Isaiah 51:4

Isaiah 51:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.
• New International Version (NIV)“Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: Instruction will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Listen to Me, My people; And give ear to Me, O My nation: For law will proceed from Me, And I will make My justice rest As a light of the peoples.
• New Living Translation (NLT)“Listen to me, my people. Hear me, Israel, for my law will be proclaimed, and my justice will become a light to the nations.

Context of Isaiah 51:4

2Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him. 3For the Lord comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song. "Give attention to me, my people, and give ear to me, my nation; for a law will go out from me, and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples. 5My righteousness draws near, my salvation has gone out, and my arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands hope for me, and for my arm they wait. 6Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed.

Isaiah 51:4 word by word

הַקְשִׁ֤יבוּ אֵלַי֙ עַמִּ֔י וּלְאוּמִּ֖י אֵלַ֣י הַאֲזִ֑ינוּ כִּ֤י תוֹרָה֙ מֵאִתִּ֣י תֵצֵ֔א וּמִשְׁפָּטִ֔י לְא֥וֹר עַמִּ֖ים אַרְגִּֽיעַ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Hearkenקָשַׁבqâshab · to listenH7181
• unto me, my peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• and give earאָזַן'âzan · to listenH238
• unto me, O my nationלְאֹםle'ôm le'ôm · peopleH3816
• for a lawתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451
• shall proceedיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: speakH3318
• from me, and I will make my judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justiceH4941
• to restרָגַעrâga‛ · to restH7280
• for a lightאוֹר'ôr · lightH216

Cross-references for Isaiah 51:4

• Isaiah 26:2Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
• Exodus 19:6and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel."
• Exodus 33:13Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people."
• Psalms 33:12Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!
• Psalms 106:5that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance.
• Psalms 147:20He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his rules. Praise the Lord!
• 1 Peter 2:9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
• Isaiah 2:3and many peoples shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
• Micah 4:2and many nations shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
• Romans 8:2For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
• 1 Corinthians 9:21To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law.
• Isaiah 42:1Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.
• Isaiah 49:6he says: "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."
• Proverbs 6:23For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
• Matthew 12:18"Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
• Luke 2:32a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel."

Commentaries on Isaiah 51:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4By people - O my nation "O ye peoples - O ye nations" - For עמי ammi, my people, the Bodleian MS. and another read עמים ammim, ye peoples; and for לאומי leumi, my nation, the Bodleian MS. and eight others, (two of them ancient), and four of De Rossi's, read לאמים leummim, ye nations; and so the Syriac in both words. The difference is very material; for in this case the address is made not to the Jews, but to the Gentiles, as in all reason it ought to be…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Hearken unto me, my people - Lowth reads this; Attend unto me, O ye people, And give ear unto me, O ye nations. The reason why he proposes this change is, that he supposes the address here is made to the Gentiles and not to the Jews, and in favor of the change he observes, that two manuscripts read it in this manner. Gesenius (Commentary) says that three codices read עמים ‛ammiym (“peoples”), instead of עמי ‛amiy (“my people”); and that thirteen MSS. read…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-8Verses 4-8 The gospel of Christ shall be preached and published. How shall we escape if we neglect it? There is no salvation without righteousness. The soul shall, as to this world, vanish like smoke, and the body be thrown by like a worn-out garment. But those whose happiness is in Christ's righteousness and salvation, will have the comfort of it when time and days shall be no more. Clouds darken the sun, but do not stop its course. The believer will…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4a law … My justice: The servant's work will succeed because justice will guide God's kingdom on earth (see Isaiah 42:1–4). a light to the nations: The nations will accept the Lord and his revelation (see also Isaiah 42:6; 49:6; 60:1–3; 66:19–23; Matthew 4:15–16; Luke 2:32; John 1:4–9; 12:35–50; Acts 13:47).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. my people--the Jews. This reading is better than that of Gesenius: "O peoples ... nations," namely, the Gentiles. The Jews are called on to hear and rejoice in the extension of the true religion to the nations; for, at the first preaching of the Gospel, as in the final age to come, it was from Jerusalem that the gospel law was, and is, to go forth (Is 2:3). law ... judgment--the gospel dispensation and institutions (Is 42:1, "judgment"). make ... to…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 51:4

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Church
• Gospel
• Salvation

In the dictionaries

• Approach
• Loose
• Plead
• Rest
• Sword
• 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