John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 42:25

"Therefore he poured upon him the fierceness of his anger, and the strength of battle; and it set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart." — Isaiah 42:25 (ASV)

Therefore He has poured upon him. Because the punishments by which the Lord had begun, and would afterwards continue, to punish the Jews were very severe, the Prophet uses metaphorical language to express their intensity. He says that the Lord pours out His fury, as if a thunderbolt were discharged with violence, or as if waters burst forth to spread devastation far and wide over the surrounding country. This is just as at the deluge, when the flood-gates of the deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened (Genesis 7:11), the waters burst forth with prodigious force and violence.

And the strength of war. He next uses a different figure: that God assembles His forces to make war, so that He may attack the people with unrelenting hostility. If this is supposed to mean the enemies whom the Lord raised up against the Jews, I do not greatly object to the interpretation, for it is certain that they were raised up by the judgment of God. What else was Nebuchadnezzar but God’s scourge? (Jeremiah 51:20).

But, for my own part, I think that this also should be viewed as metaphorical language, meaning that “God rushes forth violently, like an armed enemy, and pours out His fury on the people.” He has various ways of making war, for He punishes His people sometimes by famine, sometimes by war, and sometimes by pestilence. Therefore, I think that He includes here scourges of every kind by which the Lord strikes His people.

If we sometimes think that these are too harsh and severe, let us consider how heinous our sins are, for we will not find that He is immoderate or excessively severe in inflicting punishment.

And he gave no heed to it. Again the Prophet decries that gross stupidity with which the Jews were struck, so that they did not perceive their affliction, nor did they raise their eyes to heaven to acknowledge that the Lord was the avenger and author of it.

And he laid it not to heart. To “lay a thing to heart” is to consider attentively and diligently. For if this thought came into our minds, and was deeply engraved on our hearts, “God is judge, and has justly punished us,” we would immediately repent.

At present, the whole world is oppressed by so many calamities that there is scarcely a spot free from the wrath of God. Yet no one pays attention to it; instead, all fiercely and rebelliously contend with Him. Therefore, we need not wonder that He inflicts such dreadful punishment on people and pours out His wrath on all sides when the world opposes Him with inveterate rebellion.