Revised Literal Translation
Isaiah 49:6
6And 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.12
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
4Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with Yhwh, and my work with my God. 5And now, saith Yhwh that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of Yhwh, and my God shall be my strength. 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. 7Thus saith Yhwh, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of Yhwh that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee. 8Thus saith Yhwh, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;
Read all of Isaiah 49Isaiah 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
- 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 3:18And this is but a light thing in the sight of Yhwh: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.
- 2 Kings 20:10And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.
- Isaiah 42:6I Yhwh have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
- Isaiah 60:3And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
- Luke 2:32A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
- John 1:4In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
- Acts 13:47For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
- Acts 26:18To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
- Isaiah 11:10And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
- Isaiah 24:14They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of Yhwh, they shall cry aloud from the sea.
- Isaiah 46:13I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.
- Isaiah 51:20Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of Yhwh, the rebuke of thy God.
- Psalms 98:2Yhwh hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.
- Luke 24:46And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead 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
In the dictionaries
Notes
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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
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