New International Version
Isaiah 51:9
9Awake, awake, arm of the Lord, clothe yourself with strength! Awake, as in days gone by, as in generations of old. Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced that monster through?
Isaiah 51:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?
- English Standard Version (ESV)Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the dragon?
- New King James Version (NKJV)Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord! Awake as in the ancient days, In the generations of old. Are You not the arm that cut Rahab apart, And wounded the serpent?
- New Living Translation (NLT)Wake up, wake up, O Lord! Clothe yourself with strength! Flex your mighty right arm! Rouse yourself as in the days of old when you slew Egypt, the dragon of the Nile.
Context of Isaiah 51:9
7“Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have taken my instruction to heart: Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals or be terrified by their insults. 8For the moth will eat them up like a garment; the worm will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, my salvation through all generations.” Awake, awake, arm of the Lord, clothe yourself with strength! Awake, as in days gone by, as in generations of old. Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced that monster through? 10Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea so that the redeemed might cross over? 11Those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Read all of Isaiah 51Isaiah 51:9 word by word
עוּרִ֨י עוּרִ֤י לִבְשִׁי־עֹז֙ זְר֣וֹעַ יְהוָ֔ה ע֚וּרִי כִּ֣ימֵי קֶ֔דֶם דֹּר֖וֹת עוֹלָמִ֑ים הֲל֥וֹא אַתְּ־הִ֛יא הַמַּחְצֶ֥בֶת רַ֖הַב מְחוֹלֶ֥לֶת תַּנִּֽין׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Awakeעוּר‛ûr · to rouseH5782
- put onלָבֵשׁlâbash lâbêsh · to clotheH3847
- strengthעֹז‛ôz ‛ôz · strengthH5797
- O armזְרוֹעַzerôa‛ zerôa‛ zerô‛âh zerô‛âh · armH2220
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- as in the ancientקֶ֫דֶםqedem qêdmâh · front: oldH6924
- daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- in the generationsדּוֹרdôr dôr · generationH1755
- of oldעוֹלָם‛ôlâm ‛ôlâm · forever: antiquityH5769
- thou not it that hath cutחָצַבchâtsab châtsêb · to hewH2672
- Rahabרַ֫הַבrahab · Rahab monsterH7294
- woundedחָלַלchâlal · to boreH2490
- the dragonתַּנִּיןtannîyn tannîym · serpent: monsterH8577
Cross-references for Isaiah 51:9
- Isaiah 51:17Awake, awake! Rise up, Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes people stagger.
- Isaiah 27:1In that day, the Lord will punish with his sword— his fierce, great and powerful sword— Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he will slay the monster of the sea.
- Psalms 7:6Arise, Lord, in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies. Awake, my God; decree justice.
- Psalms 44:23Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.
- Psalms 59:4I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Arise to help me; look on my plight!
- Psalms 78:65Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, as a warrior wakes from the stupor of wine.
- Habakkuk 2:19Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.”
- Isaiah 52:1Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor, Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again.
- Isaiah 59:17He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.
- Psalms 21:13Be exalted in your strength, Lord; we will sing and praise your might.
- Psalms 74:13It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.
- Psalms 93:1The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength; indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.
- Revelation 11:17saying: “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.
- Isaiah 51:5My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm.
- Isaiah 53:1Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
- 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.
Commentaries on Isaiah 51:9
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Awake, awake - This verse commences a new subject (see the analysis of the chapter). It is the solemn and impassioned entreaty of those who were in exile that God would interpose in their behalf, as he did in behalf of his people when they were suffering in cruel bondage in Egypt. The word awake‘ here, which is addressed to the arm of Jehovah, is a petition that it might be roused from its apparent stupor and inactivity, and its power exerted in their…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-16Verses 9-16 The people whom Christ has redeemed with his blood, as well as by his power, will obtain joyful deliverance from every enemy. He that designs such joy for us at last, will he not work such deliverance in the mean time, as our cases require? In this world of changes, it is a short step from joy to sorrow, but in that world, sorrow shall never come in view. They prayed for the display of God's power; he answers them with consolations of his…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9-10Awake, awake: God does not sleep. This prayer asks God to act immediately to save his people (see Isaiah 52:1; see especially God’s military clothing in 59:17). in generations of old: The exodus from Egypt was an act of redemption. It showed God’s power as he made a path of escape (Isaiah 51:10) for his people (see also 11:15).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. Impassioned prayer of the exiled Jews. ancient days--(Psa 44:1). Rahab--poetical name for Egypt (see on Is 30:7). dragon--Hebrew, tannin. The crocodile, an emblem of Egypt, as represented on coins struck after the conquest of Egypt by Augustus; or rather here, "its king," Pharaoh (see on Is 27:1; Psa 74:13, 14; Eze 32:2, Margin; Eze 29:3).Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 51:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 51
- 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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