Isaiah 45:4

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.
• New International Version (NIV)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.
• 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.

Context of Isaiah 45:4

2This is what the Lord says: “I will go before you, Cyrus, and level the mountains. I will smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. 3And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness— secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name. “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. 5I am the Lord; there is no other God. I have equipped you for battle, though you don’t even know me, 6so all the world from east to west will know there is no other God. I am the Lord, and there is no other.

Isaiah 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 as for you, Israel my servant, Jacob my chosen one, descended from Abraham my friend,
• Isaiah 43:3For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
• Isaiah 44:1“But now, listen to me, Jacob my servant, Israel my chosen one.
• Exodus 19:5Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me.
• Jeremiah 50:17“The Israelites are like sheep that have been scattered by lions. First the king of Assyria ate them up. Then King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon cracked their bones.”
• Matthew 24:22In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones.
• Mark 13:20In fact, unless the Lord shortens that time of calamity, not a single person will survive. But for the sake of his chosen ones he has shortened those days.
• Romans 9:6Well then, has God failed to fulfill his promise to Israel? No, for not all who are born into the nation of Israel are truly members of God’s people!
• Romans 11:7So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened.
• Isaiah 45:1This is what the Lord says to Cyrus, his anointed one, whose right hand he will empower. Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear. Their fortress gates will be opened, never to shut again.
• Isaiah 44:28When I say of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,’ he will certainly do as I say. He will command, ‘Rebuild Jerusalem’; he will say, ‘Restore the Temple.’”
• Acts 17:23for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.
• Galatians 4:8Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist.
• Ephesians 2:12In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:5not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways.

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

• Call
• Cyrus
• Election
• God Continued...
• Isaiah
• Persia

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Jacob
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Anointed
• Confusion
• Elect
• Look
• Isaiah
• Mark, the Gospel According to

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