Isaiah 43:3 kjv
For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
Isaiah 43:3 nkjv
For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
Isaiah 43:3 niv
For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead.
Isaiah 43:3 esv
For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
Isaiah 43:3 nlt
For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom;
I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
Isaiah 43 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 43:1 | But now, thus says the LORD, He who created you, O Jacob, ...Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! | God's creation, redemption, calling, and ownership. |
| Isa 43:4 | Since you are precious in My sight, since you are honored and I love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life. | Israel's profound value and God's sacrificial love. |
| Isa 43:10-11 | You are My witnesses, declares the LORD, ...Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, and there is no savior besides Me. | God's uniqueness as the only true God and Savior. |
| Isa 44:6-8 | Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me.' | God's absolute sovereignty and singular deity. |
| Exod 19:5 | 'Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine;' | Israel as God's treasured possession. |
| Deut 7:6-8 | For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you... it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers... | God's covenant love and election of Israel. |
| Hos 13:4 | But I am the LORD your God since the land of Egypt; and you were not to know any god except Me, and there is no savior besides Me. | God as the only true God and Deliverer. |
| Jer 31:3 | The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness." | God's unchanging and everlasting love for Israel. |
| Mark 10:45 | "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." | Jesus as the ultimate ransom. |
| 1 Tim 2:6 | who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. | Christ's self-sacrifice as a universal ransom. |
| Rom 3:24 | being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; | Justification through Christ's redemption. |
| Gal 3:13 | Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us... | Christ's redemptive work from the curse of the law. |
| Eph 1:7 | In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace; | Redemption and forgiveness through Christ's blood. |
| Col 1:13-14 | For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. | Deliverance and forgiveness in Christ's kingdom. |
| Heb 9:12 | and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. | Christ's eternal redemption through His own blood. |
| Exod 30:12 | then each one of them shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them, so that there will be no plague among them when you number them. | The concept of ransom (kopher) in the Old Testament. |
| Lev 17:11 | For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement. | The principle of life for life, underlying atonement. |
| Job 12:23 | He makes nations great, then He destroys them; He enlarges nations, then He leads them away. | God's sovereign control over the rise and fall of nations. |
| Ps 33:10-11 | The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever... | God's ultimate authority over national plans. |
| Isa 45:1-7 | Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His anointed, ...'I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut asunder the bars of iron...' | God uses earthly kings and empires to accomplish His will. |
| Dan 2:20-21 | "Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, ...He removes kings and establishes kings;" | God's absolute control over kingdoms and leaders. |
| Isa 43:16-19 | Thus says the LORD, Who makes a way through the sea ...Do not call to mind the former things ...Behold, I will do something new... | The New Exodus theme, emphasizing a greater deliverance. |
Isaiah 43 verses
Isaiah 43 3 Meaning
This verse declares the unparalleled identity of God to His chosen people, Israel, establishing Himself as their sovereign Lord, holy, and deliverer. It then dramatically illustrates the depth of His commitment and the immeasurable value of Israel in His sight by stating that He would hand over powerful nations like Egypt, Cush, and Seba as a "ransom" or "exchange" to secure Israel's freedom and return from exile. This signifies God's absolute power to manipulate world affairs for the sake of His covenant people, underscoring His love, unique role as Savior, and the certainty of their promised restoration.
Isaiah 43 3 Context
Isaiah 43:3 is nestled within the "Book of Comfort" (Isaiah 40-55), a section specifically addressed to God's people in Babylonian exile. Following their disobedience, Judah faced divine judgment and was dispersed, leading to despair regarding their future and God's faithfulness. This chapter, and indeed the entire section, serves as a message of hope, reassurance, and promised restoration. Chapter 43 opens with God declaring His intimate knowledge of Israel, His creation and redemption of them, and His command not to fear. The historical context involves the looming end of the seventy-year exile and God's plan to raise Cyrus of Persia as an instrument for Israel's release (foreshadowed in Isaiah 44-45). God's declaration that He will give mighty nations like Egypt, Cush, and Seba for Israel's ransom would have resonated powerfully, demonstrating His unwavering commitment to His chosen people amidst powerful empires that sought to control or suppress them. It's a polemic against the impotence of idols and the false gods of these surrounding nations, proclaiming YHWH's sole sovereignty and ability to intervene decisively in world affairs.
Isaiah 43 3 Word analysis
- כִּי (Ki): "For" or "Because." Introduces the reason or ground for the preceding declaration of God's presence and promise of rescue (Isaiah 43:1-2). It signifies the unbreakable bond between God's identity and His redemptive action.
- אָנֹכִי (Anokhi): "I" (emphatic form, "I myself" or "Indeed I"). Highlights God's personal and sovereign identification. It reinforces His direct involvement and authority, differentiating Him from any other power or deity.
- יְהוָה (YHWH): The Tetragrammaton, the unpronounceable divine name, "LORD" (usually capitalized in English Bibles). This is God's covenant name, revealing His unchanging, self-existent nature, and His specific relationship with Israel as their faithful, covenant-keeping God.
- אֱלֹהֶיךָ (Eloheykha): "your God." Refers to God as Israel's specific deity, bound to them by covenant. Emphasizes the personal and exclusive relationship He has with Israel, implying His protection and provision.
- קְדוֹשׁ (Qadosh): "Holy One." This title underscores God's absolute separateness, moral purity, majesty, and transcendence. Applied specifically to "of Israel," it emphasizes that this transcendent, pure God has chosen a unique, intimate relationship with a particular people.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el): "of Israel." Specifies God's chosen people, identifying the object of His holiness and covenant relationship. It ties God's attributes directly to His interaction with this specific nation.
- מוֹשִׁיעֶךָ (Moshi'eka): "your Savior" or "your Deliverer." Derived from yesha', meaning salvation or deliverance. It points to God's active role in rescuing His people from bondage, danger, or destruction, a primary attribute consistently demonstrated throughout Israel's history.
- נָתַתִּי (Natati): "I have given" or "I give." A perfect tense verb, conveying a completed action or a sure declaration of future action as if already accomplished. Signifies God's active, sovereign disbursement of nations.
- מִצְרַיִם (Mitsrayim): "Egypt." A historically powerful nation and a significant oppressor of Israel, symbolizing global empires and the world's wealth/power.
- כָּפְרֶךָ (kophreka): "for your ransom" or "your price of atonement." Kopher (ransom, a price paid to free someone from an obligation, debt, or punishment; something that covers or appeases). This term is crucial, indicating a substitutionary act where nations are the price God pays for Israel's release, elevating Israel's worth significantly.
- כּוּשׁ (Kush): "Cush." Often identified with ancient Ethiopia or modern Sudan, south of Egypt. A formidable nation in ancient times, signifying additional powerful territories.
- וּסְבָא (u-Seva): "and Seba." A region frequently associated with Cush, possibly in Arabia or a part of East Africa. Grouped with Egypt and Cush, these nations represent valuable geopolitical territories.
- תַּחְתֶּיךָ (takhteykha): "in exchange for you" or "in your place." Reinforces the concept of substitution and exchange. These nations are given instead of Israel, underscoring Israel's high value and God's willingness to make significant concessions to secure their freedom.
Words-group analysis:
- "For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior": This powerful cluster of divine titles emphasizes God's personal, covenantal, holy, and redemptive nature towards Israel. It establishes His absolute authority and ability to deliver on the promises that follow. The progression from "Lord your God" to "Holy One of Israel" and "your Savior" highlights the deepening nature of His relationship and commitment, confirming His singular identity and purpose.
- "I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you": This declaration reveals God's extraordinary means of salvation. By naming these specific and powerful nations, God demonstrates His sovereign control over global politics and His willingness to make grand, unprecedented gestures to achieve His people's deliverance. The pairing of "ransom" (kopher) and "in exchange" (takhteykha) firmly establishes a substitutionary act, portraying Israel as so valuable that other significant territories are deemed an acceptable price for their release.
Isaiah 43 3 Bonus section
The "giving" of Egypt, Cush, and Seba can be interpreted in various ways, not necessarily meaning outright destruction, but rather geopolitical shifts or subjugation to powers like Persia who would in turn favor Israel. For example, during the Persian period under figures like Cambyses II (Cyrus's son), Egypt and Cush (parts of ancient Nubia) indeed fell under Persian control, while Israel, as a province of the Persian Empire, was allowed to return and rebuild. This highlights God's ability to orchestrate history and imperial policies to fulfill His promises without directly specifying violent conquest against those nations. The hyperbole here serves to emphasize the incomparability of Israel's worth in God's eyes and His supreme authority over all nations, underscoring His omnipotence and singular commitment to His chosen people.
Isaiah 43 3 Commentary
Isaiah 43:3 is a profound declaration of God's self-identification and His unparalleled commitment to Israel's restoration. As His people languished in exile, the Lord affirmed His unchanging covenant identity: "the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." This array of titles assures Israel of His sovereign power, His distinct holiness from pagan deities, and His intrinsic nature as their rescuer. The stunning pronouncement that He would give mighty nations like Egypt, Cush, and Seba as "ransom" and "exchange" for Israel's freedom vividly illustrates their immeasurable value in His sight. It is a testament to God's love being so immense that He would reconfigure geopolitical landscapes, treating powerful empires as currency for His people's liberation. This act prefigures the ultimate "ransom" and "exchange" for humanity's salvation, where Christ's life was given "for many" (Mk 10:45), revealing God's character as one who pays the highest price to redeem those He loves.