Isaiah 50:1–32 Nephi 7:1–3D&C 133:66–691 Thus saith the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away? Or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.1 Yea, for thus saith the Lord: Have I put thee away, or have I cast thee off forever? For thus saith the Lord: Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement? To whom have I put thee away, or to which of my creditors have I sold you? Yea, to whom have I sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.66 In that day when I came unto mine own, no man among you received me, and you were driven out.2 Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.2 Wherefore, when I came, there was no man; when I called, yea, there was none to answer. O house of Israel, is my hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem, or have I no power to deliver? Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make their rivers a wilderness and their fish to stink because the waters are dried up, and they die because of thirst.67 When I called again there was none of you to answer; yet my arm was not shortened at all that I could not redeem, neither my power to deliver.
68 Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea. I make the rivers a wilderness; their fish stink, and die for thirst.3 I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.3 I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.69 I clothe the heavens with blackness, and make sackcloth their covering.
Isaiah 50–52:12 is a continuation of the theme of Isaiah 49. Isaiah 49 concluded with a declaration that the Lord would fight for his people, Israel, against those who contented with them or with Zion, and that the great and abominable church would be warring within itself. Continuing in the same vein, the Lord here states his reasons for fighting on Israel’s behalf. First, because “backsliding Israel committed adultery [the Lord] had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also” (Jeremiah 3:8). For this reason Judah was put away (taken into Babylon, and later scattered). However, the bill of divorcement that he gave to their “mother” (former-day Israel) is not in effect for latter-day Israel. Secondly, the Lord has not sold Israel to his creditors, for he has none (v. 1).
The Lord is using the metaphor of the ancient law of divorce given by Moses, wherein a man who has “found some uncleanness in [his wife]; then let him write her a bill of divorcement.” However, he “may not take her again to be his wife” (Deuteronomy 24:1–4). While the Lord had divorced ancient Israel because of their iniquities, latter-day Israel was not included in that bill of divorcement.
Regarding the second reason for the Lord fighting for Israel, some scholars interpret the ancient law to say that a man could “sell his daughter to be a maidservant” either directly or in marriage to pay his creditors (Exodus 21:7), but the Lord is in debt to no one, so this law, even if it were interpreted correctly, does not apply here either. Therefore, there is no reason why the Lord would not deliver Israel from the hands of her oppressors, and he certainly had the power to do so.
There will be those in modern Israel who are not delivered, because they will suffer from the consequences of their own iniquities, just as those in former-day Israel suffered because of their transgressions. The Doctrine and Covenants clarifies the Lord’s teachings in this matter. The context is the day of the Lord’s fighting for Israel—the day spoken of by Moses and Malachi, when those who hearken not to the voice of the Lord will be cut off, and the proud and the wicked will be burned, leaving them “neither root [ancestors] nor branch [posterity].” Thus, they are no longer a part of Israel; their patriarchal lines are severed.
63 And upon them that hearken not to the voice of the Lord shall be fulfilled that which was written by the prophet Moses, that they should be cut off from among the people.
64 And also that which was written by the prophet Malachi: For, behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. [D&C 133:63–64; see also Deuteronomy 18:15, 18:19; Acts 3:23; 1 Nephi 22:20–21; 3 Nephi 20:23, 21:11; Malachi 4:1]
Doctrine and Covenants 133:66–69 contains “the answer of the Lord unto [those of Israel who are cut off]” (D&C 133:65) with slight variations from the words of Isaiah. A comparison of the three texts should help us understand the Isaiah passage.
When Christ came to his own in the meridian of time, the Jews collectively rejected the gospel (2 Nephi 7: 2). When he calls again (D&C 133:67), it will he his second appearance to them. Although the Jews will still not be ready for revelation, the Lord will have power to redeem them. This idea is amplified in Isaiah 5 or 2 Nephi 8.
The following verses (Isaiah 50:4–9) probably have dual meaning, referring to the time of both appearances. As quoted in Doctrine and Covenants 133:66–70, Isaiah 50:2–3,11 addresses those who were cut off from Israel, while Isaiah 50:4–10 describes those who brought the message of salvation. We will analyze the verses separately.