Isaiah 43 2

Isaiah 43:2 kjv

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Isaiah 43:2 nkjv

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.

Isaiah 43:2 niv

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

Isaiah 43:2 esv

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Isaiah 43:2 nlt

When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.

Isaiah 43 verses

Isaiah 43 2 Meaning

Isaiah 43:2 offers a profound declaration of God's steadfast presence and protective power over His people during their most formidable trials. It asserts that when facing overwhelming adversity, symbolized by surging "waters" and consuming "fire," God will be actively "with you" to ensure you are not submerged or burned. This verse promises not the absence of difficulties, but rather preservation through them, guaranteeing ultimate safety and survival by divine intervention and companionship.

Isaiah 43 2 Context

Isaiah 43 stands as a pivotal chapter of comfort and restoration within the Book of Consolation (Isa 40-55). Addressed to the exiled people of Israel, who were feeling forsaken and defeated in Babylon, the prophet delivers a powerful message of hope directly from Yahweh. Verse 2 immediately follows God's affirmation in Isa 43:1: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine." This sets the foundation for the promise of Isa 43:2 – because they belong to God through His redemptive act, He guarantees their survival through all future perils.

Historically, the original audience was facing a "fiery" trial of forced relocation, loss of homeland, temple, and identity. The imagery of "waters" and "rivers" might also evoke memories of their exodus through the Red Sea (Ex 14), a miraculous past deliverance, or future metaphorical floods of hostile nations or overwhelming distress. The challenges faced by Israel in Babylon were akin to a deep river or a consuming fire, threatening to erase their existence as a people. God's declaration is a counter-polemic against the false security offered by idols; only the true God, Yahweh, can genuinely protect His people from the destructive forces of the world and guarantee their safe passage through them.

Isaiah 43 2 Word analysis

• When you pass through (כִּי תַעֲבֹר / kî taʿăḇōr):

  • כִּי (kî): Conjunction, here meaning "when" or "though/if." It doesn't imply "if" there's a possibility, but "when" or "though" suggesting the certainty or inevitability of facing such trials. These adversities are part of life; God addresses their occurrence, not their prevention.
  • תַעֲבֹר (taʿăḇōr): Second person singular, imperfect of the verb עָבַר (ʿābar), meaning "to pass over, through, by." This emphasizes movement through the challenge, not around it or being swallowed by it.

• the waters (בַּמַּיִם / bam-mayim):

  • בַּמַּיִם (bam-mayim): "in the waters." מַיִם (mayim) is the Hebrew word for "water/waters." In prophetic literature and psalms, "waters" often symbolize great distress, overwhelming difficulties, chaos, or hostile forces (e.g., Psa 69:1-2; Psa 124:4-5).

• I will be with you (אִתְּךָ אָנִי / ʾit·tə·ḵā ʾā·nî):

  • אִתְּךָ (ʾit·tə·ḵā): "with you." This preposition highlights direct companionship and presence.
  • אָנִי (ʾā·nî): Emphatic first-person singular pronoun "I." God Himself is making this personal, direct, and unchangeable commitment. This "I AM with you" is a recurring, foundational covenantal promise throughout scripture, affirming His personal engagement with His people (e.g., Ex 3:12; Deut 31:6; Jos 1:5; Matt 28:20).

• and through the rivers (וּבַנְּהָרוֹת / ū·ḇan·nə·hā·rōṯ):

  • וּבַנְּהָרוֹת (ū·ḇan·nə·hā·rōṯ): "and in the rivers." נְהָרוֹת (nəhārôṯ) plural of "river," suggesting larger, more powerful, or numerous torrents than mere "waters," intensifying the image of overwhelming danger.

• they shall not overflow you (לֹא יִשְׁטְפוּךָ / lōʾ yiš·ṭə·fū·ḵā):

  • לֹא (lōʾ): Strong negation, "not."
  • יִשְׁטְפוּךָ (yiš·ṭə·fū·ḵā): "they will not overwhelm/engulf/wash away you." From the verb שָׁטַף (šāṭap̄), meaning "to overflow, flood, rinse away." The divine promise ensures the waters will not prevail.

• When you walk through the fire (כִּי תֵלֵךְ בְּמוֹ אֵשׁ / kî tē·lēḵ bə·mō ʾēš):

  • כִּי תֵלֵךְ (kî tē·lēḵ): "when you walk." Same "when" as before. תֵלֵךְ (tē·lēḵ) imperfect of הָלַךְ (hālak̄), "to walk." Similar to "pass through," denoting active engagement in the trial, not avoidance.
  • בְּמוֹ אֵשׁ (bə·mō ʾēš): "in fire." בְּמוֹ (bə·mō) is an older, poetic form of בְּ (bə) meaning "in, through." אֵשׁ (ʾēš) means "fire," commonly symbolizing severe judgment, purifying trials, affliction, or persecution (e.g., Psa 66:12; Zech 13:9).

• you shall not be burned (לֹא תִכָּוֶה / lōʾ tikkā·weh):

  • לֹא תִכָּוֶה (lōʾ tikkā·weh): "you shall not be burned." תִכָּוֶה (tikkā·weh) is the Niphal imperfect of כָּוָה (kāvah), "to burn, be burned." It implies physical scorching or severe injury from fire.

• nor shall the flame scorch you (וְלֶהָבָה לֹא תְבַעֵר בָּךְ / wə·lehā·ḇāh lōʾ tə·ḇaʿēr bāḵ):

  • וְלֶהָבָה (wə·lehā·ḇāh): "and a flame." לֶהָבָה (lehāvāh) specifies the intensely hot, burning part of fire.
  • לֹא תְבַעֵר (lōʾ tə·ḇaʿēr): "it will not kindle/burn/consume you." From בָּעַר (bāʿar), "to burn, consume, glow hotly." The flame's destructive power is nullified.
  • בָּךְ (bāḵ): "in/on you." Denotes the effect upon the individual.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "When you pass through the waters... and through the rivers": This parallelism emphasizes both common and extreme forms of danger represented by liquid elements. "Waters" can be understood broadly as trials, while "rivers" amplify the intensity, symbolizing surging, uncontrollable forces threatening to sweep away.
  • "I will be with you": This central, concise declaration is the foundation of the entire verse. It conveys not just proximity, but active, involved, and covenantal presence. God’s being "with" His people changes the outcome of the trials entirely.
  • "they shall not overflow you... you shall not be burned... nor shall the flame scorch you": The repeated negative prohibitions ("not overflow," "not burned," "not scorch") underline the certainty and totality of God's protection. The danger is real, but its ultimate destructive power is limited by God's will and presence. The promise is preservation, not removal, of the difficult experience.

Isaiah 43 2 Bonus section

The Hebrew phrasing for "I will be with you" (אָנִי אִתְּךָ / ʾā·nî ʾit·tə·ḵā) places the personal pronoun "I" at the end of the clause. This can create a stronger emphasis or a sense of conclusion. It reinforces the weight of the personal commitment from God, Yahweh, Himself. It’s not just a generic helper; it’s the Sovereign "I." This divine signature echoes earlier manifestations and self-revelations of God (e.g., "I AM WHO I AM" in Ex 3:14), emphasizing His eternal, unchanging nature as the source of this unbreakable promise.

The use of parallelism throughout the verse—"waters" and "rivers," "burned" and "scorch"—is a common poetic device in Hebrew literature. It serves to intensify the message, providing a fuller scope of the dangers and underscoring the comprehensive nature of God's protection. It doesn't mean two different sets of trials, but rather different aspects or intensities of the same kind of overwhelming adversity. This double-phrasing strengthens the assurance, covering all conceivable extremes of that specific danger.

Furthermore, this verse implies active endurance, not just passive observation. The language "pass through" and "walk through" indicates a journey into the trial, requiring movement and continued faith from the individual. It's a journey taken with God, who enables perseverance rather than eliminating the path. This proactive stance for the people of God is vital; it highlights their role in trust and obedience even amidst daunting circumstances.

Isaiah 43 2 Commentary

Isaiah 43:2 is a profound message of divine companionship and preservation through unavoidable trials. It underscores that God does not promise exemption from difficulties ("When you pass through," not "if"), but His unfailing presence in and through them. The vivid metaphors of "waters" and "fire" represent all-consuming, life-threatening adversities—whether internal struggles, external persecutions, or societal collapse—which historically resonated deeply with the exilic experience of Israel and universally applies to any believer facing overwhelming circumstances. The emphasis lies on "I will be with you," revealing God's personal, sovereign commitment. This presence transforms the nature of the trial; the believer is preserved, not consumed. They are called to actively walk and pass through these experiences, assured that God's power will render the elements of destruction inert, akin to the Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace (Dan 3). This promise reveals a God who is intimately involved in His people's journey, making Him distinct from passive idols. For Christians, this echoes Christ's promise to always be with His disciples (Matt 28:20) and reinforces the truth that trials, though challenging, serve a refining purpose (1 Pet 4:12; Zech 13:9) without consuming the beloved. Practically, it encourages trust and courage in adversity, knowing that even in the face of destruction, our God ensures our ultimate, eternal safety and sanctification.