In the wake of an apparent extended exilic silence, the incomparable God of Israel speaks.11 A majestic tone and cosmic imagery contrast sharply with the repeated withering descriptions of the human audience. This encounter both offers comfort and forces the audience to see themselves as they truly are in contrast to the sovereign divine speaker. It introduces the motif of comfort but does so in a way that hints at the vacillations of tone between rage and soothing which will come from the voice offering comfort (see A Closer Look: The Voice of Comfort).