Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 51:13
And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where [is] the fury of the oppressor?
13. And forgettest the Lord ] Not in the sense of apostatising from Him (as ch. Isa 17:10 and often), but of failing to realise His omnipotence as the Creator of all things (see ch. Isa 49:14).
that hath stretched forth the heavens &c. ] Cf. Isa 40:22, Isa 42:5, Isa 44:24, Isa 45:12.
and hast feared day ] Better as R.V. and fearest continually all the day. The oppressor is of course the Chaldan Empire (see ch. Isa 47:6), a proof that this part of the book was not written after the fall of Babylon.
as if he were ready to destroy ] R.V. when he maketh ready to destroy; lit. “aims (his arrow) to destroy,” the verb being used technically of an archer directing his arrow; so Psa 21:13, cf. Psa 7:13; Psa 11:2.
and where is the fury of the oppressor? ] Cf. ch. Isa 33:18. The question gives a weak ending to the verse, and indeed both in this clause and the preceding the soundness of the text is doubtful.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And forgettest the Lord thy Maker – These verses are designed to rebuke that state of the mind – alas! too common, even among the people of God – where they are intimidated by the number and strength of their foes, and forget their dependence on God, and his promises of aid. In such circumstances God reproves them for their want of confidence in him, and calls on them to remember that he has made the heavens, and has all power to save them.
That hath stretched forth the heavens – (See the notes at Isa 40:12, Isa 40:26).
And hast feared continually every day – They had continually feared and trembled before their oppressors.
Because of the fury of the oppressor – Those who had oppressed them in Babylon.
As if he were ready to destroy – Margin, Made himself ready, The idea is, that he was preparing to destroy the people – perhaps as a marksman is making ready his bow and arrows. The oppressor had been preparing to crush them in the dust, and they trembled, and did not remember that God was abundantly able to protect them.
And where is the fury of the oppressor? – What is there to dread? The idea is, that the enemies of the Jews would be cut off, and that they should therefore put their confidence in God, and rely on his promised aid.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Isa 51:13
And forgettest the Lord thy Maker
God the Creator
What is it to create the heavens and the earth?
Who has seen the process of creation? I see a man shape a piece of iron or of wood into a useful instrument, and the process seems simple enough. But here I see the hand that works and the material on which it works. But that is not creation–creation out of nothing. I see no hand shaping the trees and hills; I never see something rising out of nothing. I can watch the growth of a flower, as I can the building of a house. And I know that in the former case, as in the latter, there is some force in activity. But force is not God. Behind that force God is still hidden, and the mysterious question remains, Who is He! More mysterious still when I have to reflect that millions of flowers an the world over are being formed, and that a similar force is in operation through all the worlds of boundless space. And everywhere behind this force God is. God is my Maker too. I eat and drink, I live and grow, and feel the energy of life. And that, too, is God. So near to me–so immeasurably distant; and yet nowhere visible. How, then, shall I think of Him, and answer to my heart the question, Who is God? (S. Edger, B.A.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 13. Of the oppressor, as if he, c.] “The caph in keasher seems clearly to have changed its situation from the end of the preceding word to the beginning of this or rather, to have been omitted by mistake there, because it was here. That it was there the Septuagint show by rendering hammetsikech , of him that oppressed thee. And so they render this word in both its places in this verse. The Vulgate also has the pronoun in the first instance; furoris ejus qui te tribulabat.” Dr. Jubb. The correction seems well founded; I have not conformed the translation to it, because it makes little difference in the sense.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And forgettest the Lord thy Maker; and dost not consider the infinite power of that God who made thee, and who will plead thy cause.
As if he were ready to destroy; as if it were in his power to destroy thee in a moment.
Where is the fury of the oppressor? what is become of the power and rage of the Babylonians? Is it not all gone? Are not they broken, and thou delivered? He speaks of the thing as if it were already done, because it should certainly and suddenly be done. Where is it? It is no where, it is quite lost and gone, as this phrase is frequently used, as Psa 42:3; Zec 1:5; 1Co 15:55.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. (Isa 40:12;Isa 40:26; Isa 40:28),the same argument of comfort drawn from the omnipotence of theCreator.
as if . . . ready,c.literally, “when he directs,” namely, his arrow, todestroy (Psa 21:12 Psa 7:13;Psa 11:2) [MAURER].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And forgettest the Lord thy Maker,…. That he is thy Maker, and therefore is able to protect and preserve thee; when the fear of man prevails God is forgotten, his power, his providence, his promises, and past instances of divine favour and goodness; were these more frequently recollected, considered, and thought of, they would prove an antidote against the fear of men; and especially when it is observed, that he that is our Maker is he
that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; these are amazing works of his hands; and what is it that he cannot do that has made these? these he upholds and maintains in being, and does all things in them as he pleases, and overrules all for his own glory and his people’s good, and therefore they have nothing to fear from men; and yet they are afraid of them, such is their distrust and unbelief:
and hast feared continually every day; not only at some certain times, when the enemy has appeared very formidable, and threatened with destruction, or some terrible rumour has been spread, but every day, every hour, and every moment; and to be always in a panic must be very uncomfortable living, as well as very dishonourable:
because of the fury of the oppressor; either the king of Babylon, or antichrist:
as if he were ready to destroy: had drawn his sword, and just going to give the fatal blow:
and where, or “but where”, is the fury of the oppressor? where’s the fury of Pharaoh, that great oppressor of God’s Israel formerly? it is gone and vanished like smoke: where’s the fury of Sennacherib king of Assyria, and his army, that threatened Jerusalem with ruin? it was over in a short time, in one night the whole host, or the greater part of it, were destroyed by an angel: and where is, or will be, the fury of the king of Babylon? it will not last always; nor the fury of the antichristian oppressor.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
13. And hast forgotten Jehovah thy Maker. It is not enough to imagine that there is some God, but we ought to acknowledge and embrace him as ours. When he calls him “Maker,” this must not be understood to refer to universal creation, but to spiritual regeneration, as we have already explained under other passages. In this sense Paul calls us ( τὸ ποίημα) “the workmanship of God,” (Eph 2:10,) because he hath created us to every good work. Thus, if we remember our creation and adoption, these beginnings may encourage us to hope for continued progress, that we may not be ungrateful to God, when he has proved his veracity by undoubted experience.
Who hath stretched out the heavens and founded the earth. To the special kindness which God had exercised towards his people he likewise adds his boundless power which he contrasts with the weakness of men, whom he formerly compared to withered grass. (Isa 40:7.) He demonstrates that power by his works, so that they who do not perceive it must be exceedingly stupid; for we cannot tum our eyes in any direction without perceiving very abundant testimonies of divine goodness and power, which, however, are briefly described by a figure of speech in which a part is taken for the whole, when he says that it is “He who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth.” It is therefore the greatest folly and indolence to forget him, for so numerous are the signs and testimonies which recall him to the remembrance of men.
And hast dreaded continually. He follows out the same comparison. “What are men,” says he, “that thou shouldst dread them, if thou compare them to God, who promises thee his assistance?” Assuredly, God is grievously blasphemed, if we refuse to believe that he is more powerful to preserve than enemies are to destroy us; and therefore the Lord bids us consider who and what he is, how vast and extensive is his power, that we may not dread the fury of a mortal man, who vanishes like a whirlwind or like smoke.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(13) As if he were ready.Better, as he makes him ready to destroy. The Authorised version unduly minimises the amount of danger. In the case contemplated by the prophet, the oppressor was the Babylonian monarchy, which he sees as already belonging to the past; but the words have, of course, a far wider application.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 51:13 And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where [is] the fury of the oppressor?
Ver. 13. And forgettest the Lord thy maker. ] Thou considerest not wisely (1.) How fearfully and wonderfully thou art made; (2.) What a mighty power God put forth in the creation of the whole world; all which he will rather unmake again than thou shalt want seasonable help.
And hast feared continually every day.
And where is the fury of the oppressor?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
stretched forth the heavens. Reference to Pentateuch (Gen 1 and Gen 2).
as if he were. A special reading called Sevir (App-34), with some codices, two early printed editions, and Syriac, read “who was”: referring doubtless to the Antichrist’s effort in “the great tribulation”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
forgettest: Isa 17:10, Deu 32:18, Jer 2:32
that hath: Isa 40:22, Isa 42:5, Isa 44:24, Isa 45:12, Job 9:8, Job 37:18, Psa 102:25, Psa 102:26, Psa 104:2, Jer 10:11, Jer 10:12, Jer 51:15, Heb 1:9-12
feared: Isa 8:12, Isa 8:13, Isa 57:11, Heb 11:15
were ready: or, made himself ready, Isa 10:29-32, Exo 14:10-13, Exo 15:9, Exo 15:10, Est 5:14, Dan 3:15, Dan 3:19, Rev 20:9
where is: Isa 10:33, Isa 10:34, Isa 14:16, Isa 14:17, Isa 16:4, Isa 33:18, Isa 33:19, Isa 37:36-38, Exo 14:13, Est 7:10, Job 20:5-9, Psa 9:6, Psa 9:7, Psa 37:35, Psa 37:36, Psa 76:10, Dan 4:32, Dan 4:33, Mat 2:16-20, Act 12:23, 1Co 1:20, 1Co 15:55, Rev 19:20
Reciprocal: Gen 1:1 – God Exo 14:29 – walked Jos 17:18 – for thou shalt 1Sa 15:24 – I feared 1Sa 17:11 – dismayed 1Ki 19:3 – he arose 2Ki 19:6 – Be not afraid Neh 4:14 – remember Neh 6:13 – that I should Job 8:13 – that forget God Job 35:10 – Where Psa 50:22 – forget Psa 56:11 – I will not Psa 72:4 – the oppressor Isa 7:4 – fear not Isa 26:14 – dead Isa 29:20 – the terrible Isa 37:6 – Be not Isa 41:10 – Fear Isa 48:2 – The Lord Isa 49:17 – thy destroyers Isa 54:14 – thou shalt be Jer 27:5 – made Jer 38:19 – I Jer 41:18 – for they Eze 32:23 – which Dan 3:18 – be it Zec 12:1 – which Mat 10:26 – Fear Luk 21:9 – when Joh 19:13 – heard 1Th 4:9 – for ye Heb 1:10 – hast 1Pe 4:19 – a faithful
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
The Israelites had forgotten the type of person Yahweh-their Maker, the Creator-was, or they would not have been afraid.
". . . to live in fear of humans is to have effectively forgotten God. . . . It is easy to say certain theologically correct things, such as that he is both the world’s and our maker, that he is the one who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth, while giving the lie to those fine words by our continually living as though he can do nothing to prevent humans from doing ultimate harm to us [cf. Rom 8:39]. . . . Yes, oppressors may hurt us, even kill us, but they do not have the power to make us fear them or hate them." [Note: Oswalt, The Book . . . 40-66, p. 346.]