Isaiah 48:7
in Isaiah 48They are created now, and not long ago; you have not heard of them before today. So you cannot claim, ‘I already knew them!’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
They are created now, and not from of old; and before this day thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.
KJV
They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.
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This verse in Isaiah 48
Commentary
11 notes on this verseThey are created now, and not from the beginning,.... Not that they were now done or brought into being, for as yet Cyrus was not born; though the raising of him up, and holding his right hand, and his executing the counsel of God, are spoken of as if they were already done, because of the certainty of them, Isa 45:
This site's exposition
You have heard these things
on Isaiah 48:6-8
“You have heard these things” presses the house to testify, and the LORD adds new evidence, “hidden things unknown to you”. Verse 7 fixes the timing, “They are created now”, which removes any excuse. Verse 8 traces the stubbornness to birth, “you have been called a rebel from birth”.
This site's exposition
They are created now
Gill notes that Cyrus was still unborn, so the new things are called created now for the certainty of what the LORD had spoken. Aben Ezra, cited by Barnes, reads created as decreed. Rosenmuller takes it of things now revealed to Israel.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
(Verse 3, 4 and following) I announced the former things long ago, they went out from my mouth, and I made them heard. Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass. For I knew that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your forehead is bronze. I foretold them to you long ago, before they came to pass I announced them to you, lest you should say, 'My idols did these things, and my carved images and molded idols commanded them.' You have heard; see all this. And will you not declare it?
These words would not be of any help to you if you had not been already warned. Nevertheless, dwelling in my loving-kindness, I still bear witness and distinguish you from those assembled in Babylon and the Chaldeans about to attack you. Open your eyes! As you see the foretold destruction taking hold when the warriors come from Babylon, you will know with understanding that God has told you these things would happen and you can call on his help when the predicted end strikes. These things are available to you from my words.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Now, that is, in time, they are created, that is, brought into effect, and not of old, when I foreknew them, and before the day, of their fulfillment, when you heard them not, neither from me, nor from the idols: the Lord has hid it …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Created - Revealed to thee by me; brought to light, as things are by creation. Not - Hebrew. not from thence, not from these ancient times when other things were revealed to thee. Or - Hebrew. and (or, or, as this particle is frequently used) before this day.
God has said and done enough to prevent men's boastings of themselves, and that no flesh may glory in his presence, and, if it have not the intended effect, it will aggravate the sin and ruin of the proud; and, sooner, or later, every mouth shall be stopped, and all flesh shall become silent before God.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Their restoration was in effect their creation, and they had a promise of it not from the beginning, but of late; for to prevent their apostasy from God, or to recover them, prophecy was kept up among them. Yet it was told them when they could not come to the knowledge of it in any other way than by divine revelation.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
They are created now - The Septuagint renders this, Νῦν γίνεται nun ginetai - ‘Done now;’ and many expositors interpret it in the sense that they are now brought into light, as if they were created. Aben Ezra renders it, ‘They are decreed and determined by me.’ Rosenmuller supposes that it refers to the revelation, or making known those things.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Not like natural results from existing causes, the events when they took place were like acts of creative power, such as had never before been "from the beginning." even before the day when--rather [MAURER], "And before the day (of their occurrence) thou hast not heard of them"; that is, by any human acuteness; they are only heard of by the present inspired announcement.
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עַתָּ֤ה | ʾatah | now | H6258 → | 433 times |
| נִבְרְאוּ֙ | nivreu | they have been created | H1254 → | 55 times |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| מֵאָ֔ז | meaz | from then | H227 → | 141 times |
| וְלִפְנֵי־ | velifnei- | and <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| י֖וֹם | yom | a day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| שְׁמַעְתָּ֑ם | shema'tam | you had heard of them | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| פֶּן־ | pen- | lest | H6435 → | 133 times |
| תֹּאמַ֖ר | tomar | you should say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הִנֵּ֥ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| יְדַעְתִּֽין׃ | yeda'tin | I knew them | H3045 → | 945 times |
עַתָּ֤הnow
ʾatahH6258 →433 times
נִבְרְאוּ֙they have been created
nivreuH1254 →55 times
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
מֵאָ֔זfrom then
meazH227 →141 times
וְלִפְנֵי־and <to> before
velifnei-H6440 →2123 times
י֖וֹםa day
yomH3117 →2304 times
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
שְׁמַעְתָּ֑םyou had heard of them
shema'tamH8085 →1159 times
פֶּן־lest
pen-H6435 →133 times
תֹּאמַ֖רyou should say
tomarH559 →5305 times
הִנֵּ֥הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
יְדַעְתִּֽין׃I knew them
yeda'tinH3045 →945 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Isaiah
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Eusebius of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 2:33; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.