New International Version
Isaiah 45:4
4For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me.
Isaiah 45:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For Jacob My servant’s sake, And Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“And why have I called you for this work? Why did I call you by name when you did not know me? It is for the sake of Jacob my servant, Israel my chosen one.
Context of Isaiah 45:4
2I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. 3I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me. 5I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, 6so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other.
Read all of Isaiah 45Isaiah 45:4 word by word
לְמַ֙עַן֙ עַבְדִּ֣י יַעֲקֹ֔ב וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּחִירִ֑י וָאֶקְרָ֤א לְךָ֙ בִּשְׁמֶ֔ךָ אֲכַנְּךָ֖ וְלֹ֥א יְדַעְתָּֽנִי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For Jacobיַעֲקֹבya‛ăqôb · JacobH3290
- my servant’sעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- sake, and Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- mine electבָּחִירbâchîyr · chosenH972
- I have even calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- thee by thy nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- I have surnamedכָּנָהkânâh · to flatterH3655
- thee, though thou hast not knownיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
Cross-references for Isaiah 45:4
- Isaiah 41:8“But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend,
- Isaiah 43:3For 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.
- Isaiah 44:1“But now listen, Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have chosen.
- Exodus 19:5Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine,
- Jeremiah 50:17“Israel is a scattered flock that lions have chased away. The first to devour them was the king of Assyria; the last to crush their bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.”
- Matthew 24:22“If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
- Mark 13:20“If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them.
- Romans 9:6It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.
- Romans 11:7What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened,
- Isaiah 45:1“This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:
- Isaiah 44:28who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,” and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.” ’
- Acts 17:23For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.
- Galatians 4:8Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.
- Ephesians 2:12remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:5not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God;
Commentaries on Isaiah 45:4
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4For Jacob my servant‘s sake - (see the note at Isaiah 42:19). The statement here is, that God had raised up Cyrus on account of his own people. The sentiment is common in the Bible, that kings and nations are in the hand of God; and that he overrules and directs their actions for the accomplishment of his own purposes, and especially to protect, defend, and deliver his people (see the note at Isaiah 10:5; compare Isaiah 47:6). I have surnamed thee - On…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-5I call you by name: Cyrus did not know the Lord, but the Lord knew him. Isaiah predicted the rescuer Cyrus by name 150 years before he was born. This prophecy would show the exiles that the Lord is truly God and that he knows the future.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. (See on Is 41:8; Is 43:14). surnamed--that is, designated to carry out My design of restoring Judah (see on Is 44:5; Is 44:28; Is 45:1). Maurer here, as in Is 44:5, translates, "I have addressed thee by an honorable name." hast not known me--previous to My calling thee to this office; after God's call, Cyrus did know Him in some degree (Ezr 1:1-3).Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 45:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 45
- 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
New International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries