Isa 45:14-17 | KD | STEP | The second half is uttered in the prospect, that the judgment which Cyrus brings upon the nations will prepare the way for the overthrow of heathenism, and the universal acknowledgment of the God of Israel. The heathen submit, as the first strophe or group of vv. ( ) affirms, to the congregation and its God; the idolatrous are converted, whilst Israel is for ever redeemed. With the prospect of the release of the exiles, there is associated in the prophet’s perspective the prospect of an expansion of the restored church, through the entrance of “the fulness of the Gentiles.” “Thus saith Jehovah, The productions of Egypt, and gain of Ethiopia, and the Sabaeans, men of tall stature, will come over to thee, and belong to thee: they will come after thee; in chains they will come over, and cast themselves down to thee; they pray to thee, Surely God is in thee, and there is none else; no Deity at all.” Assuming that יעברוּ has the same meaning in both cases, the prophet’s meaning appears to be, that the Egyptians, Ethiopians, and Meroites (see ), who had been enslaved by the imperial power of Persia, would enter the miraculously emancipated congregation of Israel (Ewald). But if they were thought of as in a state of subjugation to the imperial power of Asia, who could the promise be at the same time held out that their riches would pass over into the possession of the church? And yet, on the other hand, the chains in which they come over cannot be regarded, at least in this connection, where such emphasis is laid upon the voluntary character of the surrender, as placed upon them by Israel itself (as in and ). We must therefore suppose that they put chains upon themselves voluntarily, and of their own accord, and thus offer themselves spontaneously to the church, to be henceforth its subjects and slaves. Egypt, Ethiopia, and Saba are the nations that we meet with in other passages, where the haereditas gentium is promised to the church, and generally in connection with Tyre (vid., ; ; compare ; Isa 19:16., ). Whilst the labour of Egypt (i.e., the productions of its labour) and the trade of Ethiopia (i.e., the riches acquired by trade) are mentioned; in the case of Saba the prophecy looks at the tall and handsome tribe itself, a tribe which Agatharchides describes as having σώματα ἀξιολογώτερα. These would place themselves at the service of the church with their invincible strength. The voluntary character of the surrender is pointed out, not only in the expression “they will come over,” but also in the confession with which this is accompanied. In other cases the words hithpallēl 'el are only used of prayer to God and idols; but here it is to the church that prayer is offered. In the prophet’s view, Jehovah and His church are inseparably one (compare , where “Christ” stands for the church as one body, consisting of both head and members; also the use of the word “worship” in , which has all the ring of a passage taken from Isaiah). אך is used here in its primary affirmative sense, as in Psa 58:11. There can be no doubt that Paul had this passage of Isaiah in his mind when writing , ἀπαγγέλλων ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ὄντως ἐν ὑμῖν ἐστί, or, according to a better arrangement of the words, ὅτι ὄντως (= אך) ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ὑμῖν ἐστίν. 'Ephes does not signify praeter (as a synonym of בּלעדי, זוּלתי) either here or anywhere else, but is a substantive used with a verbal force, which stands in the same relation to אין as “there is not at all (absolutely not)” to “there is not;” compare ; ; , also (derivative passage, 2Ki 14:26), and ; ; vid., Isa 47:8.

‏ Isaiah 45:14-17

The second half is uttered in the prospect, that the judgment which Cyrus brings upon the nations will prepare the way for the overthrow of heathenism, and the universal acknowledgment of the God of Israel. The heathen submit, as the first strophe or group of vv. (Isa 45:14-17) affirms, to the congregation and its God; the idolatrous are converted, whilst Israel is for ever redeemed. With the prospect of the release of the exiles, there is associated in the prophet’s perspective the prospect of an expansion of the restored church, through the entrance of “the fulness of the Gentiles.” “Thus saith Jehovah, The productions of Egypt, and gain of Ethiopia, and the Sabaeans, men of tall stature, will come over to thee, and belong to thee: they will come after thee; in chains they will come over, and cast themselves down to thee; they pray to thee, Surely God is in thee, and there is none else; no Deity at all.” Assuming that יעברוּ has the same meaning in both cases, the prophet’s meaning appears to be, that the Egyptians, Ethiopians, and Meroites (see Isa 43:3), who had been enslaved by the imperial power of Persia, would enter the miraculously emancipated congregation of Israel (Ewald). But if they were thought of as in a state of subjugation to the imperial power of Asia, who could the promise be at the same time held out that their riches would pass over into the possession of the church? And yet, on the other hand, the chains in which they come over cannot be regarded, at least in this connection, where such emphasis is laid upon the voluntary character of the surrender, as placed upon them by Israel itself (as in Isa 60:11 and Psa 149:8). We must therefore suppose that they put chains upon themselves voluntarily, and of their own accord, and thus offer themselves spontaneously to the church, to be henceforth its subjects and slaves. Egypt, Ethiopia, and Saba are the nations that we meet with in other passages, where the haereditas gentium is promised to the church, and generally in connection with Tyre (vid., Psa 68:32; Psa 72:10; compare Isa 18:7; Isa 19:16., Isa 23:18). Whilst the labour of Egypt (i.e., the productions of its labour) and the trade of Ethiopia (i.e., the riches acquired by trade) are mentioned; in the case of Saba the prophecy looks at the tall and handsome tribe itself, a tribe which Agatharchides describes as having σώματα ἀξιολογώτερα. These would place themselves at the service of the church with their invincible strength. The voluntary character of the surrender is pointed out, not only in the expression “they will come over,” but also in the confession with which this is accompanied. In other cases the words hithpallēl 'el are only used of prayer to God and idols; but here it is to the church that prayer is offered. In the prophet’s view, Jehovah and His church are inseparably one (compare 1Co 12:12, where “Christ” stands for the church as one body, consisting of both head and members; also the use of the word “worship” in Rev 3:9, which has all the ring of a passage taken from Isaiah). אך is used here in its primary affirmative sense, as in Psa 58:11. There can be no doubt that Paul had this passage of Isaiah in his mind when writing 1Co 14:24-25, ἀπαγγέλλων ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ὄντως ἐν ὑμῖν ἐστί, or, according to a better arrangement of the words, ὅτι ὄντως (= אך) ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ὑμῖν ἐστίν. 'Ephes does not signify praeter (as a synonym of בּלעדי, זוּלתי) either here or anywhere else, but is a substantive used with a verbal force, which stands in the same relation to אין as “there is not at all (absolutely not)” to “there is not;” compare Isa 5:8; Isa 45:6; Isa 46:9, also Deu 32:36 (derivative passage, 2Ki 14:26), and Amo 6:10; 2Sa 9:3; vid., Isa 47:8. Isa 45:15

What follows in Isa 45:15 is not a continuation of the words of the Gentiles, but a response of the church to their confession. The nations that have been idolatrous till now, bend in humble spontaneous worship before the church and its God; and at the sight of this, the church, from whose soul the prophet is speaking, bursts out into an exclamation of reverential amazement. “Verily Thou art a mysterious God, Thou God of Israel, Thou Savour.” Literally, a God who hides Himself (mistattēr: the resemblance to μυστηρ-ιώδης is quite an accidental one; the ē is retained in the participle even in pause). The meaning is, a God who guides with marvellous strangeness the history of the nations of the earth, and by secret ways, which human eyes can never discern, conducts all to a glorious issue. The exclamation in Rom 11:33, “O the depth of the riches,” etc., is a similar one. Isa 45:16-17

The way in which this God who hides Himself is ultimately revealed as the God of salvation, is then pointed out in Isa 45:16, Isa 45:17 : “They are put to shame, and also confounded, all of them; they go away into confusion together, the forgers of idols. Israel is redeemed by Jehovah with everlasting redemption: ye are not put to shame nor confounded to everlasting eternities.” The perfects are expressive of the ideal past. Jehovah shows Himself as a Savour by the fact, that whereas the makers of idols perish, Israel is redeemed an everlasting redemption (acc. obj. as in Isa 14:6; Isa 22:17; Ges. §138, 1, Anm. 1), i.e., so that its redemption is one that lasts for aeons (αἰωνία λύτρωσις, Heb 9:12) - observe that teshū‛âh does not literally signify redemption or rescue, but transfer into a state of wide expanse, i.e., of freedom and happiness. The plural ‛ōlâmı̄m (eternities = αἰῶνες aeua) belongs, according to Knobel, to the later period of the language; but it is met with as early as in old Asaphite psalms (Psa 77:6). When the further promise is added, Ye shall not be put to shame, etc., this clearly shows, what is also certain on other grounds - namely, that the redemption is not thought of merely as an outward and bodily one, but also as inward and spiritual, and indeed (in accordance with the prophetic blending of the end of the captivity with the end of all things) as a final one. Israel will never bring upon itself again such a penal judgment as that of the captivity by falling away from God; that is to say, its state of sin will end with its state of punishment, even עב עד־עולמי, i.e., since עד has no plural, εἰς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.