God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 45:4
4For the sake of my servant Jacob, Israel, my chosen one, I have called you by name. I have given you a title of honor, although you don’t 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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- 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.
Context of Isaiah 45:4
2I will go ahead of you, Cyrus, and smooth out the rough places. I will break down the bronze doors and cut through the iron bars. 3I will give you treasures from dark places and hidden stockpiles. Then you will know that I, the Lord God of Israel, have called you by name. For the sake of my servant Jacob, Israel, my chosen one, I have called you by name. I have given you a title of honor, although you don’t know me. 5I am the Lord, and there is no other. There is no other God besides me. I will strengthen you, although you don’t know me, 6so that from the east to the west people will know that there is no God except 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 41:8“But you are my servant Israel, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the descendant of Abraham, my dear friend.
- Isaiah 43:3I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Egypt is the ransom I exchanged for you. Sudan and Seba are the price I paid for you.
- Isaiah 44:1But now listen, my servant Jacob, Israel, whom I have chosen.
- Exodus 19:5If you carefully obey me and are faithful to the terms of my promise, then out of all the nations you will be my own special possession, even though the whole world is mine.
- Jeremiah 50:17“The people of Israel are like scattered sheep that lions have chased. The first to devour them was the king of Assyria. The last to gnaw at their bones was King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
- Matthew 24:22If God does not reduce the number of those days, no one will be saved. But those days will be reduced because of those whom God has chosen.
- Mark 13:20If the Lord does not reduce that time, no one will be saved. But those days will be reduced because of those whom God has chosen.
- Romans 9:6Now it is not as though God’s word has failed. Clearly, not everyone descended from Israel is part of Israel
- Romans 11:7So what does all this mean? It means that Israel has never achieved what it has been striving for. However, those whom God has chosen have achieved it. The minds of the rest of Israel were closed,
- Isaiah 45:1This is what the Lord says about Cyrus, his anointed one: I have held him by his right hand so he could conquer the nations ahead of him, strip kings of their power, and open doors ahead of him so that the gates would not be shut.
- Isaiah 44:28He says about Cyrus, “He is my shepherd. He will do everything I want him to do.” He says about Jerusalem, “It will be rebuilt.” He says about the temple, “Your foundation will be laid.”
- Acts 17:23As I was going through your city and looking closely at the objects you worship, I noticed an altar with this written on it: ‘To an unknown god.’ I’m telling you about the unknown god you worship.
- Galatians 4:8When you didn’t know God, you were slaves to things which are really not gods at all.
- Ephesians 2:12Also, at that time you were without Christ. You were excluded from citizenship in Israel, and the pledges ⌞God made in his⌟ promise were foreign to you. You had no hope and were in the world without God.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:5not in the passionate, lustful way of people who don’t 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries