“Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.”
The encouragement to Israel—'Do not fear, or be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses. Is there a god besides me? There is no other; I do not know any'—appeals to Israel's historical experience of God's faithfulness. The appeal to what God 'told you from of old' grounds faith in past demonstrations of divine reliability. The establishment of Israel as 'witnesses' invokes their role in testifying to God's unique reality. The statement 'I do not know any' other god suggests that from God's perspective, no rivals even exist. This verse combines reassurance with assignment of responsibility.
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