Isaiah 43

This chapter is one of the prophecies of comfort that begin in Isaiah 40. In Isaiah 42, Israel is rebuked as a blind and deaf servant; in this chapter, the same people are called once again to be the LORD's witnesses.

Outline

• Verses 1-7 The LORD, who created and redeemed Israel, says, "Fear not." He promises to be with his people through water and fire, gives Egypt, Ethiopia (Cush), and Seba as their ransom, and pledges to gather his scattered children from the east, west, north, and south.
• Verses 8-13 A courtroom scene. The nations are challenged to bring forth their witnesses, and Israel is appointed as "my witnesses." The LORD declares that beside him there is no savior.
• Verses 14-21 The LORD announces that he will strike Babylon and put the Chaldeans to flight. After recalling the ancient deliverance in which he made a way through the sea, he tells his people not to remember the former things and foretells a new thing: a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
• Verses 22-28 Israel is rebuked for failing to honor the LORD with sacrifices and for wearying him with their sins. Nevertheless, the LORD says that he blots out their transgressions for his own sake. The passage also refers to the judgment that has come because of the transgressions of their first father and their teachers.

Key Verses

• Isaiah 43:1 "I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine." Grounded in creation and redemption, this is the central verse of the chapter's message of comfort (Isaiah 43:1-2).
• Isaiah 43:19 "Behold, I will do a new thing." The verse foretells a new salvation that surpasses the former exodus (Isaiah 43:16-21).
• Isaiah 43:25 "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." The verse shows that the ground of forgiveness lies not in the merit of the people but in God himself. To "blot out" means to wipe away completely.

People and Places

• The LORD: In this chapter he is called Creator, Redeemer, "the Holy One of Israel," and King.
• Jacob and Israel: Here the names refer not to a single individual but to the whole people of God.
• Egypt, Ethiopia (Cush), and Seba: In verse 3 they appear as the "ransom" (the price paid to buy something back) given in Israel's place. Cush is the region of the upper Nile, and many interpreters identify Seba as a region to the south near it.
• Babylon and the Chaldeans: The Chaldeans are the people of Babylon, which had taken Israel captive.

Interpretive Considerations

• Authorship and date: Many scholars regard chapters 40-55 as the work of a prophet living near the end of the Babylonian exile and commonly refer to them as "Second Isaiah" (Deutero-Isaiah). Conservative denominations and scholars hold that the eighth-century BC prophet Isaiah wrote these chapters, looking ahead to the future.
• "Former things" and "new thing": The immediate background of the text is the contrast between the crossing of the Red Sea and the return from exile. Christian tradition extends this reading to the new creation in Christ, connecting it with 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Revelation 21:5.
• The "first father" in verse 27: Interpreters variously identify him as Jacob, Abraham, or Adam.
• Connections with the New Testament: The language of a chosen people and of praise in verses 20-21 is linked with 1 Peter 2:9.
• "My witnesses" in verse 10: Jehovah's Witnesses are reported to have cited this verse as the basis for their name when they adopted it in 1931. Protestant denominations read the verse as teaching that Israel and the church are called to bear witness to God.

In the Korean Church

Verses 1-2 are frequently used in sermons and pastoral visits to comfort church members facing hardship. Verses 18-19 are often cited in New Year's sermons and at New Year's Eve watch-night services. Verse 21 is commonly used to explain the purpose of worship and praise.