The Trinity in Isaiah 48:16?

There are some Christians that believe that there is a specific verse in the book of Isaiah, which explicitly points to the Trinity. It is Isaiah 48:16, the context of which I quote so the readers can see why this passage is taken as evidence for the Trinity.

Isaiah 48

“Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name Israel And who came forth from the loins of Judah, Who swear by the name of Yahweh And bring to remembrance the God of Israel, But not in truth or in righteousness.

² For they call themselves after the holy city And are supported by the God of Israel; Yahweh of hosts is His name.

³ I declared the former things long ago, And they went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to be heard. Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.

⁴ Because I know that you are stiff, And your neck is an iron sinew And your forehead bronze,

⁵ Therefore I declared them to you long ago, Before they happened I caused them to be heard by you, Lest you say, ‘My idol has done them, And my graven image and my molten image have commanded them.’

⁶ You have heard; look at all this. And you, will you not declare it? I caused you to hear new things from this time, Even hidden things which you have not known.

⁷ They are created now and not long ago; And before today you have not heard them, Lest you say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’

⁸ Indeed, you have not heard; indeed, you have not known. Indeed, even from long ago your ear has not been open Because I knew that you would deal very treacherously; And you have been called a transgressor from the womb.

⁹ For the sake of My name I delay My anger, And for My praise I restrain it for you, In order not to cut you off.

¹⁰ Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

¹¹ For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another.

 ¹² “Hear Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last.

¹³ Also, My hand founded the earth, And My right hand spread out the heavens; When I call to them, they stand together.

¹⁴ Assemble, all of you, and hear! Who among them has declared these things? Yahweh loves him; he will carry out His good pleasure on Babylon, And His arm will be against the Chaldeans.

¹⁵ I, even I, have spoken; indeed I have called him, I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful.

¹⁶ Draw near to Me, hear this: From the first I have not spoken in secret, From the time it took place, I was there. So now Lord Yahweh has sent Me, and His Spirit.”

The Speaker all throughout has been YHWH, which suggests that it is YHWH who says that he has been sent by the Lord YHWH along with YHWH’s Spirit.

On the other hand, there are others that claim that the last line of verse 16 is actually the prophet speaking, and not YHWH. They base this off of what immediately follows, where Isaiah quotes the words of YHWH again:

¹⁷ Thus says Yahweh, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,

“I am Yahweh your God, who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way you should go.

¹⁸ If only you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

¹⁹ Your seed would have been like the sand, And the offspring from your loins like its grains; Their name would never be cut off or destroyed from My presence.”

²⁰ Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Declare with the sound of joyful shouting, cause this to be heard, Bring it forth to the end of the earth; Say, “Yahweh has redeemed His servant Jacob.”

²¹ And they did not thirst when He led them through the waste places. He made the water flow out of the rock for them; He split the rock, and the water gushed forth.

²² “There is no peace for the wicked,” says Yahweh.

They argue from the fact that there is a break between vv. 16-17, where the prophet reintroduces the words of YHWH, that it is no longer YHWH speaking at the conclusion of v. 16.

In response to this objection, I will quote from Isaiah himself where the inspired prophet will often break the flow of YHWH’s proclamations without an indication that it is YHWH who is still speaking.

ISAIAH 45

Thus says Yahweh to Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken hold of by his right hand, To subdue nations before him And to loose the loins of kings, To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:

² “I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars.

³ I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden wealth of secret places, So that you may know that it is I, Yahweh, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.

⁴ For the sake of Jacob My servant, And Israel My chosen one, I have also called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have not known Me.

⁵ I am Yahweh, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me,

⁶ That they may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am Yahweh, and there is no other,

⁷ The One forming light and creating darkness, Producing peace and creating calamity; I am Yahweh who does all these.

 ⁸ “Drip down, O heavens, from above, And let the skies pour down righteousness; Let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit, And righteousness spring up with it. I, Yahweh, have created it.

 ⁹ “Woe to the one who contends with his Maker—An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’ Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?

¹⁰ Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you begetting?’ Or to a woman, ‘With what are you in labor pains?’”

¹¹ Thus says Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker:

“Ask Me about the things that are to come concerning My sons, And you shall commit to Me the work of My hands.

¹² It is I who made the earth and created man upon it.I stretched out the heavens with My hands, And I commanded all their host.

¹³ I have awakened him in righteousness, And I will make all his ways smooth; He will build My city and will let My exiles go, Without any payment or reward,” says Yahweh of hosts. 

¹⁴ Thus says Yahweh,

“The fruit of the labor of Egypt and the profit of Ethiopia And the Sabeans, men of stature, Will come over to you and will be yours; They will walk behind you; they will come over in chains And will bow down to you; They will make supplication to you: ‘Surely, God is with you, and there is none else, No other God.’”

¹⁵ Truly, You are a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel, Savior!

¹⁶ They will be put to shame and even dishonored, all of them; The craftsmen of idols will go away together in dishonor.

¹⁷ Israel has been saved by Yahweh With an everlasting salvation; You will not be put to shame or dishonored To all eternity.

¹⁸ For thus says Yahweh, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it; He established it and did not create it a formless place, but formed it to be inhabited),

“I am Yahweh, and there is none else.

¹⁹ I have not spoken in secret, In some dark land; I did not say to the seed of Jacob, ‘Seek Me in a formless place’; I, Yahweh, speak righteousness, Declaring things that are upright.

²⁰ “Gather yourselves and come; Draw near together, you who have escaped from the nations; They do not know,Who carry about their graven image of wood And pray to a god who cannot save.

²¹ Declare and draw near with your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has made this heard from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, Yahweh? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me.

²² Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.

²³ I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.

²⁴ They will say of Me, ‘Only in Yahweh are righteousness and strength. ’Men will come to Him, And all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.

²⁵ In Yahweh all the seed of Israel Will be justified and will boast.”

ISAIAH 43

But now, thus says Yahweh, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!

² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.

³ For I am Yahweh your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place.

⁴ Since you are precious in My sight, Since you are honored and I love you,I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life.

⁵ Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your seed from the east, And gather you from the west.

⁶ I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back. ’Bring My sons from afar And My daughters from the ends of the earth,

⁷ Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”

 ⁸ Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes, And the deaf, even though they have ears.

⁹ All the nations have gathered together So that the peoples may be assembled. Who among them can declare this And make us hear the former things? Let them present their witnesses that they may be justified, Or let them hear and say, “It is true.”

¹⁰ “You are My witnesses,” declares Yahweh, “And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He.Before Me there was no god formed, And there will be none after Me.

¹¹ I, even I, am Yahweh, And there is no savior besides Me.

¹² It is I who have declared and saved and caused it to be heard, And there was no strange god among you; So you are My witnesses,” declares Yahweh, “And I am God.

¹³ Even from eternity I am He, And there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?”

¹⁴ Thus says Yahweh your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,

“For your sake I have sent to Babylon, And will bring down those who fled—all of them,Even the Chaldeans—into the ships in which they shouted for joy.

¹⁵ I am Yahweh, your Holy One, The Creator of Israel, your King.”

¹⁶ Thus says Yahweh,

Who makes a way through the sea And a path through the mighty waters,

¹⁷ Who brings forth the chariot and the horse,The military force and the mighty man; They will lie down together and not rise again; They have been extinguished and quenched like a wick:

¹⁸ “Do not remember the former things, Nor carefully consider things of the past.

¹⁹ Behold, I will do something new; Now it will spring forth; Will you not know it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the wasteland.

²⁰ The beasts of the field will glorify Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I have given waters in the wilderness And rivers in the wasteland, To give drink to My chosen people.

²¹ The people whom I formed for Myself Will recount My praise.

²² “Yet you have not called on Me, O Jacob; But you have become weary of Me, O Israel.

²³ You have not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings, Nor have you glorified Me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, Nor wearied you with frankincense.

²⁴ You have not bought Me sweet cane with money, Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices; Rather you have burdened Me with your sins; You have wearied Me with your iniquities.

²⁵ “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins.

²⁶ Bring Me to remembrance, let us enter into judgment together; Recount your cause, that you may be proved right.

²⁷ Your first father sinned, And your spokesmen have transgressed against Me.

²⁸ So I will profane the princes of the sanctuary, And I will give Jacob to be devoted to destruction and Israel to revilement.

ISAIAH 42

“Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul is well-pleased. I have put My Spirit upon Him;He will bring forth justice to the nations.

² He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street.

³ A crushed reed He will not break And a faintly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will bring forth justice in truth.

⁴ He will not be faint or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”

⁵ Thus says the God, Yahweh,

Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it And spirit to those who walk in it,

⁶ “I am Yahweh, I have called You in righteousness; I will also take hold of You by the hand and guard You, And I will give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations,

⁷ To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon And those who inhabit darkness from the prison.

⁸ I am Yahweh, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.

⁹ Behold, the former things have come to pass; Now I declare new things; Before they spring forth I cause you to hear them.”

ISAIAH 44

“But now hear, O Jacob, My servant, And Israel, whom I have chosen:

² Thus says Yahweh who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you, ‘Do not fear, O Jacob My servant, And you Jeshurun whom I have chosen.

³ For I will pour out water on the thirsty ground And streams on the dry land; I will pour out My Spirit on your seed And My blessing on your offspring;

⁴ And they will spring up among the grass Like poplars by streams of water.’

⁵ This one will say, ‘I am Yahweh’s’; And this one will call on the name of Jacob; And this one will write on his hand, ‘Belonging to Yahweh,’ And will name Israel’s name with honor.

⁶ “Thus says Yahweh, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, Yahweh of hosts:

‘I am the first, and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me.

⁷ Who is like Me? Let him call out and declare it; And let him tell it to Me in order, From the time that I established the ancient people. And let them declare to them the things that are to come And the events that are going to take place.

⁸ Do not be in dread and do not be afraid; Have I not long since caused it to be heard to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock?I know of none.’”

ISAIAH 49

²² Thus says Lord Yahweh,

“Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations And make high My standard to the peoples; And they will bring your sons in their bosom, And your daughters will be lifted up on their shoulders.

²³ Kings will be your guardians, And their princesses your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth And lick the dust of your feet; And you will know that I am Yahweh; Those who hope in Me will not be put to shame.

²⁴ “Can the prey be taken from the mighty man, Or the captives of the righteous be granted escape?”

²⁵ Surely, thus says Yahweh,

“Even the captives of the mighty man will be taken away, And the prey of the tyrant will be granted escape; For I will contend with the one who contends with you, And I will save your sons.

²⁶ I will feed those who mistreat you with their own flesh, And they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine; And all flesh will know that I, Yahweh, am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

ISAIAH 50 

Thus says Yahweh,

“Where is the certificate of divorce By which I have sent your mother away? Or to which of My creditors did I sell you? Behold, you were sold for your iniquities, And for your transgressions your mother was sent away.

² Why was there no man when I came? When I called, why was there none to answer? Is My hand so short that it cannot ransom? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, I dry up the sea with My rebuke; I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish stink for lack of water And die of thirst.

³ I clothe the heavens with blackness And make sackcloth their covering.”

⁴ Lord Yahweh has given Me the tongue of disciples,That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning; He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.

⁵ Lord Yahweh has opened My ear; And I did not rebel Nor did I turn back.

⁶ I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not hide My face from dishonor and spitting.

⁷ Even now Lord Yahweh helps Me, Therefore, I am not dishonored; Therefore, I have set My face like flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed.

⁸ He who vindicates Me is near; Who will contend with Me? Let us stand up to each other; Who has a judgment against Me? Let him approach Me.

⁹ Behold, Lord Yahweh helps Me; Who is he who condemns Me? Behold, they will all wear out like a garment; The moth will eat them.

¹⁰ Who is among you that fears Yahweh,That listens to the voice of His Servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of Yahweh and rely on his God.

¹¹ Behold, all you who kindle a fire, Who gird yourselves with firebrands, Walk in the light of your fire And among the brands you have set ablaze. This you will have from My hand:You will lie down in torment.

Further Reading

The Trinity in Isaiah [Part 1], [Part 2] 

Binitarianism in the Book of Isaiah