Isaiah 50:2

Isaiah 50:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.
• New International Version (NIV)When I came, why was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Was my arm too short to deliver you? Do I lack the strength to rescue you? By a mere rebuke I dry up the sea, I turn rivers into a desert; their fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Why, when I came, was there no man? Why, when I called, was there none to answer? Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Indeed with My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish stink because there is no water, And die of thirst.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Why was no one there when I came? Why didn’t anyone answer when I called? Is it because I have no power to rescue? No, that is not the reason! For I can speak to the sea and make it dry up! I can turn rivers into deserts covered with dying fish.

Context of Isaiah 50:2

1Thus says the Lord: "Where is your mother's certificate of divorce, with which I sent her away? Or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities you were sold, and for your transgressions your mother was sent away. Why, when I came, was there no man; why, when I called, was there no one to answer? Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a desert; their fish stink for lack of water and die of thirst. 3I clothe the heavens with blackness and make sackcloth their covering." 4The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.

Isaiah 50:2 word by word

מַדּ֨וּעַ בָּ֜אתִי וְאֵ֣ין אִ֗ישׁ קָרָֽאתִי֮ וְאֵ֣ין עוֹנֶה֒ הֲקָצ֨וֹר קָצְרָ֤ה יָדִי֙ מִפְּד֔וּת וְאִם־אֵֽין־בִּ֥י כֹ֖חַ לְהַצִּ֑יל הֵ֣ן בְּגַעֲרָתִ֞י אַחֲרִ֣יב יָ֗ם אָשִׂ֤ים נְהָרוֹת֙ מִדְבָּ֔ר תִּבְאַ֤שׁ דְּגָתָם֙ מֵאֵ֣ין מַ֔יִם וְתָמֹ֖ת בַּצָּמָֽא׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Wherefore, when I cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• no manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• when I calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
• none to answerעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
• Is my handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• shortenedקָצֵרqâtsar · be shortH7114
• that it cannot redeemפְּדוּתpedûth pedûth · redemptionH6304
• or have I no powerכֹּחַkôach kôach · strengthH3581
• to deliverנָצַלnâtsal · to rescueH5337
• behold, at my rebukeגְּעָרָהge‛ârâh · rebukeH1606
• I dry upחָרֵבchârab chârêb · to dryH2717
• the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
• I makeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
• the riversנָהָרnâhâr · riverH5104
• a wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
• their fishדָּגָהdâgâh · fishH1710
• stinkethבָּאַשׁbâ'ash · to stinkH887
• no waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
• and diethמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• for thirstצָמָאtsâmâ' · thirstH6772

Cross-references for Isaiah 50:2

• Isaiah 59:16He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him.
• Isaiah 65:12I will destine you to the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter, because, when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen, but you did what was evil in my eyes and chose what I did not delight in."
• Isaiah 66:4I also will choose harsh treatment for them and bring their fears upon them, because when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, they did not listen; but they did what was evil in my eyes and chose that in which I did not delight."
• Proverbs 1:24Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
• Jeremiah 5:1Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look and take note! Search her squares to see if you can find a man, one who does justice and seeks truth, that I may pardon her.
• Jeremiah 7:13And now, because you have done all these things, declares the Lord, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer,
• Jeremiah 8:6I have paid attention and listened, but they have not spoken rightly; no man relents of his evil, saying, 'What have I done?' Everyone turns to his own course, like a horse plunging headlong into battle.
• Jeremiah 35:15I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending them persistently, saying, 'Turn now every one of you from his evil way, and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to you and your fathers.' But you did not incline your ear or listen to me.
• Hosea 11:2The more they were called, the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols.
• John 1:11He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
• John 3:19And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
• Isaiah 59:1Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;
• Genesis 18:14Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son."
• Numbers 11:23And the Lord said to Moses, "Is the Lord's hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not."
• Isaiah 36:20Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?'"
• 2 Chronicles 32:15Now, therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you in this fashion, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand!'"

Commentaries on Isaiah 50:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Their fish stinketh "Their fish is dried up" - For תבאש tibaosh, stinketh, read תיבש tibash, is dried up; so it stands in the Bodl. MS., and it is confirmed by the Septuagint, , they shall be dried up.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? - That is, when I came to call you to repentance, why was there no man of the nation to yield obedience? The sense is, that they had not been punished without warning. He had called them to repentance, but no one heard his voice. The Chaldee renders this, Wherefore did I send my prophets, and they did not turn? They prophesied, but they did not attend.‘ When I called, was there none to answer? - None obeyed, or…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Why did no one answer: The people did not respond to God's repeated call to trust him and repent of their sins. They were deaf and stubborn (see Isaiah 6:9–10; 29:18; 35:5; 42:18–19). The Lord came and called the people through the prophets (see also Isaiah 65:1–3). do I lack the strength to deliver you?: God could rescue Israel and Judah from the Assyrians and Babylonians, but he first had to address his people's sinfulness (see Isaiah 59:1). My rebuke…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. I--Messiah. no man--willing to believe in and obey Me (Is 52:1, 3). The same Divine Person had "come" by His prophets in the Old Testament (appealing to them, but in vain, Jr 7:25, 26), who was about to come under the New Testament. hand shortened--the Oriental emblem of weakness, as the long stretched-out hand is of power (Is 59:1). Notwithstanding your sins, I can still "redeem" you from your bondage and dispersion. dry up ... sea--(Ex 14:21). The…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 50:2

• Doubting
• God
• Jesus Continued

In the dictionaries

• the sea, the Great Sea, the western sea
• Desert
• Isaiah
• Mark, the Gospel According to
• Omnipotence
• Saviour
• Shorten

Commentaries on Isaiah 50

• 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