Isaiah 44:21 kjv
Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.
Isaiah 44:21 nkjv
"Remember these, O Jacob, And Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me!
Isaiah 44:21 niv
"Remember these things, Jacob, for you, Israel, are my servant. I have made you, you are my servant; Israel, I will not forget you.
Isaiah 44:21 esv
Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant; I formed you; you are my servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
Isaiah 44:21 nlt
"Pay attention, O Jacob,
for you are my servant, O Israel.
I, the LORD, made you,
and I will not forget you.
Isaiah 44 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 41:8 | But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen... | Israel's identity as God's chosen servant |
| Isa 43:1 | ...Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. | God's creation, redemption, and ownership of Israel |
| Isa 44:1 | "But now listen, Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have chosen." | Reiterates Jacob/Israel as God's servant |
| Isa 46:3-4 | "Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob, all you who remain of the house of Israel... | God's lifelong care for Israel |
| Jer 30:10 | "So do not fear, O Jacob, my servant," declares the Lord... | God's reassurance to His servant Israel |
| Luke 1:54-55 | He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham... | God remembering His covenant with Israel |
| Ps 105:8-10 | He remembers his covenant forever... the oath he swore to Isaac. | God's eternal remembrance of His covenant |
| Ps 139:13-16 | For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. | God's sovereign creation of individuals |
| Jer 1:5 | "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..." | God's pre-birth formation and knowing |
| Deut 6:12 | ...be careful not to forget the Lord... | Exhortation to remember God and His faithfulness |
| Deut 8:11 | Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God... | Warning against forgetting God after blessings |
| Ps 9:18 | But the needy will not always be forgotten... | God's remembrance of His people/the afflicted |
| Ps 77:11 | I will remember the deeds of the Lord... | A psalmist's commitment to remember God's works |
| Ps 136:23 | He remembered us in our low estate, His love endures forever. | God's active remembrance of His people's plight |
| Isa 49:15-16 | "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast...? I will not forget you!" | God's emphatic promise never to forget Israel |
| Heb 13:5 | ...Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. | New Testament affirmation of God's faithfulness |
| 1 Pet 4:19 | ...commit themselves to their faithful Creator... | Entrusting to the faithful Creator |
| Rom 11:2 | God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. | God's eternal faithfulness to Israel |
| Hos 2:19-20 | I will betroth you to me forever... in faithfulness. | God's enduring covenant and faithfulness |
| Lam 5:20 | Why do you always forget us? Why do you forsake us so long? | Human plea, contrasting with God's promise not to forget |
| Phil 1:6 | ...he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion... | God's commitment to finish what He started in His people |
Isaiah 44 verses
Isaiah 44 21 Meaning
Isaiah 44:21 is a powerful call from God to His chosen people, Jacob/Israel, urging them to remember His unparalleled greatness, His creative act in forming them, and their foundational identity as His servants. Amidst the folly of idolatry, God reassures Israel of His unwavering commitment and promises that He will never forget them, providing comfort and a basis for their trust and hope in His redemptive plan. It serves as an invitation to forsake the worship of false gods by clinging to the one true God who both created and continuously sustains them.
Isaiah 44 21 Context
Isaiah chapter 44 is situated within the "Book of Comfort" (chapters 40-55) where the prophet addresses the exilic community in Babylon. These chapters highlight God's sovereignty over history, His unique identity as the only God, and His redemptive plan for Israel. Leading up to verse 21, Isaiah provides a stark contrast between the lifeless, human-made idols and the living, creating God. Verses 9-20 vividly describe the laborious and ultimately futile process of making an idol from wood, which can then be used to cook food. This section emphasizes the spiritual blindness and self-deception of idol worshipers. Immediately following this detailed critique of idolatry, verse 21 serves as God's direct appeal to Israel. It’s a divine reminder to His people, who were tempted to assimilate to the pagan practices of their captors, of their true identity and relationship with Him, and of His unchanging faithfulness, before God declares His acts of redemption in the subsequent verses.
Isaiah 44 21 Word analysis
- Remember (זָכֹר, zachor): This is an imperative verb, a direct command. It signifies more than just a mental recall; it implies serious reflection, adherence to truth, and acting upon that memory. It's a call to heed, internalize, and live according to what God has revealed, particularly in contrast to the forgetfulness of idolaters in the preceding verses.
- these things (eleh): Refers to the immediate preceding declaration of God's unique power as the sole Creator (e.g., v. 6-8), His knowledge of the future (v. 7), and especially the complete absurdity and nullity of idols as presented in verses 9-20. It calls Israel to contrast God's reality with idol-manufacture.
- O Jacob, and Israel: These are poetic synonyms for the nation of Israel. "Jacob" often refers to the patriarch's character or the physical lineage, while "Israel" emphasizes the people's God-given name and identity as God-wrestlers/victors. The dual address highlights the entire nation and underscores their covenant identity.
- for you are my servant: This is the core identity given by God. The Hebrew (‘avdi) denotes a special relationship of belonging, loyalty, and purpose. It speaks of a chosen, called, and designated role, rather than mere subjugation. This identity forms the basis for God's claim and promise.
- I have formed you (yeṣarəḵā): Refers to God as the ultimate Creator. This term emphasizes deliberate, skilled crafting (like a potter molding clay). It speaks of pre-existent knowledge, intentional design, and purpose in Israel's creation, contrasting sharply with human-made, purposeless idols.
- you are my servant: This repetition serves as strong emphasis. It reinforces Israel’s designated identity and purpose. This isn't just a label, but a statement of their fundamental being and their relation to God. It underscores the intimacy and specific calling inherent in their formation.
- O Israel: Another direct, personal address, demonstrating God’s profound affection and care. This repetition of the name in the final clause makes the promise specifically personal and directed.
- you will not be forgotten by me (lō’ tiššāḵaḥ mimmennî): This is a strong promise of divine remembrance and faithfulness. It contrasts with the human tendency to forget God, as well as the implied forgetfulness of idols. The passive voice ("will not be forgotten") emphasizes God as the active subject who ensures Israel’s remembrance, confirming His unbreakable covenant loyalty even when they forget Him.
Isaiah 44 21 Bonus section
The repeated phrases like "Jacob, Israel" and "you are my servant" in Isaiah 44:21 are a rhetorical strategy often used in Hebrew poetry to add emphasis, intensify a concept, and underscore the divine speaker's emotion and the listener's core identity. This particular verse forms a theological bridge: it concludes the argument against idolatry by re-centering Israel's focus on God's sovereignty and their divinely ordained status, while simultaneously preparing the audience for God's impending declaration of redemption and forgiveness in the following verses (e.g., v. 22: "I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you."). The sequence of 'remember', 'servant', 'formed', 'not forgotten' establishes a logical and theological flow from identity to destiny rooted in God's active engagement.
Isaiah 44 21 Commentary
Isaiah 44:21 is a tender yet firm appeal from God, drawing His people away from the spiritual blindness of idolatry towards their true identity and source of hope. Following a detailed expose of idol-worship's absurdity, God calls Jacob and Israel to "remember" not just cognitively, but to deeply internalize and live out the implications of "these things"—His unique divine power, His role as their Creator, and their fundamental identity as His chosen servants. This remembering is an active antidote to the forgetfulness that leads to false worship. The double affirmation, "you are my servant," anchors their existence and purpose squarely in their relationship with God. The verse culminates in the profoundly comforting promise, "you will not be forgotten by me," which stands in stark contrast to humanity's prone tendency to forget God. It underscores God's unfailing faithfulness and serves as a powerful reassurance to His covenant people, assuring them that despite their shortcomings, their Creator and Redeemer remains utterly devoted to them, making a way for their redemption from exile and spiritual blindness.