Isaiah 49:6

49:5 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. Though: or, That Israel may be gathered to him, and I may, etc

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. It is: or, Art thou lighter than that thou shouldest, etc preserved: or, desolations

KJV

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Indeed, he says, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel? I will also give you as a light to the nations, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth.”

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.

And he said, It is a light thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give you for a light to the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth.

49:7 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. whom man: or, that is despised in soul

What does Isaiah 49:6 mean?

Isaiah 49:6 is a verse in the book of Isaiah, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include אָמַר (ʼâmar), קָלַל (qâlal), עֶבֶד (ʻebed). It connects to 8 cross-referenced passages elsewhere in Scripture.

Hebrew interlinear

And

said,אָמַרʼâmar/aw-mar'/H559to say (used with great latitude)

light

thingקָלַלqâlal/kaw-lal'/H7043to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.)

that

thou

shouldest

servantעֶבֶדʻebed/eh'-bed/H5650a servant

raise

upקוּםqûwm/koom/H6965to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)

the

tribesשֵׁבֶטshêbeṭ/shay'-bet/H7626a scion, i.e. (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan

Jacob,יַעֲקֹבYaʻăqôb/yah-ak-obe'/H3290Jaakob, the Israelitish patriarch

and

restoreשׁוּבshûwb/shoob/H7725to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again

the

preservedנָצַרnâtsar/naw-tsar'/H5341to guard, in a good sense (to protect, maintain, obey, etc.) or a bad one (to conceal, etc.)

Israel:יִשְׂרָאֵלYisrâʼêl/yis-raw-ale'/H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity

will

also

giveנָתַןnâthan/naw-than'/H5414to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)

thee

for

lightאוֹרʼôwr/ore/H216illumination or (concrete) luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.)

the

Gentiles,גּוֹיgôwy/go'-ee/H1471a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts

that

thou

mayest

salvationיְשׁוּעָהyᵉshûwʻâh/yesh-oo'-aw/H3444something saved, i.e. (abstractly) deliverance; hence, aid, victory, prosperity

unto

the

endקָצֶהqâtseh/kaw-tseh'/H7097an extremity

the

earth.אֶרֶץʼerets/eh'-rets/H776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)

is:

or,

Art

thou

lighter

than

that

thou

shouldest,

etc

preserved:

or,

desolations

Commentary on Isaiah 49:6

HENRY_FULL · Isaiah 49:6

has so ordered it that some are rich and others poor, and these are intermixed in societies: The Lord is the Maker of both, both the author of their being and the disposer of their lot. The greatest man in the world must acknowledge God to be his Maker, and is under the same obligations to be subject to him that the meanest is; and the poorest has the honour to be the work of God's hands as much as the greatest. Have they not all one Father? Mal. ii. 10 ; Job xxxi. 15 . God makes some rich, that they may be charitable to the poor, and others poor, that they may be serviceable to the rich; and they have need of one another, 1 Cor. xii. 21 . He make some poor, to exercise their patience, and contentment, and dependence upon God, and others rich, to exercise their thankfulness and beneficence. Even the poor we have always with us; they shall never cease out of the land, nor the rich neither. 2. Notwithstanding the distance that is in many respects between rich and poor, yet in most things they meet together, especially before the Lord, who is the Maker of them all, and regards not the rich more than the poor, Job xxxiv. 19 . Rich and poor meet together at the bar of God's justice, all guilty before God, concluded under sin, and shapen in iniquity, the rich as much as the poor; and they meet at the throne of God's grace; the poor are as welcome there as the rich. There is the same Christ, the same scripture, the same Spirit, the same covenant of promises, for them both. There is the same heaven for poor saints that there is for rich: Lazarus is in the bosom of Abraham. And there is the same hell for rich sinners that there is for poor. All stand upon the same level before God, as they do also in the grave. The small and great are there. 3 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished. See here, 1. The benefit of wisdom and consideration

Cross-references

Related passages from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

Psalms 34:9

O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

Psalms 34:10

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

Isaiah 3:16

Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet: wanton: Heb. deceiving with their eyes mincing: or, tripping nicely

Isaiah 33:6

And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure. salvation: Heb. salvations

Matthew 6:33

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

1 Timothy 4:8

For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. little: or, for a little time

James 4:6

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

James 4:10

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Topics

Quotations and Allusions Salvation

Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with Isaiah 49:6.

Genesis 20:14

And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.

Genesis 21:32

Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

Genesis 22:19

So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

Genesis 24:10

And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. for: or, and

Genesis 24:5

And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?

Genesis 24:61

And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

Genesis 25:34

Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

Genesis 27:19

And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.

Frequently asked questions

What does Isaiah 49:6 say?

Isaiah 49:6 (King James Version) reads: "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. It is: or, Art thou lighter than that thou shouldest, etc preserved: or, desolations"

Is Isaiah 49:6 in the Old or New Testament?

Isaiah 49:6 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Isaiah.

Reflect

As you read Isaiah 49:6, what is one truth here you can carry into today?

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