God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 43:20
20Wild animals, jackals, and ostriches will honor me. I will provide water in the desert. I will make rivers on the dry land for my chosen people to drink.
Isaiah 43:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.
- New International Version (NIV)The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen,
- English Standard Version (ESV)The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people,
- New King James Version (NKJV)The beast of the field will honor Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I give waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My people, My chosen.
Context of Isaiah 43:20
18Forget what happened in the past, and do not dwell on events from long ago. 19I am going to do something new. It is already happening. Don’t you recognize it? I will clear a way in the desert. I will make rivers on dry land. Wild animals, jackals, and ostriches will honor me. I will provide water in the desert. I will make rivers on the dry land for my chosen people to drink. 21I have formed these people for myself. They will praise me. 22Jacob, you have not prayed to me. Israel, you have grown tired of me.
Read all of Isaiah 43Isaiah 43:20 word by word
תְּכַבְּדֵ֙נִי֙ חַיַּ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה תַּנִּ֖ים וּבְנ֣וֹת יַֽעֲנָ֑ה כִּֽי־נָתַ֨תִּי בַמִּדְבָּ֜ר מַ֗יִם נְהָרוֹת֙ בִּֽישִׁימֹ֔ן לְהַשְׁק֖וֹת עַמִּ֥י בְחִירִֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- The beastחַיָּהchay · living thingH2416
- of the fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: wildlifeH7704
- shall honourכָּבֵדkâbad kâbêd · to honor: honourH3513
- me, the dragonsתַּןtannîyn tannîym · jackalH8577
- and the owlsיַעֲנָהya‛ănâh · ostrichH3284
- and the owlsבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- because I giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
- in the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
- riversנָהָרnâhâr · riverH5104
- in the desertיְשִׁימוֹןyeshîymôn · wildernessH3452
- to give drinkשָׁקָהshâqâh · to water: drinkH8248
- to my peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- my chosenבָּחִירbâchîyr · chosenH972
Cross-references for Isaiah 43:20
- Isaiah 11:6Wolves will live with lambs. Leopards will lie down with goats. Calves, young lions, and year-old lambs will be together, and little children will lead them.
- Psalms 104:21The young lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.
- Psalms 148:10wild animals and all domestic animals, crawling animals and birds,
- Isaiah 43:19I am going to do something new. It is already happening. Don’t you recognize it? I will clear a way in the desert. I will make rivers on dry land.
- Isaiah 41:17“The poor and needy are looking for water, but there is none. Their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the Lord, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.
- Isaiah 48:21They weren’t thirsty when he led them through the deserts. He made water flow from a rock for them. He split a rock, and water gushed out.
- Isaiah 49:10They will never be hungry or thirsty, nor will the sun or the burning, hot wind strike them. The one who has compassion on them will lead them and guide them to springs.
- Isaiah 55:1“Listen! Whoever is thirsty, come to the water! Whoever has no money can come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk. You don’t have to pay; it’s free!
- Jeremiah 31:9They will cry as they return. They will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams on a level path where they will not stumble. I will be a Father to Israel, and Ephraim will be my firstborn.
- Joel 3:18On that day new wine will cover the mountains. Milk will flow on the hills. Water will flow in all the brooks of Judah. A spring will flow from the Lord’s temple. It will water the valley of Shittim.
- John 4:10Jesus replied to her, “If you only knew what God’s gift is and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked him for a drink. He would have given you living water.”
- John 7:37On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus was standing ⌞in the temple courtyard⌟. He said loudly, “Whoever is thirsty must come to me to drink.
- Revelation 21:6He said to me, “It has happened! I am the A and the Z, the beginning and the end. I will give a drink from the fountain filled with the water of life to anyone who is thirsty. It won’t cost anything.
- Revelation 22:17The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let those who hear this say, “Come!” Let those who are thirsty come! Let those who want the water of life take it as a gift.
- Isaiah 65:15Your name will be used as a curse by my chosen ones. The Almighty Lord will kill you and call his servants by another name.
- 1 Chronicles 16:13you descendants of Israel, his servant, you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.
Commentaries on Isaiah 43:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20The beast of the field shall honor me "The wild beast of the field shall glorify me" - The image is elegant and highly poetical. God will give such an abundant miraculous supply of water to his people traversing the dry desert in their return to their country, that even the wild beasts, the serpents, the ostriches, and other animals that haunt those arid regions, shall be sensible of the blessing, and shall break forth into thanksgiving and praises to him…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20The beast of the field shall honor me - The sense of this passage is plain, and the image is highly poetical and beautiful. God would pour such copious floods of waters through the waste sandy deserts to supply his people, that even the wild beasts would be sensible of his abundant goodness, and would break forth into thanksgiving and praise for the unusual supply. The dragons - (See the note at Isaiah 13:22). The Septuagint renders the word used here…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-21Verses 14-21 The deliverance from Babylon is foretold, but there is reference to greater events. The redemption of sinners by Christ, the conversion of the Gentiles, and the recall of the Jews, are described. All that is to be done to rescue sinners, and to bring the believer to glory, is little, compared with that wondrous work of love, the redemption of man.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-21The Lord promised Israel that it would be freed from Babylon. This redemption would be similar to Israel's past freedom from Egypt but even greater in some ways (Isaiah 43:18).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. beast--image of idolaters, defiled with blood and pollutions, dwelling like dragons, &c., in the wastes of Gentile ignorance: even they shall be converted. Or else, literally, such copious floods of water shall be given by God in the desert, that the very beasts shall (in poetic language) praise the Lord (Psa 148:10) [Jerome]. dragons--"serpents," or else jackals (see on Is 13:22). owls--rather, "ostriches."Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 43:20
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
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