New Living Translation
Isaiah 65:1
1The Lord says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name.
Isaiah 65:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.
- New International Version (NIV)“I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’
- English Standard Version (ESV)I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, "Here I am, here I am," to a nation that was not called by my name.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“I was sought by those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ To a nation that was not called by My name.
Context of Isaiah 65:1
The Lord says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name. 2All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people. But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes. 3All day long they insult me to my face by worshiping idols in their sacred gardens. They burn incense on pagan altars.
Read all of Isaiah 65Isaiah 65:1 word by word
נִדְרַ֙שְׁתִּי֙ לְל֣וֹא שָׁאָ֔לוּ נִמְצֵ֖אתִי לְלֹ֣א בִקְשֻׁ֑נִי אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ הִנֵּ֣נִי הִנֵּ֔נִי אֶל־גּ֖וֹי לֹֽא־קֹרָ֥א בִשְׁמִֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- I am soughtדָּרַשׁdârash · to seekH1875
- askedשָׁאַלshâ'al shâ'êl · to askH7592
- notלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- I am foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
- soughtבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
- I saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Behold me, behold me, unto a nationגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- was not calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call byH7121
- by my nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
Cross-references for Isaiah 65:1
- Isaiah 2:2In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house will be the highest of all— the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.
- 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 55:5You also will command nations you do not know, and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey, because I, the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious.”
- Psalms 22:27The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him. All the families of the nations will bow down before him.
- Romans 9:24And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles.
- Romans 10:20And later Isaiah spoke boldly for God, saying, “I was found by people who were not looking for me. I showed myself to those who were not asking for me.”
- 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.
- Isaiah 40:9O Zion, messenger of good news, shout from the mountaintops! Shout it louder, O Jerusalem. Shout, and do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah, “Your God is coming!”
- Isaiah 41:27I was the first to tell Zion, ‘Look! Help is on the way!’ I will send Jerusalem a messenger with good news.
- Isaiah 45:22Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other.
- John 1:29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
- Isaiah 43:1But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.
- Isaiah 63:19Sometimes it seems as though we never belonged to you, as though we had never been known as your people.
- Hosea 1:10“Yet the time will come when Israel’s people will be like the sands of the seashore—too many to count! Then, at the place where they were told, ‘You are not my people,’ it will be said, ‘You are children of the living God.’
- Zechariah 2:11Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day, and they, too, will be my people. I will live among you, and you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me to you.
- Zechariah 8:22Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies and to ask for his blessing.
Commentaries on Isaiah 65:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1I am sought of them that asked not for me "I am made known to those that asked not for me" - נדרשתי nidrashti, , the Septuagint, Alexandrian, and St. Paul, Romans 10:20; who has however inverted the order of the phrases, , "I was made manifest, "and , "I was found, "from that which they have in the Septuagint. נדרשתי nidrashti means, "I am sought so as to be found." Vitringa. If this be the true meaning of the word, then שאלו shaalu, "that asked," which…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1I am sought of them that asked not for me - That is, by the Gentiles. So Paul applies it in Romans 10:20. Lowth translates the word which is rendered, I am sought,‘ by I am made known.‘ Noyes, I have heard.‘ The Septuagint renders it, ̓̀ ̓́ Emphanēs egenēthēn - I became manifest.‘ Jerome, They sought me who had not before inquired for me.‘ The Chaldee, I am sought in my word by those who had not asked me before my face.‘ The Hebrew word דרשׁ dârash…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The calling of the Gentiles, and the rejection of the Jews. (Is. 65:1-7) The Lord would preserve a remnant. (Is. 65:8-10) Judgments upon the wicked. (Is. 65:11-16) The future happy and flourishing state of the church. (Is. 65:17-25) Verses 1-7 The Gentiles came to seek God, and find him, because they were first sought and found of him. Often he meets some thoughtless trifler or profligate opposer, and says to him, Behold me; and a speedy change takes…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-2The Lord gave the people of Israel many chances to seek him (Isaiah 55:6; 58:2), but they did not do so.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-25In Is 64:9, their plea was, "we are all Thy people." In answer, God declares that others (Gentiles) would be taken into covenant with Him, while His ancient people would be rejected. The Jews were slow to believe this; hence Paul says (Ro 10:20) that Isaiah was "very bold" in advancing so unpopular a sentiment; he implies what Paul states (Ro 2:28; 9:6, 7; 11:1-31), that "they are not all (in opposition to the Jews' plea, Is 64:9) Israel which are of…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 65:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 65
- 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 Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries