Logos Bible Study

Isaiah 50:1–2

The NET BibleOther versions

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50:1This is what the Lord says:

“Where is your mother’s divorce certificate

by which I divorced her?

Or to which of my creditors did I sell you?1

Look, you were sold because of your sins;2

because of your rebellious acts I divorced your mother.3

50:2Why does no one challenge me when I come?

Why does no one respond when I call?4

Is my hand too weak5 to deliver6 you?

Do I lack the power to rescue you?

Look, with a mere shout7 I can dry up the sea;

I can turn streams into a desert,

so the fish rot away and die

from lack of water.8

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Footnotes

  1. 1 The Lord challenges the exiles (Zion’s children) to bring incriminating evidence against him. The rhetorical questions imply that Israel accused the Lord of divorcing his wife (Zion) and selling his children (the Israelites) into slavery to pay off a debt.
  2. 2 The Lord admits that he did sell the Israelites, but it was because of their sins, not because of some debt he owed. If he had sold them to a creditor, they ought to be able to point him out, but the preceding rhetorical question implies they would not be able to do so.
  3. 3 The Lord admits he did divorce Zion, but that too was the result of the nation’s sins. The force of the earlier rhetorical question comes into clearer focus now. The question does not imply that a certificate does not exist and that no divorce occurred. Rather, the question asks for the certificate to be produced so the accuser can see the reason for the divorce in black and white. The Lord did not put Zion away arbitrarily.
  4. 4 The present tense translation of the verbs assumes that the Lord is questioning why Israel does not attempt to counter his arguments. Another possibility is to take the verbs as referring to past events: “Why did no one meet me when I came? Why did no one answer when I called?” In this case the Lord might be asking why Israel rejected his calls to repent and his offer to deliver them.
  5. 5 Heb “short” (so , , ).
  6. 6 Or “ransom” (, , ).
  7. 7 Heb “with my rebuke.”
  8. 8 Heb “the fish stink from lack of water and die from thirst.”

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

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Thus says the Lord:

“Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce,

with which I sent her away?

Or which of my creditors is it

to whom I have sold you?

Behold, for your iniquities you were sold,

and for your transgressions your mother was sent away.

Why, when I came, was there no man;

why, when I called, was there no one to answer?

Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem?

Or have I no power to deliver?

Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea,

I make the rivers a desert;

their fish stink for lack of water

and die of thirst.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

This is what the Lord says:

“Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce

with which I sent her away?

Or to which of my creditors

did I sell you?

Because of your sins you were sold;

because of your transgressions your mother was sent away.

When I came, why was there no one?

When I called, why was there no one to answer?

Was my arm too short to deliver you?

Do I lack the strength to rescue you?

By a mere rebuke I dry up the sea,

I turn rivers into a desert;

their fish rot for lack of water

and die of thirst.

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

CSBChristian Standard Bible

This is what the Lord says:

Where is your mother’s divorce certificate

that I used to send her away?

Or to which of my creditors did I sell you?

Look, you were sold for your iniquities,

and your mother was sent away

because of your transgressions.

Why was no one there when I came?

Why was there no one to answer when I called?

Is my arm too weak to redeem?

Or do I have no power to rescue?

Look, I dry up the sea by my rebuke;

I turn the rivers into a wilderness;

their fish rot because of lack of water

and die of thirst.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

This is what the Lord says:

“Was your mother sent away because I divorced her?

Did I sell you as slaves to my creditors?

No, you were sold because of your sins.

And your mother, too, was taken because of your sins.

Why was no one there when I came?

Why didn’t anyone answer when I called?

Is it because I have no power to rescue?

No, that is not the reason!

For I can speak to the sea and make it dry up!

I can turn rivers into deserts covered with dying fish.

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

Thus says Yahweh:

“Where is this divorce document of your mother’s divorce, with which I dismissed her?

or to whom of my creditors did I sell you?

Look! you were sold because of your sin,

and your mother was dismissed because of your transgressions.

Why was there no man when I came,

no one who answered when I called?

Do I lack the strength to save?

Or is there no power in me to deliver?

Look! by my rebuke I dry up the sea;

I make the rivers a desert;

their fish stink because there is no water,

and they die because of thirst.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

Thus saith the Lord,

Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away?

Or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you?

Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves,

And for your transgressions is your mother put away.

Wherefore, when I came, was there no man?

When I called, was there none to answer?

Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem?

Or have I no power to deliver?

Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea,

I make the rivers a wilderness:

Their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.

Public Domain