John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 44:5

"One shall say, I am Jehovah`s; and another shall call [himself] by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto Jehovah, and surname [himself] by the name of Israel." — Isaiah 44:5 (ASV)

One shall say. Until now, the Prophet has spoken metaphorically, but now he expresses his meaning plainly, without any figure of speech. He shows what is the nature of that vegetation and herbage of which he spoke.

This means that out of all nations the Lord will gather his people and bring into his Church those who were formerly strangers. He will also raise up and enlarge his Church, which previously appeared to be reduced to nothing. For all will flock to her from every quarter and will wish to be enrolled in the number of believers, as it is also said:

Behold Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia; that man was born there (Psalms 87:4).

That passage, though until now it seemed obscure due to the mistakes of interpreters, is exceedingly well-suited to illustrate this prophecy. It shows that believers, who might have been terrified and ashamed because of their diminished numbers (for we know that only a small number returned from captivity), could cherish hope for that illustrious and magnificent grace of Redemption celebrated by the prophets.

To address these views, the prophet—whoever was the author of the psalm—declares that the Babylonians and Egyptians will be citizens of the Church, and that the Ethiopians and Tyrians, and those who were formerly strangers, will come to be enrolled among the people of God.

“Now,” he says, “Jerusalem lies waste; but one day God will not only gather those who are scattered but will also call others from every quarter, and will unite in one body those who are now at the greatest variance, so that they will boast of being citizens of Jerusalem and will belong to the body of the chosen people as much as if they had been natives.” The same thing is taught in this passage by the Prophet Isaiah, from whom the author of the psalm undoubtedly borrowed that sentiment.

And another shall be called by the name of Jacob. The general meaning is that there will be a vast assembly of men, united in faith and in obedience to the one true God. But as, in a registration, every person either pronounces or writes his own name, the Prophet, keeping his eye on this custom, employs the following modes of expression: “One shall write with his hand, I am God’s, and shall take the surname of Israel; another shall acknowledge that he is God’s, and shall be called by the name of Jacob.”

He describes something new and uncommon, for one who formerly had nothing to do with God will boast that God has adopted him.

“To be called” is in this place equivalent to the French phrase Se reclamer, that is, “to declare oneself to belong to a person.” This is just as formerly, when he spoke of women for whom their husbands' names served as a protection, he introduces them as saying, “Let your name be called on us,” that is, “Let us be named by your name” (Isaiah 4:1).

Although Isaiah appears in this passage to distinguish between those who will expressly declare that they belong to the people of God and will wish to be named by the name of Jacob, yet both clauses refer to the same persons. This is because to be a child of God and to be an Israelite are two things closely connected, for God determines that the Church will be the mother of all his children.

Yet it should be remarked that only those who submit to the government of God are lawful citizens of the Church. If the Prophet had passed by the name of God and mentioned “Jacob” and “Israel,” we still would have had to begin with the Head, from whom proceeds all relationship both in heaven and on earth. But, so that there would be no remaining ambiguity, he has twice described this order: that none are reckoned to belong to the seed of Jacob except those who obey God.

Hence we easily see the Prophet’s meaning. He shows that the Church, as long as she is destitute of God’s blessing, withers and gradually falls into decay. But when the Spirit of God has been poured out, she is quickened and at length gathers strength, not only to recover her former condition but also to grow by a wonderful increase beyond expectation.

Let us remember, however, that the Prophet does not speak of the order of nature, as if the new children of the Church were born such from the womb, because no person gains such high rank by his own industry. Instead, when those who were formerly aliens have been regenerated by faith, he says that they will eagerly enroll their names to testify that they are the children of God.

Thus he describes a change that surpasses nature and all human conceptions, when out of the accursed race of Adam a spiritual Israel is formed.

Some think that the Prophet here expresses the small number of believers when he says, “One shall be called, another shall write;” but that argument has little weight, and the context itself furnishes an easy refutation of their error.

In my opinion, we should rather understand him to mean that the Church will be gathered in crowds from various and distant nations. This is because God will assemble strangers under his authority and will stir them up to boast sincerely, and not in empty words, that they belong to his people.

It should also be observed that true faith cannot exist without immediately breaking forth into confession. For such is the import of these four phrases: “To be called by the name of Israel,” “To write,” “To be known,” “To say, I am the Lord’s;” Those who sincerely worship God ought not to be silent but should testify by both actions and words what they carry inwardly in their hearts.

They profess to be the servants of God and glory in his name throughout their entire lives.