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Selected Verse: Isaiah 49:5 - Strong Concordance
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Isa 49:5 |
Strong Concordance |
And now, saith [0559] the LORD [03068] that formed [03335] me from the womb [0990] to be his servant [05650], to bring [07725] Jacob [03290] again [07725] to him, Though Israel [03478] be not gathered [0622], yet shall I be glorious [03513] in the eyes [05869] of the LORD [03068], and my God [0430] shall be my strength [05797]. |
| |
King James |
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. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
The reason why He was confident that His work would be accepted and rewarded, namely, because He is "glorious in the eyes of Jehovah," &c.
to bring Jacob again to him-- (Mat 15:24; Act 3:26).
Though Israel be not gathered--metaphor from a scattered flock which the shepherd gathers together again; or a hen and her chickens (Mat 23:37). Instead of the text "not," the Keri has the similar Hebrew word, "to Him," which the parallelism favors: "And that Israel may be gathered to Him."
yet--rather, parenthetically. "For I am glorious, &c., and My God is My strength." Then (Isa 49:6) resuming the words from the beginning of Isa 49:5, "He saith" (I repeat), &c. HORSLEY explains, "Notwithstanding the incredulity of the Jews, Messiah shall be glorified in the conversion of the Gentiles," reading as English Version: but if the Keri be read, "Israel shall at one time or other be gathered, notwithstanding their incredulity during Messiah's sojourn on earth." |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
And now, saith the Lord that formed me - This verse contains the reason why he cherished the hope that his work would not be unaccepted. The reason is, that Yahweh had said to him that he should be glorious in his eyes, and that he would be his strength. He stood so high in his favor, and he had such assurances of that favor, that he could confidently commit himself to his care.
That formed thee from the womb - Who appointed me before I was born to the office of a servant to accomplish important purposes (see the notes at Isa 49:1).
To bring Jacob again to him - To recover the Jewish people again to the pure worship of Yahweh. To them the Messiah was first to be sent, and when they rejected him, he was to proffer the same salvation to the Gentiles (see Isa 49:6; compare Mat 21:33-43). Accordingly the Saviour spent his life in preaching to the Jews, and in endeavoring to bring them back to God, and for this purpose he regarded himself as sent (Mat 15:24; see Act 3:26).
Though Israel be not gathered - This metaphor is taken from a scattered flock which a shepherd endeavors to gather, or collect to himself. There is great variety in the interpretation of this expression. The margin reads it, 'That Israel may be gathered to him, and I may' be glorious. So Lowth, 'That Israel unto him may be gathered.' So Noyes, 'To gather Israel to him.' Jerome renders it, 'Israel shall not be gathered.' The Septuagint renders it, 'To gather Jacob unto him, and Israel.' The Syriac, 'That I may gather Jacob unto him, and assemble Israel.' This variety has arisen front the different readings in the Hebrew text. The reading in the text is לא lo' ("not"); but instead of this the marginal reading, or the Qere' of the Masoretes is, לו lô, "to him." 'Five manuscripts (two ancient),' says Lowth, 'confirm the Qere', or marginal construction of the Masoretes; and so read Aquila, and the Chaldee, Septuagint, and Arabic.' Gesenius and Rosenmuller adopt this, and suppose that לא lo' is only a different form of writing לו lô. Grotius and Hengstenberg render it as it is in our version. It is impossible to determine the true reading; and the only guide is the context, and the views which shall be entertained of the design of the passage. To me it seems that the parallelism demands that we should adopt the reading of the Keri, the Septuagint, the Chaldee, and the Syriac, and which has been adopted by Lowth. According to this, it means that he had been appointed to gather in the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and gave his life to it. Other parts of this statement Isa 49:4-6 show, that by them he was rejected, and that then salvation was sent to other parts of the world. Luther renders it, 'That Israel be not carried away.'
Yet shall I be - Or, "and" (ו ve) I shall be glorious. The sense is, that as the result of this appointment he would be in some way glorious in the sight of Yahweh. Though he would be rejected by the nation, yet he would be honored by God. He would not only approve his character and work, but would secure his being honored among people by making him the light of the Gentiles (compare Isa 43:4).
And my God shall be my strength - He might be rejected by the people, but in God he would find an unfailing source of support and consolation. It is not needful to say, that this applies most accurately to the cbaracter of the Redeemer as exhibited in the New Testament. |
| Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
| The expression "and now" (ועתּה), which follows, evidently indicates a fresh turn in the official life of the person speaking here. At the same time, it is evident that it is the failure of his labours within his own people, which has forced out the lamentation in Isa 49:4. For his reason for addressing his summons in Isa 49:1 to the world of nations, is that Jehovah has not guaranteed to him, the undaunted one, success to his labours among his own people, but has assigned him a mission extending far beyond and reaching to all mankind. "And now, saith Jehovah, that formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring back Jacob to Him, and that Israel may be gathered together to Him; and I am honoured in the eyes of Jehovah, and my God has become my strength. He saith, It is only a small thing that thou becomest my servant, to set up the tribes of Jacob, and to bring back the preserved of Israel. I have set thee for the light of the Gentiles, to become my salvation to the end of the earth." Both shōbhēbh and hâshı̄bh unite within themselves the meanings reducere (Jer 50:19) and restituere. On לא = לו generally, see at Isa 9:2; Isa 63:9. Jerome is wrong in his rendering, et Israel qui non congregabitur (what could a prophecy of the rejection of the Jews do here?); so also is Hitzig's rendering, "since Israel is not swept away;" and Hofmann's, "Israel, which is not swept away." In the present instance, where the restoration of Israel is the event referred to, אצף must signify "the gathering together of Israel," as in Isa 11:12. לו (parallel אליו) points to Jehovah as the author of the gathering, and as the object of it also. The transition from the infinitive of design to the finite verb of desire, is the same as in Isa 13:9; Isa 14:25. The attributive clause, added to the name Jehovah, expresses the lofty mission of the servant of God with regard to Israel. The parenthesis, "I have honour in the eyes of Jehovah, and my God has become my strength, i.e., has become mighty in me, the apparently weak one," looks beyond to the still loftier mission, by which the former lofty one is far surpassed. On account of this parenthetically inserted praise of Jehovah, the אמר is resumed in ויּאמר. Instead of נקל היותך (compare Kg1 16:31), i.e., it is a small thing that thou shouldst be, we have it here, as in Eze 8:17, with a comparative min, which must not, however, be logically pressed: "It is smaller than that," i.e., it is too small a thing that thou shouldst be. The netsı̄rē (Keri, netsūrē) of Israel are those who have been preserved in exile (Eze 6:12); in other cases, we find שׁאר, שׁארית, or פּלטה. Not only is the restoration of the remnant of Israel the work of the servant of Jehovah; but Jehovah has appointed him for something higher than this. He has given or set him for the light of the heathen ("a light to lighten the Gentiles," Luk 2:32), to become His salvation to the end of the earth (lxx: τοῦ εἶναι σε εἰς σωτηρίαν ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς). Those who regard Israel as a nation as speaking here (e.g., Hitzig, Ewald, Umbreit, etc.) go right away from this, which is the most natural sense of the words, and explain them as meaning, "that my salvation may be, reach, or penetrate to the end of the earth." But inasmuch as the servant of Jehovah is the light of the world, he is through that very fact the salvation of the world; and he is both of these through Jehovah, whose counsels of ישׁוּעה are brought by him into historical realization and visible manifestation. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| To bring - To convert the apostate Israelites to God. Not gathered - Not brought home to God by my ministry. Yet - God will not despise me for the unsuccessfulness of my labours, but will honour and glorify me. My strength - To support and strengthen me under this and all other discouragements. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
And now, saith the Lord "And now, thus saith Jehovah" - The word כה coh, before אמר amar, is dropped out of the text: it is supplied by eight MSS. (two ancient) of Dr. Kennicott's, two of De Rossi's, and the Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate.
Though Israel be not gathered "And that Israel unto him might be gathered" - Five MSS. (two ancient) confirm the Keri, or marginal correction of the Masoretes, לו lo, unto him, instead of לא lo, not, in the text; and so read Aquila; and the Chaldee, Septuagint, and Arabic omit the negative. But the Septuagint, MSS. Pachom, and 1. D. 2 express also the Keri לו lo by προς αυτον, to him. |
5 And now, saith [0559] the LORD [03068] that formed [03335] me from the womb [0990] to be his servant [05650], to bring [07725] Jacob [03290] again [07725] to him, Though Israel [03478] be not gathered [0622], yet shall I be glorious [03513] in the eyes [05869] of the LORD [03068], and my God [0430] shall be my strength [05797].
6 And he said [0559], It is a light thing [07043] that thou shouldest be my servant [05650] to raise up [06965] the tribes [07626] of Jacob [03290], and to restore [07725] the preserved [05341] [05336] of Israel [03478]: I will also give [05414] thee for a light [0216] to the Gentiles [01471], that thou mayest be my salvation [03444] unto the end [07097] of the earth [0776].
37 O Jerusalem [2419], Jerusalem [2419], thou that killest [615] the prophets [4396], and [2532] stonest [3036] them which are sent [649] unto [4314] thee [846], how often [4212] would I [2309] have gathered [1996] thy [4675] [3739] children [5043] together [1996], even as [5158] a hen [3733] gathereth [1996] her [1438] chickens [3556] under [5259] her wings [4420], and [2532] ye would [2309] not [3756]!
26 Unto you [5213] first [4412] God [2316], having raised up [450] his [846] Son [3816] Jesus [2424], sent [649] him [846] to bless [2127] you [5209], in [1722] turning away [654] every one [1538] of you [5216] from [575] his iniquities [4189].
24 But [1161] he answered [611] and said [2036], I am [649] not [3756] sent [649] but [1508] unto [1519] the lost [622] sheep [4263] of the house [3624] of Israel [2474].
4 Since thou wast precious [03365] in my sight [05869], thou hast been honourable [03513], and I have loved [0157] thee: therefore will I give [05414] men [0120] for thee, and people [03816] for thy life [05315].
4 Then I said [0559], I have laboured [03021] in vain [07385], I have spent [03615] my strength [03581] for nought [08414], and in vain [01892]: yet surely [0403] my judgment [04941] is with the LORD [03068], and my work [06468] with my God [0430].
5 And now, saith [0559] the LORD [03068] that formed [03335] me from the womb [0990] to be his servant [05650], to bring [07725] Jacob [03290] again [07725] to him, Though Israel [03478] be not gathered [0622], yet shall I be glorious [03513] in the eyes [05869] of the LORD [03068], and my God [0430] shall be my strength [05797].
6 And he said [0559], It is a light thing [07043] that thou shouldest be my servant [05650] to raise up [06965] the tribes [07626] of Jacob [03290], and to restore [07725] the preserved [05341] [05336] of Israel [03478]: I will also give [05414] thee for a light [0216] to the Gentiles [01471], that thou mayest be my salvation [03444] unto the end [07097] of the earth [0776].
26 Unto you [5213] first [4412] God [2316], having raised up [450] his [846] Son [3816] Jesus [2424], sent [649] him [846] to bless [2127] you [5209], in [1722] turning away [654] every one [1538] of you [5216] from [575] his iniquities [4189].
24 But [1161] he answered [611] and said [2036], I am [649] not [3756] sent [649] but [1508] unto [1519] the lost [622] sheep [4263] of the house [3624] of Israel [2474].
33 Hear [191] another [243] parable [3850]: There was [2258] a certain [444] [5100] householder [3617], which [3748] planted [5452] a vineyard [290], and [2532] hedged [5418] it [846] round about [4060], and [2532] digged [3736] a winepress [3025] in [1722] it [846], and [2532] built [3618] a tower [4444], and [2532] let [1554] it [846] out [1554] to husbandmen [1092], and [2532] went into a far country [589]:
34 And [1161] when [3753] the time [2540] of the fruit [2590] drew near [1448], he sent [649] his [846] servants [1401] to [4314] the husbandmen [1092], that they might receive [2983] the fruits [2590] of it [846].
35 And [2532] the husbandmen [1092] took [2983] his [846] servants [1401], and beat [1194] one [3739], [3303] and [1161] killed [615] another [3739], and [1161] stoned [3036] another [3739].
36 Again [3825], he sent [649] other [243] servants [1401] more [4119] than the first [4413]: and [2532] they did [4160] unto them [846] likewise [5615].
37 But [1161] last of all [5305] he sent [649] unto [4314] them [846] his [846] son [5207], saying [3004], They will reverence [1788] my [3450] son [5207].
38 But [1161] when the husbandmen [1092] saw [1492] the son [5207], they said [2036] among [1722] themselves [1438], This [3778] is [2076] the heir [2818]; come [1205], let us kill [615] him [846], and [2532] let us seize [2722] on his [846] inheritance [2817].
39 And [2532] they caught [2983] him [846], and cast [1544] him out of [1854] the vineyard [290], and [2532] slew [615] him.
40 When [3752] the lord [2962] therefore [3767] of the vineyard [290] cometh [2064], what [5101] will he do [4160] unto those [1565] husbandmen [1092]?
41 They say [3004] unto him [846], He will miserably [2560] destroy [622] those [846] wicked men [2556], and [2532] will let out [1554] his vineyard [290] unto other [243] husbandmen [1092], which [3748] shall render [591] him [846] the fruits [2590] in [1722] their [846] seasons [2540].
42 Jesus [2424] saith [3004] unto them [846], Did ye [314] never [3763] read [314] in [1722] the scriptures [1124], The stone [3037] which [3739] the builders [3618] rejected [593], the same [3778] is become [1096] [1519] the head [2776] of the corner [1137]: this [3778] is [3844] the Lord's [2962] doing [1096], and [2532] it is [2076] marvellous [2298] in [1722] our [2257] eyes [3788]?
43 Therefore [1223] [5124] say I [3004] unto you [5213], [3754] The kingdom [932] of God [2316] shall be taken [142] from [575] you [5216], and [2532] given [1325] to a nation [1484] bringing forth [4160] the fruits [2590] thereof [846].
6 And he said [0559], It is a light thing [07043] that thou shouldest be my servant [05650] to raise up [06965] the tribes [07626] of Jacob [03290], and to restore [07725] the preserved [05341] [05336] of Israel [03478]: I will also give [05414] thee for a light [0216] to the Gentiles [01471], that thou mayest be my salvation [03444] unto the end [07097] of the earth [0776].
1 Listen [08085], O isles [0339], unto me; and hearken [07181], ye people [03816], from far [07350]; The LORD [03068] hath called [07121] me from the womb [0990]; from the bowels [04578] of my mother [0517] hath he made mention [02142] of my name [08034].
32 A light [5457] to [1519] lighten [602] the Gentiles [1484], and [2532] the glory [1391] of thy [4675] people [2992] Israel [2474].
12 He that is far off [07350] shall die [04191] of the pestilence [01698]; and he that is near [07138] shall fall [05307] by the sword [02719]; and he that remaineth [07604] and is besieged [05341] shall die [04191] by the famine [07458]: thus will I accomplish [03615] my fury [02534] upon them.
17 Then he said [0559] unto me, Hast thou seen [07200] this, O son [01121] of man [0120]? Is it a light thing [07043] to the house [01004] of Judah [03063] that they commit [06213] the abominations [08441] which they commit [06213] here? for they have filled [04390] the land [0776] with violence [02555], and have returned [07725] to provoke me to anger [03707]: and, lo, they put [07971] the branch [02156] to their nose [0639].
31 And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing [07043] for him to walk [03212] in the sins [02403] of Jeroboam [03379] the son [01121] of Nebat [05028], that he took [03947] to wife [0802] Jezebel [0348] the daughter [01323] of Ethbaal [0856] king [04428] of the Zidonians [06722], and went [03212] and served [05647] Baal [01168], and worshipped [07812] him.
25 That I will break [07665] the Assyrian [0804] in my land [0776], and upon my mountains [02022] tread him under foot [0947]: then shall his yoke [05923] depart [05493] from off them, and his burden [05448] depart [05493] from off their shoulders [07926].
9 Behold, the day [03117] of the LORD [03068] cometh [0935], cruel [0394] both with wrath [05678] and fierce [02740] anger [0639], to lay [07760] the land [0776] desolate [08047]: and he shall destroy [08045] the sinners [02400] thereof out of it.
12 And he shall set up [05375] an ensign [05251] for the nations [01471], and shall assemble [0622] the outcasts [01760] of Israel [03478], and gather together [06908] the dispersed [05310] of Judah [03063] from the four [0702] corners [03671] of the earth [0776].
9 In all their affliction [06869] he was afflicted [06862], and the angel [04397] of his presence [06440] saved [03467] them: in his love [0160] and in his pity [02551] he redeemed [01350] them; and he bare [05190] them, and carried [05375] them all the days [03117] of old [05769].
2 The people [05971] that walked [01980] in darkness [02822] have seen [07200] a great [01419] light [0216]: they that dwell [03427] in the land [0776] of the shadow of death [06757], upon them hath the light [0216] shined [05050].
19 And I will bring [07725] Israel [03478] again [07725] to his habitation [05116], and he shall feed [07462] on Carmel [03760] and Bashan [01316], and his soul [05315] shall be satisfied [07646] upon mount [02022] Ephraim [0669] and Gilead [01568].
1 Listen [08085], O isles [0339], unto me; and hearken [07181], ye people [03816], from far [07350]; The LORD [03068] hath called [07121] me from the womb [0990]; from the bowels [04578] of my mother [0517] hath he made mention [02142] of my name [08034].
4 Then I said [0559], I have laboured [03021] in vain [07385], I have spent [03615] my strength [03581] for nought [08414], and in vain [01892]: yet surely [0403] my judgment [04941] is with the LORD [03068], and my work [06468] with my God [0430].