Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 12

Verses 1-6

Isaiah 12. Songs of Thanksgiving.— This is a late appendix to the preceding. It is imitative throughout and copies late passages. Isaiah 11:16 compares Israel’ s return from the Dispersion with the deliverance of the Hebrews at the Exodus. As a song of praise (Exodus 15) celebrates the destruction of the Egyptians at the Red Sea, so two brief songs ( Isaiah 12:1-3, Isaiah 12:4-6) are inserted here, which have close points of contact with Exodus 15 and some Pss., especially Psalms 105, also with parts of Isaiah 24-27. The speaker in the first song is apparently the redeemed Israel. He utters thanksgiving for the passing of Yahweh’ s anger into comfort ( Isaiah 40:1 f.), expresses his trust in Him as his salvation. The joy with which they draw water from the wells of deliverance ( Isaiah 12:3) is conveyed in a metaphor far more expressive, where water is so scarce, than among ourselves. The second psalm is an exultant celebration among the nations of the wonderful achievements He has wrought for Israel.