American Standard Version
Isaiah 49:6
6yea, he saith, It is too light a 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.
Isaiah 49:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)he says: "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”
Context of Isaiah 49:6
4But I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nought and vanity; yet surely the justice due to me is with Jehovah, and my recompense with my God. 5And now saith Jehovah that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, and that Israel be gathered unto him (for I am honorable in the eyes of Jehovah, and my God is become my strength); yea, he saith, It is too light a 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. 7Thus saith Jehovah, 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, and they shall worship; because of Jehovah that is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who hath chosen thee. 8Thus saith Jehovah, In an acceptable time have I answered thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to raise up the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages;
Read all of Isaiah 49Isaiah 49:6 word by word
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר נָקֵ֨ל מִֽהְיוֹתְךָ֥ לִי֙ עֶ֔בֶד לְהָקִים֙ אֶת־שִׁבְטֵ֣י יַעֲקֹ֔ב וּנְצוּרֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְהָשִׁ֑יב וּנְתַתִּ֙יךָ֙ לְא֣וֹר גּוֹיִ֔ם לִֽהְי֥וֹת יְשׁוּעָתִ֖י עַד־קְצֵ֥ה הָאָֽרֶץ׃ סRead the interlinear
- lightאוֹר'ôr · lightH216
- thingקָלַלqâlal · to lightenH7043
- beהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
- servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- raiseקוּםqûm · to arise: establishH6965
- tribesשֵׁ֫בֶטshêbeţ · tribe: staffH7626
- Jacobיַעֲקֹבya‛ăqôb · JacobH3290
- restoreשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- salvationיְשׁוּעָהyeshû‛âh · salvationH3444
- endקָצֶהqâtseh qêtseh · endH7097
- earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
Cross-references for Isaiah 49:6
- 2 Kings 3:18And this is but a light thing in the sight of Jehovah: he will also deliver the Moabites into your hand.
- 2 Kings 20:10And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to decline ten steps: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten steps.
- Isaiah 42:6I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thy hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
- Isaiah 60:3And nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
- Luke 2:32A light for revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of thy people Israel.
- John 1:4In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
- Acts 13:47For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee for a light of the Gentiles, That thou shouldest be for salvation unto the uttermost part of the earth.
- Acts 26:18to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.
- Isaiah 11:10And it shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, that standeth for an ensign of the peoples, unto him shall the nations seek; and his resting-place shall be glorious.
- Isaiah 24:14These shall lift up their voice, they shall shout; for the majesty of Jehovah they cry aloud from the sea.
- Isaiah 46:13I bring near my righteousness, it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry; and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.
- Isaiah 51:20Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as an antelope in a net; they are full of the wrath of Jehovah, the rebuke of thy God.
- Psalms 98:2Jehovah hath made known his salvation: His righteousness hath he openly showed in the sight of the nations.
- Luke 24:46and he said unto them, Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead the third day;
Commentaries on Isaiah 49:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6And to restore the preserved of Irsrae "And to restore the branches of Israel" - נצירי netsirey, or נצורי netsurey, as the Masoretes correct it in the marginal reading. This word has been matter of great doubt with interpreters: the Syriac renders it the branch, taking it for the same with נצר netser, Isaiah 11:1. See Michaelis Epim. in Praelect. xix.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6And he said - That is, Yahweh said in his promise to the Messiah. It is a light thing - Margin, Art thou lighter than that thou,‘ etc. Lowth renders it, It is a small thing.‘ Hengstenberg, It is too little that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob.‘ The sense is, that God designed to glorify him in an eminent degree, and that it would not be as much honor as be designed to confer on him, to appoint him merely to produce a…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6a light for the nations: As the Messiah (God's chosen one), the servant's mission would reach the entire world (see Isaiah 11:10, 12; 42:6). The apostle Paul explained his mission to the Gentiles based on this prophecy (Acts 13:47; 26:23).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. It is a light thing--"It is too little that Thou shouldest," [Hengstenberg], that is, It is not enough honor to Thee to raise up Jacob and Israel, but I design for Thee more, namely, that Thou shouldest be the means of enlightening the Gentiles (Is 42:6, 7; 60:3). the preserved--namely, those remaining after the judgments of God on the nation--the elect remnant of Israel reserved for mercy. Lowth, with a slight but needless change of the Hebrew…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 49:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 49
- 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
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries