Isaiah 42:8 kjv
I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Isaiah 42:8 nkjv
I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.
Isaiah 42:8 niv
"I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.
Isaiah 42:8 esv
I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.
Isaiah 42:8 nlt
"I am the LORD; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to anyone else,
nor share my praise with carved idols.
Isaiah 42 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 3:15 | "This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name..." | Yahweh as the eternal, covenantal Name. |
| Psa 83:18 | "...that You alone, whose name is the LORD, are the Most High..." | Exclusivity of Yahweh's name. |
| Isa 48:11 | "For My own sake, for My own sake, I do this... My glory I give..." | God's motive for action, refusing shared glory. |
| Mal 2:2 | "...I will curse your blessings... you are not laying it to heart to give glory to My name." | Demand for glory to His name. |
| Jer 16:21 | "...and they shall know that My name is the LORD." | Revelation of Yahweh's name and power. |
| Deut 6:4 | "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one." | The Shema: singularity of God. |
| Deut 32:39 | "See now that I Myself am He! There is no god besides Me..." | God's uniqueness against other deities. |
| Psa 96:5 | "For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made..." | Contrast between false gods and Creator. |
| Jer 10:11 | "The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth..." | Rejection of idols as non-existent. |
| Hab 2:18 | "What profit is the carved image...? It makes a mute idol." | Idols are worthless and powerless. |
| Acts 17:29 | "...we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold..." | Condemnation of man-made representations. |
| Rom 1:22-23 | "...exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image..." | The essence of idolatry in NT. |
| 1 Cor 10:14 | "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry." | Direct New Testament command to avoid idols. |
| 1 Cor 10:31 | "...do all to the glory of God." | All actions to be for God's exclusive glory. |
| Jude 1:25 | "to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory..." | Sole glory ascribed to the one God. |
| Rev 15:4 | "Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name?..." | Future worship giving glory only to Him. |
| Isa 43:10-11 | "...before Me no god was formed, nor will there be after Me..." | God's eternality and exclusivity as Savior. |
| Isa 44:6 | "...I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God." | Yahweh's unique eternal supremacy. |
| Isa 45:5 | "I am the LORD, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God." | Unambiguous declaration of monotheism. |
| Psa 115:1 | "Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name give glory..." | Aspiration for God's glory to be paramount. |
| Phil 2:9-11 | "...God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is..." | Jesus shares in God's glorious name and worship. |
| 1 Jn 5:21 | "Little children, guard yourselves from idols." | NT warning against idols. |
Isaiah 42 verses
Isaiah 42 8 Meaning
The LORD declares His absolute and singular identity, explicitly stating that "Yahweh" is His unique name and character. This foundational assertion immediately leads to a pronouncement that He will never share His inherent glory, majesty, or honor with any other entity. Furthermore, He strictly reserves all forms of worship, adoration, and praise for Himself alone, vehemently rejecting any association with or allocation to man-made idols or false gods. It is a profound declaration of exclusive monotheism and divine sovereignty.
Isaiah 42 8 Context
Isaiah 42:8 is part of the first Servant Song (Isa 42:1-9) within the "Book of Comfort" (chapters 40-55), addressed to a people in (or soon to be in) Babylonian exile. Chapter 42 begins by introducing the "Servant of the LORD," distinct from Israel, who will bring justice to the nations in a gentle yet resolute manner. Verse 8 immediately follows this description, establishing the divine authority and unique character of the God who is sending and empowering this Servant. The historical context is critical: Israel lived surrounded by nations practicing polytheism and prolific idol worship, particularly Babylon, which boasted an elaborate pantheon and magnificent images. Therefore, this verse functions as a powerful declaration against the prevalent idolatry, reaffirming Yahweh's sole claim to divinity, glory, and worship in stark contrast to the impotent, man-made deities of their captors and neighbors. It strengthens the exiles' faith by reminding them of the incomparable power of their God.
Isaiah 42 8 Word analysis
- I am the LORD (ืึฒื ึดื ืึฐืืึธื - โani YHWH): This is a self-attestation of unparalleled authority. YHWH (Yahweh) is the personal, covenantal name of God, revealing His self-existent, eternal, and unchanging nature (Ex 3:14-15, "I AM WHO I AM"). It denotes a personal relationship with Israel, distinguishing Him from all other supposed deities.
- that is My name (ืืึผื ืฉึฐืืึดื - huโ sh'mi): Reinforces the declaration of uniqueness. In ancient Near Eastern thought, a "name" encapsulates identity, character, authority, and essence. God asserts absolute proprietorship over His divine identity; His being is entirely defined by and confined to Himself alone.
- My glory (ืึผืึฐืืึนืึดื - u-khvodi): Kavod (ืืืื) signifies God's weight, inherent worth, splendor, majesty, and manifest presence. It is the visible expression of His divine perfections. This glory is unique to His essence and reveals His incomparable greatness.
- I will not give to another (ืึฐืึทืึตืจ ืึนืึพืึถืชึตึผื - l'acher loโ-etten): An absolute and non-negotiable refusal. God's glory is non-transferable; it cannot be delegated or attributed to any other being. This underscores His divine jealousy for His honor and His uncompromising singularity.
- Nor My praise (ืึผืชึฐืึดืึธึผืชึดื - u-thillati): Tehillah (ืชืืื) refers to the worship, adoration, laudation, and songs of praise that are due to God for His attributes and deeds. It is the rightful response to His kavod.
- to carved images (ืึทืคึฐึผืกึดืืึดืื - la-p'silim): P'silim (ืคืกืืืื) specifically means graven images, idols fashioned by human hands from wood, stone, or metal. This is a direct, polemical assault on idolatry, highlighting the absurdity of offering the praise due to the Creator to inert, man-made objects.
Words-group analysis
- "I am the LORD; that is My name": This foundational declaration sets the absolute standard. It asserts God's exclusive right to His identity and character as the one true, self-existent God, leaving no room for rivals.
- "My glory I will not give to another": This phrase asserts God's jealousy (in a holy sense) for His own honor. His unique splendor and majesty cannot be shared with anything or anyone else that would diminish His sovereignty.
- "Nor My praise to carved images": This clearly defines the boundary of acceptable worship. All forms of adoration and devotion must be directed to God alone, not to material objects, cult statues, or the false gods they represent, which are explicitly condemned as powerless imitations.
Isaiah 42 8 Bonus section
- The declaration in Isaiah 42:8 is echoed throughout Isaiah's prophecy, particularly in chapters 40-48, where God repeatedly emphasizes "I am the LORD, and there is no other" (Isa 45:5, 45:18, 45:21). This refrain reinforces the point that Yahweh is the exclusive God of all creation, challenging the polytheistic worldview prevalent in the ancient world.
- This verse provides theological grounding for the concept of hiluq ha-kavod in Jewish thought โ the impossibility of dividing God's glory or worship.
- The New Testament, while affirming Jesus' divine identity and worthiness of worship (e.g., Phil 2:9-11), always places this worship within the framework of glorifying God the Father (Phil 2:11, "to the glory of God the Father"), thereby maintaining the singularity of God and ensuring the principles of this verse are upheld.
Isaiah 42 8 Commentary
Isaiah 42:8 stands as a profound declaration of exclusive monotheism and God's unassailable sovereignty. It unequivocally identifies the speaker as Yahweh, the personal, covenant-keeping God of Israel, whose very name embodies His unique self-existence and omnipotence. The subsequent claim, "My glory I will not give to another," is not a sign of divine arrogance, but an essential statement about the divine nature: God's kavod (glory) is intrinsic to His being and cannot be transferred because there is no other entity possessing His divine essence to receive it. To "give His glory to another" would imply the existence of a co-equal, which is explicitly denied.
The accompanying declaration, "Nor My praise to carved images," sharpens this point into a direct polemic against all forms of idolatry. Idols (p'silim) are not merely alternative deities; they are a direct affront to God's singularity. They are human constructs, powerless and lifeless, and to offer them praise (worship, tehillah) is to dishonor the living, active Creator by attributing to non-existent things what is due only to Him. This verse serves as a fundamental principle underlying biblical theology, affirming God's absolute uniqueness, demanding exclusive worship, and establishing the true foundation for Israel's identity and hope even amidst the idolatrous cultures of their exile. It underpins all warnings against idolatry and all calls to acknowledge God as the sole Savior.
- Practical example: Just as an inventor of a unique and revolutionary technology would not share credit with someone who simply draws a crude picture of it, God, the sole Creator and Sustainer, will not share His praise with lifeless imitations or the empty entities they represent.