New King James Version
Isaiah 43:20
20The beast of the field will honor Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I give waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My people, My chosen.
Isaiah 43:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.
- New International Version (NIV)The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen,
- English Standard Version (ESV)The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people,
- New Living Translation (NLT)The wild animals in the fields will thank me, the jackals and owls, too, for giving them water in the desert. Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland so my chosen people can be refreshed.
Context of Isaiah 43:20
18“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. 19Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. The beast of the field will honor Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I give waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My people, My chosen. 21This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise. 22“But you have not called upon Me, O Jacob; And you have been weary of Me, O Israel.
Read all of Isaiah 43Isaiah 43:20 word by word
תְּכַבְּדֵ֙נִי֙ חַיַּ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה תַּנִּ֖ים וּבְנ֣וֹת יַֽעֲנָ֑ה כִּֽי־נָתַ֨תִּי בַמִּדְבָּ֜ר מַ֗יִם נְהָרוֹת֙ בִּֽישִׁימֹ֔ן לְהַשְׁק֖וֹת עַמִּ֥י בְחִירִֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- The beastחַיָּהchay · living thingH2416
- of the fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: wildlifeH7704
- shall honourכָּבֵדkâbad kâbêd · to honor: honourH3513
- me, the dragonsתַּןtannîyn tannîym · jackalH8577
- and the owlsיַעֲנָהya‛ănâh · ostrichH3284
- and the owlsבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- because I giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
- in the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
- riversנָהָרnâhâr · riverH5104
- in the desertיְשִׁימוֹןyeshîymôn · wildernessH3452
- to give drinkשָׁקָהshâqâh · to water: drinkH8248
- to my peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- my chosenבָּחִירbâchîyr · chosenH972
Cross-references for Isaiah 43:20
- Isaiah 11:6“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them.
- Psalms 104:21The young lions roar after their prey, And seek their food from God.
- Psalms 148:10Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying fowl;
- Isaiah 43:19Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.
- Isaiah 41:17“The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, Their tongues fail for thirst. I, the Lord, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
- Isaiah 48:21And they did not thirst When He led them through the deserts; He caused the waters to flow from the rock for them; He also split the rock, and the waters gushed out.
- Isaiah 49:10They shall neither hunger nor thirst, Neither heat nor sun shall strike them; For He who has mercy on them will lead them, Even by the springs of water He will guide them.
- Isaiah 55:1“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price.
- Jeremiah 31:9They shall come with weeping, And with supplications I will lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, In a straight way in which they shall not stumble; For I am a Father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn.
- Joel 3:18And it will come to pass in that day That the mountains shall drip with new wine, The hills shall flow with milk, And all the brooks of Judah shall be flooded with water; A fountain shall flow from the house of the Lord And water the Valley of Acacias.
- John 4:10Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
- John 7:37On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
- Revelation 21:6And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
- Revelation 22:17And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
- Isaiah 65:15You shall leave your name as a curse to My chosen; For the Lord God will slay you, And call His servants by another name;
- 1 Chronicles 16:13O seed of Israel His servant, You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!
Commentaries on Isaiah 43:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20The beast of the field shall honor me "The wild beast of the field shall glorify me" - The image is elegant and highly poetical. God will give such an abundant miraculous supply of water to his people traversing the dry desert in their return to their country, that even the wild beasts, the serpents, the ostriches, and other animals that haunt those arid regions, shall be sensible of the blessing, and shall break forth into thanksgiving and praises to him…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20The beast of the field shall honor me - The sense of this passage is plain, and the image is highly poetical and beautiful. God would pour such copious floods of waters through the waste sandy deserts to supply his people, that even the wild beasts would be sensible of his abundant goodness, and would break forth into thanksgiving and praise for the unusual supply. The dragons - (See the note at Isaiah 13:22). The Septuagint renders the word used here…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-21Verses 14-21 The deliverance from Babylon is foretold, but there is reference to greater events. The redemption of sinners by Christ, the conversion of the Gentiles, and the recall of the Jews, are described. All that is to be done to rescue sinners, and to bring the believer to glory, is little, compared with that wondrous work of love, the redemption of man.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-21The Lord promised Israel that it would be freed from Babylon. This redemption would be similar to Israel's past freedom from Egypt but even greater in some ways (Isaiah 43:18).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. beast--image of idolaters, defiled with blood and pollutions, dwelling like dragons, &c., in the wastes of Gentile ignorance: even they shall be converted. Or else, literally, such copious floods of water shall be given by God in the desert, that the very beasts shall (in poetic language) praise the Lord (Psa 148:10) [Jerome]. dragons--"serpents," or else jackals (see on Is 13:22). owls--rather, "ostriches."Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 43:20
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries