Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 48 closes the FIRST-HALF of Second-Isaiah (chs. 40–48) with a final-call to-leave-Babylon (vv. 20–21). Verse 12's 'I am he, I am the first, and I am the last' is repeated divine-self-designation. Verse 22's 'no peace for the wicked' closes the half (// 57:21).
Notable Variants
48:11 'for my own sake' divine-glory-priority; 48:12 'I am the first, I am the last' Christological self-designation; 48:16 'the Lord GOD has sent me, and his Spirit' — proto-Trinitarian text; 48:20 'go out from Babylon' → Rev 18:4 ('come out of her, my people').
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 48 = LXX Isaiah 48. 22 verses. CLOSES Second-Isaiah's first-half.
Hear this, house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and who came from the waters of Judah — who swear by the name of the LORD and invoke the God of Israel, but not in truth or in righteousness.
'Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and who came from the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of the LORD and confess the God of Israel, but not in truth or right' tracks MT.
For they call themselves after the holy city and lean on the God of Israel — the LORD of Hosts is His name.
'For they call themselves after the holy city, and stay themselves on the God of Israel; the LORD of hosts is his name' tracks MT.
The former things I declared long ago; they went out from my mouth and I announced them. Then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.
'The former things I declared of old; they went out from my mouth, and I announced them; then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass' tracks MT.
Because I knew how stubborn you are — your neck is an iron sinew, your forehead is bronze —
'Because I knew that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead brass' tracks MT. STIFF-NECKED-AND-BRASS-FOREHEADED.
therefore I declared it to you long ago; before it happened I announced it to you, lest you say, 'My idol did this, my carved image and my cast image commanded it.'
'I declared them to you from of old, before they came to pass I announced them to you, lest you should say: My idol did them, my carved image and my metal image commanded them' tracks MT.
You have heard — now look at all this! Will you not acknowledge it? From now on I announce new things to you, hidden things you have not known.
'You have heard; now see all this; and will you not declare it? From this time forth I announce to you new things, hidden things that you have not known' tracks MT.
They are created now, not long ago; before today you have not heard of them, lest you say, 'I already knew that.'
'They are created now, not long ago; before today you have never heard of them, lest you should say: Behold, I knew them' tracks MT.
You have neither heard nor known; from of old your ear has not been opened. For I knew you would act utterly treacherously; you have been called a rebel from the womb.
'You have never heard, you have never known, from of old your ear has not been opened. For I knew that you would surely deal treacherously, and that from before birth you were called a rebel' tracks MT.
For the sake of my name I defer my anger; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to cut you off.
'For my name's sake I defer my anger, for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off' tracks MT. FOR-MY-NAME'S-SAKE. Ezek 36:22 extends. Divine-name-as-motive.
Look — I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
'Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction' tracks MT. FURNACE-OF-AFFLICTION refining. 1 Pet 1:6–7 extends.
For my own sake, for my own sake, I act — for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.
'For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another' tracks MT. NOT-GIVE-MY-GLORY-TO-ANOTHER. The exclusive-divine-glory.
Listen to me, Jacob, and Israel, whom I called: I am He; I am the first, and I am the last.
'Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am he; I am the first, and I am the last' tracks MT. // Isa 41:4, 44:6. Revelation 1:17, 22:13 Christologically applies.
My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens. When I call to them, they stand together.
'My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand forth together' tracks MT.
Assemble, all of you, and listen. Which of them declared these things? The LORD loves him — he will carry out His purpose against Babylon, and his arm will be against the Chaldeans.
'Assemble, all of you, and listen! Who among them has declared these things? The LORD loves him; he shall perform his purpose on Babylon, and his arm shall be against the Chaldeans' tracks MT.
I, even I, have spoken; indeed I have called him. I have brought him, and he will succeed.
'I, even I, have spoken and called him; I have brought him, and he will prosper in his way' tracks MT.
Come near to me and hear this: From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time it came to be, I was there. And now the Lord GOD has sent me, and His Spirit.
Masoretic (WLC)
קִרְבוּ אֵלַי שִׁמְעוּ־זֹאת לֹא מֵרֹאשׁ בַּסֵּתֶר דִּבַּרְתִּי מֵעֵת הֱיוֹתָהּ שָׁם אָנִי וְעַתָּה אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה שְׁלָחַנִי וְרוּחוֹ
Draw near to me, hear this: from the beginning I have not spoken in secret, from the time it came to be I have been there. And now the Lord GOD has sent me, and his Spirit
Septuagint (LXX)
προσαγάγετε πρός με καὶ ἀκούσατε ταῦτα οὐκ ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς ἐν κρυφῇ ἐλάλησα οὐδὲ ἐν τόπῳ γῆς σκοτεινῷ ἡνίκα ἐγένετο ἐκεῖ ἤμην καὶ νῦν κύριος ἀπέσταλκέν με καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ
Draw near to me and hear these things; from the beginning I have not spoken in secret, nor in a dark place of the earth; when it came to pass, there I was. And now the Lord has sent me, and his Spirit
PROTO-TRINITARIAN VERSE. The verse contains-three-distinct-persons: 'the LORD GOD' (the Father), 'me' (the Speaker, identified-Christologically with-Christ), 'his Spirit' (the Holy Spirit). The verse becomes-a-key Christological-and-Trinitarian text in-patristic-tradition. The Speaker is-distinct-from-the-LORD-who-sends-and-from-the-Spirit-who-is-given. Father-Son-Spirit pre-incarnate-Christological reading.
This is what the LORD says — your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the LORD your God, who teaches you for your benefit, who leads you in the way you should go.
'Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go' tracks MT. TEACHES-YOU-TO-PROFIT — divine-pedagogy-of-life.
If only you had paid attention to my commands! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
'Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea' tracks MT. PEACE-LIKE-A-RIVER. Horatio Spafford's hymn 'It Is Well With My Soul' (1873) draws-on-this-verse.
Your offspring would have been like the sand, your descendants like its grains. Their name would never have been cut off or destroyed from before me.
'Your offspring would have been like the sand, and your descendants like its grains; their name would never be cut off or destroyed from before me' tracks MT. AS-THE-SAND. Abrahamic-promise (Gen 22:17) echoed.
Go out from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! With a shout of joy declare it, proclaim it, send it out to the ends of the earth. Say, 'The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob!'
'Go out from Babylon, flee from Chaldea, declare this with a shout of joy, proclaim it, send it out to the end of the earth; say: The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob!' tracks MT. GO-OUT-FROM-BABYLON. Revelation 18:4 ('Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins') Christologically-extends. The exodus-from-Babylon eschatologically-applied to-Christian-separation from-eschatological-Babylon.
They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts. He made water flow from the rock for them; He split the rock, and water gushed out.
'They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and the water gushed out' tracks MT. SPLIT-ROCK / WATER-FROM-ROCK — Massah-Meribah. 1 Cor 10:4's 'rock that followed them … was Christ' Christologically-extends.
"There is no peace," says the LORD, "for the wicked."
'There is no peace, says the LORD, for the wicked' tracks MT. NO-PEACE-FOR-WICKED. // Isa 57:21. The chapter and-the-first-half of Second-Isaiah closes-with-this-warning.