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Selected Verse: Isaiah 41:4 - Strong Concordance
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Isa 41:4 |
Strong Concordance |
Who hath wrought [06466] and done [06213] it, calling [07121] the generations [01755] from the beginning [07218]? I the LORD [03068], the first [07223], and with the last [0314]; I am he. |
| |
King James |
Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
Who--else but God?
calling . . . generations from . . . beginning--The origin and position of all nations are from God (Deu 32:8; Act 17:26); what is true of Cyrus and his conquests is true of all the movements of history from the first; all are from God.
with the last--that is, the last (Isa 44:6; Isa 48:12). |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Who hath wrought and done it? - By whom has all this been accomplished? Has it been by the arm of Cyrus? Has it been by human skill and powers. The design of this question is obvious. It is to direct attention to the fact that all this had been done by God, and that he who had raised up such a man, and had accomplished all this by means of him, had power to deliver his people.
Calling the generations from the beginning - The idea here seems to be, that all the nations that dwell on the earth in every place owed their origin to God (compare Act 17:26). The word 'calling' here, seems to be used in the sense of commanding, directing, or ordering them; and the truth taught is, that all the nations were under his control, and had been from the beginning. It was not only true of Cyrus, and of those who were subdued before him, but it was true of all nations and generations. The object seems to be, to lift up the thoughts from the conquests of Cyrus to God's universal dominion over all kingdoms from the beginning of the world.
I the Lord, the first - Before any creature was made; existing before any other being. The description that God here gives of himself as 'the first and the last,' is one that is often applied to him in the Scriptures, and is one that properly expresses eternity (see Isa 44:6; Isa 48:12). It is remarkable also that this expression, which so obviously implies proper eternity, is applied to the Lord Jesus in Rev 1:17; Rev 22:13.
And with the last - The usual form in which this is expressed is simply 'the last' Isa 44:6; Isa 48:12. The idea here seems to be, 'and with the last, I am the same;' that is, I am unchanging and eternal. None will subsist after me; since with the last of all created objects I shall be the same that I was in the beginning. Nothing would survive God; or in other words, he would exist forever and ever. The argument here is, that to this unchanging and eternal God, who had thus raised up and directed Cyrus, and who had control over all nations, they might commit themselves with unwavering confidence, and be assured that he was able to protect and deliver them. |
| Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
| The great fact of the present time, which not one of the gods of the heathen can boast of having brought to pass, is now explained. Jehovah is its author. "Who hath wrought and executed it? He who calleth the generations of men from the beginning, I Jehovah am first, and with the last am I He." The synonyms פּעל and עשׂה are distinguished from each other in the same way as "to work" (or bring about) and "to realize" (or carry out). Hence the meaning is, Who is the author to whom both the origin and progress of such an occurrence are to be referred? It is He who "from the beginning," i.e., ever since there has been a human history, has called into existence the generations of men through His authoritative command. And this is no other than Jehovah, who can declare of Himself, in contrast with the heathen and their gods, who are of yesterday, and tomorrow will not be: I am Jehovah, the very first, whose being precedes all history; and with the men of the latest generations yet to come "I am it." הוּא is not introduced here to strengthen the subject, ego ille "I and no other," as in Isa 37:16, which see); but, as in Isa 43:10, Isa 43:13; Isa 56:4; Isa 48:12, it is a predicate of the substantive clause, ego sum is (ille), viz., 'Elōhı̄m; or even as in Psa 102:28 (cf., Job 3:19 and Heb 13:8), ego sum idem (Hitzig). They are both included, without any distinction in the assertion. He is this, viz., God throughout all ages, and is through all ages He, i.e., the Being who is ever the same in this His deity. It is the full meaning of the name Jehovah which is unfolded here; for God is called Jehovah as the absolute I, the absolutely free Being, pervading all history, and yet above all history, as He who is Lord of His own absolute being, in revealing which He is purely self-determined; in a word, as the unconditionally free and unchangeably eternal personality. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| Calling - Them out of nothing, giving them breath and being: disposing and employing them as he sees fit. From the beginning - All persons and generations of mankind from the beginning of the world. I - Who was before all things even from eternity, and shall be unto eternity. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
| Who hath wrought and done it "Who hath performed and made these things" - A word is here lost out of the text. It is sups plied by an ancient MS., אלה elleh, "these things; "and by the Septuagint, ταυτα; and by the Vulgate, haec; and by the Chaldee, אלן elin; all of the same meaning. |
12 Hearken [08085] unto me, O Jacob [03290] and Israel [03478], my called [07121]; I am he; I am the first [07223], I also am the last [0314].
6 Thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068] the King [04428] of Israel [03478], and his redeemer [01350] the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635]; I am the first [07223], and I am the last [0314]; and beside [01107] me there is no God [0430].
26 And [5037] hath made [4160] of [1537] one [1520] blood [129] all [3956] nations [1484] of men [444] for to dwell [2730] on [1909] all [3956] the face [4383] of the earth [1093], and hath determined [3724] the times [2540] before appointed [4384], and [2532] the bounds [3734] of their [846] habitation [2733];
8 When the most High [05945] divided [05157] to the nations [01471] their inheritance [05157], when he separated [06504] the sons [01121] of Adam [0120], he set [05324] the bounds [01367] of the people [05971] according to the number [04557] of the children [01121] of Israel [03478].
12 Hearken [08085] unto me, O Jacob [03290] and Israel [03478], my called [07121]; I am he; I am the first [07223], I also am the last [0314].
6 Thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068] the King [04428] of Israel [03478], and his redeemer [01350] the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635]; I am the first [07223], and I am the last [0314]; and beside [01107] me there is no God [0430].
13 I [1473] am [1510] Alpha [1] and [2532] Omega [5598], the beginning [746] and [2532] the end [5056], the first [4413] and [2532] the last [2078].
17 And [2532] when [3753] I saw [1492] him [846], I fell [4098] at [4314] his [846] feet [4228] as [5613] dead [3498]. And [2532] he laid [2007] his [846] right [1188] hand [5495] upon [1909] me [1691], saying [3004] unto me [3427], Fear [5399] not [3361]; I [1473] am [1510] the first [4413] and [2532] the last [2078]:
12 Hearken [08085] unto me, O Jacob [03290] and Israel [03478], my called [07121]; I am he; I am the first [07223], I also am the last [0314].
6 Thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068] the King [04428] of Israel [03478], and his redeemer [01350] the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635]; I am the first [07223], and I am the last [0314]; and beside [01107] me there is no God [0430].
26 And [5037] hath made [4160] of [1537] one [1520] blood [129] all [3956] nations [1484] of men [444] for to dwell [2730] on [1909] all [3956] the face [4383] of the earth [1093], and hath determined [3724] the times [2540] before appointed [4384], and [2532] the bounds [3734] of their [846] habitation [2733];
8 Jesus [2424] Christ [5547] the same [846] yesterday [5504], and [2532] to day [4594], and [2532] for [1519] ever [165].
19 The small [06996] and great [01419] are there; and the servant [05650] is free [02670] from his master [0113].
28 The children [01121] of thy servants [05650] shall continue [07931], and their seed [02233] shall be established [03559] before [06440] thee.
12 Hearken [08085] unto me, O Jacob [03290] and Israel [03478], my called [07121]; I am he; I am the first [07223], I also am the last [0314].
4 For thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068] unto the eunuchs [05631] that keep [08104] my sabbaths [07676], and choose [0977] the things that please [02654] me, and take hold [02388] of my covenant [01285];
13 Yea, before the day [03117] was I am he; and there is none that can deliver [05337] out of my hand [03027]: I will work [06466], and who shall let [07725] it?
10 Ye are my witnesses [05707], saith [05002] the LORD [03068], and my servant [05650] whom I have chosen [0977]: that ye may know [03045] and believe [0539] me, and understand [0995] that I am he: before [06440] me there was no God [0410] formed [03335], neither shall there be after [0310] me.
16 O LORD [03068] of hosts [06635], God [0430] of Israel [03478], that dwellest [03427] between the cherubims [03742], thou art the God [0430], even thou alone, of all the kingdoms [04467] of the earth [0776]: thou hast made [06213] heaven [08064] and earth [0776].