Isaiah 41:27

“The first shall say to Zion, behold, behold them, &c.] Or, “I the first say to Zion”; I who am the first and the last, (<234104>Isaiah 41:4) which some ancient Jewish writersf805 observe is the name of the Messiah, and apply the passage to him; or, I am the “first” that say these things to Zionf806, behold, behold them; behold such and such things shall come to pass, and accordingly they have come to pass; or, “behold”, the promised Messiah, whom I have long spoken of, behold, he is come; (see <234201>Isaiah 42:1), and behold them, his apostles and ministers, publishing the good tidings of salvation, as follows. The Targum is, “the words of consolation which the prophets prophesied from the…”

“Rather, "I first will give to Zion and to Jerusalem the messenger of good tidings, Behold, behold them!" The clause, "Behold . . . them" (the wished-for event is now present) is inserted in the middle of the sentence as a detached exclamation, by an elegant transposition, the language being framed abruptly, as one would speak in putting vividly as it were, before the eyes of others, some joyous event which he had just learned [LUDOVICUS DE DIEU] (compare Isa 40:9). None of the idols had foretold these events. Jehovah was the "first" to do so (see Isa 41:4).”

“The first shall say to Zion - This translation is unhappy. It does not convey any clear meaning, nor is it possible from the translation to conjecture what the word ‘first’ refers to. The correct rendering undoubtedly is, ‘I first said to Zion;’ and the sense is, ‘I, Yahweh, first gave to Zion the announcement of these things. I predicted the restoration of the Jews to their own land, and the raising up of the man who should deliver them; and I only have uttered the prophecies respecting the time and circumstances in which these events would occur.’ The Septuagint renders it, ‘I will first give notice to Zion, and I will comfort Jerusalem in the way.’ The Chaldee renders it ‘The words of…”

“The first - I who am the first, do and will foretel to my people things to come. Them - I also represent future things as if they were present. By them he means things which are to come. One - Messengers, who shall foretel the good tidings of their deliverance from captivity. Isaiah 41:28”

“41:27 The messenger with good news told of God’s coming to rescue his people (see 40:9).”

“first: Isa 41:4, Isa 43:10, Isa 44:6, Isa 48:12; Rev 2:8 I will give: Isa 40:9, Isa 44:28, Isa 52:7; Ezr 1:1, Ezr 1:2; Nah 1:15; Luk 2:10, Luk 2:11; Rom 10:15 Isaiah 41:28”