Isaiah 48

King James Version

Full text for Isaiah Chapter 48

1¶ Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, [but] not in truth, nor in righteousness.

2For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts [is] his name.

3I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did [them] suddenly, and they came to pass.

4Because I knew that thou [art] obstinate, and thy neck [is] an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;

5I have even from the beginning declared [it] to thee; before it came to pass I shewed [it] thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.

6Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare [it]? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.

7They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.

8Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time [that] thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.

9¶ For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.

10Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

11For mine own sake, [even] for mine own sake, will I do [it]: for how should [my name] be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.

12Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I [am] he; I [am] the first, I also [am] the last.

13Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: [when] I call unto them, they stand up together.

14All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these [things]? The LORD hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm [shall be on] the Chaldeans.

15I, [even] I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.

16¶ Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there [am] I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me.

17Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I [am] the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way [that] thou shouldest go.

18O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:

19Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.

20Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it [even] to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob.

21And they thirsted not [when] he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.

22[There is] no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

God rebukes Israel for their insincere worship and obstinacy, despite their claims of faith. He asserts His divine foreknowledge, revealing both past and new prophecies, and declares He refrains from destroying them for His own name's sake, refining them in affliction. God, the Creator and Redeemer, commands Israel to depart from Babylon, reminding them of His faithful provision. The chapter concludes with a warning that there is no peace for the wicked.

Medium Summary

The chapter opens with God rebuking the house of Jacob for their insincere worship, swearing by the LORD but not in truth, despite their identification with the holy city. God asserts His omnipotence and foreknowledge, having declared former things to prevent Israel from crediting idols, and now reveals new, hidden things, acknowledging Israel's inherent treachery. For His own name's sake, God defers His anger, having refined Israel in the furnace of affliction rather than cutting them off, so His glory is not given to another. He reiterates His identity as the First and Last, the Creator, and declares His purpose to use a chosen one against Babylon. The Lord, their Redeemer, laments Israel's disobedience, which prevented their peace and prosperity, and commands them to joyfully depart from Babylon, recalling His past miraculous provision. The chapter concludes with the stark declaration that the wicked have no peace.

Long Summary

Isaiah 48 begins with a stern address to the house of Jacob, identifying them as Israel who swear by the LORD and mention the God of Israel, yet do so without truth or righteousness, despite their association with the holy city. God asserts His divine foreknowledge, explaining that He declared former things from the beginning and brought them to pass suddenly, knowing Israel's obstinate and unyielding nature. This was specifically to prevent them from attributing these events to their idols. God then reveals new, hidden things, which were created recently and unknown to Israel, again highlighting their inherent treachery and their being transgressors from birth. Despite Israel's unfaithfulness, God declares that for His own name's sake and praise, He will defer His anger and refrain from utterly destroying them. He states that He has refined them, not as silver, but has chosen them in the furnace of affliction, emphasizing that He acts for His own glory and will not share it with another. God then calls upon Jacob and Israel, reaffirming His eternal nature as the First and the Last, and His role as the Creator who laid the earth's foundation and spanned the heavens. He challenges others to declare His works, then announces His love for one whom He has called to execute His will upon Babylon and the Chaldeans, promising to make his way prosperous. The prophet, sent by the Lord GOD and His Spirit, declares that God has not spoken in secret. The LORD, identified as Israel's Redeemer and the Holy One, teaches them to profit and guides them in the way they should go. God expresses a lament, wishing Israel had hearkened to His commandments, for then their peace would have flowed like a river, their righteousness like the waves of the sea, and their offspring would have been countless and enduring. Finally, Israel is commanded to depart from Babylon with voices of singing, proclaiming to the ends of the earth that the LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob. A reminder of God's past miraculous provision in the wilderness, causing water to flow from the rock, precedes the concluding, solemn declaration: "There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked."

Core Concepts

  • Israel's HypocrisyIsrael is rebuked for outwardly acknowledging God and swearing by His name, yet doing so without truth or righteousness, indicating a disconnect between their profession and practice.
  • Divine Foreknowledge and PurposeGod emphasizes His ability to declare events from the beginning, bringing them to pass suddenly, specifically to demonstrate His sovereignty and prevent Israel from attributing His works to idols.
  • God's Refinement of IsraelDespite Israel's treachery, God refrains from destroying them, instead choosing to refine them in the 'furnace of affliction' for His own name's sake, rather than with silver.
  • God's Uniqueness and GloryThe LORD declares Himself as the First and the Last, the Creator of all things, asserting that He will not give His glory to another, underscoring His singular deity and power.
  • Redemption from BabylonIsrael is commanded to joyfully depart from Babylon, proclaiming God's redemption, a call to liberation and a reminder of God's faithfulness in delivering His people.
  • Consequences of DisobedienceGod laments Israel's failure to obey His commandments, stating that their peace, righteousness, and prosperity would have been vastly greater if they had hearkened to His guidance.
  • No Peace for the WickedThe chapter concludes with a definitive statement that those who are wicked, failing to follow God's ways, will not experience true peace from the Lord.