βKeep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.β
Islands, near Asia, whose conversion Isaias often predicts, (Calmet) as he does that of all nations. (Haydock) β God continues to prove his divinity, (Calmet) expostulating with idolaters, whose conversion is insinuated, and among the rest that of Britain, which is the most renowned island in Europe. (Bristow, anot. 11.) (Worthington)
βWho raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow. the righteous: Heb. righteousnessβ
Just one. Septuagint, βjustice.β Christ, (Eusebius; St. Jerome) Abraham, (Chaldean; Grotius) or Cyrus, whose conquests were effects of Godβs providence, ver. 10., and chap. xlv. β Kings. Cyrus liberated Persia, conquered Babylon and all Asia.
βHe pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet. safely: Heb. in peaceβ
Feet. His march and victories shall be so rapid, like those of Alexander the Great, Daniel viii. 5.
βWho hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.β
Beginning. Disposing all things, as the conquests of Cyrus, announced so long before by name, evince. β Last. Alpha and Omega, Apocalypse i. 8., and xxii. 13.
βThe isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.β
Islands. People of Asia Minor, Genesis x. 5. (Calmet) β The Babylonians made a league with the most potent king CrΕsus, to oppose the young conqueror. (Xenophon B. i.)
βSo the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved. goldsmith: or, founder him: or, the smiting saying: or, saying of the soder, It is goodβ
Moved. Thus the nations conspire against Cyrus (Calmet) and the Messias. (Haydock)
βFear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.β
Upheld thee. Cyrus shall gain the victory, and give thee liberty.
βFear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. men: or, few menβ
Dead. Though you were in the grave, I could protect you. Captivity is often represented under this idea. (Calmet) β You who are despised, fear not, since Christ will protect and reward you. (Worthington)
βBehold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. teeth: Heb. mouthsβ
Chaff. Cambyses perished on the mountains of Judea, (Haydock) and the Machabees gained many victories over the Syrians, Micheas iv. 13., and Ezechiel xxxix. (Calmet) β They are here meant, as their exploits resembled those of Cyrus. (Houbigant)
βI will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.β
Waters. The captives shall be refreshed in the deserts, chap. xxxv. 6., and xliii. 20. (Calmet)
βI will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together:β
The thorn. In Hebrew, the shitta or setim, a tree resembling the whitethorn. (Challoner) (St. Jerome) β A fragrant shade shall speedily rise up, Baruch v. 6. (Calmet)
βProduce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. Produce: Heb. Cause to come nearβ
Thing. Add βstrong,β forte, (Haydock) any good proof of idolatry.
βShew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.β
Good. The prescience and power of God prove his divinity. Can idols produce any thing similar? (Calmet) β None can tell what will happen, unless God reveal it. (Worthington)
βBehold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you. of nothing: or, worse than nothing of nought: or, worse than of a viperβ
Work. All that you can do or promise. Hebrew, βyour work is worse than a viper.β
βI have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth clay.β
Sun. Cyrus had a Persian for his father, and a Mede for his mother; thus uniting both nations, (Calmet) so that he was styled a mule by an ancient oracle. (Eusebius, prΔp. ix. 41.) β These countries lay to the north-east of Judea. (Calmet)
βWho hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.β
Just, or βthe just one,β (Haydock) that we may recognise Cyrus at once. β Your words. He addresses the idols. You cannot dive into futurity. (Calmet)
βFor I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counsellor, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word. answer: Heb. returnβ
I. Isaias, (Menochius) or God, (Haydock) pronounces sentence against the speechless idols. (Menochius)