in his power to destroy thee in a moment, and he were just now going to effect his purpose, and there were no possibility of preventing it. And where is the fury of the oppressor? What is become of the power and rage of the Babylonians? Are they not vanished away? Are they not broken, and thou delivered? He speaks of the thing as already done, because it should certainly and suddenly be done.
Isa 51:12-16. Israel, Trusting in Yahweh, Need Have no Fear. Since it is I, Yahweh, who am comforting thee, how canst thou fear mortal man, and how forget that Yahweh is the omnipotent Creator, so that thou art ever in fear of the (Chaldean) oppressor? The crouching (prisoner?) shall soon be freed: he shall not perish. I am Yahweh, controller of the ocean. My spokesman have I made thee, and jealously have I guarded thee that I may stretch out (Syr.) the (new?) heavens and establish the (new?) earth, calling Zion My people. (??).
Isa 51:12. who art thou, that: Heb. idiom for how canst thou?
The Lord described Himself again as the only true, self-existent God. Such a one as He would indeed comfort His people (cf. Isa 40:1). Who were the Israelites that they should fear the Babylonians, or any other human enemy? They were only mortals. The immortal God would defend them.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)