Old Testament Commentary - Isaiah 46

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 46 Idols are not to be compared with the Lord—He alone is God and shall save Israel.
1 ^aBEL boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a ^bburden to the weary beast. 2 ^aThey stoop, they bow down together, they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.
3 ¶ Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the ^aremnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb: 4 And even to your ^aold age I am he; and even to ^bhoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will ^ccarry, and will ^ddeliver you.
5 ¶ To whom will ye ^aliken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like? 6 They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they ^aworship. 7 They ^abear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall ^bcry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble. 8 Remember this, and shew yourselves ^amen: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors.
9 ^aRemember the ^bformer things of old: for ^cI am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is ^dnone like me, 10 ^aDeclaring the ^bend from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My ^ccounsel shall stand, and I will do all my ^dpleasure: 11 Calling a ^aravenous bird from the ^beast, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have ^cspoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. 12 ¶ Hearken unto me, ye ^astouthearted, that are far from righteousness: 13 I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my ^asalvation shall not ^btarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory^a.	13^a I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory Zion in all of its meanings is were the Lord places salvation; in the 'pure in heart', in the various places where the Lord does establish his people, or the restoration and of the various gatherings. It is a state of being, an actual place of being and it is the establishment of the Lord's kingdom on earth unto heaven. Zion is the Lord's people, the community of Christ, the followers of righteousness and where two or three be gathered in his name, he is there also.