Isaiah 51:1

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 people who want to do what is right. You people who want to serve the Lord, listen to me! Think about the rock that you are a part of. Think about the ground that they dug you out from. 2You all started from your ancestor Abraham, and his wife Sarah. When I first spoke to Abraham, he had no children. But I blessed him, so that he had many descendants.’ 3Surely, the Lord will comfort Zion's people. He will take care of the buildings that enemies have destroyed. Zion's land that is now a wilderness will become like the beautiful Garden of Eden. It will be the Lord's own garden! People will be happy again in Zion. They will sing with joy to thank God.

Isaiah 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 to me, my people. Listen carefully, my nation. I will tell all people about my laws. I will cause my justice to be like a light to all nations.
• Isaiah 46:3The Lord says, ‘Listen to me, you family of Jacob. Yes, listen to me, all you Israelites who are still alive. I have taken care of you since you first became a nation. I have carried you since you were born.
• Isaiah 48:12So listen to me, descendants of Jacob! I called you to belong to me, you Israelite people. I am the only One. I am the first, and I am also the last.
• Isaiah 55:2Do not spend money on anything that is not real food. You work hard for your money, so do not spend it on things which do not help you. Listen carefully to me. Eat something that will make you strong! Enjoy the best food!
• Isaiah 51:7Listen to me, you people who know what is right. You people who think carefully about my law, listen to me. When people speak against you, do not be afraid. Do not be upset, when they insult you.
• Psalms 94:15Once again, judges will do what is right and fair, and good, honest people will agree.
• Proverbs 15:9The Lord hates the way that wicked people live. But he loves people who want to do what is right.
• Proverbs 21:21If you are kind and faithful, you will live a long life! Other people will respect you and they will be kind to you.
• Matthew 5:6Happy are the people who want to obey God, as much as they want to eat food. God will give to them everything that they need.
• Matthew 6:33Instead, always think about the things that are important in the kingdom of heaven. Always do what God shows you is right. Then he will also give you the things that you need each day.
• Romans 9:30So, we must think about what all this means. The Gentiles were not trying to become right with God. But some of them have now become right with him. God has accepted them as right, because they have believed in Jesus Christ.
• Romans 14:19So then, we should try to live in a way that brings peace. We should try to help each other so that we become stronger as God's people.
• Philippians 3:13My Christian friends, I do not think that I have reached that place yet. But this is what I do: I do not think about past things that have already happened. Instead, I try hard to reach the things that are in front of me.
• 1 Timothy 6:11But you, Timothy, are a servant of God. So keep away from all bad things like that. Instead, always try to do what is right. Serve God in a way that pleases him. Choose to trust God and to love other people. Continue to be strong when you have trouble. Be kind to people.
• 2 Timothy 2:22Be careful not to do the kind of bad things that young people often want to do. Instead, always try to do what is right and fair. Continue to trust God. Love other people and live in peace with them. Join with people who are clean inside and who pray to the Lord.
• Hebrews 12:14Do everything that you can to live in peace with other people. Make yourself separate from bad things. Nobody will see the Lord unless their life is good and clean.

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

• Depravity of Man
• Humility
• Righteous
• Seekers

In the dictionaries

• Approach
• Loose
• Plead
• Rest
• Sword
• Genesis
• Isaiah
• Mark, the Gospel According to
• Saviour

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