Isaiah 50:2

Isaiah 50:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.
• New International Version (NIV)When I came, why was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Was my arm too short to deliver you? Do I lack the strength to rescue you? By a mere rebuke I dry up the sea, I turn rivers into a desert; their fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Why, when I came, was there no man; why, when I called, was there no one to answer? Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a desert; their fish stink for lack of water and die of thirst.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Why, when I came, was there no man? Why, when I called, was there none to answer? Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Indeed with My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish stink because there is no water, And die of thirst.

Context of Isaiah 50:2

1This is what the Lord says: “Was your mother sent away because I divorced her? Did I sell you as slaves to my creditors? No, you were sold because of your sins. And your mother, too, was taken because of your sins. Why was no one there when I came? Why didn’t anyone answer when I called? Is it because I have no power to rescue? No, that is not the reason! For I can speak to the sea and make it dry up! I can turn rivers into deserts covered with dying fish. 3I dress the skies in darkness, covering them with clothes of mourning.” 4The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will.

Isaiah 50:2 word by word

מַדּ֨וּעַ בָּ֜אתִי וְאֵ֣ין אִ֗ישׁ קָרָֽאתִי֮ וְאֵ֣ין עוֹנֶה֒ הֲקָצ֨וֹר קָצְרָ֤ה יָדִי֙ מִפְּד֔וּת וְאִם־אֵֽין־בִּ֥י כֹ֖חַ לְהַצִּ֑יל הֵ֣ן בְּגַעֲרָתִ֞י אַחֲרִ֣יב יָ֗ם אָשִׂ֤ים נְהָרוֹת֙ מִדְבָּ֔ר תִּבְאַ֤שׁ דְּגָתָם֙ מֵאֵ֣ין מַ֔יִם וְתָמֹ֖ת בַּצָּמָֽא׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Wherefore, when I cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• no manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• when I calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
• none to answerעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
• Is my handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• shortenedקָצֵרqâtsar · be shortH7114
• that it cannot redeemפְּדוּתpedûth pedûth · redemptionH6304
• or have I no powerכֹּחַkôach kôach · strengthH3581
• to deliverנָצַלnâtsal · to rescueH5337
• behold, at my rebukeגְּעָרָהge‛ârâh · rebukeH1606
• I dry upחָרֵבchârab chârêb · to dryH2717
• the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
• I makeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
• the riversנָהָרnâhâr · riverH5104
• a wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
• their fishדָּגָהdâgâh · fishH1710
• stinkethבָּאַשׁbâ'ash · to stinkH887
• no waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
• and diethמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• for thirstצָמָאtsâmâ' · thirstH6772

Cross-references for Isaiah 50:2

• Isaiah 59:16He was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So he himself stepped in to save them with his strong arm, and his justice sustained him.
• Isaiah 65:12now I will ‘destine’ you for the sword. All of you will bow down before the executioner. For when I called, you did not answer. When I spoke, you did not listen. You deliberately sinned—before my very eyes— and chose to do what you know I despise.”
• Isaiah 66:4I will send them great trouble— all the things they feared. For when I called, they did not answer. When I spoke, they did not listen. They deliberately sinned before my very eyes and chose to do what they know I despise.”
• Proverbs 1:24“I called you so often, but you wouldn’t come. I reached out to you, but you paid no attention.
• Jeremiah 5:1“Run up and down every street in Jerusalem,” says the Lord. “Look high and low; search throughout the city! If you can find even one just and honest person, I will not destroy the city.
• Jeremiah 7:13While you were doing these wicked things, says the Lord, I spoke to you about it repeatedly, but you would not listen. I called out to you, but you refused to answer.
• Jeremiah 8:6I listen to their conversations and don’t hear a word of truth. Is anyone sorry for doing wrong? Does anyone say, “What a terrible thing I have done”? No! All are running down the path of sin as swiftly as a horse galloping into battle!
• Jeremiah 35:15Time after time I sent you prophets, who told you, “Turn from your wicked ways, and start doing things right. Stop worshiping other gods so that you might live in peace here in the land I have given to you and your ancestors.” But you would not listen to me or obey me.
• Hosea 11:2But the more I called to him, the farther he moved from me, offering sacrifices to the images of Baal and burning incense to idols.
• John 1:11He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.
• John 3:19And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.
• Isaiah 59:1Listen! The Lord’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call.
• Genesis 18:14Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
• Numbers 11:23Then the Lord said to Moses, “Has my arm lost its power? Now you will see whether or not my word comes true!”
• Isaiah 36:20What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that the Lord can rescue Jerusalem from me?”
• 2 Chronicles 32:15Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you! Don’t let him fool you like this! I say it again—no god of any nation or kingdom has ever yet been able to rescue his people from me or my ancestors. How much less will your God rescue you from my power!”

Commentaries on Isaiah 50:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Their fish stinketh "Their fish is dried up" - For תבאש tibaosh, stinketh, read תיבש tibash, is dried up; so it stands in the Bodl. MS., and it is confirmed by the Septuagint, , they shall be dried up.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? - That is, when I came to call you to repentance, why was there no man of the nation to yield obedience? The sense is, that they had not been punished without warning. He had called them to repentance, but no one heard his voice. The Chaldee renders this, Wherefore did I send my prophets, and they did not turn? They prophesied, but they did not attend.‘ When I called, was there none to answer? - None obeyed, or…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Why did no one answer: The people did not respond to God's repeated call to trust him and repent of their sins. They were deaf and stubborn (see Isaiah 6:9–10; 29:18; 35:5; 42:18–19). The Lord came and called the people through the prophets (see also Isaiah 65:1–3). do I lack the strength to deliver you?: God could rescue Israel and Judah from the Assyrians and Babylonians, but he first had to address his people's sinfulness (see Isaiah 59:1). My rebuke…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. I--Messiah. no man--willing to believe in and obey Me (Is 52:1, 3). The same Divine Person had "come" by His prophets in the Old Testament (appealing to them, but in vain, Jr 7:25, 26), who was about to come under the New Testament. hand shortened--the Oriental emblem of weakness, as the long stretched-out hand is of power (Is 59:1). Notwithstanding your sins, I can still "redeem" you from your bondage and dispersion. dry up ... sea--(Ex 14:21). The…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 50:2

• Doubting
• God
• Jesus Continued

In the dictionaries

• the sea, the Great Sea, the western sea
• Desert
• Isaiah
• Mark, the Gospel According to
• Omnipotence
• Saviour
• Shorten

Commentaries on Isaiah 50

• 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