Isaiah 43 16

Isaiah 43:16 kjv

Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;

Isaiah 43:16 nkjv

Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea And a path through the mighty waters,

Isaiah 43:16 niv

This is what the LORD says? he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters,

Isaiah 43:16 esv

Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters,

Isaiah 43:16 nlt

I am the LORD, who opened a way through the waters,
making a dry path through the sea.

Isaiah 43 verses

Isaiah 43 16 Meaning

Isaiah 43:16 proclaims the Lord's absolute sovereignty and unmatched power, recalling His historical act of parting the Red Sea to create a way of escape for Israel. This verse serves as a foundational declaration, reminding the exiled people in Babylon that the God who performed such an impossible feat in the past is the same God who is fully capable of orchestrating a new, equally miraculous deliverance for them in their current predicament. It highlights God as the one who effortlessly transforms formidable, impassable obstacles into clear paths, underscoring His identity as a Redeemer who actively intervenes on behalf of His people.

Isaiah 43 16 Context

Isaiah 43 falls within a section of Isaiah (chapters 40-55) known as the "Book of Comfort" or "Second Isaiah," primarily addressed to the Jewish exiles in Babylon. Following the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 586 BC, the people were in deep despair, feeling abandoned by God. They questioned God's power and faithfulness, fearing that their gods were weaker than those of Babylon. This chapter is a profound message of restoration and reassurance, emphasizing God's unique identity as the Creator, Redeemer, and the only Savior of Israel.

Verse 16 directly connects to this context by recalling the quintessential act of divine salvation in Israel's history—the Exodus from Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea. By doing so, God reminds the disheartened exiles that His power is undiminished, and He remains able to deliver them from their current "captivity" and "mighty waters" (Babylonian power), just as He did in the past. The verse prepares for the subsequent declaration in verses 18-19 that God is about to do "a new thing," even greater than the Exodus. This serves as a polemic against the impotence of Babylonian idols, declaring Yahweh as the one true, active God of history and deliverance.

Isaiah 43 16 Word analysis

• Thus says the Lord (כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה - koh amar YHWH): This is a classic prophetic formula, establishing the absolute authority and divine origin of the message. It signifies that the following words are not human conjecture but the direct, infallible utterance of Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. It emphasizes that this promise is certain and powerful, coming from the supreme divine source.

• who makes a way (הַנֹּתֵן בַּיָּם דָּרֶךְ - hannoten bayam derekh):

  • makes (הַנֹּתֵן - hannoten): Literally "the one who gives" or "the one who puts/places." Here, it denotes active creation and provision. It's an attribute describing God's inherent power to act decisively.
  • a way (דָּרֶךְ - derekh): This Hebrew term means a 'road', 'path', or 'journey'. It implies a navigable route through something otherwise impassable, suggesting God's ability to create a passage where none exists. Its significance is the establishment of an accessible route through an otherwise impossible barrier, illustrating divine provision and intervention.

• in the sea (בַּיָּם - bayam): Refers explicitly to the Yam Suph, the Red Sea, which God parted during the Exodus (Exod 14). The sea, an embodiment of vast, uncontrollable, and often chaotic forces in the ancient worldview, here represents an insurmountable obstacle that God easily overcomes. For the exiles, "the sea" symbolized their seemingly impossible return from Babylonian captivity.

• a path (נָתִיב - nativ): This is a synonym for 'way' or 'road', closely paralleling derekh. The use of two different but synonymous terms (derekh and nativ) emphasizes the certainty and clarity of the route God establishes. It conveys a prepared, distinct track.

• in the mighty waters (וּבְמַיִם עַזִּים - uv'mayim azzim):

  • mighty (עַזִּים - azzim): Means 'strong', 'powerful', 'fierce'. This adjective intensifies the description of the waters, emphasizing their overwhelming and threatening nature. It highlights that the waters were not just deep but raging and forceful.
  • waters (מַיִם - mayim): Reinforces the image of the vast, deep, and formidable expanse that was supernaturally conquered.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters": This phrase uses parallelism, a common poetic device in Hebrew scripture, to reinforce and amplify the same central idea: God's ability to overcome any obstacle. "Way in the sea" is directly paralleled with "path in the mighty waters," using different but related terms to emphasize God's unparalleled power to turn the most daunting barriers into passages for His people. This poetic structure drives home the message of miraculous deliverance. It elevates the magnitude of God's act by using two distinct phrases to describe the same, otherwise impossible, feat.

Isaiah 43 16 Bonus section

The imagery of "the sea" in ancient Near Eastern thought often represented chaotic forces, primeval disorder, or even enemy powers (e.g., as associated with mythological creatures like Rahab or Leviathan in other biblical texts, such as Job and Psalms). Therefore, God's act of making a way in the sea signifies not just control over natural elements, but supreme dominion over chaos itself. This subtly underscores the polemical aspect against pagan deities who often derived their power from or struggled with such forces; Yahweh effortlessly subdues them for His redemptive purposes. Furthermore, this verse can be seen as foreshadowing the power demonstrated by Jesus in the New Testament when He calmed storms and walked on water, signifying His own divine authority over creation, an attribute consistent with the God described in Isaiah.

Isaiah 43 16 Commentary

Isaiah 43:16 powerfully reasserts the character of Yahweh, the God of Israel, to a people in despair. It is not merely a historical recount but a declarative statement of God's unchanging nature and power. By explicitly referencing the Exodus event – a seminal act of salvation for Israel – God reminds them that His capacity to intervene on their behalf remains undiminished. The "sea" and "mighty waters" represent not just a past physical barrier but also symbolize all overwhelming challenges, whether physical captivity or spiritual hopelessness. God, who made an impossible way through the literal Red Sea, is capable of creating a way through any "sea" of adversity. This serves as an anchor of hope, reassuring the exiles that their present difficulties in Babylon are not insurmountable for the God who conquered even chaos for His chosen people. The verse foreshadows not just a physical return from exile but also a spiritual deliverance and newness that God promises, reminding His people that He consistently acts as their Redeemer by making a way where there is none.