Isaiah 43:17

Isa 43:17 Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.

Ver. 17. Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse.] Or, Who brought forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power, viz, Pharaoh’s forces. {Exo 14:4; Exo 14:9; Exo 14:23}

They are quenched as tow.] {a} Heb., As a candlewick make of flax quickly quenched with water poured on it. See how easily God can confound his foes.

{a} Ut ellychnium extinguentur.

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.

Pharaoh and his mighty army.

When he delivered his people out of Egypt.

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

the power--the might of the enemies host, every mighty warrior.

they shall lie down together--as Pharaoh's army sank "together" in a watery grave.

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

(17) Quenched as tow—i.e., as the wick of a lamp going out. (See Note on Isa_42:3.)

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

17. which bringeth forth] i.e. allows them to come forth to their destruction (cf. Eze_38:4, where the same expression is used with regard to the expedition of Gog, king of Magog). The next words should be rendered simply chariot and horse (without art.).

the army and the power] Perhaps: army and warrior. The second word is found elsewhere only in Psa_24:8 (A.V. “mighty”) in apposition with the common word for “hero.” Here it may be used collectively.

they shall lie down] Better: they lie down.

quenched as tow] extinguished like a wick; the same words as in ch. Isa_42:3. The alternation of tenses in the original is noteworthy and very graphic. The participial construction first gives place to the descriptive impf., and this again to two perfects of completed action.

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.

Remember ye not the former things,.... Just now referred to, the bringing of Israel out of Egypt, and through the Red sea, and the drowning of Pharaoh and his army in it; for though these things were worthy to be remembered with thankfulness and praise, and to the glory of God, and for the encouragement of faith, yet not in comparison of what was hereafter to be done; meaning, not the redemption from Babylon, unless as a type of spiritual and eternal redemption by Christ; for otherwise there were greater and more wonderful things done, when Israel were brought out of Egypt, than when they were brought out of Babylon; but the great salvation by the Messiah, which exceeds both the deliverances out of Egypt and Babylon, is meant:

neither consider the things of old; unless as figures of the new, but not to be put upon a foot with them, much less to the undervaluing of them, and indeed to be forgotten in comparison of them; see Jer 23:7. The Talmudists (q), by the "former" things, understand subjection to kingdoms; and, by the "things of old", the going out of Egypt; as they do by the "new thing", in the following verse, the war of Gog and Magog.

(q) T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 13. 1. T. Hieros. Beracot, fol. 4. 1.

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

Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse - The reference here is, undoubtedly, to the occurrences which are recorded in Exo 14:4, following, when Pharaoh and his host are said to have followed the Israelites, but were all submerged in the sea. God is said to have brought them forth in accordance with the general statement so often made, that he controls and directs princes and nations (see the note at Isa 10:5-6).

They shall lie down together - They shall sink together to death, as Pharaoh and his army sunk together in a watery grave.

Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them:

They sank as lead in the mighty waters.

Exo 15:10

The depths have covered them:

They sank into the bottom as a stone.

Exo 15:5

They are extinct - They are destroyed, as the wick of a lamp is quenched suddenly when immersed in water. This is a striking figure, to denote the suddenness with which it was done, and the completeness of their destruction. As a flame is entirely put out when plunged beneath the water, so the whole host of the Egyptians were suddenly and completely destroyed in the Red Sea. The sentiment in this verse is, that God has power over the nations to control them; that it is one of his characteristics to lead on the enemies of his people to destruction; and that they are suddenly destroyed, and their hopes, and joys, and triumphs put out forever. If it was so in regard to the Egyptians, it will be also in regard to all his foes. And if this took place in regard to a nation, it shall also in regard to individual sinners who oppose themselves to God.

How oft is the candle of time wicked put out?

And how oft cometh their destruction upon them?

God distributeth sorrows in his anger.

They are as stubble before the wind,

And as chaff that the storm carrieth away.

Job 21:17-18

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

Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; or rather, Who brought forth the chariots, &c., i.e. Pharaoh, and his chariots, and homes, and army; as may be gathered from the next verse, where the things here mentioned are called former things, and things of old. They shall lie down together, they shall not rise; or, they did lie down together, (to wit, in the bottom of the sea,) they did not rise; they sank like lead, as it is said, Exo 15:10, and they never rose again to molest the Israelites, as God promised, Exo 14:13. These two Hebrew verbs are of the future tense, but that seems to be put for the preter tense, because the two following verbs, which treat of the same thing, and are added to explain these, are of the preter tense.

They are quenched as tow; as the wick of a candle when it is put into the water is wholly extinguished, and not the least spark of fire left, so were they utterly destroyed, and not one of them remained.

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

Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse. Still the reference is to the events of the Exodus, whereof Israel is reminded, since "the redemption out of Egypt was a type and pledge of the deliverance to be looked for out of Babylon" (Delitzsch). God then "brought out" after Israel, to attack him, "chariot and horse, army and power;" but the result was their destruction. They shall lie down... they shall not rise; rather, they lie down... they do not rise (so Cheyne and Delitzsch). The future has here, as so often, the force of a present, the present being the praesens historicum. What the prophet describes in a few touches is the complete overthrow of Pharaoh"s host in the Red Sea, and the entire extinction of that life which had just before shown itself as "lusty and strong." Quenched as tow. (comp. Isa_42:3) The metaphor is not drawn from burning tow, which is not very readily extinguished, but from the wick of a lamp, which a single breath puts out.

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

The chariot - Pharaoh and his chariots and horses, and army. Lay down - In the bottom of the sea. They never rose again to molest the Israelites. Quenched - As the wick of a candle when it is put into the water, is extinguished.

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

“The (one) bringing out chariot and horse, force and strength (literally, strong); together they shall lie, they shall not rise; they are extinct, like tow (or like a wick) they are quenched.” The construction is continued from the foregoing verse, and the first word agrees directly with Jehovah. Some understand the verse as having reference to a naval victory of Cyrus over the Chaldeans, others as relating to the destruction of Pharaoh and his host. It is no objection to the latter application that the verb is future, as it denotes not merely the act of lying down, but the state of lying still, and is therefore a poetical equivalent and parallel to shall not rise. That something long past is intended, may be gathered from the exhortation of the next verse.

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

they were quenched Jonathan renders: Like flax they dimmed, they were quenched.

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.

Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, תיל ועזוז the great and powerful army on land; the army of the Chaldæans is meant, that went out to fight against the Persians.

דעכו It is Pual, and means they are extinct; comp. ידעך shall be put out (Prov. 20:20)

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.