Isaiah 45:24

Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(24) Surely, shall one say.—The prophet hears that confession as uttered in the far-off time.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

45:20-25 The nations are exhorted to draw near to Jehovah. None besides is able to help; he is the Saviour, who can save without the assistance of any, but without whom none can save. If the heart is brought into the obedience of Christ, the knee will cheerfully obey his commands. To Christ men shall come from every nation for blessings; all that hate his cause shall be put to shame, and all believers shall rejoice in him as their Friend and Portion. All must come to him: may we now come to him as the Lord our Righteousness, walking according to his commandments.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Surely, shall one say - Margin, 'He shall say of me, In the Lord is all righteousness and strength.' The design of the verse is, to set forth more fully the effect of the prevalence of the true religion; and the main thought is, that there shall be an universal acknowledgment that salvation and strength were in Yahweh alone. Idols and people could not save; and salvation was to be traced to Yahweh only. A literal translation of the passage would be, 'Truly in Jehovah, he said unto me,' or it is said unto me, that is, I heard it said, 'is righteousness and strength,' that is, this would be everywhere the prevailing sentiment that righteousness and strength were to be found in Yahweh alone. The sense is, first, that it was by him alone that they could be pardoned and justified; and, secondly, that it was by him alone that they could obtain strength to meet their enemies, to overcome their sins, to discharge their duties, to encounter temptations, to hear afflictions, and to support them in death. These two things, righteousness and strength, are all that man needs. The whole of religion consists essentially in the feeling that righteousness and strength are to be found in God our Saviour. The Septuagint renders this, 'Every tongue shall swear to God, saying, Righteousness and glory shall come unto him, and all those who make distinctions among them shall be ashamed.'

Even to him shall men come - For the purpose of being saved (see the notes at Isaiah 2:3).

And all that are incensed against him - All that are opposed to his government and laws.

Shall be ashamed - (See the note at Isaiah 45:16). The enemies of God shall see their own feebleness and folly; and they shall be ashamed that they have endeavored to oppose one so mighty and so glorious as the living God. The multitudes that have in various ways resisted him shall see the folly of their course, and be overwhelmed with shame that they have dared to lift the hand against the God that made the heavens. Jarchi renders this, 'All who have opposed themselves to God, shall come to him, led by penitence on account of the things which they have done, and shall be ashamed.'

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

24. Rather, "Only in Jehovah shall men say of me (this clause is parenthetical), is there righteousness" (which includes salvation, Isa 45:21, "a just God and a Saviour," Isa 46:13), &c. [Maurer].

strength—namely, to save.

shall men come—Those who have set themselves up against God shall come to Him in penitence for the past (Isa 19:22).

ashamed—(Isa 45:16; Isa 54:17; 41:11).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Shall one say; or, shall he say; each or every one of those whom he now said that they should bow their knees to God, and swear by him, Isaiah 45:23. Or, it shall be said; such active verbs being oft used impersonally.

In the Lord; by or from God alone, or the Messiah, who is the true Jehovah as well as man. Have I righteousness, to justify me from all things, from which I could not be justified by the law of Moses, as is said, Acts 13:39. This plainly points us to the Messiah, whose very name is, The Lord our Righteousness, Jeremiah 23:6, and whose great business it was to bring in everlasting righteousness, Daniel 9:24, and who is made unto us of God righteousness, 1 Corinthians 1:30. Strength; support and assistance to bear all my burdens, and overcome all my enemies, and perform all my duties. The sense is, the Gentiles shall expect and obtain from Christ both justification, or forgiveness of sins by his blood, and sanctification by his Spirit.

To him shall men come; the Gentiles shall come to God and Christ, either,

1. By constraint or necessity, to be judged by him at the last day; or,

2. Willingly, by prayer to seek, and by faith to receive, righteousness and strength from him; which seems better to agree with the foregoing clause, which speaks of true believers only. Coming to Christ is put for believing on him, Matthew 11:28 John 5:40 6:35-37, and elsewhere.

And all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed; or, but (as this particle is oft rendered)

all that are, & c. But all his implacable enemies shall be brought to shame and punishment.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength,.... That is, one and everyone of these that shall be brought to submit to Christ, and to confess him, shall declare it as their faith, that in Christ alone is their "righteousness or righteousnesses" (f); that they have a full and complete righteousness in him, and which serves for many; consisting of the holiness of his nature, the obedience of his life, and his sufferings of death; by which the law is honoured, justice satisfied, God is well pleased, and they are acquainted and discharged; and which is pure, perfect, and everlasting, is given them of grace, and entitles them to eternal life; and this they have in Christ as their covenant head and representative, and which they come to have by being in him: it is not inherent in them, but is in Christ, by whom it is wrought out, and becomes theirs by the imputation of it to them, and which they receive by faith; and this is an act of faith concerning it here expressed, and which declares the certainty of it, and of interest in it, and excludes all other: for it may be rendered, "only in the Lord", &c. (g); and seems to be spoken with great joy, in an exulting way, and what may be said at all times; for this righteousness is always in Christ, and "strength" likewise to enable them to exercise every grace; to do the will and work of God; to bear afflictions; to withstand Satan's temptations, and oppose their own corruptions; and to which they have not sufficient strength in themselves, but there is enough in Christ. Some take these to be the words of the prophet, and differently interpret them. Some thus, as Abendana observes,

"saith the prophet, these future things I know not in a way of wisdom, but by the Lord, who saith unto me, my God of righteousness and strength.''

Aben Ezra thus,

"surely in the Lord that speaketh with me alone are righteousness and strength.''

Joseph Kimchi takes it to be in the form of an oath,

"the prophet said, I swear by the name of the Lord, that unto me he saith, righteousness and strength unto him shall come; as if he had said, the author or doer of righteousness and strength shall draw near to him, and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.''

Even to him shall men come: or everyone of the above persons; they shall come to Christ, not merely to his word and ordinances, but to himself by faith; for righteousness and strength; for peace and pardon; for spiritual rest, joy, and comfort; for food and clothing; for all supplies of grace, and for eternal life; or if not in a way of grace now, they shall come to him, and appear before him at the last judgment, whether they will or not.

And all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed; that are incensed against his person, his deity, personality, and divine sonship; against his blood, righteousness, sacrifice, and satisfaction; against his offices, kingdom, and glory; these shall be ashamed, either when they are convinced of the truth of these things now, or however when they shall appear in his glory at the last day. Kimchi connects this verse with the preceding, thus,

"he saith, every tongue shall swear verily by the Lord alone, and not by another god; and so saith God, I have righteousness and strength to give to them that serve me; and all the people who are incensed against me, and reject my service unto that day, then shall they come unto him, and confess before him, and shall be ashamed for what they have done.''

The Targum is,

"in his word they shall confess, and all the people shall be confounded with their idols, who rush upon his people.''

(f) "justitiae", Montanus; "omnis justitia", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. (g) "tantummodo in Jehova", Junius & Tremellius; "duntaxat in Domino", Tigurine version; "tantam", Cocceius. So some in Vatablus.

Geneva Study Bible

Surely, {c} shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are {d} incensed against him shall be ashamed.

(c) Meaning the faithful will feel and confess this.

(d) All the contemners of God.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 24. - Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness; rather, only in the Lord, shall each man say to me. is their righteousness. All shall confess that God alone is righteous, and that any goodness which they have is derived from him. The Hebrew has "righteousnesses" in the plural, to express abundance. All that are incensed; rather, all that were incensed (see Isaiah 41:11). Such persons shall repent and be ashamed. Isaiah 45:24

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

This bending of the knee, this confession as an oath of homage, will be no forced one. Isaiah 45:24 "Only in Jehovah, do men say of me, is fulness of righteousness and strength; they come to Him, and all that were incensed against Him are put to shame." The parenthetical insertion of אמר לי ל, with reference to, as in Isaiah 41:7; Isaiah 44:26, Isaiah 44:28) is the same as in Psalm 119:57. אך has a restrictive sense here, which springs out of the affirmative (cf., Psalm 39:7; Psalm 73:1), just as, in the case of raq, the affirmative grows out of the primary restrictive sense. The "righteousness" is abounding (superabundant) righteousness (Romans 5:15.). עז is the strength of sanctification, and of the conquest of the world. The subject to יבוא (which is not to be changed, according to the Masora, into the more natural יבאּוּ, as it is by the lxx, Syr., and Vulg.) is, whoever has seen what man has in Jehovah, and made confession of this; such a man does not rest till he has altogether come over to Jehovah, whereas all His enemies are put to shame. They separate themselves irretrievably from the men who serve Him, the restoration of whom is His direct will, and the goal of the history of salvation. Isaiah 45:25 "In Jehovah all the seed of Israel shall become righteous, and shall glory." Ruetschi has very properly observed on this verse, that the reference is to the Israel of God out of all the human race, i.e., the church of the believers in Israel expanded by the addition of the heathen; which church is now righteous, i.e., reconciled and renewed by Jehovah, and glories in Him, because by grace it is what it is.

This brings the sixth prophecy to a close. Its five strophes commence with "Thus saith the Lord;" at the same time, the fifth strophe has two "woes" (hoi) before this, as the ground upon which it rests.