Isaiah 48:21

Isaiah 48:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
• New International Version (NIV)They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and water gushed out.
• English Standard Version (ESV)They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and the water gushed out.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And they did not thirst When He led them through the deserts; He caused the waters to flow from the rock for them; He also split the rock, and the waters gushed out.

Context of Isaiah 48:21

19Your descendants would have been as numerous as sand, and your children like its granules. Their name would not have been cut off and eliminated from my presence. 20Leave Babylon! Flee from the Babylonians! Announce it with a shout of joy! Make this known! Proclaim it throughout the earth! Say, ‘The Lord protects his servant Jacob. They 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.’ 22There will be no prosperity for the wicked,” says the Lord.

Isaiah 48:21 word by word

וְלֹ֣א צָמְא֗וּ בָּחֳרָבוֹת֙ הֽוֹלִיכָ֔ם מַ֥יִם מִצּ֖וּר הִזִּ֣יל לָ֑מוֹ וַיִּ֨בְקַע־צ֔וּר וַיָּזֻ֖בוּ מָֽיִם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And they thirstedצָמֵאtsâmê' · to thirstH6770
• he ledיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• them through the desertsחׇרְבָּהchorbâh · desolationH2723
• he caused the watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
• to flowנָזַלnâzal · to flowH5140
• out of the rockצוּרtsûr tsûr · rockH6697
• for them: he claveבָּקַעbâqa‛ · to break up/openH1234
• gushed outזוּבzûb · to flow: flowingH2100

Cross-references for Isaiah 48:21

• Isaiah 30:25On every high mountain and every high hill there will be streams flowing with water, at the time of great slaughter when the fortified towers collapse.
• Isaiah 35:6Then the lame will leap like a deer, the mute tongue will shout for joy; for water will flow in the desert, streams 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 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 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.
• 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.’”
• Exodus 17:6I will be standing before you there on the rock in Horeb, and you will strike the rock, and water will come out of it so that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in plain view of the elders of Israel.
• Numbers 20:11Then Moses raised his hand, and struck the rock twice with his staff. And water came out abundantly. So the community drank, and their beasts drank too.
• Nehemiah 9:15You provided bread from heaven for them in their time of hunger, and you brought forth water from the rock for them in their time of thirst. You told them to enter in order to possess the land that you had sworn to give them.
• Psalms 78:15He broke open rocks in the wilderness, and gave them enough water to fill the depths of the sea.
• Psalms 105:41He opened up a rock and water flowed out; a river ran through dry regions.

Commentaries on Isaiah 48:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21They thirsted not - through the deserts - Kimchi has a surprising observation upon this place: "If the prophecy," says he, "relates to the return from the Babylonish captivity, as it seems to do, it is to be wondered how it comes to pass, that in the Book of Ezra, in which he gives an account of their return, no mention is made that such miracles were wrought for them; as, for instance, that God clave the rock for them in the desert." It is really much to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21And they thirsted not - This is a part of that for which they would be called to celebrate his name. It was not merely that he had redeemed them, but that he had abundantly provided for their needs in the desert, and guided them safe through the pathless wilderness to their own land (see the notes at Isaiah 35:6-7; Isaiah 41:17-18). He caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them - The allusion here is undoubtedly to the fact that God caused the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-22Verses 16-22 The Holy Spirit qualifies for service; and those may speak boldly, whom God and his Spirit send. This is to be applied to Christ. He was sent, and he had the Spirit without measure. Whom God redeems, he teaches; he teaches to profit by affliction, and then makes them partakers of his holiness. Also, by his grace he leads them in the way of duty; and by his providence he leads in the way of deliverance. God did not afflict them willingly. If…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21not thirst … rock … water gushed out: These reminders of God’s provision in the exodus provide a fitting summary of what he would do to rescue Israel from captivity in Babylon (see Numbers 20:11).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. Ezra, in describing the return, makes no mention of God cleaving the rock for them in the desert [Kimchi]. The circumstances, therefore, of the deliverance from Egypt (Ex 17:6; Nu 20:11; Psa 78:15; 105:41) and of that from Babylon, are blended together; the language, while more immediately referring to the latter deliverance, yet, as being blended with circumstances of the former not strictly applicable to the latter, cannot wholly refer to either…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 48:21

• Blessing

In the dictionaries

• Desert
• Flint
• Isaiah
• Love
• Mark, the Gospel According to
• Saviour

Commentaries on Isaiah 48

• 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