Isaiah 41:4

Isa 41:4 Who hath wrought and done [it], calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I [am] he.

Ver. 4. Who hath wrought and done it?] Here the Gentiles should have answered for God, which because they did not, but were senselessly silent, therefore he answereth by a description of himself.

Calling the generations from the beginning.] Giving them their being, and having them at a beck.

I the Lord, the first, and with the last.] πρωτος τε και υστατος, εν τε μεσοι σιν. This was anciently believed concerning God, as Plato {a} testifieth. A te principium tibi desinet. {b}

{a} De Leg., lib. iv.

{b} Virgil.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Isa_41:4

I the Lord, the first, and with the last

I.

LOOK AT GOD IN HIS PRIMARY RELATION TO HIS CREATURE. Understand clearly that everything which is was first an idea in the mind of God. Thence, by a creative act, it came forth and took form and being. So God was first, long before all His works--as the mould is before the castings. Here is the truth and glory of predestination, that great argument of all comfort. It places God far away, beyond our little horizon, in advance of everything. Whatever is, is to fulfil its preordained purpose; each thing coming up and rising in its turn; everything a reflection of the eternal love, care, and wisdom which dwelt from everlasting in the mind of God.

II. WITH THE LAST. There are those who say, This world is on the decline and growing worse. Can it be, if He who was First is with the last--the same God yesterday, to-day, and for ever,the equal portion of all times? Is it not sufficient argument? The golden age cannot be over. From the fleeting and the changing, from the disappointing and the dying, I yearn to ask, Where is the true? Where is that which my soul wants, and for which my restless spirit has so long been craving, what shall satisfy my immortality? And the answer comes, as a whisper in the desert, louder and clearer from the solitude of my hearts waste places, I the Lord, the First, and with the last; I am He. (J. Vaughan, M. A.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Isa 41:4-6. Who hath done it? — Whose work was this but mine? Calling the generations — Calling them out of nothing; giving them breath and being; disposing and employing them as I see fit: from the beginning — All persons and generations of mankind from the beginning of the world. I the Lord, the first, &c. — Who was before all things, even from eternity, and shall be unto eternity: the isles saw it, and feared — Even remote countries discerned the mighty work of God in delivering his people, and overthrowing their enemies in so wonderful a manner, and were afraid lest they should be involved in the same calamity. The ends of the earth drew near and came — They gathered themselves together to consult for their common safety, and to maintain the cause of their idols, which, by this instance, they perceived to be in great jeopardy. They helped every one his neighbour — They encouraged and assisted one another in their idolatrous practices. “Remote countries,” says Lowth, “were astonished at the sudden rise of the conqueror Cyrus, and joined in an alliance to check his growing greatness, just as several artificers that are concerned in the trade of idol- making assist one another in carrying on their common interest, and stir up the zeal of others in defence of image-worship:” see Act 19:25. Or, according to others, the prophet describes in these verses the vain and fruitless attempt of idolaters to hinder the effect of Cyrus’s appearance, namely, the demolition of Babylon and its idols. “The passage maybe also fitly applied to the heathen powers combining together to support idolatry, and suppress the Christian religion.”

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

41:4 each new generation from the beginning of time: God is sovereign over all things. From the beginning he has unfolded each stage of history according to his plan. • In the book of Revelation, Jesus identifies himself as the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Rev 1:8, 17; 2:8; 21:6; 22:13). • I alone am he: The Lord alone is God (see also Isa 43:10, 13; 46:4; 48:12; Deut 32:39). Jesus used similar expressions for himself (see John 6:35; 8:12, 24; 9:5; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1, 5).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Who hath created man and maintained his succession.

Though the world set up never so many gods, yet they diminish nothing of my glory: for I am all one, unchangeable, which have ever been, and shall be forever.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

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).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 4. Who hath wrought and done it - "Who hath performed and made these things"] A word is here lost out of the text. It is supplied 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.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(4) I the Lord . . .—The words are the utterance of the great thought of eternity which is the essence of the creed of Israel (comp. Exo_3:14; Psa_90:2; Psa_102:26), and appear in the Alpha and Omega of Rev_1:11; Rev_4:8. The identical formula, “I am He” meets us in Isa_43:10; Isa_43:13; Isa_46:4; Isa_48:12. It is probably used as an assertion of an eternal being in the “I AM” of Joh_8:58.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4. The answer.

calling the generations from the beginning] i.e. guiding the destinies of the nations from the origins of human history. The clause should be connected with what follows: it belongs to the answer, not to the question (“He that calleth”).

I am he] Cf. ch. Isa_43:10; Isa_43:13, Isa_46:4, Isa_48:12, also Psa_102:27. The sense which best suits the various passages is, “I am the same.” There is probably an allusion to the explanation of the name Jehovah in Exo_3:14 ff. Jehovah is “the First,” existing before history began to run its course, and He is “with the last,” an ever-present, unchanging God.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Who hath wrought and done it,.... Contrived and effected it, formed the scheme, and brought it to pass; namely, raising up the righteous man from the east, and succeeding him in the manner described:

calling the generations from the beginning? or rather here begins the answer to the above question, which may be rendered,

he that calleth the generations from the beginning (k); he has wrought and done this; and to this agree the Syriac and Arabic versions; even he that knew them from all eternity, before they were, and all the men that would be in them, and could call them by their names; and who calls things that are not, as though they were; and who calls them into being at the appointed time, and continues a succession of them, one after another; who calls by his grace all that are called in successive generations, and rules over them by his power, providence, and grace:

I the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he; the immutable Jehovah, the everlasting I AM, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the ending, the first and the last; all which is said of Christ, and is the person here speaking, Rev 1:8, phrases expressive of his eternity and deity; he is the first and the last in God's thoughts, purposes, and decrees; in the covenant of grace; in the creation of all things; in the salvation, justification, sanctification, adoption, and glorification of his people; and in the church, above and below:

and with the last, may be understood either of the last generations God is with, and calls as well as the first, as De Dieu; or of all believers, with whom he shall be and they with him to all eternity, so Gussetius (l). Now the conversion of the Apostle Paul, his commission to preach the Gospel, the extraordinary qualifications he was endowed with, the wonderful things done by him, in the conversion of sinners, and planting of churches in the Gentile world, and towards the abolition of Paganism in it, are incontestable proofs of the deity of Christ; no mere creature could ever have raised up, such a man, and accomplished him in such a manner, or wrought such things by him.

(k) "ille qui vocat vel vocavit generationes ab inito", Munster, Tigurine version. So some in Vatablus. (l) Comment. Ebr. p. 29.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Beginning. Disposing all things, as the conquests of Cyrus, announced so long before by name, evince. --- Last. Alpha and Omega, Apocalypse i. 8., and xxii. 13.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Who hath wrought and done it? whose work was this but mine?

Calling; either,

1. Calling them out of nothing, giving to them breath and being; or,

2. Calling them to his foot, as he said above, Isa 41:2, disposing and employing them as he sees fit, sending them upon his errands.

The generations from the beginning; all persons and generations of mankind from the beginning of the world to the end of it.

The first, and with the last; who was before all things, even from eternity, and shall be unto eternity; whereas the idols, to whom God herein opposeth himself, were but of yesterday, being made by men’s hands, and shall within a little time vanish, and be destroyed.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

4. Who hath wrought and done it — That is, hath raised up such a conqueror, and from the beginning, from the far past, has had the fact predicted? With august authority the Lord claims himself as the sole author.

I the Lord, the first, and with the last — “The first,” before any other being existed: “with the last,” or to the last, in all the movements of history.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Who hath wrought and done it? i.e. "by whom has this mighty conqueror been raised up?" Can any of the idol-gods claim him as their protege? Assuredly not. He is my work; I, Jehovah, that have called (into being) the generations (of man) from the beginning (of the world) I, Jehovah, the First, and with the last, am he that he has done this thing. By "the First, and with the last a favourite phrase in these later chapters (see Isa_45:6 and Isa_48:12) seems to be meant simply "the Eternal". (comp. Rev_1:8, Rev_1:11, 17 2:8 21:6 22:13)

HOMILIES BY R. TUCK Ver. 4. The eternal Alpha and Omega.

The idea of these verses seems to be this look back, if you will, to the very beginnings of nations: God is there. Watch the changes of nations, the uprising of great kings and leaders: God is presiding over all. Peer into the dim mysteries of the future, and still God is controlling and overruling all. The thought here set before the nation finds expression in the private meditations of the psalmist (Psalm 139). Nowhere can he get away from the sense of God"s presence, and nowhere would he if he could. How fully the Apostle John was imbued with the spirit of the great prophets is well illustrated in the fact that his thought of the manifested God is the old prophetic thought. The glorified and living Christ is revealed to him as saying, "I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty". (Rev_1:8) Some think the "righteous man," referred to in ver. 2, is Abraham, regarded as the first father of the Hebrew nation; and this view finds some support in the expression found in ver. 4, "calling the generations from the beginning;" but it is evident that the mind of Isaiah was at this time filled with the return from captivity, and with the Divine raising up of Cyrus as the human agent in effecting that return. And this Cyrus is to him the suggestion of the glorious spiritual Deliverer, who should appear later on to redeem his people from their sins; not first from their sorrows, but first and chiefly from their sins. So we may cover the long ages in our thought. Abraham raised up by God. Moses set forth by God. Cyrus called out by God. Messiah the Sent One of God. "I the Lord, the First, and with the last, I am he." This view of our God may be taken as

I A CONTRAST WITH ALL MAN-MADE GODS. This is the prophet"s great point. A man-made, or man-conceived, god comes second. Man, in that case is first; the god is his creature, and the creation of a being involves that it is inferior to its creator. God comes first; he is before man. Man is his creature, and set under his conditions.

II A HOPE WHEN MAN CAN MAKE NO MORE GODS. That time comes by dissatisfaction. None of his gods bring him rest, and at last he will try to make no more. Then God lives, and may be the soul"s Rest. That time comes by the ending of the earth-life; but even then God lives, and we may live in him.

III A SATISFACTION FOR ALL BETWEEN TIMES. If he is first, and is last, then surely he covers and includes all the space between, and we may well turn from all self-trusts and idol-trusts, and seek now the rest, the joy, of his love and favour and service. "This God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our Guide unto death. R.T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

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.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

“Who hath wrought and done (it), calling the generations from the beginning? I Jehovah, the first and with the last, I (am) He.” ‘Calling the generations’ may either mean calling them into existence or proclaiming them, (i.e., predicting them); probably the latter, since the event itself, although it proved a superhuman agency, did not prove it to be that of Jehovah, which could only be established by the fulfillment of predictions uttered in his name. ‘With the last’ does not simply mean the last, which is the form employed in Isa 41:21-25; Isa 46:8-10, but co-existent with ‘the last’, a mode of expression which would seem to imply that although Jehovah existed before all other beings He will not outlast them all. I am He, (i.e., the being to whom the interrogation has respect), ‘I am He Who has wrought and done it’.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Prophecies of Isaiah (1846–1847; New York: Scribner, 1870–1878) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Who worked and did for him all this? He Who called the generations from the beginning, to Adam, He did this also for Abraham.

I, the Lord, am first to perform wonders and to aid.

and with the last ones I am He Also with you, the last sons, I will be, and I will aid you.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

עשה Hath prepared. Comp. לעשות to dress (Gen. 18:7). Who has done this? God has done it, who is calling the generations from the beginning, before they come into existence; who knows all future generations, and cites each of them to appear in its right time.

The first of all generations that have hitherto existed. And with the last, with the last generations.

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.