John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 43:5

"Fear not; for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;" — Isaiah 43:5 (ASV)

Fear not. When Isaiah frequently repeats this exhortation, we should not consider it superfluous, for we know and feel how prone we are by nature to distrust. Scarcely any words can express the greatness of the alarm that shook the Church at that time.

As soon as we begin to doubt the promises of God, our minds are distracted by various thoughts. We are alarmed and continually tormented by the greatness and diversity of dangers, until finally we are stupefied and have no perception of the grace of God.

Accordingly, before despair seizes our hearts, he so frequently repeats with good reason, I am with thee, so that he may either destroy altogether or partially mitigate the fear seated in our hearts; for when it has taken root, there is no method of curing it.

This should also lead us to remark that we should not place our safety in anything other than the presence of God; for if he is absent, we will either shudder with fear, become stupid, or run headlong like drunkards. And yet it is not God’s will that we should be so devoid of fear as to give ourselves up to laziness and indifference; but when we are informed that he is near and will assist us, cheerful confidence should be victorious in the midst of fears.

I will bring thy seed from the east. This passage is evidently taken from the writings of Moses, as we said at the beginning of this commentary: the prophets are his interpreters and draw their doctrine from his books. Therefore, the Prophet applies this passage to the particular event he had in view in the present discourse. Moses had foretold as follows:

The Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and will have compassion on thee, and will turn and gather thee out of all the nations into which thy God hath scattered thee. Even if thou shalt be driven to the utmost parts of heaven, thence will thy God gather thee, and thence will he take thee (Deuteronomy 30:3–4).

What Moses spoke in general terms, the Prophet here confirms in a particular instance, and again declares with a slight change of words.

The meaning is that it is as difficult to gather a people who are not only scattered but driven to the most distant countries of the world, as it is to gather ashes that have been scattered here and there; but God, by his wonderful power, will cause those dislocated members to unite again into one body.