New English Translation
Isaiah 43:20
20The wild animals of the desert honor me, the jackals and ostriches, because I put water in the desert and streams in the wilderness, to quench the thirst of my chosen people,
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
18“Don’t remember these earlier events; don’t recall these former events. 19“Look, I am about to do something new. Now it begins to happen! Do you not recognize it? Yes, I will make a road in the desert and paths in the wilderness. The wild animals of the desert honor me, the jackals and ostriches, because I put water in the desert and streams in the wilderness, to quench the thirst of my chosen people, 21the people whom I formed for myself, so they might praise me.” 22“But you did not call for me, O Jacob; you did not long for me, O Israel.
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 11:6A wolf will reside with a lamb, and a leopard will lie down with a young goat; an ox and a young lion will graze together, as a small child leads them along.
- Psalms 104:21The lions roar for prey, seeking their food from God.
- Psalms 148:10you animals and all you cattle, you creeping things and birds,
- Isaiah 43:19“Look, I am about to do something new. Now it begins to happen! Do you not recognize it? Yes, I will make a road in the desert and paths in the wilderness.
- Isaiah 41:17The oppressed and the poor look for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched from thirst. I, the Lord, will respond to their prayers; I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.
- Isaiah 48:21They do not thirst as he leads them through dry regions; he makes water flow out of a rock for them; he splits open a rock and water flows out.’
- Isaiah 49:10They will not be hungry or thirsty; the sun’s oppressive heat will not beat down on them, for one who has compassion on them will guide them; he will lead them to springs of water.
- Isaiah 55:1“Hey, all who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come! Buy and eat! Come! Buy wine and milk without money and without cost!
- Jeremiah 31:9They will come back shedding tears of contrition. I will bring them back praying prayers of repentance. I will lead them besides streams of water, along smooth paths where they will never stumble. I will do this because I am Israel’s father; Ephraim is my firstborn son.’”
- Joel 3:18On that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk. All the dry stream beds of Judah will flow with water. A spring will flow out from the temple of the Lord, watering the Valley of Acacia Trees.
- John 4:10Jesus answered her, “If you had known the gift of God and who it is who said to you, ‘Give me some water to drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
- John 7:37On the last day of the feast, the greatest day, Jesus stood up and shouted out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and
- Revelation 21:6He also said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the one who is thirsty I will give water free of charge from the spring of the water of life.
- Revelation 22:17And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say: “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wants it take the water of life free of charge.
- Isaiah 65:15Your names will live on in the curse formulas of my chosen ones. The sovereign Lord will kill you, but he will give his servants another name.
- 1 Chronicles 16:13O children of Israel, God’s servant, you descendants of Jacob, God’s 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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