The Prophets · Old Testament
Isaiah 43
Isaiah 43: fear not, I have redeemed thee; ye are my witnesses
General context
The Lord who created Jacob and formed Israel says fear not: he has redeemed them and called them by name; they are his. Through waters and fire they will not be overflowed or burned; he is their Saviour, who gave Egypt, Ethiopia and Seba as their ransom. Because they are precious and loved, he will give men and people for their life; he will bring their seed from the east and gather them from the west, telling the north to give up and the south to keep not back his sons and daughters. The blind with eyes and the deaf with ears are brought out; the nations are gathered and asked who can declare former things or bring witnesses. The Lord says, ye are my witnesses, and my servant whom I have chosen, that they may know no God was formed before him and there is no saviour beside him. For their sake he has sent to Babylon and brought down its nobles and the Chaldeans. The Lord who made a way in the sea and laid chariot and horse down extinct says: remember not the former things, for I will do a new thing, a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert; the dragons and owls will honour him for the waters, and the people he formed will show forth his praise. But Jacob has not called on him and Israel has been weary of him; they brought no offerings, he did not weary them with incense, yet they made him serve with their sins. He, even he, blots out their transgressions for his own sake, and invites them to plead together; their first father sinned and their teachers transgressed, so he has profaned the princes of the sanctuary and given Jacob to the curse and Israel to reproaches.
Cited passages: Isaiah 43:1, Isaiah 43:2, Isaiah 43:3, Isaiah 43:4, Isaiah 43:5, Isaiah 43:6, Isaiah 43:7, Isaiah 43:8, Isaiah 43:9, Isaiah 43:10, Isaiah 43:11, Isaiah 43:13, Isaiah 43:14, Isaiah 43:16, Isaiah 43:17, Isaiah 43:18, Isaiah 43:19, Isaiah 43:20, Isaiah 43:21, Isaiah 43:22, Isaiah 43:23, Isaiah 43:24, Isaiah 43:25, Isaiah 43:26, Isaiah 43:27, Isaiah 43:28
Isaiah 43 (KJV)
1But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
2When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
3For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
4Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.
5Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
6I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
7Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
8Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
9Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.
10Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
11I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.
12I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.
13Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?
14Thus saith the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships.
15I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.
16Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;
17Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.
18Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
19Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
20The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.
21This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.
22But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.
23Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense.
24Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.
25I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
26Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.
27Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me.
28Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.
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Historical context
The addressee is named as Jacob and Israel throughout. Verse 10 sets ye are my witnesses beside my servant whom I have chosen in one sentence; the text does not spell out whether the servant is the same as the plural witnesses, though 41:8 and 44:1 name Jacob and Israel as the servant. Egypt, Ethiopia and Seba are named as a ransom given for Israel, and the Lord says that for your sake he has sent to Babylon and brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans; the text does not narrate any event behind either statement. Verses 16 and 17, a way in the sea and chariot and horse lying down, describe the Lord by past acts without naming the sea or the army. Thy first father in verse 27 is not named, and the teachers who transgressed are not identified. The princes of the sanctuary who are profaned are not named, and the chapter does not say when Jacob was given to the curse. Apart from the thus saith the Lord formulas in verses 1, 14 and 16, the chapter is the Lord's speech in the first person; it gives no date and names no human king. The complaint that Israel has not called on him is stated with the Lord's own claim that he did not weary them with offerings, so the chapter states both that Israel brought no offerings and that the Lord did not lay offerings on them as a burden. The opening but now and fear not answer the fire and spoil that closed chapter 42.
Cited passages: Isaiah 43:1, Isaiah 43:10, Isaiah 41:8, Isaiah 44:1, Isaiah 43:3, Isaiah 43:14, Isaiah 43:16, Isaiah 43:27, Isaiah 43:28, Isaiah 43:23, Isaiah 42:25
Literary context
The chapter is built on the phrase I am, and on Israel's name. Fear not is said twice, in verses 1 and 5, each time followed by for and a reason: I have redeemed thee, I am with thee. Water and fire in verse 2 are dangers passed through; water in verse 19 and 20 is a gift in the desert, so the same element is threat and then provision. The trial scene of chapter 41 returns in verse 9, with the nations gathered and asked for witnesses, and Israel is appointed the Lord's witness. The Lord's self-statements accumulate: I am he, before me there was no God formed, beside me there is no saviour, I, even I. The command to forget the former things stands next to a description of the Lord by his former acts in the sea, so the new thing is announced by one who has done such things before. Verse 22 turns with but thou, and verses 23 and 24 play on the word serve: the Lord has not made Israel serve with offerings, but Israel has made the Lord serve with its sins. The blotting out of sins in verse 25 is for mine own sake, not for any offering, and it stands between the complaint and the sentence. The chapter ends on curse and reproaches, and 44:1 immediately says yet now hear, O Jacob my servant.
Cited passages: Isaiah 43:1, Isaiah 43:5, Isaiah 43:2, Isaiah 43:19, Isaiah 43:9, Isaiah 43:12, Isaiah 43:13, Isaiah 43:11, Isaiah 43:18, Isaiah 43:17, Isaiah 43:22, Isaiah 43:24, Isaiah 43:25, Isaiah 44:1
Key moments
- Called by name (Isaiah 43:1). The Lord who formed Israel says fear not, I have redeemed thee, thou art mine.
- Through water and fire (Isaiah 43:2). Rivers will not overflow and flame will not kindle on the people the Lord is with.
- Gathered from the four directions (Isaiah 43:6). The Lord commands north and south to give up his sons and daughters.
- Ye are my witnesses (Isaiah 43:10). Israel is appointed witness, beside the servant the Lord has chosen, so they may know there is no God beside him.
- A new thing (Isaiah 43:19). The Lord promises a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
- Weary of me (Isaiah 43:22). The Lord says Jacob has not called on him and Israel has been weary of him.
- Sins blotted out for his own sake (Isaiah 43:25). The Lord says he blots out transgressions and will not remember sins.
For reflection
The Lord tells Israel to remember not the former things, then reminds them that he made a way in the sea. What does the text suggest about the difference between forgetting the past and being told a new thing by the one who did it?
