Isaiah 48:5

Therefore I declared it to you long ago; I announced it before it came to pass, so that you could not claim, ‘My idol has done this; my carved image and molten god has ordained it.’

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God addresses the people of Israel immediately after describing their stubbornness, positioning His speech right before He promises to reveal new, previously unknown things.

The words — The Hebrew אָגִיד (agid, "I declared") and פֶּן (pen, "lest") anchor the clause, showing that God’s early announcements were structurally designed to block a specific false conclusion.

The thread — This forensic use of prophecy to preempt idolatrous credit runs through Isaiah 48:3 and is recalled in Luke 1:70 as the consistent function of the ancient prophets.

Why it lands — The text states that God’s prior declarations were meant to prevent the people from attributing events to carved or molten images, requiring them to acknowledge His direct agency.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וָאַגִּ֤ידva./'a.Gidand/ I declared [them]לְךָ֙le./Khato/ youמֵאָ֔זme./'Azfrom/ then בְּטֶ֥רֶםbe./Te.rem<in>/ before תָּב֖וֹאta.Vo'it came הִשְׁמַעְתִּ֑יךָhish.ma'.Ti./khaI proclaimed to/ you פֶּן־pen-lest תֹּאמַר֙to.Maryou should say עָצְבִּ֣י'a.tze.B/iidol/ my עָשָׂ֔ם'a.Sa/mit did/ them וּפִסְלִ֥יu./fis.L/iand/ carved image/ my וְנִסְכִּ֖יve./nis.K/iand/ molten image/ my צִוָּֽם׃tzi.Va/mit commanded/ them

King James Version

I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.

Cross-references

Isaiah 48:3 I foretold the former things long ago; they came out of My mouth and I proclaimed them. Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.
Luke 1:70 as He spoke through His holy prophets, those of ages past,
Jeremiah 44:15 Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, and all the women standing by—a great assembly—along with all the people living in the land of Egypt and in Pathros, said to Jeremiah,
Acts 15:18 that have been known for ages.’
Isaiah 42:8 I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols.
Isaiah 44:7 Who then is like Me? Let him say so! Let him declare his case before Me, since I established an ancient people. Let him foretell the things to come, and what is to take place.
Isaiah 46:10 I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’