, I
let you hear," the Prophet proves the true divinity of the Lord, from
the circumstance that, having already proved himself by prophecies
fulfilled, He declares here, in the second part, the future events
before they spring forth, before the facts begin to sprout forth from
the soil of the Present, and hence could have been known and predicted
by human combination. The words, "before they spring forth," become
completely enigmatical, if it be denied that Isaiah [Pg 185] wrote the
second part; inasmuch as, in that case, it would have in a great part,
to do with things which did not belong to the territory of prophetic
foresight, but of what was plainly visible.--In chap. xliii. 8-13, the
Prophet again proves the nothingness of idolatry, and the sole divinity
of the God of Israel, from the great work, declared beforehand by the
Lord, of the deliverance of Israel, and of the overthrow of their
enemies. He is so deeply convinced of the striking force of this
argument, that he ever anew reverts to it. After having called upon the
Gentiles to prove the divinity of their idols by true prophecies given
by them, he says in ver. 9: "Let them bring forth their witnesses, that
they may be justified." By the witnesses it is to be proved, by whom,
to whom, and at what time the prophecies were given, in order that the
Gentiles may not refer to deceitfully forged prophecies, to _vaticinia
post eventum_. According to the hypothesis of the spuriousness of the
second part, the author pronounced his own condemnation by thus calling
for witnesses. "Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and witness is my
Servant whom I have chosen," is said in ver. 10. While the Gentiles are
in vain called upon to bring forward witnesses for the divinity of
their idols, the true God has, for His witnesses, just those whose
services he claimed. The prophecies which lie at the foundation of
their testimony, which are to be borne witness to, are those of the
second part. The Prophet may safely appeal to the testimony of the
whole nation, that they were uttered at a time, when their contents
could not be derived from human combination. "The great unknown"
(_Ewald_), could not by any possibility have spoken thus.--In chap.
xlv. 19-21, it is proved from the prophecy, in connection with the
fulfilment, that Jehovah alone is God,--the like of which no Gentile
nation can show of their idols. The argumentation is followed by the
call to all the Gentiles to be convert