New International Version
Isaiah 43:2
2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
Isaiah 43:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
- English Standard Version (ESV)When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
- New King James Version (NKJV)When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.
- New Living Translation (NLT)When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.
Context of Isaiah 43:2
1But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. 3For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. 4Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.
Read all of Isaiah 43Isaiah 43:2 word by word
כִּֽי־תַעֲבֹ֤ר בַּמַּ֙יִם֙ אִתְּךָ־אָ֔נִי וּבַנְּהָר֖וֹת לֹ֣א יִשְׁטְפ֑וּךָ כִּֽי־תֵלֵ֤ךְ בְּמוֹ־אֵשׁ֙ לֹ֣א תִכָּוֶ֔ה וְלֶהָבָ֖ה לֹ֥א תִבְעַר־בָּֽךְ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- When thou passest throughעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- the watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
- with thee; and through the riversנָהָרnâhâr · riverH5104
- they shall not overflowשָׁטַףshâţaph · to overflowH7857
- thee: when thou walkestיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- throughבְּמוֹbemô · in/at/byH1119
- the fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
- thou shalt not be burnedכָּוָהkâvâh · to burnH3554
- neither shall the flameלֶהָבָהlehâbâh lahebeth · flameH3852
- kindleבָּעַרbâ‛ar · to burn: burnH1197
Cross-references for Isaiah 43:2
- Isaiah 8:7therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates— the king of Assyria with all his pomp. It will overflow all its channels, run over all its banks
- Isaiah 11:15The Lord will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea; with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand over the Euphrates River. He will break it up into seven streams so that anyone can cross over in sandals.
- Exodus 14:29But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.
- Joshua 3:15Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge,
- Psalms 66:10For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver.
- Psalms 91:3Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
- Amos 9:8“Surely the eyes of the Sovereign Lord are on the sinful kingdom. I will destroy it from the face of the earth. Yet I will not totally destroy the descendants of Jacob,” declares the Lord.
- Hebrews 11:29By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
- Isaiah 41:10So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
- Deuteronomy 31:6Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
- Joshua 1:5No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
- Psalms 23:4Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
- Psalms 46:4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.
- Psalms 91:15He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
- Matthew 1:23“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
- 2 Corinthians 12:9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
Commentaries on Isaiah 43:2
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2When thou passest through the waters - This is a general promise, and means that whenever and wherever they should pass through water or fire, he would protect them. It had been true in their past history as a people; and the assurance is here given in order that they might be comforted in view of the calamities which they were then suffering in Babylon. Fire and water are often used in the Scriptures to denote calamity - the latter because it overwhelms…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Conquering forces are compared to flooding rivers (see Isaiah 8:8). I will be with you: God promises to stay with his people to protect and care for them (see Isaiah 7:14; 41:10; 43:5; 45:14). Israel faced God's judgment as the fire of oppression during the exile in Babylon.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. rivers ... not overflow thee--so in passing Jordan, though at its "overflow," when its "swellings" were especially dangerous (Jos 3:15; Jr 12:5). waters ... fire--a proverbial phrase for the extremest perils (Psa 66:12; also Psa 138:7). Literally fulfilled at the Red Sea (Ex 14:21, 22), and in the case of the three youths cast into the fiery furnace for conscience' sake (Da 3:25, 27).Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 43:2
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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