Isaiah 52:3

Sold yourselves. The Jews had “sold” themselves into the service of evil, and as a result had suffered at the hands of their heathen neighbors, the Assyrians, in Isaiah’s day, and were yet to be captives of Babylon. The bargain was shortsighted indeed, for thereby they exchanged virtue, honor, liberty, and peace for transgression, dishonor, bondage, and bloodshed. See Rom. 6:16.

Without money. In the redemption of Israel from oppression at the hands of the nations round about, Isaiah sees a promise of eventual deliverance from the dominion of sin. As Cyrus was to deliver God’s people from Babylon (chs. 44:28 to 45:13), so Christ would deliver them from the bondage of sin (Rom. 3:24; 1 Peter 1:18, 19). God was not obliged to pay a ransom for His people, either to the prince of evil or to the nations that held them in captivity.