Isaiah 44:27

That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: THAT SAITH TO THE DEEP, BE DRY, AND I WILL DRY UP THY RIVERS - referring to the Euphrates, which has turned into a different channel, close to Babylon, by Cyrus, who thereby took the city. "The deep" is applied to Euphrates, as "sea" is, . "Rivers" refers to the artificial canals from the Euphrates, made to irrigate the country. When it was turned off into a different bed-namely, a lake of 40 miles square-which was originally formed to receive the superfluous water in an inundation, the canals became dry....

27._Saying to the deep. _This is generally considered to be an allegorical description of Babylon, and I certainly do not deny that it is included; but yet I cannot think of limiting it to Babylon, for I prefer to view it simply as denoting any unexpected change. He shews that some great revolution will be necessary, as if the people must be drawn out of the depths of the sea, but declares that God will easily surmount every obstacle, for he can easily “make the deep dry, and dry up the rivers.” In my opinion he rather appears to allude to that former redemption, (Exodus 14:29,) when the Lord brought the people out of Egypt through the Red Sea; as if he had said, “I did this for your fathers, and therefore you ought to hope for the same thing from me, and not to imagine that a return to your native land shall be closed against you.”...

21-28 Return unto me. It is the great concern of those who have backslidden from God, like the Jews of old, to hasten their return to him. The work of redemption wrought for us by Christ, encourages to hope for all blessings from him. Our transgressions and our sins are as a thick cloud between heaven and earth: sins separate between us and God; they threaten a storm of wrath. When God pardons sin, he blots out, he dispels this cloud, this thick cloud, so that the way to heaven is open again. The cloud is scattered by the Sun of righteousness; it is quite gone. The comforts that flow into the soul when sin is pardoned, are like clear shining after clouds and rain. Let not Israel be discouraged; nothing is too hard for God: having made all, he can make what use he pleases of any. Those that learn to know Christ, see all knowledge to be foolishness, in comparison with the knowledge of him...

Verse Isaiah 44:27. _THAT SAITH TO THE DEEP, BE DRY_ - "Who saith to the deep, Be thou wasted"] Cyrus took Babylon by laying the bed of the Euphrates dry, and leading his army into the city by night through the empty channel of the river. This remarkable circumstance, in which the event so exactly corresponded with the prophecy, was also noted by Jeremiah, Jeremiah 50:38; Jeremiah 51:36. "A drought shall be upon her waters, and they shall be dried up: - I will lay her sea dry And I will scorch up her springs....

THAT SAITH TO THE DEEP, BE DRY - Lowth supposes, that this refers to the fact that Cyrus took Babylon by diverting from their course the waters of the river Euphrates, and thus leaving the bed of the river dry, so that he could march his army under the walls of the city (see the notes at Isaiah 13; Isaiah 14) With this interpretation, also, Vitringa, John II Michaelis, Grotius, Rosenmuller, and some others, accord. Gesenius supposes that it is a description of the power of God in general; and some others have referred it to the dividing of the waters of the Red Sea when the Hebrews came out of Egypt, as in Isaiah 43:16. The most obvious interpretation is that of Lowth, Vitringa, etc., by which it is supposed

EXPOSITION ISAIAH 44:1 A PROPHECY OF ISRAEL'S SPIRITUAL RECOVERY AND REGENERATION. This section is closely connected with Isaiah 43:1; of which it ought to form the conclusion. The prophet cannot bear to leave Israel under a ban—its spiritual guides "profaned," and itself given over to "reproaches." He must end with a brighter prospect. Accordingly, he holds out, in the present passage, the double hope (1) of the blessing of an abundant outpouring of the Spirit, to take the place of the preceding "curse" (Isaiah 43:28); and (2)

THAT SAITH TO THE DEEP, BE DRY,.... The Targum is, "that saith to Babylon, be desolate;'' and most interpreters, Jewish and Christian, understand it of Babylon, which was situated in a watery place, by rivers of water, particularly the river Euphrates, and in a low valley: AND I WILL DRY UP THY RIVERS; some think the allusion is to the stratagem of Cyrus, made use of, under a divine direction, to drain the river Euphrates, and make it passable for his army; by which means he surprised the city of Babylon, and took it: though others think it refers to the drying up of the Red sea and the river Jordan, which are proofs of what God can do, and a periphrasis of his power....

This evening, we will read two Chapter s from Isaiah's prophecy, the forty-fourth and the fifty-fifth, and a few verses from the twenty-third chapter of the second Book of Samuel. May the Lord bless all these passages to us as we meditate upon them! Isaiah 44:1. _Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:_ See, the chapter begins with a «yet.» There is a great deal in God's «yets.» Notwithstanding all the sin and provocation mentioned in the previous chapter, the Lord still reveals his mercy and goodness to his ancient people. Isaiah 44:2. Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and fl

CHAPTER 44 Jehovah Continues to Speak 1. _Spiritual blessings promised by the gift of the Spirit (Isaiah 44:1)_ 2. _Jehovah the First and the Last (Isaiah 44:6)_ 3. _Idolatry rebuked (Isaiah 44:9)_ 4. _Remember! Return! Sing! (Isaiah 44:21)_ 5. _The faithful Jehovah, the Redeemer (Isaiah 44:24)_ 6. _Cyrus named (Isaiah 44:28)_ The outpouring of the Spirit upon Israel's seed promised in the beginning of the chapter has not ye

ISAIAH 44:24 TO ISAIAH 45:8. YAHWEH'S COMMISSION TO CYRUS. Yahweh reminds Israel of His power as sole Creator of the universe. What He created He still controls, so that He falsifies the predictions deduced by the soothsayers from the omens, and makes the diviners look foolish, while He fulfils the predictions of His servants (read plural), the prophets. He it is who has decreed the restoration of Jerusalem, the Temple, and the cities of Judah. The hindrances are compared to a flood, which He will dry up (Exodus 14). He it is who calls Cyrus the shepherd of His people. To Cyrus, whom He has anointed for this commission, whom He supports in his career of victory, delivering to him all fortified cities, He has promised that He will go before him, smoothing difficulties from his path. Brazen gates and the iron ba