Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 44:2

"Thus saith Jehovah that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, who will help thee: Fear not, O Jacob my servant; and thou, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen." — Isaiah 44:2 (ASV)

Thus says the Lord that made you - (See the note at Isaiah 43:1).

And formed you from the womb - This is equivalent to the declaration that he was their Maker, or Creator. It means that from the very beginning of their history as a people, he had formed and molded all their institutions, and directed all things concerning them—just as he is the former of the body from the commencement of its existence.

It may be observed that the words ‘from the womb’ are joined by some interpreters with the phrase ‘that formed you,’ meaning that he had been the originator of all their customs, privileges, and laws from the beginning of their history. Others join it with the phrase ‘will help you,’ meaning that from the commencement of their existence as a nation, he had been their helper. According to the Masoretic marks of distinction, the former is the true sense.

So the Septuagint, Aben Ezra, Kimchi, Lowth, etc.; but Jerome, Luther, and some others prefer the latter mode.

Fear not - (See the note at Isaiah 41:10). Though you have sinned as a people (Isaiah 43:23–24; Isaiah 43:27), and though all these heavy judgments have come upon you (Isaiah 43:28), yet you have no reason to fear that God will finally abandon and destroy you.

And you Jeshurun - (וישׁרוּן vayeshurun). This word occurs only four times in the Bible as a poetical name for the people of Israel, apparently expressing affection and tenderness (Deuteronomy 32:15; Deuteronomy 33:5, 33:26; and in this place). Gesenius says (Commentary in loc.) that it is ‘a flattering appellation (schmeichelwort) for Israel,’ and is probably a diminutive from ישׁור yāshûr = ישׁר yāshâr—the passive form in an intransitive verb with an active signification. He adds that the ending ון ôn is terminatio charitiva—a termination indicating affection or kindness.

In his Lexicon, he observes, however (as translated by Robinson), that ‘it seems not improbable that it was a diminutive form of the name ישׂראל yı̂s'râ'ēl—which was current in common life for the fuller form ישׂיאלוּן yı̂s'râ'ēlûn—a title of affection for Israel, but, like other common words of this sort, contracted, and more freely inflected, so as at the same time to imply an allusion to the signification of right or uprightness, contained in the root ישׁר yâshar.’

Jerome renders it Rectissime—‘Most upright.’ The Septuagint renders it Ἠγαπημένος Ἰσραήλ Ēgapēmenos Israēl—‘Beloved Israel.’ The Syriac renders it ‘Israel,’ as does the Chaldee. It is, doubtless, a title of affection and probably includes the notion of uprightness or integrity.