Charles Ellicott Commentary Isaiah 49:1

"Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye peoples, from far: Jehovah hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name:" — Isaiah 49:1 (ASV)

Listen, O isles ... — The argument against idolatry has been brought to its close, and a new section opens. With it, there is a new speaker, the mysterious “Servant of the Lord” (Isaiah 42:1), at once identified with Israel (Isaiah 49:3) in fulfilling its ideal, and yet distinguished from it as its Restorer and Redeemer. “Isles,” as before, stand vaguely for “far-off countries.” The invitation is addressed to the nations far and wide.

The Lord has called me from the womb. — The words indicate a predestined vocation. (Luke 1:15; Luke 1:41; Galatians 1:15.) Admitting the thought of a Divine order working in human history, the idea of such a vocation follows in inevitable sequence.