Isaiah 45:14

45:11-19 Believers may ask in prayer for what they need; if for their good, it will not be withheld. But how common to hear God called to account for his dealings with man! Cyrus provided for the returning Jews. Those redeemed by Christ shall be provided for. The restoration would convince many, and convert some; and all that truly join the Lord, find his service perfect freedom. Though God be his people's God and Saviour, yet sometimes he lays them under his frowns; but let them wait upon the Lord who hides his face. There is a world without end; and it will be well or ill with us, according as it shall be with us in that world. The Lord we serve and trust, is God alone. All that God has said is plain, satisfactory, and just. As God in his word calls us to seek him, so he never denied believing prayers, nor disappointed believing expectations. He gives grace sufficient, and comfort and satisfaction of soul.

Isaiah 45:14 . Thus saith the Lord, &c. — Here the prophet turns to Jerusalem, or to the company of returning exiles, and relates some joyful consequence of the deliverance foretold, which probably chiefly respects the future admission of the Gentiles into the church of God. The labour of Egypt — The wealth gotten by their labour; and merchandise of Ethiopia — The gains of their merchandise; and of the Sabeans, men of stature — A tall and strong people; shall come over unto thee — O my city, or church. The sense is, Jerusalem shall not only be rebuilt, but the wealth and glory of other countries shall be brought to it again, as in former times. “The words,” says Lowth, “may be supposed, in some degree, verified in Cyrus’s devoting the tribute coming out of those rich provinces of Egypt, Ethiopia, and Seba, to the building and service of the temple.” To which may be added, that some of the succeeding Persian monarchs settled revenues upon the temple for the offering of sacrifices for themselves and their families, Ezra 6:10 .

And the same was done, in after times, by Alexander the Great, and several of the Syrian and Egyptian kings, 2Ma 3:2-3 ; 2Ma 5:16 .” But “the place is principally meant of the flourishing state of the church, (often described under the figure of a city,) when the Gentile world should come into it, bring in their riches to the support of it, and submit themselves to its government, as being the only seat and temple of truth.” In chains they shall come over — Subdued by the rod of the Messiah’s strength, ( Psalm 110:2 ,) the power of his word, and led captive thereby: they shall confess themselves to be conquered, and shall willingly submit themselves to thee. The subjection of the Gentiles to God’s church is often expressed in Scripture by such metaphors as this; as Psalm 45:5 ; and Psalm 149:8 ; and Psalm 68:18 , compared with Ephesians 4:8 . They shall make supplication unto thee — To obtain thy favour and society; saying, Surely God is in thee — Or, with thee. We plainly discern that God is on thy side, or in the midst of thee; and therefore we desire to join ourselves with thee; and there is none else — We are now convinced that Jehovah, thy God, is the only true God, and that idols are vain and empty nothings.

Thus saith the LORD, The labour {r} of Egypt, and merchandise of Cush and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over to thee, and they shall be {s} thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down to thee, they shall make supplication to thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God. (r) These people were tributaries to the Persians, and so king Artahshashte gave this money toward the building of the temple, Ezr 7:27. (s) While they were your enemies, they will now honour you and you will rule them: which was accomplished in the time of Christ.

The labour of Egypt; the wealth gotten by their labour. Men of stature ; a tall and strong people, who yet shall use their strength not to oppose thee, but to serve thee, and to bring their labour to thee. Shall come over unto thee; either, 1. To thee, O Cyrus: because thou wast so generous as to dismiss my people freely, I will give thee another and a better recompence, even the labour of Egypt , &c. Or, 2. To thee, O my city, or my captivity or captive people. For it is not to be neglected, that there are no less than six pronouns in this verse, all which are of the feminine gender; which seems not to agree to Cyrus. It is true which is objected by the most learned author of this part of the English Annotations, that the Scripture oft speaks of states and kingdoms in the feminine gender; but when it speaks of any particular king or emperor, it constantly speaks of him in the masculine gender, as it doth of Cyrus in this very chapter, Isaiah 45:1 , and elsewhere. And thus the sense of the place seems to be this, Jerusalem shall not only be rebuilt, but the wealth and glory of other countries shall be brought to it again, as it was in former times; which although it was in part verified in Jerusalem, yet it was much more fully accomplished in the church of the gospel, which is oft expressed in Scripture under the name of Jerusalem; and in the accession of the Gentiles to that church, which began in Jerusalem, and from thence spread itself into all the parts of the world.

And this sense seems best to agree with the latter part of this and with the following verse, as we shall see. In chains they shall come over; they shall be taken captive by thee, and willingly submit themselves to thee; which was accomplished in the conversion of the Gentiles, whose subjection to God’s church is oft expressed in Scripture under such metaphors as this; as Psalm 45:5 149:8 , &c.; Psalm 68:18 , compared with Ephesians 4:8 . They shall make supplication, unto thee; to obtain thy favour and society. Surely God is in thee, or, with thee . We plainly discern that God is on thy side, or in the midst of thee; and therefore we desire to join ourselves with thee. There is none else, there is no God; we are now convinced that thou art the only true God, and that idols are vain and empty nothings; which was but very obscurely fulfilled in Cyrus’s time, but was most evidently and eminently accomplished in the days of the Messiah, of whom Cyrus was a type; as also this deliverance of the Jews from Babylon by Cyrus was a type of the redemption of God’s people by Christ.

14. The language but cursorily alludes to Egypt, Ethiopia, and Seba, being given to Cyrus as a ransom in lieu of Israel whom he restored (Isa 43:3), but mainly and fully describes the gathering in of the Gentiles to Israel (Ac 2:10, 11; 8:27-38), especially at Israel's future restoration (Isa 2:2; 14:1, 2; 19:18-22; 60:3-14; 49:23; Ps 68:31; 72:10, 11). labour—wealth acquired by labor (Jer 3:24). Sabeans … of stature—the men of Meroe, in Upper Egypt. Herodotus (3.30) calls the Ethiopians "the tallest of men" (see on [807]Isa 18:2; [808]1Ch 11:23). thee—Jerusalem ("my city," Isa 45:13). in chains—(Ps 149:8). "The saints shall judge the world" (1Co 6:2) and "rule the nations with a rod of iron" (Zec 14:12-19; Re 2:26, 27). The "chains," in the case of the obedient, shall be the easy yoke of Messiah; as "the sword of the Spirit" also is saving to the believer, condemnatory to the unbeliever (Joh 12:48; Heb 4:12; Re 19:15). God is in thee—(Jer 3:19).

14 . The peoples mentioned are the same as those named in ch. Isaiah 43:3 (see on the passage) as the “ransom” given for Israel. They are apparently represented here as already conquered by Cyrus, the vicegerent and anointed of Jehovah. It has even been supposed that Cyrus is the person addressed in the verse, but this is impossible because of the words “Surely in thee is God,” which certainly could not be addressed to Cyrus. The commonly accepted interpretation that there is no thought of conquest in the passage, but only of spontaneous homage rendered to Israel by distant nations of the earth, is less natural. The idea that the “fetters” are self-imposed is a conceit not readily to be attributed to the prophet, and the whole scene strongly suggests a submission that has been preceded by humiliation and defeat. The meaning probably is that the treasures of the nations are made over to Israel by Cyrus, while the nations themselves recognise the exaltation of Israel as the goal of the Persian victories and worship Jehovah, as the only true God. and the Sabæans, men of stature ] (see on ch. Isaiah 18:2 .) Omit “of” with R.V.; the Sabæans offer not tribute, but their persons (as slaves). shall come over unto thee ] Rather: shall pass before thee (as 1 Kings 9:8 ; 2 Kings 4:9 ). in chains they shall come over ] in fetters ( Nahum 3:10 ; Psalm 149:8 ) shall they pass . The word for make supplication is in every other instance used of prayer to God.

Israel is recognised as the mediator between the true God and mankind. Surely God is in thee ] In thee only is God . These of course are words of the Sabæans, &c. to Israel, expressing their acceptance of the true religion. Israel’s God has proved Himself to be the God of history, the only God. The expression appears to be alluded to by St Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:25 (“declaring that God is in you indeed”). 14–17 . The collapse of the heathen religions is here dramatically represented under the image of a procession of conquered nations of Africa, who pass before Israel, as tributaries and slaves, acknowledging that Israel’s God is the only true divinity. This seems to be the sense, but see below on Isaiah 45:14 .

Verses 14-25. - THE CONVERSION' OF THE GENTILES A CONSEQUENCE OF THE RESTORATION AND SALVATION OF ISRAEL. "With the prospect of the release of the exiles is associated," says Delitzsch, "in the prophet's perspective, the prospect of an expansion of the restored Church, through the entrance of the fulness of the Gentiles." Egypt, Ethiopia, and Saba are especially mentioned here, as in Isaiah 43:3 , as among the first to come in (vers. 14, 15). Later on, a more general influx is spoken of (ver. 20); and, finally, a prospect is held out of an ultimate universal conversion (ver. 23). At the same time, judgment is denounced against the idolaters who persist in their idolatry (vers. 16, 20), and they are warned that they will have no share in the coming glories of the Israel of God. Verse 14. - The labour of Egypt , and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabaeans ; i.e. "the laborious Egyptians, and the traffic-loving Ethiopians and Sabaeans." Their buildings and their husbandry alike justify what is said of the Egyptians, while the very ancient traffic between Egypt and Ethiopia is sufficient ground for the assignment of a commercial character to the Ethiopians and the Sabaeans. Men of stature . (On the tall stature of the Ethiopians, see Herod., 3:20; and comp. Isaiah 18:2 , with the comment.) Shall come over unto thee .

Knobel understands that they would give their aid to the rebuilding of the temple; but this they certainly did not do, and Isaiah's words certainly do not imply it. He is again speaking of the great conversion of the nations, which he connected with the restoration of the Jews to their own land ( Isaiah 11:12 ; Isaiah 18:7 ; Isaiah 19:18-25 , etc.), and which may be considered to have begun then, but only to have had its full accomplishment in the Messianic period. In chains they shall come over . Ready to serve the Church as slaves and servants - not literally wearing chains. They shall fall down unto thee , etc. The Church, as informed with the Spirit of God, shall Seem to them a holy thing, and therefore an object of worship (romp. Revelation 3:9 ). There is such a union between Christ and his Church, that worship, in a qualified sense, may be paid the Church without unfitness. Isaiah 45:14

(14) Thus saith the Lord . . . —A new section opens. In Isaiah 43:3 , Egypt, Ethiopia, Seba, had been given to Cyrus, as a reward, or ransom, for the deliverance of Israel. Here the prophet goes a step farther, and contemplates them as coming, in the spirit of a voluntary surrender, as proselytes to the faith of Israel, in self-imposed bondage, offering to Israel, as one with God, the “supplication” which, elsewhere, is offered to Jehovah. The promise reminds us of Psalm 68:31 ; Psalm 72:10 , and yet more of Isaiah 19:23 ; Isaiah 9:5-7 . A partial fulfilment may have been found in the command given by Cyrus, that these and other nations should assist in the work of rebuilding the Temple ( Ezra 1:4 ). Egypt and Ethiopia send the products of their labour. The Sabæans ( sc. the people of Meroe), strong, but not wealthy, come freely to offer their own labour.