Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 44:2
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, &c.] Which is not to be understood of the forming of the people of Israel into a commonwealth or church state, for this is not said of the body of them; nor of the natural creation and formation of these individuals, but of their new creation, regeneration, and spiritual formation; which, as it was owing to the grace and power of God, by which the Lord describes himself, who is speaking to them, the consideration of it might serve to encourage their faith and confidence in the performance of the promises about to be made to them; (see <19A003>Psalm 100:3 <480115>Galatians 1:15 4:19): which “will help thee”; in the exercise of grace, in the performance of duty, in suffering for his name’s sake in every time of trouble, and out of all trouble, and that right early, and when none else can: fear not, O Jacob, my servant, and thou Jesurun, whom I have chosen; the titles are as before, only instead of “Israel” is “Jesurun”, which is a name of the people of Israel, (<053215>Deuteronomy 32:15 33:5) and here the Targum instead of it puts Israel; and so the Syriac and Arabic versions. The Septuagint version renders it, “beloved Israel”; the word signifies upright; and so the Vulgate Latin version translates it, “O thou most upright one”f847; and well agrees with this little remnant of Israelites indeed, in whom there was no guile. Some derive the word from one that signifies to “see”, “behold”, “contemplate”f848; and so it may be rendered, “the seeing ones whom I have chosen”, such whose eyes the Lord opened to see their own vileness and sinfulness, and the glory of Christ and salvation by him: these are bid not to fear: not any of their enemies, though they themselves were but worms; and though their number was small, and they weak and feeble, and their enemies numerous, strong, and mighty; and though their countrymen would reproach, revile, and persecute them for Christ’s sake, and they should be obliged to turn to the Gentiles, and carry the Gospel among them, when those of their nation would reject it, which would issue in the ruin of it, as before predicted; (see <234110>Isaiah 41:10,13,14 43:1,2).
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