King James Version
Isaiah 43
28 verses with commentary
Israel's Only Savior
But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
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When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
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For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
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The phrase "I gave Egypt for thy ransom" employs the Hebrew kopher (ransom, covering), a legal term for substitutionary payment. God providentially orchestrated Cyrus's conquest of Egypt, Ethiopia, and Seba (modern Sudan and Yemen) as part of the geopolitical arrangements enabling Israel's return from exile. This historical ransom foreshadows the ultimate ransom of Christ's blood (Mark 10:45, 1 Peter 1:18-19).
From a Reformed perspective, this demonstrates God's sovereign grace in election - Israel did not earn redemption but received it as unmerited favor. God values His chosen people so highly that nations serve as ransom payment. This prefigures the New Covenant where Christ's precious blood ransoms an elect people from every nation (Revelation 5:9).
Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. life: or, person
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The term kabad (honourable, weighty) connects to glory-weight in Hebrew thought. God glorifies His chosen by association with His own honor. The perfect tense "I have loved thee" (ahavticha) indicates completed, settled divine affection - God's love is not conditional upon response or obedience but grounds covenant relationship itself.
"Therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life" extends the ransom metaphor. Reformed theology sees here the doctrine of limited atonement foreshadowed - Christ's death has particular, effectual application to the elect. God values His chosen so highly that humanity itself serves as exchange currency. This prioritization offends egalitarian sensibilities but reveals the scandal of sovereign grace - God loves whom He chooses, creating infinite value through electing love.
Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
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I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
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Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
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Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
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Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.
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Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. no: or, nothing formed of God
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I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.
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I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.
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Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it? let it: Heb. turn it back?
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Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships. nobles: Heb. bars
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I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.
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Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;
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Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.
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Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
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Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
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Shall ye not know it? challenges Israel to recognize God's new work. The promise a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert (נְהָרוֹת בַּיְשִׁמוֹן, neharot bayeshimon) reverses the Exodus pattern—where Moses struck rock for water, now rivers flow perpetually. This prophesies both the return from Babylonian exile and, ultimately, the new covenant era when the Spirit flows like rivers (John 7:38-39) and Christ becomes the Way (John 14:6) through barren human religion.
The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls : because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. owls: or, ostriches: Heb. daughters of the owl
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This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.
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But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.
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Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense. small: Heb. lambs, or, kids
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Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities. filled: Heb. made me drunk, or, abundantly moistened
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I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
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Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.
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Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me. teachers: Heb. interpreters
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Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches. princes: or, holy princes
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"Given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches" employs cherem (curse, devoted thing to destruction) - the same term used for Canaanite cities under divine ban. Israel's covenant violations warranted the same judgment God executed on pagan nations. This verse bridges Isaiah's promises of restoration (vv. 1-27) with the reality of deserved judgment. God's grace does not eliminate accountability; even the elect endure temporal judgment for covenant unfaithfulness.
Reformed theology finds here the doctrine of covenant chastisement - God disciplines His children precisely because they are His children (Hebrews 12:5-11). The Babylonian exile was not divine abandonment but paternal correction. Yet this judgment also points forward to Christ, the true Prince of the Sanctuary, who would be profaned (Mark 15:29) to bear the curse and reproaches His people deserved (Galatians 3:13).