Isaiah 49:6

Isaiah 49:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
• New International Version (NIV)he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)he says: "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Indeed 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.’ ”

Context of Isaiah 49:6

4I 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.” 5And now the Lord speaks— the one who formed me in my mother’s womb to be his servant, who commissioned me to bring Israel back to him. The Lord has honored me, and my God has given me strength. He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” 7The Lord, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, says to the one who is despised and rejected by the nations, to the one who is the servant of rulers: “Kings will stand at attention when you pass by. Princes will also bow low because of the Lord, the faithful one, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” 8This is what the Lord says: “At just the right time, I will respond to you. On the day of salvation I will help you. I will protect you and give you to the people as my covenant with them. Through you I will reestablish the land of Israel and assign it to its own people again.

Isaiah 49:6 word by word

וַיֹּ֗אמֶר נָקֵ֨ל מִֽהְיוֹתְךָ֥ לִי֙ עֶ֔בֶד לְהָקִים֙ אֶת־שִׁבְטֵ֣י יַעֲקֹ֔ב וּנְצוּרֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְהָשִׁ֑יב וּנְתַתִּ֙יךָ֙ לְא֣וֹר גּוֹיִ֔ם לִֽהְי֥וֹת יְשׁוּעָתִ֖י עַד־קְצֵ֥ה הָאָֽרֶץ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• It is a light thingקָלַלqâlal · to lightenH7043
• that thou shouldest be my servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• to raise upקוּםqûm · to arise: establishH6965
• the tribesשֵׁ֫בֶטshêbeţ · tribeH7626
• of Jacobיַעֲקֹבya‛ăqôb · JacobH3290
• and to restoreשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• the preservedנָצִירnâtsîyr · preservedH5336
• the preservedנָצַרnâtsar · to watchH5341
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• I will also giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: makeH5414
• thee for a lightאוֹר'ôr · lightH216
• to the Gentilesגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• that thou mayest be my salvationיְשׁוּעָהyeshû‛âh · salvationH3444
• unto the endקָצֶהqâtseh qêtseh · endH7097
• of the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776

Cross-references for Isaiah 49:6

• 2 Kings 3:18But this is only a simple thing for the Lord, for he will make you victorious over the army of Moab!
• 2 Kings 20:10“The shadow always moves forward,” Hezekiah replied, “so that would be easy. Make it go ten steps backward instead.”
• Isaiah 42:6“I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations.
• Isaiah 60:3All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance.
• Luke 2:32He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
• John 1:4The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
• Acts 13:47For the Lord gave us this command when he said, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.’”
• Acts 26:18to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’
• Isaiah 11:10In that day the heir to David’s throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to him, and the land where he lives will be a glorious place.
• Isaiah 24:14But all who are left shout and sing for joy. Those in the west praise the Lord’s majesty.
• Isaiah 46:13For I am ready to set things right, not in the distant future, but right now! I am ready to save Jerusalem and show my glory to Israel.
• Isaiah 51:20For your children have fainted and lie in the streets, helpless as antelopes caught in a net. The Lord has poured out his fury; God has rebuked them.
• Psalms 98:2The Lord has announced his victory and has revealed his righteousness to every nation!
• Luke 24:46And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day.

Commentaries on Isaiah 49:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6And to restore the preserved of Irsrae "And to restore the branches of Israel" - נצירי netsirey, or נצורי netsurey, as the Masoretes correct it in the marginal reading. This word has been matter of great doubt with interpreters: the Syriac renders it the branch, taking it for the same with נצר netser, Isaiah 11:1. See Michaelis Epim. in Praelect. xix.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6And he said - That is, Yahweh said in his promise to the Messiah. It is a light thing - Margin, Art thou lighter than that thou,‘ etc. Lowth renders it, It is a small thing.‘ Hengstenberg, It is too little that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob.‘ The sense is, that God designed to glorify him in an eminent degree, and that it would not be as much honor as be designed to confer on him, to appoint him merely to produce a…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6a light for the nations: As the Messiah (God's chosen one), the servant's mission would reach the entire world (see Isaiah 11:10, 12; 42:6). The apostle Paul explained his mission to the Gentiles based on this prophecy (Acts 13:47; 26:23).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. It is a light thing--"It is too little that Thou shouldest," [Hengstenberg], that is, It is not enough honor to Thee to raise up Jacob and Israel, but I design for Thee more, namely, that Thou shouldest be the means of enlightening the Gentiles (Is 42:6, 7; 60:3). the preserved--namely, those remaining after the judgments of God on the nation--the elect remnant of Israel reserved for mercy. Lowth, with a slight but needless change of the Hebrew…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 49:6

• Church
• Gentiles
• Jesus Continued
• Light
• Prophecy
• Quotations and Allusions

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Jacob
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Christ
• Forget
• Mouth
• Accommodation
• Atonement
• Choose; Chosen

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