Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 45:20

"Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that carry the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save." — Isaiah 45:20 (ASV)

Assemble yourselves, and come - This, like the passage in Isaiah 41:1 and following, is a solemn appeal to the worshippers of idols to come and produce evidence that they are endowed with omniscience and almighty power, and that they have claims to the homage of their worshippers.

Ye that are escaped of the nations - This phrase has been interpreted in many different ways. Kimchi supposes that it means those who were distinguished among the nations, their chiefs, and rulers. Aben Ezra suggests that the Babylonians are especially meant. Vitringa proposes that the phrase denotes proselytes, as those who have escaped from pagan idolatry and have embraced the true religion. Grotius believes it denotes those who survived the slaughter that Cyrus inflicted on the nations. Rosenmuller agrees with Vitringa.

The word used here (פליט (pâlı̂yṭ)) properly denotes one who has escaped by flight from battle, danger, or slaughter (Genesis 14:13; Joshua 8:32). It is not used anywhere in the sense of a proselyte. Therefore, I think the idea here is that those who escaped from the slaughter Cyrus would bring on the nations were invited to come and declare what benefit they had derived from trusting in idol-gods.

In Isaiah 45:16, God had said that all who thus put their trust in idols should be ashamed and confounded; and He here calls on them as living witnesses that this was so. Those who had put their confidence in idols, and who had seen Cyrus extend his conquests over nations despite their vain confidence, could now testify that no reliance was to be placed on them, and could be adduced as witnesses to show the importance of putting their trust in Yahweh.

That set up the wood - The word ‘wood’ is used here to show the folly of worshipping an image made this way, and to show how utterly unable it was to save.