Verse
Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow – Isaiah 43:17
Meaning of Isaiah 43:17
The meaning of the verse, “Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow” is that God will defeat every enemy of His children. The prophet Isaiah wrote this verse as a reminder to God’s people to recall the rescue mission of their ancestors from the Pharoah’s chariot and his army. This verse was written at a time when Israel was under the bondage of Babylon, and hence Isaiah reminds the people that if God had rescued them from the Egyptians, He would also save them from the Babylonians and lead them back to the promised land.
Interpretations of Isaiah 43:17
Isaiah 43:17 is not a commonly quoted verse and is interpreted in many ways. Here are some of the interpretations of this verse.
Interpretation #1 The prophet is cursing the enemy
The interpretation of the verse, “Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow” is that the prophet is cursing enemies of Israel. The reader believes that the prophet Isaiah is remembering how God destroyed the enemy during the time of Exodus, which was the Pharaoh’s army. The reader believes that just as how God had destroyed the army entirely in the Red Sea, the prophet is cursing the present enemies, such as the Babylonians and Assyrians, to meet the same fate.
Interpretation #2 Remembering the deliverance from Egyptians
The meaning of the verse, “Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow” is that this verse is a reminder of the great deliverance of Israel from the hands of Egyptians. The Israelites were captives under the Egyptians for 400 years and were also treated as slaves. However, with the help of Moses, God rescued Israel from the clutches of the Egyptians and brought them back to the land of Israel. However, in later accounts, the Israelites were under the rule of Babylonians and Assyrians. Hence, the reader believes that the prophet Isaiah is reminding his readers of the great deliverance of Israel to offer them hope.
Interpretation #3 Weapons are useless in battles
Another interpretation of the verse, “Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow” is that weapons are of no use in battles, especially if a Christian is participating in a war. The reader believes that Christians do not have any use for weapons as Bible encourages non-violence and asks them to trust God to fight their battles. This version is believed as a direct commandment, and they also do not participate in war. Additionally, Christians are also encouraged to forgive rather than attack or avenge. Also, God promises in several verses in the Bible that he will punish his children’s enemies at the right time.
Interpretation #4 Enemies will lose the battle in Jerusalem
The meaning of the verse, “Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow” is that enemies lose battles if they fight in the land of Jerusalem. In this interpretation, the reader believes that God takes away their power or skills to win the battle if they enter Jerusalem. While it is historically inaccurate, the reader strongly feels about God’s assurance and believes that having faith is enough to see their enemies lose their battles. Hence, the prophet Isaiah is trying to convey the same idea to the reader by reminding them about the rescue from Egypt. However, because of their disobedience, they do lose their land to their enemies.
Interpretation #5 God’s presence gives courage during hardships
The final interpretation of the verse, “Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow” is that God’s presence is a source of strength and courage during difficult times. The verse acts as a reminder of God’s protection, deliverance, and strength during one of the worst times Israel was facing. Many preachers and pastors use this verse to encourage Christians not to give up hope and hold on to God’s promise and draw courage from Him.
Historical background of Isaiah 43:17
The Book of Isaiah is among the first of the last Prophets in the Hebrew Bible and the first of the main Prophets in the Christian Old Testament. It has always been believed that the 8th-century BCE prophet Isaiah wrote the book, but there is wide-ranging evidence that much of it was written during the Babylonian captivity and later. Isaiah 41 is the second chapter of the section called “Deutero-Isaiah,” dating from the Israelites’ exile in Babylon. The seventeenth verse is a reminder from the Prophet Isaiah to the people of Israel about God’s great miracle during Israel’s escape from Egypt.
Literary Devices of Isaiah 43:17
The verse of Isaiah 43:17 is a statement and is less commonly used but consists of many notable literary devices. Here are some of them.
Assonance – The verse has rich use of vowel sounds that are repeated in quick succession. For example, the sound of /i/ and the sound of /a/ in ‘Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse’ and the sound of /aa/ in ‘the army and the power’.
Consonance – There is a good use of consonant sounds in repetition, and few are not in quick successions. For example, the sound of /th/ (θ) and the sound of /r/ in ‘Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power’; the sound of /l/ in ‘they shall lie down together’; the sound of /r/ in ‘they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow’.
Alliteration – The verse has repeated use of the words ‘the’ and ‘they’, making it a good example of an alliteration. For example, the sound of /th/ in ‘Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow’.
Themes – The major themes of verse Isaiah 43:17 are remembrance and punishment.
Anaphora – The words ‘they shall’ and ‘they are’ are repeated twice. This is a good example of anaphora as the author emphasizes that the enemies will suffer the punishment in God’s hands.
Asyndeton – Here, the verse Isaiah 43:17 is a good example of asyndeton as there is an intentional omission of conjunction between all the phrases, which is used in a single sentence.