Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 48

Hear you this - This is an address to the Jews, regarded as being in Babylon, and is designed to remind them of their origin and their privileges as the descendants of Jacob and as having the name of Israel (Compare to the notes at Isaiah 43:1).

And have come forth out of the waters of Judah - This metaphor is taken from a fountain that sends forth its streams of water, and the idea is that they owed their origin to Judah, just as streams flow from a fountain. A similar figure is used by Balaam in describing the vast increase of the Jews: He shall pour the waters out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters. (Numbers 34:0). So in Deuteronomy 33:28: The fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine. So Psalm 68:26 says:

Bless God in the congregations,
Jehovah, you who are of the fountain of Israel.

The idea is that Judah was the fountain, or origin, of the people who were then exiled in Babylon. The ten tribes had revolted and had been carried away, and the name of Benjamin had been absorbed into that of Judah, and this had become the common name of the nation. Perhaps Judah is mentioned here with honor as the fountain of the nation because it was from him that the Messiah was to descend (Genesis 49:10): and this mention of his name would serve to bring that promise to view and would be an assurance that the nation would not be destroyed, nor the power finally depart, until He should come.

Which swear by the name - Who worship Yahweh and acknowledge him as the only true God (see the notes at Isaiah 19:18; Isaiah 45:23; Isaiah 65:16).

And make mention - That is, in your prayers and praises. You acknowledge him and profess to worship him.

But not in truth - In a hypocritical manner; not in sincerity. Compare to Jeremiah 5:2: And though they say, The Lord liveth, surely they swear falsely.

For they call themselves of the holy city - This refers to Jerusalem (Nehemiah 11:1; Matthew 4:5; Matthew 27:53; Revelation 21:2–27). The word translated ‘for’ here (כי, kı̂y), as it often does, means “although”; and the meaning is, although they call themselves of the holy city, they do not worship God in sincerity and truth.

Jerusalem was called ‘the holy city,’ because the temple, the ark, and the symbol of the divine presence were there, and it was the place where God was worshipped. It was considered sacred by the Jews, and they regarded it as sufficient proof of goodness, it would seem, that they had lived there. Even in Babylon, they would pride themselves on this and suppose, perhaps, that it entitled them to divine protection and favor.

And stay themselves upon the God of Israel - In time of danger and trial, they profess to seek him and to commit their cause to him.

The Lord of hosts is his name - (See the notes at Isaiah 1:9). The prophet’s purpose in mentioning his holy name here is probably to show them the guilt of their conduct.

He was Yahweh, the source of all existence. He was the God of all the hosts of heaven and all the armies on earth. How wicked, therefore, it was to come before him in a false and hypocritical manner, and, while professedly worshipping him, to be really offering their hearts to idols and to be characteristically inclined to relapse into idolatry!

I have declared the former things - That is, in former times I have predicted future events by the prophets, which have come to pass as they were foretold. Though the fulfillment might have appeared to be long delayed, yet it came to pass at the very time, showing it to be an exact fulfillment of the prophecy.

The design of thus referring to the former predictions is to remind them of their proneness to disregard his declarations, and to recall to their attention the fact that all that he said would be certainly accomplished.

As a people, they had been prone to disbelieve his word. He saw that the same thing would take place in Babylon, and that there also they would disbelieve his prophecies about raising up Cyrus, and restoring them to their own land.

He therefore endeavors to anticipate this, by reminding them of their former unbelief, and of the fact that all that he had foretold in former times had come to pass.

From the beginning - In regard to this, and the meaning of the phrase, ‘the former things,’ see the notes at Isaiah 41:22; Isaiah 43:9. The phrase, ‘former things,’ refers to the things which precede others; the series, or order of events.

I did them suddenly - They came to pass at an unexpected time; when you were not looking for them, and when perhaps you were doubting whether they would occur, or were calling in question the divine veracity. The idea is, that God in like manner would, certainly, and suddenly, accomplish his predictions about Babylon, and their release from their captivity.

Because I knew that thou art obstinate - I made these frequent predictions, and fulfilled them in this striking manner because I knew that as a people, you were prone to unbelief, and so that you might have the most full and undoubted demonstration of the truth of what was declared.

Since they were disinclined to credit his promises, and as he saw that in their long captivity they would be prone to disbelieve what he had said concerning their deliverance under Cyrus, he had, therefore, given them these numerous evidences of the certainty of the fulfillment of all his prophecies, so that their minds might credit what he said about their return to their own land.

That thou art obstinate - The margin, as in Hebrew, reads ‘Hard.’ The sense is that they were obstinate and intractable - an expression probably taken from a bullock that refuses to receive the yoke.

The word ‘hard,’ as expressive of obstinacy, is often combined with others. Thus, in Exodus 32:9; Exodus 34:9, ‘hard of neck,’ that is, stiff-necked, stubborn; ‘hard of face’ (Ezekiel 2:4); ‘hard of heart’ (Ezekiel 3:7).

The idea is that they were, as a people, obstinate, rebellious, and indisposed to submit to the laws of God - a charge that is often brought against them by the sacred writers and that is abundantly verified by all their history as a people (Exodus 33:3–5; Exodus 34:9; Deuteronomy 9:6–13; Deuteronomy 31:27; 2 Chronicles 30:8; Ezekiel 2:4; Acts 7:51).

Thy neck is an iron sinew - The word גיד giyd means properly a cord, thong, or band; then a nerve, sinew, muscle, or tendon. The metaphor is taken from oxen when they make their neck stiff, and refuse to submit it to the yoke.

And thy brow brass - Your forehead is hard and insensible as brass. The phrase is applied to the shameless brow of a harlot (Jeremiah 3:3; Ezekiel 3:7), where there is an utter lack of modesty and consummate impudence. A brow of brass is an image of insensibility, or obstinacy .

I have even from the beginning declared it to thee - He had foretold future events, so that they had abundant demonstration that he was the true God, and so that they could not be mistaken regarding the source of their deliverances from danger.

Mine idol hath done them - The idols and molten images had not foretold these events. Therefore, when they came to pass, it could not be pretended that idols had produced them. By predicting them, Yahweh kept up the proof that he was the true God, and demonstrated that he alone was worthy of their confidence and regard.