411 Keep silent towards Me, O isles, And the peoples pass on 'to' power, They come nigh, then they speak, 'Together—to judgment we draw near.' 2 Who stirred up from the east a righteous one? He calleth him to His foot, He giveth before him nations, And kings He causeth him to rule, He giveth 'them' as dust 'to' his sword, As driven stubble 'to' his bow. 3 He pursueth them, he passeth over in safety A path with his feet he entereth not. 4 Who hath wrought and done, Calling the generations from the first? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last I 'am' He. 5 Seen have isles and fear, ends of the earth tremble, They have drawn near, yea, they come. 6 Each his neighbour they help, And to his brother he saith, 'Be strong.' 7 And strengthen doth an artizan the refiner, A smoother 'with' a hammer, Him who is beating 'on' an anvil, Saying, 'For joining it 'is' good,' And he strengtheneth it with nails, it is not moved! 8 —And thou, O Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, Seed of Abraham, My lover, 9 Whom I have taken hold of, from the ends of the earth, And from its near places I have called thee, And I say to thee, My servant Thou 'art', I have chosen thee, and not rejected thee.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Isaiah 41:1-9
Commentary on Isaiah 41:1-9
(Read Isaiah 41:1-9)
Can any heathen god raise up one in righteousness, make what use of him he pleases, and make him victorious over the nations? The Lord did so with Abraham, or rather, he would do so with Cyrus. Sinners encourage one another in the ways of sin; shall not the servants of the living God stir up one another in his service? God's people are the seed of Abraham his friend. This is certainly the highest title ever given to a mortal. It means that Abraham, by Divine grace, was made like to God, and that he was admitted to communion with Him. Happy are the servants of the Lord, whom he has called to be his friends, and to walk with him in faith and holy obedience. Let not such as have thus been favoured yield to fear; for the contest may be sharp, but the victory shall be sure.