Isaiah 45:19

I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth,.... In a private whisper, in a muttering manner, and out of the belly, as the Heathen priests did; and from out of cells, dens, and caverns

I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.

I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: the heathen idols deliver their oracles darkly and doubtfully, in obscure cells and caverns of the earth, or out of the bellies of their priests; but I have delivered my oracles to Israel publicly and plainly, as one that was neither afraid nor ashamed to utter my mind, lest I should be convinced of folly and falsehood; which was the case of idols. Seek ye me in vain; serve and worship me for nought. As I appointed them work, so I promised, and from time to time have given, and shall give, them abundant recompence for their service; whereas the Gentiles seek to their idols in vain, for they can do them no good, as is observed in the next verse. I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right; I require nothing of my people which is not highly just and good; whereas the idols commanded their worshippers to do many sinful and shameful things, even in their worship, as is notoriously known.

Isaiah 45:19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.Ver. 19. I have not spoken in secret.] As the sibyls did out of their dens; as the idol priests did out of their holes and underground vaults; as heretics and seducers, who creep into corners and there vend their false wares, as Vincentins Lirinensis long since observed. (Epiphanius fitly compareth them to moles, who do all their mischief by working underground.) But God, as he delivered his law openly on Mount Sinai, so his gospel he commanded to be preached "on the house top," and in Mount Zion. Christ "spoke openly" to the world. Truth seeketh no corners: "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ." But what was this word that was delivered so plainly and perspicuously? Seek ye me.] And for your encouragement ye shall not do it "in vain"; for I am "a rewarder of all those that diligently seek me." Let heathen deities disappoint and delude those that seek to them; Jacob’ s God scorneth the motion. He is better to his people than their prayers, better than their hopes; and when, with Gehazi, they ask but one talent, he, like Naaman, forceth them to take two. I the Lord speak righteousness; I declare the things that are right.] Or, Even. So doth not the devil, but things sinful and obscene; as human sacrifices, promiscuous uncleannesses, ut in nefariis Priapi et Veneris sacris. Contrariwise, "all the words of God’ s mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them."

(19) I have not spoken in secret.—The words are in marked contrast to the thought expressed in Isaiah 45:15. God had been all along revealing Himself, not like the oracles of the heathen, in the gloom of caves and darkened shrines (Isaiah 8:19; Isaiah 65:4; Isaiah 29:4), but in the broad daylight of history and in the law written on men’s hearts. He had bidden men seek Him not in chaos, but in a world of order, and to recognise His utterances by their righteousness.

Verse 19. I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth] In opposition to the manner in which the heathen oracles gave their answers, which were generally delivered from some deep and obscure cavern. Such was the seat of the Cumean Sybil: - Excisum Euboicae latus ingens rupis in antrum. VIRG. AEn. vi. 42. "A cave cut in the side of a huge rock." Such was that of the famous oracle at Delphi; of which, says Strabo, lib. ix., φασιδ' ειναιτομαντειοναντρονκοιλονμεταβαθους, ουμαλαευρυστομον. "The oracle is said to be a hollow cavern of considerable depth, with an opening not very wide." And Diodorus, giving an account of the origin of this oracle, says "that there was in that place a great chasm or cleft in the earth; in which very place is now situated what is called the Adytum of the temple." Αδυτον·σπηλαιον, ητοαποκρυφονμεροςτουἱερου. Hesych. "Adytum means a cavern, or the hidden part of the temple." I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right - "I am JEHOVAH, who speak truth, who give direct answers."] This also is said in opposition to the false and ambiguous answers given by the heathen oracles, of which there are many noted examples; none more so than that of the answer given to Croesus when he marched against Cyrus, which piece of history has some connexion with this part of Isaiah's prophecies. Let us hear Cicero's account of the Delphic answers in general, and of this in particular: Sed jam ad te venio, O sancte Apollo, qui umbilicum certum terrarum obsides, Unde superstitiosa primum saeva evasit vox fera. Tuis enim oraculis Chrysippus totum volumen implevit, partim falsis, ut ego opinor; partim casu veris, ut fit in omni oratione saepissime; partim flexiloquis et obscuris, ut interpres egeat interprete, et sors ipsa ad sortes referenda sit; partim ambiguis, et quae ad dialecticum deferenda sint. Nam cum sors illa edita est opulentissimo regi Asiea, Croesus Halym penetrans magnam pervertet opum vim: hostium vim sese perversurum putavit; pervertit autem suam. Utrum igitur eorum accidisset, verum oraculum fuisset. De Divinat. ii. 56. Mountainous countries, and those which abounded in chasms, caves, and grottos, were the places in which oracles were most frequent. The horror and gloom inspired by such places were useful to the lying priests in their system of deception. The terms in which those oracles were conceived, (they were always ambiguous, or equivocal, or false, or illusory,) sometimes the turn of a phrase, or a peculiarity in idiom or construction which might be turned pro or con, contained the essence of the oracular declaration.

19. The same character of goodwill to men is manifest in the manner of Jehovah’s revelation to Israel. It has been intelligible, explicit, and (if the word may be used) candid. in a dark place of the earth] R.V. in a place of the land of darkness. It is doubtful if there is any direct allusion to the oracles of heathenism, which had frequently to be sought in caves and deserts. The “land of darkness” might be the under-world, from which dubious oracles were obtained by necromancy and other magical arts (ch. Isaiah 8:19; 1 Samuel 28:7 ff.). But the sense is perhaps sufficiently explained (in accordance with what follows) by Jeremiah 2:31 : “Have I been a wilderness unto Israel, a land of darkness?” Jehovah’s revelation has not been like a dark, trackless desert, but a light in which men might walk towards an assured goal. I said not … Seek ye me in vain] Lit. in chaos (tôhû, as Isaiah 45:18), i.e. without definite guidance and without hope of result. When Jehovah said, “Seek me,” He meant that He should be found (Jeremiah 29:13); in other words He has dealt openly and frankly with His people. It is this quality of revelation that is denoted by the word righteousness in the last line of the verse. It is used in its ethical sense of “trust-worthiness” or straightforwardness,—perfect correspondence between deeds and words. things that are right] uprightness. The plural, as always in this word, expresses the abstract idea (see ch. Isaiah 26:7).

I have not spoken in secret - The word rendered ‘secret’ (סתר sı̂ther) denotes a hiding, or covering; and the phrase here means secretly, privately.

18, 19. In substance, God repeats the great things he has done to encourage the true Israel, and all who become such, to trust him and forget forever the absurd idol system they countenanced.