Isaiah 44:7

The proof of Isaiah 44:6 is found in the incontestable fact of prophecy (as ch. Isaiah 41:22 ff., Isaiah 43:9; Isaiah 43:12; &c.). The verse as translated in A.V. and R.V. reads very awkwardly; it would have to be paraphrased thus: "And which of the other gods shall call etc., as I have done since I appointed the ancient people?" But the distance of the last clause from the "as I" on which it depends is so great as to make the construction unnatural. It is better, with most commentators, to suppose a parenthesis, and render thus: "And who, as I, proclaims (and let him declare it and set it in order before me) since I founded the people of antiquity?" But a parenthesis is always more or less suspicious in a Hebrew sentence, and this one is doubly so on account of the "and" which introduces it. The LXX. reads, "And who is like me? Let him standand proclaim &c." The additional verb ("stand") is likely to be original, and the construction of the first part of the clause is faultless. The only difficulty is presented by the temporal clause, "since I appointed" etc., on which see below.

call means proclaim or "prophesy," as in ch. Isaiah 40:6.

set[it] in order used of the arrangement of discourse, as Job 32:14; Psalms 50:21; Isaiah 44:3.

since I appointed the Better: "since I founded the people of antiquity." The most probable meaning is that prophecy has been continuous during the long period since Israel was formed into a nation. Some take the expression to denote the earliest population of the world (cf. ch. Isaiah 41:4); but this is less likely. Ewald applies it to Israel, but in the sense "everlasting people." In Ezekiel 26:20 the same phrase is used of the shades in the underworld.

Several difficulties in the verse are got rid of by an attractive emendation of Oort (followed by Duhm), which makes this clause read; "who hath announced from of old?" (מי השמיע מעולם instead of עם־עולם משמי; cf. ch. Isaiah 45:21). The whole verse would then be rendered: And who is like me? Let him stand and proclaim, and declare it and set in order to me. Who hath announced from of old future things? and things to come let them declare.

things that are comingand that shall comeare equivalent expressions; there is no foundation for Delitzsch's notion that the former denotes the future in general, and the latter the immediate future (see on ch. Isaiah 41:22).