Isaiah 49:4

Isaiah 49:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God.
• New International Version (NIV)But I said, “I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing at all. Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand, and my reward is with my God.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)But I said, "I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my right is with the Lord, and my recompense with my God."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; Yet surely my just reward is with the Lord, And my work with my God.’ ”

Context of Isaiah 49:4

2The message that he gave me to speak was like a sharp sword. He kept me safe in his hand. He made me like a sharp arrow that he keeps safe and ready to use. 3He said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel. Because of you, I will cause people to know that I am great.’ I said, ‘My work has been useless. I have worked hard with no results.’ But the Lord will do what is right for me. He will give me what I deserve for my work. 5The Lord chose me to be his servant, even before I was born. He chose me to bring Jacob's descendants back to himself. He chose me to bring Israel's people together to serve him. As a result, the Lord will honour me. He is the one who makes me strong. The Lord, my God, says, 6‘As my servant, I have a greater job for you to do. It will not only be to make Jacob's tribes strong again. It will not only be to bring back Israel's people that I have kept safe. It will also be your job to bring light to the other nations. You will show people all over the world that I have the power to save them.’

Isaiah 49:4 word by word

וַאֲנִ֤י אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ לְרִ֣יק יָגַ֔עְתִּי לְתֹ֥הוּ וְהֶ֖בֶל כֹּחִ֣י כִלֵּ֑יתִי אָכֵן֙ מִשְׁפָּטִ֣י אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה וּפְעֻלָּתִ֖י אֶת־אֱלֹהָֽי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then I saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• I have labouredיָגֵעַyâga‛ · be weary/toilH3021
• in vainרִיקrîyq · vainH7385
• I have spentכָּלָהkâlâh · to end: expendH3615
• my strengthכֹּחַkôach kôach · strengthH3581
• for noughtתֹּ֫הוּtôhû · formlessnessH8414
• and in vainהֶ֫בֶלhebel hăbêl · vanityH1892
• surelyאָכֵן'âkên · surelyH403
• my judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justiceH4941
• with the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• and my workפְּעֻלָּהpe‛ûllâh · wagesH6468
• with my Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430

Cross-references for Isaiah 49:4

• Isaiah 65:2All the time, I have been ready to help my people, even though they turned against me. But they continue to live in a way that is not good. They do whatever they want to do.
• Ezekiel 3:19So you must warn the wicked person. If you warn him, he still may not stop doing wicked things. Then that wicked person will die because of his sins. But you will have saved your own life.
• Matthew 17:17Jesus replied, ‘You people today still do not believe in God. You have turned away from him. I have been with you for a long time and still you do not believe. It is difficult for me to be patient with you.’ Then Jesus said to the man, ‘Bring the boy here to me.’
• Matthew 23:37Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Your people have killed God's prophets. They have thrown stones to kill other people that God has sent to you. Many times, I have wanted to bring all of your people near to me. A female bird covers her babies with her body to make them safe. But you would not let me keep you from danger like that.
• John 1:11He came to his own place, but his own people did not accept him.
• Romans 10:21But Isaiah says this about Israel's people: ‘God says: For a very long time, I have been asking my people to return to me. But they refused to obey me. They turned against me.’
• Galatians 4:11I am afraid about you. I worked very much to help you. I do not want my work to have no results.
• Leviticus 26:20Even if they do a lot of work, no grain will grow. No fruit will grow on the trees.
• 2 Corinthians 12:15So I will be happy to give everything that I have to you. I will be happy to give myself too, because I want to help you. Perhaps I love you too much! But that should not mean that you will love me less than you should.
• Isaiah 53:10But it was the Lord who chose to hurt his servant. He caused his servant to receive much pain. His servant died to remove people's guilt. As a result, God will bless him with many descendants, and he will have a long life. What the Lord wants will happen, because of what his servant does.
• Psalms 22:22I will tell my people how great you are. I will praise you when we meet together.
• Luke 24:26You should have known that the Messiah had to die. Only then would he return to heaven and show how great and powerful he is.’
• John 17:4I have shown people here on the earth how great you are. In that way, I have finished the work that you gave to me to do.
• 2 Corinthians 2:15When we tell people about Christ, we are like a lovely smell that rises up to God. We are like that among the people that God is saving. We are also like that among the people who are dying because they are far from God.
• Philippians 2:9Because of that, God then raised Jesus Christ to the most important place. God gave him the name that is greater than every other name.
• Hebrews 12:2As we run, we must always look towards Jesus. He is the one who trusted God completely. Our faith starts with him, and he will help us to trust God all the way to the end. Jesus accepted punishment on the cross. He chose to receive much pain. He did not think about being ashamed to die like that. He knew that God had prepared something very good for him that would make him happy. Now he has sat down at the right side of God to rule with him in heaven.

Commentaries on Isaiah 49:4

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Then I said - I the Messiah. In the previous verses he speaks of his appointment to the office of Messiah, and of his dignity. The design here is to prepare the way for the announcement of the fact that he would make known his gospel to the pagan, and would be for a light to the Gentiles. For this purpose he speaks of his labors among his own countrymen; he laments the little success which attended his work at the commencement, but consoles himself with…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4I have labored in vain: Even though people stubbornly refuse his message, the servant will still reach out to them. My vindication is with the LORD: Despite discouragement and suffering, the servant will continue to perform his duty faithfully, trusting God for the outcome. God promised to reward the servant’s faithfulness (see also Isaiah 40:10; 50:8).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. I--Messiah. in vain--comparatively in the case of the greater number of His own countrymen. "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not" (Is 53:1-3; Lu 19:14; Joh 1:11; 7:5). Only a hundred twenty disciples met after His personal ministry was ended (Ac 1:15). yet ... my judgment ... with the Lord--Ultimately, God will do justice to My cause, and reward (Margin for "work," compare Is 40:10; 62:11) My labors and sufferings. He was never…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 49:4

• Jesus Continued

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Forget
• Mouth
• Atonement
• Choose; Chosen
• Christ, Offices of
• Isaiah
• Mark, the Gospel According to
• Nought

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