“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The command to "remember not the former things" isn't about erasing history, but about not letting past glories limit God's future work. God is about to do something so profound that it will make even the incredible exodus from Egypt seem less significant by comparison.
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God is speaking to His people, Israel, who have experienced hardship and exile. He's reminding them of His power and faithfulness, highlighting that He is their Creator and Redeemer. The verses that follow this command to forget the past will focus on God's promise to do something new, guiding them through difficult circumstances and offering them a path to restoration.
God often calls us to leave behind the familiar and step into the new. What does it mean to 'forget' the past in a healthy way?
The Lord is speaking to Israel during a time of great transition and potential renewal, likely after the Babylonian exile.
What does it look like when God "does a new thing"? How does this reorient our hope?
Isaiah 43:18-19 is a powerful announcement of divine innovation. God is not limited by His past actions; He is constantly bringing forth new works.
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Understand the original words
bin · Hebrew Verb
An act of the mind or heart involving focused attention, contemplation, or reflection upon God's past works or future purposes, often used in Scripture as an imperative to acknowledge God's sovereignty.
This verse speaks during the Babylonian exile, a time when God's people were suffering immensely. The prophet is directing them to look forward to a future, even greater deliverance that will far eclipse their past experiences, like the exodus from Egypt.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
Isaiah prophesied Jerusalem's deliverance from the Assyrian siege, solidifying belief in Zion's inviolability.
605 BC
Nebuchadnezzar's Victory at Carchemish
Nebuchadnezzar's decisive victory over Egypt marked Babylon's rise as the dominant world power.
597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem, taking Jehoiachin and many of the nation's elite into Babylonian exile.
587 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Second Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, exiling most of the remaining population to Babylon.
c. 550 BC
Rise of Cyrus the Great
Cyrus began his conquests, unifying the Medes and Persians and setting the stage to challenge Babylon.
539 BC
Fall of Babylon
Cyrus conquered Babylon, allowing the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem.
This passage also calls for a new remembrance of God's mighty acts, specifically the future deliverance from exile, overshadowing the Exodus from Egypt. It echoes the sentiment of Isaiah 43:18 by looking forward to a 'new thing'.
Jeremiah 23:7-8This prophecy directly parallels Isaiah's call to forget the past, stating that the future deliverance from exile will be more significant than the Exodus from Egypt, thus marking a 'new thing' that will supersede former wonders.
Isaiah 43:19Immediately following the verse, Isaiah announces 'Behold, I will do a new thing,' which expands on the instruction to forget the past by highlighting the unprecedented nature of God's upcoming actions, including creating a way in the wilderness.
Isaiah 44:7-8This passage emphasizes God's unique ability to declare future events, contrasting His predictive power with the impotence of idols. This underscores why Israel should focus on God's new 'thing' rather than dwell on past glories.
barnesIsaiah 43:18: "Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old."
Remember ye not ... - So great and wonderful shall be God's future interpositions in your behalf, that what he has done, great as that was, shall be comparatively forgotten. The former things - The deliverance from Egypt, and the overthrow of his enemies there. The things of old - The things that were formerly done.
bensonIsaiah 43:18: "Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old."
Isaiah 43:18-19 . Remember ye not the former things — But although your former deliverance out of Egypt was in itself a most glorious work, which you ought always to remember and consider; yet this other work, of your deliverance out of Babylon, and those blessings which shall follow upon it, and particularly that of sending the Messiah, shall be so transcendent a favour, that, in comparison thereof, all your…
The command to "remember not the former things" isn't about erasing history, but about not letting past glories limit God's future work. God is about to do something so profound that it will make even the incredible exodus from Egypt seem less significant by comparison.
God is speaking to His people, Israel, who have experienced hardship and exile. He's reminding them of His power and faithfulness, highlighting that He is their Creator and Redeemer. The verses that follow this command to forget the past will focus on God's promise to do something new, guiding them through difficult circumstances and offering them a path to restoration.
God is speaking to His people, Israel, who have experienced hardship and exile. He's reminding them of His power and faithfulness, highlighting that He is their Creator and Redeemer. The verses that follow this command to forget the past will focus on God's promise to do something new, guiding them through difficult circumstances and offering them a path to restoration.
"“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old." — The command to "remember not the former things" isn't about erasing history, but about not letting past glories limit God's future work. God is about to do something so profound that it will make eve…
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Last reviewed October 2026