Isaiah 49
49
1Listen to me, you people of the islands!#49:1. “Islands”: or, “coastlands.” Pay attention, you who live far away! The Lord called me before I was born; he gave me my name while I was still in my mother's womb. 2The words he gave me to speak are like a sharp sword. He has protected me by covering me with his hand. He put me in his quiver like a sharp arrow, keeping me safe there.
3He told me, “You are my servant, Israel, and I will reveal my glory through you.”
4But I replied, “I've worked for nothing! I've exhausted myself, and for what? Even so, I leave it with the Lord to do what's right, and my reward is with my God.”
5Now my Lord is going to speak, the one who formed me in the womb as his servant to bring Jacob back to him, to gather Israel to himself.#49:5. “To gather Israel to himself”: Dead Sea Scrolls and some Hebrew manuscripts; the Hebrew text includes the word “not.” I am honored in the Lord's sight, and my God has given me strength. 6He says, “It's nothing much for you to be my servant to bring back the tribes of Jacob, those people of Israel that I've preserved. I'm also going to make you a light for the foreigners so that my salvation may reach everybody.”
7This is what the Lord says, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, to the one who was despised and detested by the nation, to the one who is the servant of rulers: Kings will see you and stand up, and princes will bow down to you, because the Lord, who is trustworthy, the Holy One of Israel, has chosen you.
8This is what the Lord says: I will answer you at the proper time; I will help you on the day of salvation. I will take care of you, and I will give you to the people as my agreement with them, to restore the land and to reassign the parts that have been abandoned. 9Tell the prisoners, “Come out!” Tell those living in darkness, “Come into the light!” Like sheep they will feed along the roads and in the pastures on hills that once were barren. 10They won't be hungry or thirsty, and they won't get hot in the sun, for the one who loves them will lead them to springs, and guide them to water. 11I will turn all my mountains into a road; my highways will be really high! 12Look at these people coming from far away! Look at these people coming from the north, and from the west, and from Upper Egypt.#49:12. “Upper Egypt”: following the reading from the Dead Sea Scrolls which appears to indicate Aswan. The Septuagint reads “Persia,” while the Hebrew reads “Sinim,” an unknown place. 13Heavens, shout for joy! Earth, celebrate! Mountains, sing out in happiness! The Lord has come to care for his people, and he will treat his suffering people kindly.
14But Zion said, “The Lord has given up on me; the Lord has forgotten about me.”
15Really? Can a mother forget her nursing baby? Can she forget to be kind to the child she carried in her womb? Even if she could forget, I will never forget you! 16Look at your names I've written on the palms of my hands! I'm always thinking about your walls.#49:16. Presumably the walls of Jerusalem that were knocked down. 17Soon your children will come running back. Your destroyers, those that devastated your land, will be gone. 18Take a look around. See all your children gathering and coming back to you. As I live, declares the Lord, you will wear them all as jewelry, proudly putting them on like a bride. 19Your ruined towns and abandoned places and devastated lands will be crowded with people, while those who took over your country will be long gone. 20The children born during your time of mourning in exile will say, “This place is too crowded for me! Make room so I have a place to live!” 21Then you will say to yourself, “Who gave birth to all these children for me? My children were killed and I was unable to have more; I was exiled and thrown aside—so who brought these children up? Look, I was abandoned, so where did they come from?”
22This is what the Lord God says, Watch as I give the signal to the nations, as I raise my flag to let everyone know. They will bring them back, carrying your sons in their arms, and lifting your daughters onto their shoulders. 23Kings will be your childminders; queens will be your nurses. They will bow low before you, and lick the dust from your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord, and that those who put their trust in me will never be ashamed.
24Can loot be taken from a warrior? Can prisoners be rescued from a dictator?#49:24. “Dictator”: Dead Sea Scrolls reading. 25But this is what the Lord says: Even the prisoners of warriors will be won back; even loot will be recovered from a dictator. I will fight with your enemies, and I will rescue your children. 26I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh and drink their own blood like wine. Then everyone will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Isaiah 49
49
The Lord’s Special Servant
1Listen to what I have to say, you islands.
Pay attention to me, you who live in distant lands.
Yahweh called me as his own before I was born
and named me while I was still in my mother’s womb.
2He gives me words that pierce and penetrate. # 49:2 Or “He makes my mouth a sharp sword.” See Heb. 4:12; Rev. 1:16; 2:12, 16; 19:15.
He hid me and protected me in the shadow of his hand. # 49:2 Jesus was “hidden” in Nazareth for thirty years.
He prepared me like a polished arrow
and concealed me in his quiver.
3And he said to me,
“Israel, you are my special servant;
in you I will be glorified.” # 49:3 See Gen. 32:28; Deut. 7:6; 26:18–19; Eph. 1:4–6.
4I said, “I’ve worked and served for nothing.
I have used up all my strength for nothing.” # 49:4 Or “empty breath.”
Yet my rights I leave in Yahweh’s hands,
and my just reward is with my God.
5And now, the Lord Yahweh—
who shaped me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob’s tribes back to him
that Israel would be gathered back to him,
for I am honored in the sight of Yahweh.
I find the source of all my strength in my God—
6who says:
“Is it too small a thing for you, my servant,
to restore greatness to Jacob’s tribes and the survivors of Israel?
I will make you to be a light to the nations and
to bring the light of my salvation to the ends of the earth!” # 49:6 Although Israel is named in this chapter, the future fulfillment of this prophecy is found in Jesus Christ, the true Servant of the Lord. He was called and named from the womb (v. 1). He was equipped and prepared by God (v. 2). He was appointed and commissioned as God’s Servant (v. 3). He would bring Israel back to God (v. 5). He is highly favored in the sight of God (v. 5). Jesus found all his strength in his Father and did only what pleased him (v. 5). He is light and salvation to the nations (gentiles; v. 6).
7Yahweh, Israel’s Kinsman-Redeemer and Holy One,
says to the one who is deeply despised and repulsed by rulers
and a slave to the ruling class:
“Kings will see and stand up in respect;
princes will bow down to honor the faithfulness of Yahweh,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
God’s Faithfulness
8Yahweh says:
“When the time of showing you favor has come, # 49:8 This may be a reference to the year of Jubilee (see Lev. 25:8–13). Believers today are now living in that season of God’s favor. See Luke 4:18–19.
I will answer your heart’s cry.
I will help you in the day of salvation,
for I have fixed my eyes on you.
I have made you a covenant people to restore the land
and to resettle families on forgotten inheritances.
9You will declare to prisoners, ‘You’re free!’
and to those in darkness, ‘Step out into the light!’
They will be like sheep that graze beside the roads
and find pasture on the barren hillside.
10They will never be hungry or thirsty.
Neither scorching sun nor desert wind will hurt them, # 49:10 See Rev. 7:16.
for he, the Loving One, will guide them
and lead them to restful, renewing streams of water. # 49:10 See Ps. 23:1–3.
11I will level all my mountains as a road for them
and raise up my highways.
12Look! They will come from faraway lands—
some from the north, some from the west,
and some from the land of Sinim.” # 49:12 There is much scholarly debate about the land of Sinim. There are some convincing arguments that link Sinim etymologically and historically to the Qin dynasty, which eventually grew and became modern-day China. The Sinites as a people group are mentioned in Gen. 10:17 and 1 Chron. 1:15. Others see Sinim as a Persian province, a variant name for Phoenicia, or a region in Aswan (Egypt).
13Sing for joy, you heavens!
Shout, you earth, and rejoice with dancing, shouting, and glee!
Burst into joyous songs, you mountains,
for Yahweh has comforted his beloved people.
He will show tenderness and compassion # 49:13 The Hebrew word for “compassion” is racham, a Hebrew homophone for “womb.” The implication is that God has a compassionate love for you, greater than a birth mother has for her child. God’s love comes from deep within his innermost being and births living mercy poured out over us. Racham can be translated “pity,” “grace,” “favor,” “tender affection,” or “compassion.” The very core of God’s being is filled with love and compassion for you.
to his suffering ones.
God Will Not Forget Zion
14But Zion has said, “Yahweh has forsaken me.
My Lord has forgotten me—I’m all alone.”
15Yahweh responds, “But how could a loving mother forget her nursing child
and not deeply love the one she bore?
Even if there is a mother who forgets her child,
I could never, no never, forget you.
16Can’t you see?
I have carved your name on the palms of my hands!
Your walls are always my concern. # 49:16 Although this is an apparent reference to the walls of Jerusalem, there is an application here for each of us. Wherever you are today, your limitations—your walls—are before God’s eyes. He knows where you are and what you face.
17Your children, your builders, # 49:17 The Hebrew root word for “children” (bnyk) is a homonym for “builders.” This translation includes both terms. See also v. 18. are running back to you
as those who ruined and destroyed you are running away.
18Lift up your head and look all around you.
See! All your children, your builders, gather to come back to you.
As surely as I live, I make this promise,” says Yahweh.
“You will wear them all like jewels,
as a radiant bride wears her beautiful jewelry! # 49:18 The Hebrew word for “bride” (kallah) also means “completed,” “perfected,” or “finished.” A mature bride will arise, wearing her sons and daughters as her jewelry and crown. See 1 Thess. 2:19.
19“See? Your ruins and devastated places
will soon be overcrowded with settlers
while your destroyers stay far away.
20You thought you had lost the children, # 49:20 Or “the children of your bereavement.”
but you will hear them say,
‘This place is too cramped for me.
Make more room for me to live in.’
21And you will say to yourself,
‘Where in the world did all these children come from?
Who birthed these for me?
I thought I was bereaved and barren.
I thought I was all alone, forgotten in exile—
so how did they all get here?’ ”
22This is what Lord Yahweh says:
“Soon I will raise my hand and signal to the nations,
and they will come with your little boys bundled in their arms # 49:22 Or “lap” or “bosom.”
and your little daughters carried on their shoulders.
23Kings will be their babysitters
and queens their nursing mothers.
With faces bowed to the ground,
they will lick the dust of your feet.
Then you will know that I am Yahweh,
and I will never disappoint those
who entwine their hearts with mine.” # 49:23 Or “whoever waits on me.”
24Who can snatch the prey
from the hands of a mighty warrior
or rescue captives from a conqueror? # 49:24 Or “tyrant” (1QIsaa, Vulgate, Aramaic). The Hebrew reads “a righteous one.”
25But Yahweh says:
“The prey will be freed from the mighty warrior,
and captives will be rescued from a conqueror!
For I will fight with those who fight with you, # 49:25 See Gen. 12:1–3.
and I myself will save your children.
26I will cause the violence of your oppressors
to come back upon them, # 49:26 Or “I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh,” a figure of speech for violently turning on one another.
and your enemies will kill one another in a killing frenzy! # 49:26 Or “they will get drunk on their own blood as with wine.” See Rev. 16:6.
Then all the earth will know that I am Yahweh,
your Savior, your Kinsman-Redeemer,
the mighty hero of Jacob’s tribes.”
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