8 "I am Yahweh. That is my name. I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to engraved images.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
I am Jehovah. Hence infer what is the nature and extent of the disease of unbelief, since the Lord can hardly satisfy himself with any words to express the cure of it. By nature we are prone to distrust, and do not believe God when he speaks, till he entirely subdue our stubbornness. Besides, we continually fall back into the same fault through our levity, unless he employ many bridles to restrain us. Again, therefore, he returns to that confirmation of which we have spoken formerly, that his promises may remain unshaken. This is my name. hv' (hu) is sometimes taken for a substantive, so as to be a proper name of God; [1] but I explain it in a more simple manner, "It is my name," that is, "Jehovah is my own name, and cannot lawfully be given to any other." In a word, by this expression he seals all that was said about the office of Christ, and adds as it were a seal to the promise: "He who declareth these things testifieth that he alone is God, and that this name dwelleth in him alone." And I will not give my glory to another; that is, "I will not suffer my glory to be diminished, which it would be, if I were found to be false or fickle in my promises." He therefore declares that he will abide by his promises, because he wishes to vindicate his glory and preserve it entire, that it may not be in any respect diminished. This is a remarkable passage, by which we are taught that the glory of God is chiefly visible in his fulfillment of what he has promised. And hence we obtain a singular confirmation of our faith, that the Lord never deceives, never swerves from his promises, and nothing can hinder what he has once determined. But since Satan, by amazing arts, endeavors to obscure this glory of God, and to bestow it on men and on false gods, he therefore testifies that he will not permit himself to be regarded as fickle or deceitful in his promises. Nor my praise to graven images. A contrast is drawn between the only God and idols with reference to time; for, had not God been the Redeemer of his people, unbelievers would have boasted as if true religion had been false and useless. God therefore declares that he will not permit wicked men to triumph by oppressing the Church; and, beyond all doubt, God has hitherto spared us, and still deals so gently with us, in order that he may not expose his Gospel to the blasphemous reproaches of the Papists. We ought to draw from this a universal doctrine, namely, that the Lord wishes that his glory may remain unimpaired; for he defends and maintains it everywhere with the utmost zeal, in order to shew that he is exceedingly jealous of it, (Exodus 20:5,) and does not permit the smallest part of it to be given to another.
1 - "There is no sufficient ground for the opinion that the pronoun hv' (ha) is ever used as a divine name, cognate and equivalent to Jehovah. In this case the obvious and usual construction is entirely satisfactory." -- Alexander.
I am the Lord - I am Yahweh. Here is also a change in the address. In the previous verses, God had addressed the Messiah. Here he turns to the people, and assures them that he is the only true God, and that he will not suffer the praise that is due to him to be given to any other, or to any graven image. The name Yahweh signifies being, or essential existence (see the note at Isaiah 1:9). It is a name which is given to none but the true God, and which is everywhere in the Scriptures used to distinguish him from all others.
That is my name - That is the name which I have chosen by which to distinguish myself from all idols, and which I regard as appropriately expressive of my existence and perfections. Thus it is used in Psalm 83:18 (compare Psalm 96:5). "And my glory." The glory, honor, or praise that is due to me.
Will I not give - I will not allow it to ascribed to another; I will not allow another to assume or receive the honor which is due to me.
To another - To any other; whether it be man, or whether it be an idol. God claims that all appropriate honors should be rendered to him, and that men should cherish no opinions, maintain no doctrines, indulge in no feelings, that would be derogatory to the honor of his name. This declaration is designed to counteract the propensity everywhere manifest to attribute to man that which belongs to God, or to ascribe to our own wisdom, skill, or power, that which he alone can accomplish.
Neither my praise - The praise which is due to me. He would not permit graven images to receive the praise of having done that which he himself had accomplished.
I am the Lord - אני יהוה ani Yehovah. This is the famous tetragrammaton, or name of four letters, which we write Jehovah Yehovah, Yehveh, Yeveh, Jhuh, Javah, etc. The letters are Y H U H. The Jews never pronounce it, and the true pronunciation is utterly unknown.
That is my name - A name peculiar to myself.
I [am] the LORD: that [is] my name: and my (o) glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
(o) I will not permit my glory to be diminished: which I would do if I were not faithful.
I am the Lord, that is my name,.... Jehovah, a name expressive of his self-existence, eternity, and immutability; a name by which be made himself known to Israel of old, and which is peculiar to him, and does not belong to another, and so distinguishes him from all false gods; see Exodus 3:14 or, "Hu is my name" (p); to which "he himself the same", answers; see Psalm 102:27, compared with Hebrews 13:8 and this is one of the names of God with the Jews (q); as Hou is with the Turks to this day; which, in Arabic, signifies "him": that is, God, as Monsieur Thevenot (r) observes; see Isaiah 48:12,
and my glory will I not give to another; that is, to another god, to a strange god, to an idol; as that has not the nature, it ought not to have the name of deity, nor divine worship given to it: this the Lord will not admit of, but will punish those, be they Heathens, or are called Christians, that give the glory to idols that is due unto his name. This is not to be understood to the exclusion of the Son and Spirit, who are with the Father the one Jehovah, and share in the same glory; the Son is the brightness of his Father's glory, and the Spirit is the Spirit of glory, Hebrews 1:3 nor will he suffer the glory of the justification, salvation, and conversion of men, to be given to their works, will, and power, which is entirely due to his own grace, to the blood and righteousness of his Son, and to the energy of the divine Spirit:
neither my praise to graven images; which serves to explain the former clause, what is meant by his "glory", and who by "another", to whom he will not give it. Papists should observe this, for it respects not merely or only the graven images of the Heathens, but chiefly those among them that bear the Christian name; for this relates to New Testament times. The Targum is,
"and my glory, in which I am revealed to you, I will not give to another people; nor my praise to worshippers of images.''
(p) (q) Seder Tephillot. fol. 1. 2. & 4, 1. Ed. Basil. (r) Travels. part 1. B. 1. c. 31. p. 41.
God turns from addressing Messiah to the people.
Lord--JEHOVAH: God's distinguishing and incommunicable name, indicating essential being and immutable faithfulness (compare Exodus 6:3; Psalm 83:18; Psalm 96:5; Hosea 12:5).
my--that is due to Me, and to Me alone.
Jehovah pledges His name and honour that this work of the Servant of Jehovah will be carried into effect. "I am Jehovah; that is my name, and my glory I give not to another, nor my renown to idols." That is His name, which affirms how truly He stands alone in His nature, and recals to mind the manifestations of His life, His power, and His grace from the very earliest times (cf., Exodus 3:15). He to whom this name belongs cannot permit the honour due to Him to be permanently transferred to sham gods. He has therefore made preparations for putting an end to idolatry. Cyrus does this provisionally by the tempestuous force of arms; and the Servant of Jehovah completes it by the spiritual force of His simple word, and of His gentle, unselfish love.
The Lord - Hebrews. Jehovah: who have all being in and of myself, and give being to all my creatures. The everlasting, and unchangeable, and omnipotent God, who therefore both can, and will fulfil all my promises.
*More commentary available at chapter level.