created first., the heavens or the earth; at which R.
Simeon ben Jochai wondered, since, according to the
text, they were both created together {l}; though this
may be understood of the consistence and permanency
of the heavens and the earth, being upheld by the
Lord, and by the word of his power, and of the ready
obedience of the heavenly bodies to do his will, who,
like servants, rise up at once. at the word of his com-
mand; see ch. xl. 26.
Ver. 14. All ye assemble yourselves, and hear, &c.]
That is, the people of the Jews, Jacob and Israel his
called, before addressed; who are bid to gather to-
gether, and draw nigh, that they might hear what the
Lord had to say to them: which among them hath de-
clared these things? that are future, that concern the
redemption and salvation of Israel ? which of all the
idols among the nations, or of the priests and sooth-
sayers among them, whom the Jews were prone to
listen to, that could foretel things to come, such as
these the Lord had said should be ? the Lord hath loved
him; not Israel, as the Targum; but Cyrus, whom
the Lord-loved as a man, as he does all his creatures;
and whom he distinguished from others, by bestowing
excellent qualifications on him; and whom he raised
to great dignity, and gave him great henour, by using
him as an instrument in his hand for the deliverance
of his people; and who was a type of Christ, the dear'
Son of God's love, in whom he is always well-pleased.
He will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall
be on the Chaldeans; either he shall do as he pleases
with Babylon, and with his army destroy the Chal-
deans; or he shall do the pleasure of God on Babylon,
and destroy the inhabitants of it, and deliver his peo-
ple from it. This is also true of Christ, who will do
his pleasure on mystical Babylon, destroy antichrist,
and all the antichristian states, with his mighty arm
and power, with the breath of his mouth, and with
the brightness of his coming.
Vet. 1'5. I, even I, have spoken, &c.] What I will
do, and what shall certainly come to pass; for not one
word of the Lord ever fails; what he has spoken he
will make good; what he has said to his son in his
council, and in covenant, or has delivered out by pro-
mise or prophecy, Numb. xxiii. 19: yea, I have called
him; not Abraham, as the Targum; but Cyrus, whom
he called by name, as well as called him to his work
and office as a deliverer of his people, ch. xlv. 4. and
so he called Christ also to his work and office, which
he did not take to himself, but was called of God,
Heb. v. 4, 5: I have brought him; from a far country,
from Persia to Babylon; and who has also brought
forth his servant, the branch, the Messiah, Zech. iii. 8:
and he shall make his way prosperous; or his way shall
be prosperous {m}; being made so by the Lord, who di-
rected his way, and removed all difficulties and ob-
structions in it, ch. xlv. 1, 2, 3, 5, 13. and so the plea-
sure of the Lord has prospered in the hands of Christ,
who has succeeded in the work of redemption and sal-
vation he was called to, Isa, ISIS. 11. these are the words
of God the Father, confirming what the Messiah said
in the preceding, and who is introduced speaking in
the next verse.
Ver. 16. Come ye near unto me, hear ye this, &c.]
An address to the Jews, to attend the ministry of
Christ, and hear the doctrine he had delivered to them: 
I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the
beginning of his ministry; which be exercised not in
private houses, but in the synagogues of the Jews, and
in the temple, whither a large concourse of people re-
sorted, John xviii. 20: from the time that it was, there
am I; from the time that his ministry began there, he
was in the same places, in Judea and Galilee, alwayt
publicly preaching the Gospel, and doing good: or ra-
ther, before the time that it was, there was I{n}; Christ
existed before his incarnation, before he appeared
the great Prophet in Israel; he existed as the Word
and Son of God from all eternity, and was with God
his Father from everlasting; he was by him, and
brought up with him, and lay in his bosom so early:
and now the Lord God and his Spirit hath sent me; in
the fulness of time, in the likeness of sinful flesh, to
preach the Gospel, fulfil the law, and to redeem and
save the Lord's people. Here is a glorious. testimony
of a trinity of Persons in the Godhead; Christ the
Son of God is sent in human nature, and as Mediator
Jehovah the Father and the Spirit are the senders of 
him; and so is a proof of the mission, commission, and
authority of Christ, who came not of himself, but was
sent of God, John viii. 42. it may be rendered, and now
the Lord God hath sent me and his Spirit{*}; both were
sent of God, and in this order; first, Christ, to be the
Redeemer and SaySour; and then the Spirit, to be the
Convincer and Comforter; see John xiv. 267. and xv.
and xvi. 7, 8.
Ver. 17..Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeem.er, &c.] A
character peculiar to Christ, who engaged in covenant
to be the Redeemer of his people; was promised and
prophesied of as such; and who came into this world
for this purpose, and has obtained eternal redemption:
the holy One of Israel; who came of Israel as man, and
as such was holy, and without any spot or stain of sin
and who, as God, is the most holy, in his nature and
works; and, as Mediator, the Sanctifier of Israel, and
is in the midst of them as such: 1 am the Lord thy
God; and so fit to be the Redeemer and Sanctifier of
them; and happy are those who can say with Thomas,
my Lord and my God; and who further describes him-
self, and declares his work and office: which teacheth
thee to profit; or teacheth thee profitable things P; as
the whole of the Gospel ministry is, whether it respects
doctrines relating to the knowledge of the Persons in
the Godhead; the knowledge of God in Christ; the
person and offices of Christ; and the person and ope-
rations of the Spirit: or to the knowledge of man; his
lost and depraved state; having sinned in Adam, the
guilt of his sin is imputed to him, and a corrupt na-
ture propagated; the bias of the mind being to evil,
and man impotent to all that is good: or to the way of

{l} Vid. T. Bab. Chagigah, fol. 12.1.
{m} \^wkrd xyluhw\^ et prosperabitur via ejus, Pagninus, Montanus;
critique prospera via ejus, Vitringa.
{n} \^htwyh tem\^ ex temporeantequam fieret, V.L. nondum existente
tempore horum eventuum, Forerius.
{o} \^wxwrw ynxlv\^ misit me & spiritum ejus, Lutherus, Castalio; &
spiritum suum, Cocceius, Vitringa.
{p} \^lyewhl\^ utilia, Vulg. Lat. quae prosunt sunt, Tigurine version;
ea quae prosunt, Piscator; so the Targum; condueibilia, Vitringa.