Clarke speaks for those who believe Abraham is the one from the east: “Some explain it of Abraham, others of Cyrus. Then he turned south to conquer Babylon (539 B.C.).” Bultema adds regarding Cyrus: “Both secular and sacred documents present him as righteous and good, and he can be called righteous or, as the text actually has it, justice, especially since he carried out the righteous acts of vengeance on Babylon and that of the deliverance of Israel.” Shortly after 550 B.C., Cyrus was able to unify the Medes and the Persians and to defeat the powerful kingdom of Lydia in Asia Minor. Wolf speaks for those who believe Cyrus is spoken of: “Born east of Babylon in what is now Iran, Cyrus would move through country after country, conquering every king in his path. Most believe him to be either Abraham, the patriarch of the Jewish people and the father of the faithful, or Cyrus, the king who joined the Medes and the Persians into a fighting force which conquered Babylon – which, prophetically, is the broad time context Isaiah speaks to. Commentators warmly debate the identity of this one from the east. Who raised up the one from the east? God questions the idolaters from the distant lands, and asks them who authored this important event in human history – who raised up the one from the east? Who in righteousness called him to His feet?īy the way that he had not gone with his feet?Ĭalling the generations from the beginning?Ī. Any one of these is a good reason to initially be silent in the LORD’s presence. There is the silence of shame, the silence of attention, the silence of submission. There are many different reasons for silence. They will have the opportunity to speak, though they must enter His courtroom in silence, out of respect for His majesty. Let them come near, then let them speak: God will allow the idol worshippers of all the world to come before Him and justify their idolatry. Perhaps as the exiles renew their strength in the true God, so the nations are ironically exhorted to do the same – but in their man-made deities!” (Grogan)Ĭ. “The repetition of the phrase ‘renew their strength’ (cf. The problem is that while those who wait upon the LORD have the LORD’s limitless strength, those from distant lands have no god of strength to help them. If you are going to contest with God, you had better be prepared. But here, God advises the people – those in the distant lands, who do not know Him – to renew their strength as they come into His courtroom. And let the people renew their strength: Isaiah 40:31 has just promised that those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength. Bultema on coastlands: “a poetic name for the idolatrous distant nations.” Motyer: “Isaiah uses the word as shorthand for the far reaches of the earth.”ī. Why? Because they are coming to God’s courtroom: Let us come near together for judgment. The idea is probably best expressed as “distant lands.” Here, God is calling to all nations – even the “distant lands” – to keep silence before Him. It is also translated with broader words like territory in passages like Isaiah 20:6. Keep silence before Me, O coastlands: The Hebrew word translated coastlands is also translated islands or isles in other passages, such as Isaiah 11:11, 40:15. (1) A command and an invitation to the coastlands.Ī.
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