Isaiah 43:21 kjv
This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.
Isaiah 43:21 nkjv
This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise.
Isaiah 43:21 niv
the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.
Isaiah 43:21 esv
the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.
Isaiah 43:21 nlt
I have made Israel for myself,
and they will someday honor me before the whole world.
Isaiah 43 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 43:1 | "But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel..." | God's creative and formative power over Israel |
| Isaiah 44:2 | "Thus says the LORD who made you, by the womb from the womb, who helps you..." | Reiterates God as creator and helper |
| Jeremiah 10:12 | "He has made the earth by his power, he has set the world in its own stability by his wisdom..." | God's creation wisdom |
| Jeremiah 31:35 | "Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and stars for light by night..." | God's ordered creation |
| Psalm 100:3 | "Know that the LORD he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his..." | God as maker and owner of His people |
| Psalm 119:90 | "Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands." | God's faithfulness and stability |
| Ephesians 2:10 | "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." | Christians as God's workmanship |
| Jeremiah 31:20 | "...since I heard Ephraim still mourning, 'You have chastened me, and I was chastened like an untamed calf; ...turn me and I shall be turned, for you are the LORD my God.'" | God's corrective discipline and Israel's plea |
| Hosea 11:8 | "How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned over within me, my compassion is stirred." | God's deep affection and unwillingness to give up Israel |
| Isaiah 43:4 | "Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you..." | God's valuing of His people |
| Isaiah 49:15 | "Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her body? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you." | God's assurance of not forgetting His people |
| Isaiah 49:16 | "Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me." | God's intimate remembrance of Zion |
| Matthew 10:30 | "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father." | God's detailed care and remembrance |
| Luke 12:7 | "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows." | God's meticulous care and value |
| Romans 11:29 | "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." | God's unchangeable choices |
| 1 Corinthians 1:9 | "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." | God's faithfulness in calling |
| 2 Timothy 2:13 | "if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot renounce himself." | God's intrinsic faithfulness |
| Hebrews 13:5 | "...for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" | God's promise of never forsaking |
| Isaiah 41:8-10 | "But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, 'You are my servant; I have chosen you and not cast you aside'; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand." | God's choice, presence, and help |
| Isaiah 44:21 | "Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant..." | The same verse reinforcing God's ownership |
| Isaiah 44:24 | "Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: 'I am the LORD, who made all things, who stretched out the heavens alone, who spread out the earth by myself..." | God as sole Creator and Redeemer |
| Isaiah 44:27 | "'who says to the deep, “Be dry; let the rivers be made dry;...' " | God's power over creation |
Isaiah 43 verses
Isaiah 43 21 Meaning
This verse declares that God has formed and created His people, Israel, and that they shall not be forgotten. It highlights God's purposeful design and enduring remembrance of His chosen nation.
Isaiah 43 21 Context
Isaiah chapter 43 occurs during a period of Israel's exile and distress. The prophet Isaiah is speaking words of comfort and assurance to the people of Judah, who have been carried away to Babylon. This particular verse follows a powerful declaration of God's unique redemptive work, contrasting it with the impotence of idols. It serves as a foundational statement emphasizing God's ownership and intentional creation of Israel, setting the stage for promises of future restoration and salvation. The audience, facing desolation and despair, needed to hear that they were not abandoned, but were purposefully formed and remembered by their sovereign God.
Isaiah 43 21 Word Analysis
- he - Refers to the Lord God.
- has - Indicates a completed action in the past.
- formed - (Hebrew: יָצַר - yatzar) Implies deliberate shaping and creation, like a potter with clay. It suggests intentional design and artistry in creation, not merely bringing into existence, but giving form and purpose. It highlights a careful, detailed process of molding.
- me - Refers to the nation of Israel.
- and - A conjunction connecting two clauses.
- fashioned - (Hebrew: קָנָה - qanah) Can mean "to get," "to acquire," or "to create/fashion," often with the sense of establishing or founding. Here it suggests possessing, bringing into being, or establishing something. In this context, it reinforces the idea of God acquiring or bringing Israel into existence as His own.
- me - Refers again to the nation of Israel.
- saying - Introduces the direct statement or assurance.
- Fear - (Hebrew: אַל־תִּרָא - al-tira - "do not fear") A command to overcome apprehension and anxiety.
- not - Negation.
- O - An interjection used in direct address.
- Jacob - Refers to the patriarch, representing the entire nation of Israel. It signifies their origin and their ongoing identity.
- and - Conjunction.
- Israel - Also refers to the nation, the covenant people of God.
- my - Possessive pronoun, indicating ownership.
- servant - (Hebrew: עֶבֶד - eved) Signifies one who is under the authority and performs the will of another. For Israel, it denotes a special relationship of chosenness and service to God. This term carries with it both privilege and responsibility.
Word-group Analysis:
- "he has formed me and fashioned me": This phrase emphasizes God's active, intentional, and comprehensive role in the existence of Israel. It moves beyond simply bringing them into being to shaping and establishing them according to His purpose, much like a potter shaping clay. This is not accidental; it's by divine decree and careful execution.
- "Fear not, O Jacob, and Israel, my servant": This is a direct command juxtaposed with God's statement of ownership and relationship. The fear is to be dispelled because God, who meticulously created them, also calls them His servant, implying protection and provision through that relationship. The inclusion of both "Jacob" (the patriarch, representing origins and sometimes struggle) and "Israel" (the nation, representing the covenant people) underscores God's comprehensive engagement with His people from beginning to end.
Isaiah 43 21 Bonus Section
The theological weight of God being the "former" and "fashioner" extends beyond mere physical creation to their very identity and covenant status. This speaks to a deeply personal relationship where God has not only made them but acquired them as His own special possession. The phrase "do not fear" is a recurring motif throughout Isaiah, always rooted in God's attributes of power, faithfulness, and presence. The declaration that Israel is God's "servant" is significant, for while it implies obedience and submission, it also guarantees divine enablement and protection from the Master. This establishes the foundational relationship upon which all subsequent promises of redemption and restoration in Isaiah are built. The fact that God has "formed" and "fashioned" them implies they were made for a purpose, and this purpose would ultimately be fulfilled, ensuring they would not be forgotten.
Isaiah 43 21 Commentary
God's power is demonstrated in His sovereign ability to create and bring into being His chosen people, Israel. This act of formation and acquisition, using words like yatzar (to shape, form) and qanah (to get, acquire, fashion), underscores that Israel's existence was not accidental but a deliberate act of divine will and design. They were brought into being to be God's possession and service. Because God is their intentional creator and owner, they have no cause to fear their present distress or future uncertainty. He calls them "Jacob" and "Israel," acknowledging their historical identity and covenant relationship. Crucially, He designates them as "my servant," a term that carries both the privilege of being chosen and the responsibility of service. This "servant" status is intrinsically linked to God's protection and care. Therefore, despite their challenging circumstances, the people are to be reassured that their God remembers them and remains committed to them, not in a passive sense, but as one who meticulously brought them into being for His purposes.