Logos Bible Study

Isaiah 50:4–7

The NET BibleOther versions

English

Arabic

Czech

French

German

Hebrew

Hungarian

Italian

Korean

Latin

Portuguese

Russian

Simplified Chinese

Spanish

Traditional Chinese

The Servant Perseveres

50:4The sovereign Lord has given me the capacity to be his spokesman,9

so that I know how to help the weary.10

He wakes me up every morning;

he makes me alert so I can listen attentively as disciples do.11

50:5The sovereign Lord has spoken to me clearly;12

I have not rebelled,

I have not turned back.

50:6I offered my back to those who attacked,13

my jaws to those who tore out my beard;

I did not hide my face

from insults and spitting.

50:7But the sovereign Lord helps me,

so I am not humiliated.

For that reason I am steadfastly resolved;14

I know I will not be put to shame.

Read in Logos

Footnotes

  1. 9 Heb “has given to me a tongue of disciples.” Verses 4–11 contain the third of the so-called servant songs, which depict the career of the Lord’s special servant, envisioned as an ideal Israel (49:3) who rescues the exiles and fulfills God’s purposes for the world. Here the servant alludes to opposition (something hinted at in 49:4), but also expresses his determination to persevere with the Lord’s help.
  2. 10 Heb “to know [?] the weary with a word.” Comparing it with Arabic and Aramaic cognates yields the meaning of “help, sustain.” Nevertheless, the meaning of עוּת (’ut) is uncertain. The word occurs only here in the OT (see 736 ). Various scholars have suggested an emendation to עָנוֹת (’anot) from עָנָה (’anah, “answer”): “so that I know how to respond kindly to the weary.” Since the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and the support the reading, that reading is retained.
  3. 11 Heb “he arouses for me an ear, to hear like disciples.”
  4. 12 Or perhaps, “makes me obedient.” The text reads literally, “has opened for me an ear.”
  5. 13 Or perhaps, “who beat [me].”
  6. 14 Heb “Therefore I set my face like flint.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

The Lord God has given me

the tongue of those who are taught,

that I may know how to sustain with a word

him who is weary.

Morning by morning he awakens;

he awakens my ear

to hear as those who are taught.

The Lord God has opened my ear,

and I was not rebellious;

I turned not backward.

I gave my back to those who strike,

and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;

I hid not my face

from disgrace and spitting.

But the Lord God helps me;

therefore I have not been disgraced;

therefore I have set my face like a flint,

and I know that I shall not be put to shame.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue,

to know the word that sustains the weary.

He wakens me morning by morning,

wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.

The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears;

I have not been rebellious,

I have not turned away.

I offered my back to those who beat me,

my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;

I did not hide my face

from mocking and spitting.

Because the Sovereign Lord helps me,

I will not be disgraced.

Therefore have I set my face like flint,

and I know I will not be put to shame.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

The Lord God has given me

the tongue of those who are instructed

to know how to sustain the weary with a word.

He awakens me each morning;

he awakens my ear to listen like those being instructed.

The Lord God has opened my ear,

and I was not rebellious;

I did not turn back.

I gave my back to those who beat me,

and my cheeks to those who tore out my beard.

I did not hide my face from scorn and spitting.

The Lord God will help me;

therefore I have not been humiliated;

therefore I have set my face like flint,

and I know I will not be put to shame.

NLTNew Living Translation

The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom,

so that I know how to comfort the weary.

Morning by morning he wakens me

and opens my understanding to his will.

The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me,

and I have listened.

I have not rebelled or turned away.

I offered my back to those who beat me

and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard.

I did not hide my face

from mockery and spitting.

Because the Sovereign Lord helps me,

I will not be disgraced.

Therefore, I have set my face like a stone,

determined to do his will.

And I know that I will not be put to shame.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of a pupil,

to know how to help the weary with a word.

He awakens morning by morning,

awakens an ear for me to listen as do the pupils.

The Lord Yahweh has opened an ear for me,

and I, I was not rebellious.

I did not turn backwards;

I gave my back to those who struck me,

and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;

I did not hide my face from insults and spittle.

And the Lord Yahweh helps me,

therefore I have not been put to shame;

therefore I have set my face like flint.

And I know that I shall not be ashamed;

KJV 1900King James Version

The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned,

That I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary:

He wakeneth morning by morning,

He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.

The Lord God hath opened mine ear,

And I was not rebellious,

Neither turned away back.

I gave my back to the smiters,

And my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair:

I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

For the Lord God will help me;

Therefore shall I not be confounded:

Therefore have I set my face like a flint,

And I know that I shall not be ashamed.