God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 51:9
9Wake up! Wake up! Clothe yourself with strength, O Lord! Wake up as you did in days long past, as in generations long ago. Didn’t you cut Rahab into pieces and stab the serpent?
Isaiah 51:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?
- New International Version (NIV)Awake, awake, arm of the Lord, clothe yourself with strength! Awake, as in days gone by, as in generations of old. Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced that monster through?
- English Standard Version (ESV)Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the dragon?
- New King James Version (NKJV)Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord! Awake as in the ancient days, In the generations of old. Are You not the arm that cut Rahab apart, And wounded the serpent?
Context of Isaiah 51:9
7Listen to me, you people who know righteousness, you people who have my teachings in your hearts. Don’t be afraid of being insulted by people. Don’t be discouraged by their ridicule. 8Moths will eat them like clothing. Worms will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, and my salvation will last throughout every generation. Wake up! Wake up! Clothe yourself with strength, O Lord! Wake up as you did in days long past, as in generations long ago. Didn’t you cut Rahab into pieces and stab the serpent? 10Didn’t you dry up the sea, the water of the great ocean? You made a road in the depths of the sea so that the people reclaimed ⌞by the Lord⌟ might pass through it. 11The people ransomed by the Lord will return. They will come to Zion singing with joy. Everlasting happiness will be on their heads ⌞as a crown⌟. They will be glad and joyful. They will have no sorrow or grief.
Read all of Isaiah 51Isaiah 51:9 word by word
עוּרִ֨י עוּרִ֤י לִבְשִׁי־עֹז֙ זְר֣וֹעַ יְהוָ֔ה ע֚וּרִי כִּ֣ימֵי קֶ֔דֶם דֹּר֖וֹת עוֹלָמִ֑ים הֲל֥וֹא אַתְּ־הִ֛יא הַמַּחְצֶ֥בֶת רַ֖הַב מְחוֹלֶ֥לֶת תַּנִּֽין׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Awakeעוּר‛ûr · to rouseH5782
- put onלָבֵשׁlâbash lâbêsh · to clotheH3847
- strengthעֹז‛ôz ‛ôz · strengthH5797
- O armזְרוֹעַzerôa‛ zerôa‛ zerô‛âh zerô‛âh · armH2220
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- as in the ancientקֶ֫דֶםqedem qêdmâh · front: oldH6924
- daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- in the generationsדּוֹרdôr dôr · generationH1755
- of oldעוֹלָם‛ôlâm ‛ôlâm · forever: antiquityH5769
- thou not it that hath cutחָצַבchâtsab châtsêb · to hewH2672
- Rahabרַ֫הַבrahab · Rahab monsterH7294
- woundedחָלַלchâlal · to boreH2490
- the dragonתַּנִּיןtannîyn tannîym · serpent: monsterH8577
Cross-references for Isaiah 51:9
- Isaiah 51:17Wake up! Wake up! Stand up, Jerusalem! You drank from the cup in the Lord’s hand. That cup was filled with his anger. You drank from the bowl, the cup that makes people stagger, and you drained it!
- Isaiah 27:1On that day the Lord will use his fierce and powerful sword to punish Leviathan, that slippery snake, Leviathan, that twisting snake. He will kill that monster which lives in the sea.
- Psalms 7:6Arise in anger, O Lord. Stand up against the fury of my attackers. Wake up, my God. You have already pronounced judgment.
- Psalms 44:23Wake up! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Awake! Do not reject us forever!
- Psalms 59:4or any sin, or any guilt on my part. They hurry to take positions against me. Wake up, and help me; see ⌞for yourself⌟.
- Psalms 78:65Then the Lord woke up like one who had been sleeping, like a warrior sobering up from ⌞too much⌟ wine.
- Habakkuk 2:19‘How horrible it will be for the one who says to a piece of wood, “Wake up!” and to a stone that cannot talk, “Get up!” ’ Can that thing teach ⌞anyone⌟? Just look at it! It’s covered with gold and silver, but there’s absolutely no life in it.”
- Isaiah 52:1Wake up! Wake up! Clothe yourself with strength, Zion! Put on your beautiful clothes, holy city of Jerusalem. Godless and evil people will no longer come to you.
- Isaiah 59:17He puts on righteousness like a coat of armor and a helmet of salvation on his head. He wears clothes of vengeance. He wraps himself with fury as a coat.
- Psalms 21:13Arise, O Lord, in your strength. We will sing and make music to praise your power.
- Psalms 74:13You stirred up the sea with your own strength. You smashed the heads of sea monsters in the water.
- Psalms 93:1The Lord rules as king! He is clothed with majesty. The Lord has clothed himself; he has armed himself with power. The world was set in place; it cannot be moved.
- Revelation 11:17and said, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun ruling as king.
- Isaiah 51:5My righteousness is near. My salvation is on the way. I will bring justice to people. The coastlands put their hope in me, and they wait eagerly for me.
- Isaiah 53:1Who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord’s power been revealed?
- Isaiah 59:16He sees that there’s no one to help. He’s astounded that there’s no one to intercede. So with his own power he wins a victory. His righteousness supports him.
Commentaries on Isaiah 51:9
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Awake, awake - This verse commences a new subject (see the analysis of the chapter). It is the solemn and impassioned entreaty of those who were in exile that God would interpose in their behalf, as he did in behalf of his people when they were suffering in cruel bondage in Egypt. The word awake‘ here, which is addressed to the arm of Jehovah, is a petition that it might be roused from its apparent stupor and inactivity, and its power exerted in their…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-16Verses 9-16 The people whom Christ has redeemed with his blood, as well as by his power, will obtain joyful deliverance from every enemy. He that designs such joy for us at last, will he not work such deliverance in the mean time, as our cases require? In this world of changes, it is a short step from joy to sorrow, but in that world, sorrow shall never come in view. They prayed for the display of God's power; he answers them with consolations of his…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9-10Awake, awake: God does not sleep. This prayer asks God to act immediately to save his people (see Isaiah 52:1; see especially God’s military clothing in 59:17). in generations of old: The exodus from Egypt was an act of redemption. It showed God’s power as he made a path of escape (Isaiah 51:10) for his people (see also 11:15).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. Impassioned prayer of the exiled Jews. ancient days--(Psa 44:1). Rahab--poetical name for Egypt (see on Is 30:7). dragon--Hebrew, tannin. The crocodile, an emblem of Egypt, as represented on coins struck after the conquest of Egypt by Augustus; or rather here, "its king," Pharaoh (see on Is 27:1; Psa 74:13, 14; Eze 32:2, Margin; Eze 29:3).Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 51:9
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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