New King James Version
Isaiah 49:4
4Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; Yet surely my just reward is with the Lord, And my work with my God.’ ”
Isaiah 49:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God.
- New International Version (NIV)But I said, “I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing at all. Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand, and my reward is with my God.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)But I said, "I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my right is with the Lord, and my recompense with my God."
- New Living Translation (NLT)I replied, “But my work seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose. Yet I leave it all in the Lord’s hand; I will trust God for my reward.”
Context of Isaiah 49:4
2And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me, And made Me a polished shaft; In His quiver He has hidden Me.” 3“And He said to me, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, In whom I will be glorified.’ Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; Yet surely my just reward is with the Lord, And my work with my God.’ ” 5“And now the Lord says, Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, So that Israel is gathered to Him (For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, And My God shall be My strength), 6Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”
Read all of Isaiah 49Isaiah 49:4 word by word
וַאֲנִ֤י אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ לְרִ֣יק יָגַ֔עְתִּי לְתֹ֥הוּ וְהֶ֖בֶל כֹּחִ֣י כִלֵּ֑יתִי אָכֵן֙ מִשְׁפָּטִ֣י אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה וּפְעֻלָּתִ֖י אֶת־אֱלֹהָֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then I saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- I have labouredיָגֵעַyâga‛ · be weary/toilH3021
- in vainרִיקrîyq · vainH7385
- I have spentכָּלָהkâlâh · to end: expendH3615
- my strengthכֹּחַkôach kôach · strengthH3581
- for noughtתֹּ֫הוּtôhû · formlessnessH8414
- and in vainהֶ֫בֶלhebel hăbêl · vanityH1892
- surelyאָכֵן'âkên · surelyH403
- my judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justiceH4941
- with the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- and my workפְּעֻלָּהpe‛ûllâh · wagesH6468
- with my Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
Cross-references for Isaiah 49:4
- Isaiah 65:2I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in a way that is not good, According to their own thoughts;
- Ezekiel 3:19Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.
- Matthew 17:17Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.”
- Matthew 23:37“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
- John 1:11He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
- Romans 10:21But to Israel he says: “All day long I have stretched out My hands To a disobedient and contrary people.”
- Galatians 4:11I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.
- Leviticus 26:20And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit.
- 2 Corinthians 12:15And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.
- Isaiah 53:10Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
- Psalms 22:22I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
- Luke 24:26Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?”
- John 17:4I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.
- 2 Corinthians 2:15For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
- Philippians 2:9Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
- Hebrews 12:2looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Commentaries on Isaiah 49:4
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Then I said - I the Messiah. In the previous verses he speaks of his appointment to the office of Messiah, and of his dignity. The design here is to prepare the way for the announcement of the fact that he would make known his gospel to the pagan, and would be for a light to the Gentiles. For this purpose he speaks of his labors among his own countrymen; he laments the little success which attended his work at the commencement, but consoles himself with…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4I have labored in vain: Even though people stubbornly refuse his message, the servant will still reach out to them. My vindication is with the LORD: Despite discouragement and suffering, the servant will continue to perform his duty faithfully, trusting God for the outcome. God promised to reward the servant’s faithfulness (see also Isaiah 40:10; 50:8).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. I--Messiah. in vain--comparatively in the case of the greater number of His own countrymen. "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not" (Is 53:1-3; Lu 19:14; Joh 1:11; 7:5). Only a hundred twenty disciples met after His personal ministry was ended (Ac 1:15). yet ... my judgment ... with the Lord--Ultimately, God will do justice to My cause, and reward (Margin for "work," compare Is 40:10; 62:11) My labors and sufferings. He was never…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 49:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 49
- 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries