New English Translation
Isaiah 52:5
5And now, what do we have here?” says the Lord. “Indeed my people have been carried away for nothing, those who rule over them taunt,” says the Lord, “and my name is constantly slandered all day long.
Isaiah 52:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.
- New International Version (NIV)“And now what do I have here?” declares the Lord. “For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who rule them mock,” declares the Lord. “And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now therefore what have I here," declares the Lord, "seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail," declares the Lord, "and continually all the day my name is despised.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now therefore, what have I here,” says the Lord, “That My people are taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them Make them wail,” says the Lord, “And My name is blasphemed continually every day.
Context of Isaiah 52:5
3For this is what the Lord says: “You were sold for nothing, and you will not be redeemed for money.” 4For this is what the sovereign Lord says: “In the beginning my people went to live temporarily in Egypt; Assyria oppressed them for no good reason. And now, what do we have here?” says the Lord. “Indeed my people have been carried away for nothing, those who rule over them taunt,” says the Lord, “and my name is constantly slandered all day long. 6For this reason my people will know my name, for this reason they will know at that time that I am the one who says, ‘Here I am.’” 7How delightful it is to see approaching over the mountains the feet of a messenger who announces peace, a messenger who brings good news, who announces deliverance, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
Read all of Isaiah 52Isaiah 52:5 word by word
וְעַתָּ֤ה מַה־לִּי פֹה֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה כִּֽי־לֻקַּ֥ח עַמִּ֖י חִנָּ֑ם מֹשְׁלָ֤יו יְהֵילִ֙ילוּ֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וְתָמִ֥יד כָּל־הַיּ֖וֹם שְׁמִ֥י מִנֹּאָֽץ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Now therefore, what have I here, saithנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- that my peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- is taken awayלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- for noughtחִנָּםchinnâm · for nothingH2600
- they that ruleמָשַׁלmâshal · to ruleH4910
- over them make them to howlיָלַלyâlal · to wailH3213
- and my nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- continuallyתָּמִידtâmîyd · continuallyH8548
- every dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- blasphemedנָאַץnâ'ats · to spurnH5006
Cross-references for Isaiah 52:5
- Isaiah 22:16‘What right do you have to be here? What relatives do you have buried here? Why do you chisel out a tomb for yourself here? He chisels out his burial site in an elevated place, he carves out his tomb on a cliff.
- Judges 18:3As they approached Micah’s house, they recognized the accent of the young Levite. So they stopped there and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?”
- Isaiah 52:3For this is what the Lord says: “You were sold for nothing, and you will not be redeemed for money.”
- Psalms 44:12You sold your people for a pittance; you did not ask a high price for them.
- Isaiah 47:6I was angry at my people; I defiled my special possession and handed them over to you. You showed them no mercy; you even placed a very heavy burden on old people.
- Isaiah 51:20Your children faint; they lie at the head of every street like an antelope in a snare. They are left in a stupor by the Lord’s anger, by the battle cry of your God.
- Exodus 1:13and they made the Israelites serve rigorously.
- Exodus 2:23During that long period of time the king of Egypt died, and the Israelites groaned because of the slave labor. They cried out, and their desperate cry because of their slave labor went up to God.
- Exodus 3:7The Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt. I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.
- Psalms 137:1By the rivers of Babylon we sit down and weep when we remember Zion.
- Jeremiah 50:17“The people of Israel are like scattered sheep which lions have chased away. First the king of Assyria devoured them. Now last of all King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has gnawed their bones.
- Lamentations 1:21They have heard that I groan, yet there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have brought it about. Bring about the day of judgment that you promised so that they may end up like me! ת (Tav)
- Lamentations 2:3In fierce anger he destroyed the whole army of Israel. He withdrew his right hand as the enemy attacked. He was like a raging fire in the land of Jacob; it consumed everything around it. ד (Dalet)
- Lamentations 5:13The young men perform menial labor; boys stagger from their labor.
- Zephaniah 1:10On that day,” says the Lord, “a loud cry will go up from the Fish Gate, wailing from the city’s newer district, and a loud crash from the hills.
- Isaiah 37:6Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master this: ‘This is what the Lord says: “Don’t be afraid because of the things you have heard – these insults the king of Assyria’s servants have hurled against me.
Commentaries on Isaiah 52:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5They that rule over them "They that are lords over them" - For משלו moshelo, singular, in the text, more than a hundred and twenty MSS. (De Rossi says, codices innumeri, "numberless copies") have משליו moshelaiv plural, according to the Masoretical correction in the margin; which shows that the Masoretes often superstitiously retained apparent mistakes in the text, even when they had sufficient evidence to authorize the introduction of the true reading…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Now, therefore, what have I here? - In Babylon, referring to the captivity of the Jews there. The idea is, that a state of things existed there which demanded his interposition as really as it did when his people had been oppressed by the Egyptians, or by the Assyrian. His people had been taken away for nought; they were subject to cruel oppressions; and his own name was continually blasphemed. In this state of things, it is inferred, that he would…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5The oppressors would shout with joy because they thought they had defeated both Israel and its God. My name is blasphemed continually all day long: The state of God's people influences God's reputation in the eyes of the world (see Isaiah 37:6, 23; 48:11).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. what have I here--that is, what am I called on to do? The fact "that My people is taken away (into captivity; Is 49:24, 25) for naught" (by gratuitous oppression, Is 52:4; also Is 52:3, and see on Is 52:3) demands My interposition. they that rule--or "tyrannize," namely, Babylon, literal and mystical. make ... to howl--or, raise a cry of exultation over them [Maurer]. blasphemed--namely, in Babylon: God's reason for delivering His people, not their…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 52:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 52
- 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
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