Isaiah 44

Isaiah 44:3

Stock. I will give fresh life to my people, as to the figure of Christ’s Church.

Isaiah 44:5

Israel. They shall no longer be ashamed of being called Israelites or Christians.

Isaiah 44:8

Witnesses. The history of the true religion is its best proof, chap. xliii. 9, 10. — Known. Ruled, consequently no other can be truly God. (Calmet) — Idolaters are foolish, trusting in those who cannot announce future events. (Worthington)

Isaiah 44:9

Ashamed of the origin and imbecility of their idols. (Calmet) — All this may be turned against heretics, who worship their own fictions; which the Church never does. (St. Jerome) (Worthington)

Isaiah 44:12

File. Hebrew mahatsad, (Haydock; Jeremias x. 3.) “to make an ax, with,” &c. This is the remote cause of the idol.

Isaiah 44:13

Man. To be styled afterwards a god. (Calmet) — Maluit esse deum. (Horace i. ser. 8.)

Isaiah 44:18

Covered. Septuagint, “darkened.” Are Catholics in the same predicament? (Chap. xl. 18.) (Haydock)

Isaiah 44:20

Lie. Can I assert in conscience that it is a god?

Isaiah 44:22

Return from captivity, (Calmet) and from their former errors, Matthew xi. 26. (Haydock)

Isaiah 44:25

Mad. That people may be no longer deluded.

Isaiah 44:26

Servant. The prophets and Jesus Christ, whose works never fail, Matthew xxiv. 35. (Calmet) — In all this prediction of the Church, Isaias alludes to Jerusalem destroyed, and afterwards rebuilt. (Worthington)

Isaiah 44:27

Deep. Babylon, situated amid waters, chap. xxi. 1. (Calmet) — Rivers, as Cyrus did. (Herodotus i. 191.)

Isaiah 44:28

CHAPTER XLIV.

Cyrus. This was spoken 110 years before his birth, which shews the prescience and power of God, so as not to injure free-will. The parents of Cyrus could not give him this name to fulfill the prediction, as they knew nothing of it. Amon was apprised that a person called Josias would overturn idolatry; but he had no reason to suppose that it would be his son, 1 Kings xiii. 2. — My shepherd. Chaldean, “that he shall reign.” This was shewn by the Jews to Cyrus, on which account, (Calmet) he gave them leave to return, &c. (Josephus, [Antiquities?] xi. 1.) — The title of shepherd is given to Agamemnon by Homer, and it denotes a good prince, such as historians represent Cyrus to have been. He observed that kings and shepherds had the like duties to perform; (Xenophon viii.) and after his death he was bewailed as a “father.” (Herodotus iii. 89.) — At first he did not bear the name of Cyrus, (Herodotus i. 113.) which in the Persian language means “the sun.” (Ctesias.) (Plut.[Plutarch?])