John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 45:20

"Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that carry the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save." — Isaiah 45:20 (ASV)

Assemble yourselves, He challenges all superstitious persons and, as it were, appoints a day that they may submit to a righteous judgment, as we have previously seen in expounding other passages, in order to show that they can plead nothing which shall not be speedily overturned. Now, indeed, they delight in their superstitions; but all their smoke shall be dispelled when they come to plead their cause, and without any difficulty they shall be convicted.

Let them then “assemble” in crowds, let them conspire and make every effort by fraud, threats, and terrors; the truth shall at last be victorious. This confirmation was highly necessary for the Jews, because in every nation and in every place they witnessed the spread of wicked errors which buried the worship of the true God. We also should take refuge here, when we see how few and how feeble we are. Muslims possess a large portion of the world, Roman Catholics, with elevated crest, triumph far and wide, while we are but a handful of people and are scarcely counted among people. But truth shall at last prevail and shall cast down all that loftiness which now dazzles the eyes of men.

You rejected of the nations—פליטי (pelite)—is translated by some “rejected,” by others “exiles,” or “those who have escaped;” and the address is supposed to be made to the Jews who had returned from the captivity. But that is too forced a sense. The more generally received interpretation is, “Rejected of the nations,” because פלט (palat) means “to reject.” Not that he describes the lesser sort, or the dregs of humanity; but, on the contrary, he directs his discourse to those who were the highest in rank, wealth, power, and learning among the Gentiles. He calls them “rejected,” because they are of no value in the sight of God, though they are highly esteemed by men; for

that which ranks high among men is detestable in the sight of God (Luke 16:15).

Yet if it is thought preferable to translate it “distant,” I have no objection; as if he had said, “Let them assemble from the farthest parts of the earth.”

That carry the wood of their graven image. He shows how great is the madness which seizes idolaters, who worship images, which they bear on their shoulders and carry around on wagons. Or we may take נשיים (nesum) as denoting “to place on a lofty and elevated spot,” as it was a crafty device of Satan to erect statues on pillars and lofty places, in order to excite the admiration of people, and to lead people to pay honor and reverence by merely looking at them.

But we may interpret it simply as denoting all worship that is rendered to images, so as to convict them of vanity and madness. Superstitious persons know that idols need the aid and assistance of people, instead of people needing the aid and assistance of idols, which cannot even be made to stand upright without the agency of people.

And this is the meaning of what next follows, to pray to a god that cannot save; for what can be more foolish than to address vows and prayers to wood and stone? And yet unbelievers run about to dead statues for the purpose of seeking salvation from them.