ישעיהו, פרק מ״ג, פסוק י״ט

God promises His people a future salvation so powerful and unprecedented that it will completely overshadow all past miracles. This profound event will make the wonders of history fade from memory, replacing them with a reality that has never been seen before [ביאור שטיינזלץ, מצודת דוד]. Commentators differ on the exact historical moment this addresses. Some believe it points directly to the fall of the Babylonian empire and the unique rescue of the Israelites from that exile [אבן עזרא]. Others emphasize that it looks further ahead to a complete and ultimate ingathering of all the exiles [רד״ק].

Regardless of the specific era, the redemption is described as something imminent, provided the people return to God in repentance. The message is delivered as though the event is happening right now. This is meant to plant absolute confidence in the hearts of the listeners, making them feel as if they are watching their salvation unfold right in front of their eyes [רד״ק, שד״ל]. It will appear suddenly, much like a plant that unexpectedly breaks through the surface of the soil when no one was anticipating it [שד״ל].

The expectation that the people will recognize this event is understood in two distinct ways. One approach explains that this knowledge is rooted in the past. The Israelites should expect this salvation because it was already written and guaranteed in the Torah given by Moses [מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. In fact, because the return from Babylon did not include all the tribes or feature complete repentance, this prior knowledge must point toward a greater, future redemption [רד״ק]. Another approach views this recognition not as historical knowledge, but as an immediate sensory experience. When the time comes, everyone will instantly and clearly recognize God's new intervention [שד״ל]. Unlike an intellectual concept that might be open to doubt, this salvation will be so tangible and obvious to the senses that no uncertainty will remain [מלבי״ם].

To emphasize the magnitude of this event, God promises to layer an immense new wonder on top of the miracles the people already know [רד״ק]. He will transform dry, desolate places to provide for the returning exiles. Many understand this as a literal physical change: God will pave a comfortable path for the returning captives and split open rivers in the desert to quench their thirst as they journey back to Zion [מצודת דוד, אבן עזרא]. The rush of water will be so massive that the once dry desert will look as though it had always been unpopulated simply because too many rivers blocked the way [מלבי״ם]. Alternatively, this transformation is seen as a metaphor for a miraculous rescue. Just as the original Exodus from Egypt was filled with wonders in the wilderness, the deliverance from Babylon will be just as astonishing, marked by a foreign king suddenly bringing down a mighty empire to set the Israelites free [שד״ל].