English Standard Version
Isaiah 45:4
4For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me.
Isaiah 45:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
- New International Version (NIV)For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For Jacob My servant’s sake, And Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“And why have I called you for this work? Why did I call you by name when you did not know me? It is for the sake of Jacob my servant, Israel my chosen one.
Context of Isaiah 45:4
2"I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, 3I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by your name. For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me. 5I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, 6that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other.
Read all of Isaiah 45Isaiah 45:4 word by word
לְמַ֙עַן֙ עַבְדִּ֣י יַעֲקֹ֔ב וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּחִירִ֑י וָאֶקְרָ֤א לְךָ֙ בִּשְׁמֶ֔ךָ אֲכַנְּךָ֖ וְלֹ֥א יְדַעְתָּֽנִי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For Jacobיַעֲקֹבya‛ăqôb · JacobH3290
- my servant’sעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- sake, and Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- mine electבָּחִירbâchîyr · chosenH972
- I have even calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- thee by thy nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- I have surnamedכָּנָהkânâh · to flatterH3655
- thee, though thou hast not knownיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
Cross-references for Isaiah 45:4
- Isaiah 41:8But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
- Isaiah 43:3For 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.
- Isaiah 44:1"But now hear, O Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have chosen!
- Exodus 19:5Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;
- Jeremiah 50:17"Israel is a hunted sheep driven away by lions. First the king of Assyria devoured him, and now at last Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has gnawed his bones.
- Matthew 24:22And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
- Mark 13:20And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.
- Romans 9:6But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel,
- Romans 11:7What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,
- Isaiah 45:1Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed:
- Isaiah 44:28who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose'; saying of Jerusalem, 'She shall be built,' and of the temple, 'Your foundation shall be laid.'"
- Acts 17:23For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: 'To the unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
- Galatians 4:8Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.
- Ephesians 2:12remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:5not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;
Commentaries on Isaiah 45:4
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4For Jacob my servant‘s sake - (see the note at Isaiah 42:19). The statement here is, that God had raised up Cyrus on account of his own people. The sentiment is common in the Bible, that kings and nations are in the hand of God; and that he overrules and directs their actions for the accomplishment of his own purposes, and especially to protect, defend, and deliver his people (see the note at Isaiah 10:5; compare Isaiah 47:6). I have surnamed thee - On…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-5I call you by name: Cyrus did not know the Lord, but the Lord knew him. Isaiah predicted the rescuer Cyrus by name 150 years before he was born. This prophecy would show the exiles that the Lord is truly God and that he knows the future.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. (See on Is 41:8; Is 43:14). surnamed--that is, designated to carry out My design of restoring Judah (see on Is 44:5; Is 44:28; Is 45:1). Maurer here, as in Is 44:5, translates, "I have addressed thee by an honorable name." hast not known me--previous to My calling thee to this office; after God's call, Cyrus did know Him in some degree (Ezr 1:1-3).Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 45:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 45
- 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