Amplified Bible
Isaiah 51:1
1“Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness (right standing with God), Who seek and inquire of the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut And to the excavation of the quarry from which you were dug.
Isaiah 51:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.
- New International Version (NIV)“Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn;
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug.
Context of Isaiah 51:1
“Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness (right standing with God), Who seek and inquire of the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut And to the excavation of the quarry from which you were dug. 2Look to Abraham your father And to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain; For I called him when he was but one, Then I blessed him and made him many.” 3For the Lord will comfort Zion [in her captivity]; He will comfort all her ruins. And He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the Lord; Joy and gladness will be found in her, Thanksgiving and the voice of a melody.
Read all of Isaiah 51Isaiah 51:1 word by word
שִׁמְע֥וּ אֵלַ֛י רֹ֥דְפֵי צֶ֖דֶק מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י יְהוָ֑ה הַבִּ֙יטוּ֙ אֶל־צ֣וּר חֻצַּבְתֶּ֔ם וְאֶל־מַקֶּ֥בֶת בּ֖וֹר נֻקַּרְתֶּֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Hearkenשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- to me, ye that follow afterרָדַףrâdaph · to pursueH7291
- righteousnessצֶ֫דֶקtsedeq · righteousnessH6664
- ye that seekבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- lookנָבַטnâbaţ · to lookH5027
- unto the rockצוּרtsûr tsûr · rockH6697
- ye are hewnחָצַבchâtsab châtsêb · to hewH2672
- and to the holeמַקֶּבֶתmaqqebeth · holeH4718
- of the pitבּוֹרbôr · pitH953
- ye are diggedנָקַרnâqar · to digH5365
Cross-references for Isaiah 51:1
- Isaiah 51:4“Listen carefully to Me [says the Lord], O My people, And hear Me, O My nation; For a [divine] law will go forth from Me, And I will quickly establish My justice as a light to the peoples.
- Isaiah 46:3“Listen to Me,” [says the Lord], “O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, You who have been carried by Me from your birth And have been carried [in My arms] from the womb,
- Isaiah 48:12“Listen to Me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called; I am He, I am the First, I am the Last.
- Isaiah 55:2Why do you spend money for that which is not bread, And your earnings for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight in abundance.
- Isaiah 51:7Listen to Me, you who know righteousness (right standing with God), The people in whose heart is My law and instruction; Do not fear the reproach and taunting of man, Nor be distressed at their reviling.
- Psalms 94:15For judgment will again be righteous, And all the upright in heart will follow it.
- Proverbs 15:9The way [of life] of the wicked is hateful and exceedingly offensive to the Lord, But He loves one who pursues righteousness [personal integrity, moral courage and honorable character].
- Proverbs 21:21He who earnestly seeks righteousness and loyalty Finds life, righteousness, and honor.
- Matthew 5:6“Blessed [joyful, nourished by God’s goodness] are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness [those who actively seek right standing with God], for they will be [completely] satisfied.
- Matthew 6:33But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.
- Romans 9:30What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness [who did not seek salvation and a right relationship with God, nevertheless] obtained righteousness, that is, the righteousness which is produced by faith;
- Romans 14:19So then, let us pursue [with enthusiasm] the things which make for peace and the building up of one another [things which lead to spiritual growth].
- Philippians 3:13Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,
- 1 Timothy 6:11But as for you, O man of God, flee from these things; aim at and pursue righteousness [true goodness, moral conformity to the character of God], godliness [the fear of God], faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness.
- 2 Timothy 2:22Run away from youthful lusts—pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those [believers] who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
- Hebrews 12:14Continually pursue peace with everyone, and the sanctification without which no one will [ever] see the Lord.
Commentaries on Isaiah 51:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Ye that follow after righteousness - The people who, feeling the want of salvation, seek the Lord in order to be justified. The rock - Abraham. The hole of the pit - Sarah; as explained in Isaiah 51:2.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Hearken unto me - That is, to the God of their fathers, who now addresses them. They are regarded as in exile and bondage, and as desponding in regard to their prospects. In this situation, God, or perhaps more properly the Messiah (compare the notes at Matthew 3:9, where he says, For I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.‘ The hole of the pit - The word rendered hole‘ means such an excavation as men make who…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Exhortations to trust the Messiah. (Is. 51:1-3) The power of God, and the weakness of man. (Is. 51:4-8) Christ defends his people. (Is. 51:9-16) Their afflictions and deliverances. (Is. 51:17-23) Verses 1-3 It is good for those privileged by the new birth, to consider that they were shapen in sin. This should cause low thoughts of ourselves, and high thoughts of Divine grace. It is the greatest comfort to be made serviceable to the glory of God. The more…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1The rock and the quarry represent Abraham and Sarah (Isaiah 51:2).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-231. me--the God of your fathers. ye ... follow after righteousness--the godly portion of the nation; Is 51:7 shows this (Pr 15:9; 1Ti 6:11). "Ye follow righteousness," seek it therefore from Me, who "bring it near," and that a righteousness "not about to be abolished" (Is 51:6, 7); look to Abraham, your father (Is 51:2), as a sample of how righteousness before Me is to be obtained; I, the same God who blessed him, will bless you at last (Is 51:3)…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 51:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 51
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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