Isaiah 48:10

Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. BEHOLD, I HAVE REFINED THEE, BUT NOT WITH SILVER - (note, Isaiah 1:25.) WITH SILVER - or, 'for silver.' I sought by affliction to purify thee, but thou wast not as silver [non quasi argentum, Vulgate] obtained by melting, but as dross (Gesenius). Thy repentance is not complete: thou art not yet as refined silver. Rosenmuller explains, not as silver; not with the intense heat needed to melt silver (it being harder to melt than gold) - i:e., not with the most extreme severity (Isaiah 42:25; Ezekiel 22:18;...

10._Lo, I have tried thee. _The Lord shews that he exercises such moderation in chastising his people, that he makes provision for their salvation. Formerly he had said that he had spared or would spare them, because he had regard to his glory. He now declares that he does indeed lay stripes upon them, but of such a nature as to be serviceable to them; for it is for the purpose of “proving and trying” that he chastises them, and we “prove” that which we do not wish to be lost. Since therefore he has this end in view, it follows that he makes provision for our salvation. Besides, it is by way of anticipation that he mentions the “trial,” lest any one should object that God’s forbearance did not, at all appear amidst such severe afflictions. The Prophet therefore comes forward early to meet this objection, and points out that, although God does not permit his people altogether to go free,...

9-15 We have nothing ourselves to plead with God, why he should have mercy upon us. It is for his praise, to the honour of his mercy, to spare. His bringing men into trouble was to do them good. It was to refine them, but not as silver; not so thoroughly as men refine silver. If God should take that course, they are all dross, and, as such, might justly be put away. He takes them as refined in part only. Many have been brought home to God as chosen vessels, and a good work of grace begun in them, in the furnace of affliction. It is comfort to God's people, that God will secure his own honour, therefore work deliverance for them. And if God delivers his people, he cannot be at a loss for instruments to be employed. God has formed a plan, in which, for his own sake, and the glory of his grace, he saves all that come to Him....

Verse Isaiah 48:10. _I HAVE CHOSEN THEE_ - "I have tried thee"] For בחרתיך _becharticha_, "I have _chosen_ thee," a MS. has בחנתיך _bechanticha_, "I have _tried_ thee." And so perhaps read the _Syriac_ and _Chaldee_ interpreters; they retain the same word בחרתך _bechartach_; but in those languages it signifies, I have _tried_ thee. ככסף _kecheseph, quasi_ argentum, "as silver." _Vulgate_. I cannot think בכסף _becheseph, WITH silver_, is the true reading. ככסף _kecheseph, LIKE silver_, as the _Vulgate_ evidently read it, I suppose to have been the original reading, though no MS. yet found supports this word; the similarity of the two letters, ב _beth_ and כ _caph_, might have easily led to the mistake in the first instance; and it has been but too faithfully copied ever since. כור _cur_, wh

BEHOLD, I HAVE REFINED THEE - This refers to the Jews in their afflictions and captivity in Babylon. It states one design which he had in view in these afflictions - to purify them. The word used here, and rendered ‘refined’ (צרף _tsâraph_), means properly to melt; to smelt metals; to subject them to the action of fire, in order to remove the scoria or dross from them (see the notes at Isaiah 1:25). Then it means to purify in any manner. Here it means that God had used these afflictions for the same purpose for which fire is used in regard to metals, in order that every impurity in their moral and religious character might be removed. BUT NOT WITH SILVER - Margin, ‘For.’ Hebrew, בכסף _b__e__kâseph_. Many different interpretations of

EXPOSITION The present chapter, which terminates the second section of Isaiah's later prophecies, consists of a long address by God to his people, partly in the way of complaint, partly of combined premise and exhortation. The address is divided into three portions, each commencing with a call on Israel to pay attention: ISAIAH 48:1, "Hear ye this," etc.; Isaiah 48:12, "Hearken unto me," etc.; Isaiah 48:16, "Come_ _ye near unto me, hear ye this," etc. ISAIAH 48:1 THE FIRST ADDR

BEHOLD, I HAVE REFINED THEE, BUT NOT WITH SILVER,.... But it is not usual to refine with silver; not silver with silver, nor any other metal with it; that itself is what is refined; this therefore cannot be the sense of the words; wherefore they are, by others, differently rendered; by some, "not in silver" d; not in a furnace of silver, as Aben Ezra; "but in a furnace of poverty", as the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Syriac versions render the next clause; and to the same sense the Targum; that is, I have tried, and purified, and refined thee, not by prosperity, but adversity; not with riches, which has its snares, temptations, trials, and exercises, but with poverty, which also has the same, or greater; and therefore Agur desired neither, Proverbs 30:8. By others, "but not into silver" e, so as to make silver of them, whereby all the labour was lost; but this is contrary to

Isaiah 48:1. _Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness._ There always were false professors, and I suppose there always will be till Christ comes. A Judas was among the twelve apostles, and we cannot wonder that we find such in every church, but what a dreadful thing it is to wear the name of God, and yet not really to serve him, to be called Christians, and yet not to be like Christ! It must be a very God-provoking thing to be called by his name, and then insult it by not being true to it. Isaiah 48:2. For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD

CHAPTER 48 The Divine Restatement Concerning His People, Their Condition and Future 1. _Their condition and Jehovah's predictions (Isaiah 48:1)_ 2. _Jehovah acts for His Name's sake (Isaiah 48:9)_ 3. _I am He” (Isaiah 48:12)_ 4. _Israel's future blessing (Isaiah 48:17)_ 5. _No peace for the wicked (Isaiah 48:22) _ This chapter touches once more upon the different phases of Jehovah's messages from Chapter s 40-47. Israel's apostate condition, Jehovah's sovereign grace and mercy towards them, Cyrus ...

A RECAPITULATION OF THE ARGUMENT FROM PROPHECY. To the original text a redactor has added a commentary (bracketed below) from a different standpoint. Whereas the prophet regarded Israel as having more than paid the penalty of her sins, the additions represent her as obstinately and inveterately sinful, and long addicted to the worship of images. Hearken, says Yahweh to His people [proud of their nationality and attached to His cultus]. Long ago I predicted what later I suddenly accomplished. [Knowing thine inveterate obstinacy, Isaiah 48:4] I announced beforehand my intentions [lest thou shouldst attribute the events to thine idols, Isaiah 48:5_ b_]. Thou hast heard. wilt thou not admit it? Now I announce things hitherto unrevealed [lest thou shouldst say, I knew them,...