Isaiah

Isaiah 49

1Christ complaineth of the unsuccessfulness of his mission to the Jews: 5he is sent to the Gentiles with gracious promises. 13God's love to his church is perpetual. 18Its restoration and enlargement. 24The certainty of its deliverance out of captivity.


1aLISTEN, bO isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath ccalled me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.

a ch. 11.10; 42.1,4; 51.5; 55.1-5. Mat. 17.5. He. 12.25. b ch. 41.1. c Je. 1.5. Ga. 1.15. He. 5.4,5,10. 1Pe. 1.20. Pr. 8.23. Mat. 1.20,21. Lu. 1.15,31-35; 2.10,11. v.5.

2And he dhath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he ehid me, and made me fa polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;

d Ho. 6.5. ch. 50.4; 51.16; 11.4; 61.1. Ps. 45.2-5. He. 4.12. Re. 1.16; 2.16; 19.15. Ac. 2.37. 2Th. 2.8. e Ps. 91.1. ch. 51.16. Jn. 7.30,44. Lu. 22.53. f ch. 11.2-5; 61.1-3. Ps. 45.5.

3And said unto me, Thou art gmy servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

g ch. 41.8; 42.1-7; 52.13-15; 53.2-12; 43.21. Ga. 4.4,5. Phi. 2.6-11. Mat. 3.17; 17.5. Lu. 2.10-14. Jn. 17.4; 12.28; 13.31,32. Ps. 40.8,9. ch. 42.21. 1Pe. 2.9.

4Then I said, hI have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: iyet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and 1my work with my God.

1Or, my reward.

h Mat. 17.17; 23.37. ch. 53.1; 65.2,23. Jn. 1.11; 5.40; 12.37,42. Lu. 19.41-43. i Lu. 24.26. Phi. 2.8-11. Jn. 17.5. ch. 40.10,27; 52.13,15; 53.10-12. Ps. 22.22-31. He. 12.2.

5¶And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, jto bring Jacob again to him, k2Though Israel be not gathered, yet lshall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.

2Or, that Israel may be gathered to him, and I may.

j Mat. 15.24. Ro. 15.8. ch. 56.8. Ac. 2.37. Jn. 11.52. 1Pe. 2.2. v.6. k Jn. 1.11. Mat. 21.38,39; 23.37. Lu. 19.43. l Mat. 3.17; 11.27. Jn. 3.35; 5.20-27; 8.50. Phi. 2.8-11. Ps. 110.1-7. He. 2.8,9. Mat. 28.18. Ac. 2.36; 10.38. ch. 9.1.

6And he said, 3It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the 4preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a mlight to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

3Or, art thou lighter than that thou shouldest.

4Or, desolations or branches. v.5. ch. 4.2; 10.21. Mi. 5.6,7. Zep. 3.13. Joel 2.32.

m Ps. 98.2,3. Lu. 2.32. Ac. 13.47; 26.17,18. ch. 11.10; 42.1,4,6,7; 24.14-16; 60.3; 54; 55; 60-62. Jn. 1.9; 3.19; 9.5; 8.12; 11.52; 12.46. Ep. 3.8,9.

7nThus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, 5to him whom man despiseth, oto him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, pKings 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.

5Or, to him that is despised in soul. ch. 52.14; 53.2-10. Ps. 22.1-21; 69.1-20. Mat. 11 to Jn. 12.

n ch. 48.17. o Lu. 23.18-23. p Ps. 2.10; 72.10,11. ch. 52.15; 60.10,16; 49.23.

8Thus saith the LORD, qIn an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I rwill preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to 6establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;

6Or, raise up.

q 2Co. 6.2. Ps. 69.13. Ep. 1.6. He. 5.7. Jn. 11.41,42. ch. 50.7,9. r ch. 42.1,6,7; 43.19,20; 44.3; 41.18,19; 51.5. Ep. 2.14-16. 1Co. 3.11.

9That sthou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. tThey shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.

s Ps. 146.7. Zec. 9.11,12. Jn. 8.12,32-36. Ep. 5.8. 2Co. 4.6. 1Pe. 2.9. t Pr. 1.22-24; 9.1-5. Ps. 22.26; 68.10. ch. 25.6. Joel 3.18. Mi. 7.14. Eze. 34.11-31. ch. 11.6-8; 30.24; 40.11. Mat. 22.9.

10uThey shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for vhe that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by wthe springs of water shall he guide them.

u Re. 7.15-17. ch. 4.6; 25.4; 55.1; 41.17,18; 65.13. Jn. 6.35. Phi. 4.19. Ro. 11.12. Col. 2.2. 2Co. 8.9. Ps. 22.26. Je. 31.12. ch. 66.11. Ro. 8.37; 5.3. Ps. 121.6,7; 65.4; 91.1-9; 28.9. v Ps. 23.2. Mat. 28.20. ch. 48.17. 2Co. 1.3,4. 2Th. 2.16,17. Lu. 1.78. Ep. 1.3; 3.17-19. Jn. 10.10,11. He. 13.20,21. Ps. 36.8,9. w ch. 35.7.

11xAnd I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.

x Ps. 107.4,7. ch. 40.3,4; 35.8-10; 41.15; 42.15. Ps. 36.6; 68.16; 72.3. Am. 4.13. Zec. 4.7; 14.9,17. Jn. 14.6; 10.9; 6.37.

12yBehold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these zfrom the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.

y ch. 2.2; 11.10; 43.5-7. Ps. 2.8; 22.27; 72.10,11,17; 87.4,5. Zec. 2.11. Mat. 8.11. Re. 7.4-17. Eze. 30.15. ch. 19.18-25. z Ps. 107.3.

13aSing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.

a ch. 44.23; 42.10-12; 40.1,2; 52.9; 55.12. Re. 5.8-13; 11.15-19; 19.1-8. Lu. 1.72.

14But Zion said, bThe LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.

b ch. 40.27; 42.16; 44.21. Mat. 24.9,10. He. 11.4. Job 35.14. Ps. 13.1; 31.22; 77.6-10; 88.14; 44.25; 74.19; 10.11. La. 5.20. Ro. 11.25. Ps. 37.28.

15Can a woman forget her sucking child, 7that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, cyet will I not forget thee.

7Heb. from having compassion. 1Ki. 3.26. La. 4.3,10. Ps. 103.13. De. 32.6. 1Pe. 1.3. Ja. 1.18. Mal. 3.6,17. Je. 31.20. ch. 63.9. Mat. 7.11. Ho. 11.8. Ro. 11.28,29; 5.8; 8.32. ch. 54.10. Je. 33.20,21. Ps. 89.28,34; 111.9. He. 7.17. Ep. 3.4.

c Ps. 77.9.

16Behold, dI have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

d Hag. 2.23. Ca. 8.6. 2Co. 1.22. Re. 21.18,21. Ps. 51.18. Ep. 3.12; 4.6; 2.21. Mat. 16.18. Eze. 40-48. Re. 21; 22. Zec. 2.5,8. Ex. 13.9.

17eThy 8children shall make haste; fthy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.

8Or, builders.

e ch. 60.22,18; 44.5. Ho. 11.11. Zec. 13.2. Eze. 20.38. 1Jn. 2.19. Ac. 20.29. Tit. 1.11. 2Ti. 2.17. Ga. 5.12,15. Jude 4. 1Jn. 4.1. f Eze. 28.24. Mat. 13.41,42. Re. 22.15.

18gLift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As hI live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely iclothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee , as a bride doeth.

g ch. 48.20; 55.5; 54.3; 60.3-11; 66.12,20. Je. 30.10; 31.8. Zec. 2.4; 10.10; 8.20-23. Ca. 1.4. Mat. 8.11. h De. 32.40. Je. 22.24; 46.18. ch. 14.24; 45.23. He. 6.16-18. Nu. 14.21. i Pr. 17.6. Ps. 128.3,6; 133.1. Job 42.16. Je. 43.12.

19For jthy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and kthey that swallowed thee up shall be far away.

j Ho. 1.11. Eze. 36.37,38. k v.17,25,26. Ps. 124.3. Hab. 1.13. Je. 30.16,23; 50; 51. Re. 6.14-17; 14.16-20; 21.27; 22.15.

20lThe children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too *strait for me: m*give place to me that I may dwell.

*strait-narrow.

*give place-make room for.

l v.17,18. ch. 60.4; 54.1,2. Ro. 11.11-26. Ac. 13.46,47. Mat. 8.11. Zec. 10.8,11. Re. 7.9; 11.15. ch. 11.9. Ho. 1.10. m Zec. 10.10.

21Then shalt thou say in thine heart, nWho hath begotten me these, seeing oI have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been ?

n Mat. 3.9. o Je. 31.15-17. Ro. 11.12,15,20. ch. 54.1.

22Thus saith the Lord GOD, pBehold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and qset up my *standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their 9arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

*standard-flag, banner.

9Heb. bosom.

p ch. 2.2-4; 11.9-11; 14.1,2; 60.3-11,16; 42.1,4; 61.4,6,9; 66.12,20. Ps. 22.27-31; 2.8; 72.8-11,17,19. Mal. 1.11. Mat. 8.11. Re. 7.9; 11.15. q ch. 62.10.

23rAnd kings shall be thy 10nursing fathers, and their 11queens thy nursing mothers: they shall sbow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for tthey shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

10Heb. nourishers.

11Heb. princesses.

r ch. 52.15; 60.3,10,16. Ps. 2.10-12; 72.10,11. Ezr. 6; 7. Ne. 2. Es. 8-10. Re. 21.24,26. v.7. s Ge. 43.26. 2Sa. 18.28. 2Ch. 7.3. Lu. 17.16. Ps. 72.9. ch. 14.1,2; 45.14; 52.15; 60.14. Mi. 7.17. Re. 3.9. t Ps. 9.10; 22.5; 25.3; 34.5,22; 27.13,14. Ro. 5.5; 9.33; 10.11. Joel 2.27.

24uShall the *prey be taken from the mighty, or the 12lawful captive delivered?

*prey-spoil, plunder.

12Heb. captivity of the just.

u Mat. 12.29. Ge. 18.12. Eze. 37.3,11. Lu. 1.34; 11.21,22.

25But thus saith the LORD, vEven the 13captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the *prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with whim that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.

13Heb. captivity.

*prey-spoil, plunder.

v Je. 50.17-20,33,34; 51.34-36. Mat. 12.29. He. 2.14,15. 2Ti. 2.26. Jn. 12.31; 14.30. Re. 12.3,7. 1Jn. 3.8. Ge. 3.15. w Ps. 35.1.

26And xI will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with 14sweet wine: and all flesh yshall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and zthy Redeemer, athe mighty One of Jacob.

14Or, new wine.

x De. 32.41. Ju. 7.22. 2Ch. 20.23. ch. 9.20; 13; 14; 34; 51.23; 63.6. Je. 50; 51. Re. 6.14-17; 14.20; 8; 9; 14; 16; 17.14,16; 18; 19.17-21; 20.9; 16.6. Zec. 11.9. y ch. 60.16. Ps. 9.16; 58.10,11; 83.18. Eze. 39.7. z v.7. a Ps. 132.2.