Isaiah 45:24

Surely, shall one say, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength “Saying, Only to Jehovah belongeth salvation and power” - A MS. omits לי li, unto me; and instead of לי אמר li amar, he said or shall say unto me, the Septuagint read, in the copy which they used, לאמר lemor, saying. For יבא yabo, He shall come, in the singular, twelve MSS. three ancient) read יבאו yabeu, plural; and a letter is erased at the end of the word in two others: and so the Alexandrine copy of the Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read it.

Rather, "Only in Jehovah shall men say of me (this clause is parenthetical), is there righteousness" (which includes salvation, Isa 45:21, "a just God and a Saviour," Isa 46:13), &c. [MAURER]. strength--namely, to save. shall men come--Those who have set themselves up against God shall come to Him in penitence for the past (Isa 19:22). ashamed-- (Isa 45:16;

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

IF YOU carefully read the chapter from which our text is taken, you must notice the high style which God here adopts. He speaks like a king—no, more—He speaks like a God, as He is entitled to do, for He is God. David says, in the 29th Psalm, "The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty." We can hear that powerful, majestic voice in this Chapter! The Lord here speaks about men coming to Him, confessing to Him and obeying Him without inserting any "if as to their own will in the matter, or raising any question as to whether He can accomplish what He promises. Listen attentively to these words in the verse before our text, for they are very strong and forcible—"I have sworn by Myself, the word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." The Lord lays unusual emphasis upon the irrevocable oath which He has sworn and says that He will never recall the word which has gone out of His mouth. He speaks with that same power which said, "Let there be light: and there was light." In a word, He speaks Divinely and, therefore, He can fulfill what He has declared. "But," someone says, "men are free agents." Who denied it? "But men will not bow their knee before Him unless they are willing to do so." Who said they would? Yet, He who has the power to control the freedom of the human will— He who rules, not only over inanimate objects and over creatures whose wills are gladly subordinated to His, but even over souls that are naturally rebellious—still has a way of turning them according to His own mind! He speaks in the majesty of His Sovereignty and swears that every knee shall bow before Him—and that all shall acknowledge Him to be the only supreme Lord and Governor! It is true that there are two ways in which men shall be made to bow the knee before God.

IF YOU carefully read the chapter from which our text is taken, you must notice the high style which God here adopts. He speaks like a king—no, more—He speaks like a God, as He is entitled to do, for He is God. David says, in the 29th Psalm, "The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty." We can hear that powerful, majestic voice in this Chapter!

Surely, shall one say - Margin, ‘He shall say of me, In the Lord is all righteousness and strength.’ The design of the verse is, to set forth more fully the effect of the prevalence of the true religion; and the main thought is, that there shall be an universal acknowledgment that salvation and strength were in Yahweh alone. Idols and people could not save; and salvation was to be traced to Yahweh only. A literal translation of the passage would be, ‘Truly in Jehovah, he said unto me,’ or it is said unto me, that is, I heard it said, ‘is righteousness and strength,’ that is, this would be everywhere the prevailing sentiment that righteousness and strength were to be found in Yahweh alone. The sense is, first, that it was by him alone that they could be pardoned and justified; and, secondly, that it was by him alone that they could obtain strength to meet their enemies, to overcome their sins, to discharge their duties, to encounter temptations, to hear afflictions, and to support them in death. These two things, righteousness and strength, are all that man needs. The whole of religion consists essentially in the feeling that righteousness and strength are to be found in God our Saviour. The Septuagint renders this, ‘Every tongue shall swear to God, saying, Righteousness and glory shall come unto him, and all those who make distinctions among them shall be ashamed.’ Even to him shall men come - For the purpose of being saved (see the notes at Isa 2:3). And all that are incensed against him - All that are opposed to his government and laws. Shall be ashamed - (See the note at Isa 45:16). The enemies of God shall see their own feebleness and folly; and they shall be ashamed that they have endeavored to oppose one so mighty and so glorious as the living God. […]