English Standard Version
Isaiah 43:2
2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
Isaiah 43:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
- New International Version (NIV)When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
- New King James Version (NKJV)When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.
- New Living Translation (NLT)When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.
Context of Isaiah 43:2
1But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 3For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. 4Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.
Read all of Isaiah 43Isaiah 43:2 word by word
כִּֽי־תַעֲבֹ֤ר בַּמַּ֙יִם֙ אִתְּךָ־אָ֔נִי וּבַנְּהָר֖וֹת לֹ֣א יִשְׁטְפ֑וּךָ כִּֽי־תֵלֵ֤ךְ בְּמוֹ־אֵשׁ֙ לֹ֣א תִכָּוֶ֔ה וְלֶהָבָ֖ה לֹ֥א תִבְעַר־בָּֽךְ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- When thou passest throughעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- the watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
- with thee; and through the riversנָהָרnâhâr · riverH5104
- they shall not overflowשָׁטַףshâţaph · to overflowH7857
- thee: when thou walkestיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- throughבְּמוֹbemô · in/at/byH1119
- the fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
- thou shalt not be burnedכָּוָהkâvâh · to burnH3554
- neither shall the flameלֶהָבָהlehâbâh lahebeth · flameH3852
- kindleבָּעַרbâ‛ar · to burn: burnH1197
Cross-references for Isaiah 43:2
- Isaiah 8:7therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River, mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks,
- Isaiah 11:15And the Lord will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt, and will wave his hand over the River with his scorching breath, and strike it into seven channels, and he will lead people across in sandals.
- Exodus 14:29But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
- Joshua 3:15and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest),
- Psalms 66:10For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.
- Psalms 91:3For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
- Amos 9:8Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the surface of the ground, except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob," declares the Lord.
- Hebrews 11:29By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.
- Isaiah 41:10fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
- Deuteronomy 31:6Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you."
- Joshua 1:5No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.
- Psalms 23:4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
- Psalms 46:4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.
- Psalms 91:15When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.
- Matthew 1:23"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us).
- 2 Corinthians 12:9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Commentaries on Isaiah 43:2
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2When thou passest through the waters - This is a general promise, and means that whenever and wherever they should pass through water or fire, he would protect them. It had been true in their past history as a people; and the assurance is here given in order that they might be comforted in view of the calamities which they were then suffering in Babylon. Fire and water are often used in the Scriptures to denote calamity - the latter because it overwhelms…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Conquering forces are compared to flooding rivers (see Isaiah 8:8). I will be with you: God promises to stay with his people to protect and care for them (see Isaiah 7:14; 41:10; 43:5; 45:14). Israel faced God's judgment as the fire of oppression during the exile in Babylon.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. rivers ... not overflow thee--so in passing Jordan, though at its "overflow," when its "swellings" were especially dangerous (Jos 3:15; Jr 12:5). waters ... fire--a proverbial phrase for the extremest perils (Psa 66:12; also Psa 138:7). Literally fulfilled at the Red Sea (Ex 14:21, 22), and in the case of the three youths cast into the fiery furnace for conscience' sake (Da 3:25, 27).Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 43:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 43
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries