Isaiah 50:2

Isaiah 50:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Why, when I came, was there no man; why, when I called, was there no one to answer? Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a desert; their fish stink for lack of water and die of thirst.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Why, when I came, was there no man? Why, when I called, was there none to answer? Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Indeed with My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish stink because there is no water, And die of thirst.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Why was no one there when I came? Why didn’t anyone answer when I called? Is it because I have no power to rescue? No, that is not the reason! For I can speak to the sea and make it dry up! I can turn rivers into deserts covered with dying fish.

Context of Isaiah 50:2

1This is what the Lord says: “Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce with which I sent her away? Or to which of my creditors did I sell you? Because of your sins you were sold; because of your transgressions your mother was sent away. When I came, why was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Was my arm too short to deliver you? Do I lack the strength to rescue you? By a mere rebuke I dry up the sea, I turn rivers into a desert; their fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst. 3I clothe the heavens with darkness and make sackcloth its covering.” 4The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.

Isaiah 50:2 word by word

מַדּ֨וּעַ בָּ֜אתִי וְאֵ֣ין אִ֗ישׁ קָרָֽאתִי֮ וְאֵ֣ין עוֹנֶה֒ הֲקָצ֨וֹר קָצְרָ֤ה יָדִי֙ מִפְּד֔וּת וְאִם־אֵֽין־בִּ֥י כֹ֖חַ לְהַצִּ֑יל הֵ֣ן בְּגַעֲרָתִ֞י אַחֲרִ֣יב יָ֗ם אָשִׂ֤ים נְהָרוֹת֙ מִדְבָּ֔ר תִּבְאַ֤שׁ דְּגָתָם֙ מֵאֵ֣ין מַ֔יִם וְתָמֹ֖ת בַּצָּמָֽא׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Wherefore, when I cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• no manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• when I calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
• none to answerעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
• Is my handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• shortenedקָצֵרqâtsar · be shortH7114
• that it cannot redeemפְּדוּתpedûth pedûth · redemptionH6304
• or have I no powerכֹּחַkôach kôach · strengthH3581
• to deliverנָצַלnâtsal · to rescueH5337
• behold, at my rebukeגְּעָרָהge‛ârâh · rebukeH1606
• I dry upחָרֵבchârab chârêb · to dryH2717
• the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
• I makeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
• the riversנָהָרnâhâr · riverH5104
• a wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
• their fishדָּגָהdâgâh · fishH1710
• stinkethבָּאַשׁbâ'ash · to stinkH887
• no waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
• and diethמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• for thirstצָמָאtsâmâ' · thirstH6772

Cross-references for Isaiah 50:2

• Isaiah 59:16He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm achieved salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him.
• Isaiah 65:12I will destine you for the sword, and all of you will fall in the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me.”
• Isaiah 66:4so I also will choose harsh treatment for them and will bring on them what they dread. For when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened. They did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me.”
• Proverbs 1:24But since you refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
• Jeremiah 5:1“Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city.
• Jeremiah 7:13While you were doing all these things, declares the Lord, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer.
• Jeremiah 8:6I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. None of them repent of their wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Each pursues their own course like a horse charging into battle.
• Jeremiah 35:15Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said, “Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and reform your actions; do not follow other gods to serve them. Then you will live in the land I have given to you and your ancestors.” But you have not paid attention or listened to me.
• Hosea 11:2But the more they were called, the more they went away from me. They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images.
• John 1:11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
• John 3:19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
• Isaiah 59:1Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.
• Genesis 18:14Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
• Numbers 11:23The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.”
• Isaiah 36:20Who of all the gods of these countries have been able to save their lands from me? How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”
• 2 Chronicles 32:15Now do not let Hezekiah deceive you and mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my predecessors. How much less will your god deliver you from my hand!”

Commentaries on Isaiah 50:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Their fish stinketh "Their fish is dried up" - For תבאש tibaosh, stinketh, read תיבש tibash, is dried up; so it stands in the Bodl. MS., and it is confirmed by the Septuagint, , they shall be dried up.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? - That is, when I came to call you to repentance, why was there no man of the nation to yield obedience? The sense is, that they had not been punished without warning. He had called them to repentance, but no one heard his voice. The Chaldee renders this, Wherefore did I send my prophets, and they did not turn? They prophesied, but they did not attend.‘ When I called, was there none to answer? - None obeyed, or…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Why did no one answer: The people did not respond to God's repeated call to trust him and repent of their sins. They were deaf and stubborn (see Isaiah 6:9–10; 29:18; 35:5; 42:18–19). The Lord came and called the people through the prophets (see also Isaiah 65:1–3). do I lack the strength to deliver you?: God could rescue Israel and Judah from the Assyrians and Babylonians, but he first had to address his people's sinfulness (see Isaiah 59:1). My rebuke…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. I--Messiah. no man--willing to believe in and obey Me (Is 52:1, 3). The same Divine Person had "come" by His prophets in the Old Testament (appealing to them, but in vain, Jr 7:25, 26), who was about to come under the New Testament. hand shortened--the Oriental emblem of weakness, as the long stretched-out hand is of power (Is 59:1). Notwithstanding your sins, I can still "redeem" you from your bondage and dispersion. dry up ... sea--(Ex 14:21). The…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 50:2

• Doubting
• God
• Jesus Continued

In the dictionaries

• the sea, the Great Sea, the western sea
• Desert
• Isaiah
• Mark, the Gospel According to
• Omnipotence
• Saviour
• Shorten

Commentaries on Isaiah 50

• 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