Isaiah 44:8

“Fear ye not, neither be afraid, &c.] Of the accomplishment of prophecies and promises, and of professing the true God, and of adhering to Jesus Christ, the only Redeemer and Saviour; or of the gods of the Heathens, and of persecuting tyrants, and what they can do against you, and in favour of their idolatrous religion: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? what should come to pass, before it did, even everything that has since the appointment of the ancient people; and particularly what troubles and persecutions the apostles, ministers of the word, the first Christians should meet with among the Heathens, for professing and propagating the Gospel, and what success they…”

“be afraid--literally, "be astounded," or "distracted with fear." from that time--namely, from the time that "I appointed the ancient people" (Isa 44:7). From the time of Abraham's call, his family were the depositories of the predictions of the Redeemer, whereas the promise of Cyrus was not heard of till Isaiah's time; therefore, the event to the prediction and accomplishment of which God appeals in proof of His sole Godhead, is the redemption of man by a descendant of Abraham, in whose person "the ancient people" was first formally "appointed." The deliverance of the Jews, by Cyrus, is mentioned afterwards only as an earnest of that greater mercy [HORSLEY]. no God--Hebrew, tsur, "rock" (Deu…”

“Fear ye not, neither be afraid - (see the notes at Isaiah 41:10). The word rendered here ‘be afraid,’ occurs nowhere else in the Bible. There can be no doubt, however, in regard to its meaning. The Septuagint renders it, Μηδέ πλανᾶσθε Mēde planasthe - ‘Neither be deceived.’ All the other ancient versions express the sense to fear, to be afraid (Gesenius’ Lexicon on the word ירה yârahh). Have not I told thee from that time - Have I not fully declared from the very commencement of your history as a people, in the main what shall occur? Ye are even my witnesses - (See the notes at Isaiah 43:12). Is there a God besides me? - This is a strong mode of affirming that there is no God besides…”

“Ye - Thee, O Israel, whom he bids not to fear. Told thee - Even from the first ages of the world. Declared - Have published it to the world in my sacred records. Witnesses - Both of my predictions, and of the exact agreeableness of events to them. Isaiah 44:9”

“neither: Isa 44:2, Isa 41:10-14; Pro 3:25, Pro 3:26; Jer 10:7, Jer 30:10, Jer 30:11; Joh 6:10 have declared: Isa 42:9, Isa 48:5; Gen 15:13-21, Gen 28:13-15, Gen 46:3, Gen 48:19, 49:1-28; Lev. 26:1-46; Deu 4:25-31, 28:1-68 ye are: Isa 43:10, Isa 43:12; Ezr 1:2, Ezr 8:22; Dan 2:28, Dan 2:47, Dan 3:16-28, Dan 4:25, Dan 5:23-30, Dan 6:22; Act 1:8, Act 14:15, Act 17:23-31; Heb 12:1; Jo1 1:2 Is there: Isa 44:6, Isa 45:5, Isa 45:6, Isa 46:9; Deu 4:35, Deu 4:39, Deu 32:39; Sa1 2:2; Sa2 22:32; Joh 1:1; Joh 10:30 no God: Heb. no rock, Deu 32:4, Deu 32:31; Psa 18:31 Isaiah 44:9”

“Of course, none of the heathen gods could in any way answer to the challenge. So much the more confident might Israel be, seeing that it had quite another God. "Despair ye not, neither tremble: have not I told thee long ago, and made known, and ye are my witnesses: is there a God beside me? And nowhere a rock; I know of none." The Jewish lexicographers derive תּרהוּ (with the first syllable closed) from רהה (רה); whereas modern lexicographers prefer some of them to read תּרהוּ, tı̄rehū, from ירהּ (Ges., Knobel), and others תּיראוּ (Ewald). But the possibility of there being a verb רהה, to tremble or fear, cannot for a moment be doubted when we think of such words as ירא, ירע, compare also…”