English Standard Version
Isaiah 52:5
5Now therefore what have I here," declares the Lord, "seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail," declares the Lord, "and continually all the day my name is despised.
Isaiah 52:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.
- New International Version (NIV)“And now what do I have here?” declares the Lord. “For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who rule them mock,” declares the Lord. “And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now therefore, what have I here,” says the Lord, “That My people are taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them Make them wail,” says the Lord, “And My name is blasphemed continually every day.
- New Living Translation (NLT)What is this?” asks the Lord. “Why are my people enslaved again? Those who rule them shout in exultation. My name is blasphemed all day long.
Context of Isaiah 52:5
3For thus says the Lord: "You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money." 4For thus says the Lord God: "My people went down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrian oppressed them for nothing. Now therefore what have I here," declares the Lord, "seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail," declares the Lord, "and continually all the day my name is despised. 6Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here I am." 7How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns."
Read all of Isaiah 52Isaiah 52:5 word by word
וְעַתָּ֤ה מַה־לִּי פֹה֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה כִּֽי־לֻקַּ֥ח עַמִּ֖י חִנָּ֑ם מֹשְׁלָ֤יו יְהֵילִ֙ילוּ֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וְתָמִ֥יד כָּל־הַיּ֖וֹם שְׁמִ֥י מִנֹּאָֽץ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Now therefore, what have I here, saithנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- that my peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- is taken awayלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- for noughtחִנָּםchinnâm · for nothingH2600
- they that ruleמָשַׁלmâshal · to ruleH4910
- over them make them to howlיָלַלyâlal · to wailH3213
- and my nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- continuallyתָּמִידtâmîyd · continuallyH8548
- every dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- blasphemedנָאַץnâ'ats · to spurnH5006
Cross-references for Isaiah 52:5
- Isaiah 22:16What have you to do here, and whom have you here, that you have cut out here a tomb for yourself, you who cut out a tomb on the height and carve a dwelling for yourself in the rock?
- Judges 18:3When they were by the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. And they turned aside and said to him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?"
- Isaiah 52:3For thus says the Lord: "You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money."
- Psalms 44:12You have sold your people for a trifle, demanding no high price for them.
- Isaiah 47:6I was angry with my people; I profaned my heritage; I gave them into your hand; you showed them no mercy; on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy.
- Isaiah 51:20Your sons have fainted; they lie at the head of every street like an antelope in a net; they are full of the wrath of the Lord, the rebuke of your God.
- Exodus 1:13So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves
- Exodus 2:23During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God.
- Exodus 3:7Then the Lord said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings,
- Psalms 137:1By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.
- 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.
- Lamentations 1:21"They heard my groaning, yet there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have done it. You have brought the day you announced; now let them be as I am.
- Lamentations 2:3He has cut down in fierce anger all the might of Israel; he has withdrawn from them his right hand in the face of the enemy; he has burned like a flaming fire in Jacob, consuming all around.
- Lamentations 5:13Young men are compelled to grind at the mill, and boys stagger under loads of wood.
- Zephaniah 1:10"On that day," declares the Lord, "a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate, a wail from the Second Quarter, a loud crash from the hills.
- Isaiah 37:6Isaiah said to them, "Say to your master, 'Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the young men of the king of Assyria have reviled me.
Commentaries on Isaiah 52:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5They that rule over them "They that are lords over them" - For משלו moshelo, singular, in the text, more than a hundred and twenty MSS. (De Rossi says, codices innumeri, "numberless copies") have משליו moshelaiv plural, according to the Masoretical correction in the margin; which shows that the Masoretes often superstitiously retained apparent mistakes in the text, even when they had sufficient evidence to authorize the introduction of the true reading…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Now, therefore, what have I here? - In Babylon, referring to the captivity of the Jews there. The idea is, that a state of things existed there which demanded his interposition as really as it did when his people had been oppressed by the Egyptians, or by the Assyrian. His people had been taken away for nought; they were subject to cruel oppressions; and his own name was continually blasphemed. In this state of things, it is inferred, that he would…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5The oppressors would shout with joy because they thought they had defeated both Israel and its God. My name is blasphemed continually all day long: The state of God's people influences God's reputation in the eyes of the world (see Isaiah 37:6, 23; 48:11).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. what have I here--that is, what am I called on to do? The fact "that My people is taken away (into captivity; Is 49:24, 25) for naught" (by gratuitous oppression, Is 52:4; also Is 52:3, and see on Is 52:3) demands My interposition. they that rule--or "tyrannize," namely, Babylon, literal and mystical. make ... to howl--or, raise a cry of exultation over them [Maurer]. blasphemed--namely, in Babylon: God's reason for delivering His people, not their…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 52:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 52
- 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
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