Logos Bible Study

Isaiah 49:3–7

The NET BibleOther versions

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49:3He said to me, “You are my servant,

Israel, through whom I will reveal my splendor.”6

49:4But I thought,7 “I have worked in vain;

I have expended my energy for absolutely nothing.”8

But the Lord will vindicate me;

my God will reward me.9

49:5So now the Lord says,

the one who formed me from birth10 to be his servant—

he did this11 to restore Jacob to himself,

so that Israel might be gathered to him;

and I will be honored12 in the Lord’s sight,

for my God is my source of strength13—

49:6he says, “Is it too insignificant a task for you to be my servant,

to reestablish the tribes of Jacob,

and restore the remnant14 of Israel?15

I will make you a light to the nations,16

so you can bring17 my deliverance to the remote regions of the earth.”

49:7This is what the Lord,

the protector18 of Israel, their Holy One,19 says

to the one who is despised20 and rejected21 by nations,22

a servant of rulers:

“Kings will see and rise in respect,23

princes will bow down,

because of the faithful Lord,

the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you.”

Read in Logos
Isaiah 49:5: And now the LORD says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him— for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and my God has become my strength…

Footnotes

  1. 6 This verse identifies the servant as Israel. This seems to refer to the exiled nation (cf. 41:8–9; 44:1–2, 21; 45:4; 48:20), but in vv. 5–6 this servant says he has been commissioned to reconcile Israel to God, so he must be distinct from the exiled nation. This servant is an ideal “Israel” who, like Moses of old, mediates a covenant for the nation (see v. 8), leads them out of bondage (v. 9a), and carries out God’s original plan for Israel by positively impacting the pagan nations (see v. 6b). By living according to God’s law, Israel was to be a model of God’s standards of justice to the surrounding nations (Deut 4:6–8). The sinful nation failed, but the servant, the ideal “Israel,” will succeed by establishing justice throughout the earth.
  2. 7 Or “said” (, , , ); “I replied.”
  3. 8 Heb “for nothing and emptiness.” Synonyms are combined to emphasize the common idea.
  4. 9 Heb “But my justice is with the Lord, and my reward [or “wage”] with my God.”
  5. 10 Heb “from the womb” (so , ).
  6. 11 The words “he did this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the infinitive construct of purpose is subordinated to the previous statement.
  7. 12 The vav (ו) + imperfect is translated here as a result clause; one might interpret it as indicating purpose, “and so I might be honored.”
  8. 13 Heb “and my God is [perhaps, “having been”] my strength.” The disjunctive structure (vav [ו] + subject + verb) is interpreted here as indicating a causal circumstantial clause.
  9. 14 Heb “the protected [or “preserved”] ones.”
  10. 15 The question is purely rhetorical; it does not imply that the servant was dissatisfied with his commission or that he minimized the restoration of Israel.
  11. 16 See the note at .
  12. 17 Heb “be” (so , ); “you must take.”
  13. 18 Heb “redeemer.” See the note at .
  14. 19 See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in .
  15. 20 The Hebrew text reads literally “to [one who] despises life.” It is preferable to read with the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa לבזוי, which should be vocalized as a passive participle, לִבְזוּי (livzuy, “to the one despised with respect to life” [נֶפֶשׁ is a genitive of specification]). The consonantal sequence וי was probably misread as ה in the tradition. The contextual argument favors the 1QIsaa reading. As J. N. Oswalt (Isaiah [], 2:) points out, the three terse phrases “convey a picture of lowliness, worthlessness, and helplessness.”
  16. 21 ’s Piel participle (“to the one who rejects”) does not fit contextually. The form should be revocalized as a Pual, “to the one rejected.”
  17. 22 Parallelism (see “rulers,” “kings,” “princes”) suggests that the singular גּוֹי (goy) be emended to a plural or understood in a collective sense (see 55:5).
  18. 23 For this sense of קוּם (qum), see Gen 19:1; 23:7; 33:10; Lev 19:32; 1 Sam 20:41; 25:41; 1 Kgs 2:19; Job 29:8.

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And he said to me, “You are my servant,

Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”

But I said, “I have labored in vain;

I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;

yet surely my right is with the Lord,

and my recompense with my God.”

And now the Lord says,

he who formed me from the womb to be his servant,

to bring Jacob back to him;

and that Israel might be gathered to him—

for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord,

and my God has become my strength—

he says:

“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant

to raise up the tribes of Jacob

and to bring back the preserved of Israel;

I will make you as a light for the nations,

that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Thus says the Lord,

the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,

to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation,

the servant of rulers:

“Kings shall see and arise;

princes, and they shall prostrate themselves;

because of the Lord, who is faithful,

the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

He said to me, “You are my servant,

Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”

But I said, “I have labored in vain;

I have spent my strength for nothing at all.

Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand,

and my reward is with my God.”

And now the Lord says—

he who formed me in the womb to be his servant

to bring Jacob back to him

and gather Israel to himself,

for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord

and my God has been my strength—

he says:

“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant

to restore the tribes of Jacob

and bring back those of Israel I have kept.

I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,

that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

This is what the Lord says—

the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel—

to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation,

to the servant of rulers:

“Kings will see you and stand up,

princes will see and bow down,

because of the Lord, who is faithful,

the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

He said to me, “You are my servant,

Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”

But I myself said: I have labored in vain,

I have spent my strength for nothing and futility;

yet my vindication is with the Lord,

and my reward is with my God.

And now, says the Lord,

who formed me from the womb to be his servant,

to bring Jacob back to him

so that Israel might be gathered to him;

for I am honored in the sight of the Lord,

and my God is my strength—

he says,

“It is not enough for you to be my servant

raising up the tribes of Jacob

and restoring the protected ones of Israel.

I will also make you a light for the nations,

to be my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

This is what the Lord,

the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, says

to one who is despised,

to one abhorred by people,

to a servant of rulers:

“Kings will see, princes will stand up,

and they will all bow down

because of the Lord, who is faithful,

the Holy One of Israel—and he has chosen you.”

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel,

and you will bring me glory.”

I replied, “But my work seems so useless!

I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose.

Yet I leave it all in the Lord’s hand;

I will trust God for my reward.”

And now the Lord speaks—

the one who formed me in my mother’s womb to be his servant,

who commissioned me to bring Israel back to him.

The Lord has honored me,

and my God has given me strength.

He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me.

I will make you a light to the Gentiles,

and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

The Lord, the Redeemer

and Holy One of Israel,

says to the one who is despised and rejected by the nations,

to the one who is the servant of rulers:

“Kings will stand at attention when you pass by.

Princes will also bow low

because of the Lord, the faithful one,

the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And he said to me, “You are my servant,

Israel, in whom I will show my glory.”

But I myself said, “I have labored in vain;

I have used up my strength for nothing and vanity!

Nevertheless, my justice is with Yahweh,

and my reward is with my God.”

And now Yahweh says,

who formed me from the womb as a servant for him,

to bring Jacob back to him,

and that Israel might not be gathered,

for I am honored in the eyes of Yahweh,

and my God has become my strength.

And he says, “It is trivial for you to be a servant for me,

to raise up the tribes of Jacob

and to bring back the preserved of Israel.

I will give you as a light to the nations,

to be my salvation to the end of the earth.”

Thus says Yahweh, the redeemer of Israel, his holy one,

to the one who despises life,

to the one who abhors the nation,

to the slave of rulers:

“Kings shall see and stand up;

princes, and they shall bow down,

for the sake of Yahweh, who is faithful,

the holy one of Israel, and he has chosen you.”

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

And said unto me, Thou art my servant,

O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

Then I said, I have laboured in vain,

I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain:

Yet surely my judgment is with the Lord,

And my work with my God.

And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant,

To bring Jacob again to him,

Though Israel be not gathered,

Yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord,

And my God shall be my strength.

And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant

To raise up the tribes of Jacob,

And to restore the preserved of Israel:

I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles,

That thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One,

To him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers,

Kings shall see and arise,

Princes also shall worship,

Because of the Lord that is faithful,

And the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.

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