Isaiah 46:3 kjv
Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb:
Isaiah 46:3 nkjv
"Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, Who have been upheld by Me from birth, Who have been carried from the womb:
Isaiah 46:3 niv
"Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob, all the remnant of the people of Israel, you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born.
Isaiah 46:3 esv
"Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb;
Isaiah 46:3 nlt
"Listen to me, descendants of Jacob,
all you who remain in Israel.
I have cared for you since you were born.
Yes, I carried you before you were born.
Isaiah 46 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 43:1 | "But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, and he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.'" | God's personal creation and ownership |
| Deut 1:31 | "and in the wilderness, where you have seen that the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place." | God carried Israel in the wilderness |
| Psa 22:9-10 | "Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother's breast. On you was cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God." | God's care from birth |
| Psa 71:5-6 | "For you are my hope, O Lord God; you are my confidence from my youth. Upon you I have leaned from before I was born; you are he who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you." | God as source of confidence from birth |
| Psa 139:13-16 | "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them." | God's intricate knowledge of pre-birth |
| Prov 18:24 | "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." | God's enduring companionship |
| Jer 1:5 | "'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.'" | God's foreknowledge and consecration |
| Hos 11:1 | "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son." | God's fatherly love for Israel |
| Matt 1:21 | "She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." | God's saving power for His people |
| John 10:27-30 | "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one." | Christ's protective hand over believers |
| Gal 4:6 | "And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!'" | The Spirit enabling sonship |
| Eph 2:10 | "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." | Created for good works |
| Phil 1:6 | "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." | God's faithfulness to complete His work |
| 1 Thess 5:24 | "Faithful is he who calls you, also he will do it." | God's faithfulness |
| Heb 12:1-2 | "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith..." | Endurance in faith |
| 1 Peter 1:3-5 | "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his abundant mercy, he has been born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." | Guarded by God's power |
| Ps 94:14 | "For the Lord will not cast off his people; he will not abandon his inheritance." | God's preservation of His people |
| Deut 32:11 | "Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions," | Metaphor of God carrying His people |
| Isa 43:2 | "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, nor shall the flame consume you." | God's presence in trials |
| Isa 46:4 | "I will carry you to an even more advanced age and I will bear you on My boons and my strength." | God's continued support |
Isaiah 46 verses
Isaiah 46 3 Meaning
Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been carried by Me from the womb, who have been carried by Me from the belly.
This verse is a direct call from God to the people of Israel. He emphasizes His continuous care and support for them, from their very conception and birth, through all their experiences. It highlights God's unwavering commitment and personal involvement in the lives of His chosen people. The word "carried" signifies bearing a burden, supporting, and protecting.
Isaiah 46 3 Context
Chapter 46 of Isaiah is a powerful polemic against Babylonian idolatry, particularly targeting their gods Bel and Nebuchadnezzar's lineage. In contrast to the lifeless, cumbersome idols of Babylon, Isaiah presents Yahweh as the living, all-powerful God who has continuously carried His people, Israel, from their very beginnings. This specific verse (46:3) serves as the pivot. Having just declared the helplessness of Babylonian gods (45:20; 46:1-2), God now turns His attention directly to the "house of Jacob" and the "remnant of the house of Israel" to remind them of His faithful, personal care throughout their history. This is crucial for a people facing or anticipating exile and therefore questioning God's power and presence. The historical context is likely during the decline of the Babylonian empire or prior to its fall, when Isaiah is prophesying about their ultimate defeat and the restoration of Israel. The message is intended to strengthen their faith by reminding them of God's constant involvement and providential care, assuring them of future deliverance.
Isaiah 46 3 Word Analysis
Shimu` (שִׁמְעוּ):
- Meaning: "Hear!" or "Listen!" This is a masculine plural imperative verb from the root shama` (שָׁמַע).
- Significance: It's a strong command, demanding immediate attention and obedient reception of what follows. It's not just auditory perception but also comprehension and action. It calls for engagement of the whole person.
`Eser (אֶלְ):
- Meaning: "to" or "upon." A preposition indicating direction or destination.
Beth Ya`aqob (בֵּית יַעֲקֹב):
- Meaning: "House of Jacob."
- Significance: Refers to the entire people of Israel, descendants of Jacob. It's a broader designation than just the physical structure of Jacob's lineage.
U`ke (וְכָל):
- Meaning: "and all."
She`erith Yisra'el (שְׁאֵרִית יִשְׂרָאֵל):
- Meaning: "remnant of Israel."
- Significance: This term "she'erith" is crucial. It signifies those who remain after judgment or dispersion, a theme that runs throughout Isaiah. It speaks to God's faithfulness in preserving a portion of His people even amidst their failures and national crises. It also anticipates future restoration.
Asa`: (אָסוּעַ):
- Meaning: "carried" or "borne." From the root
asa(אָסַע), which can also mean "to take away" or "to support." - Significance: This word carries the weight of burden-bearing, support, and preservation. It evokes imagery of carrying something precious or heavy. This is a personal and intimate action.
- Meaning: "carried" or "borne." From the root
Mibbēten: (מִבֶּטֶן):
- Meaning: "from the belly" or "from the womb." The prefix mi- means "from," and bēten refers to the womb or belly.
- Significance: Emphasizes God's involvement from the earliest moments of existence, pre-birth, during gestation. It points to absolute dependency and divine inception of life.
Məṣā`ōṭai: (מְצֹאֹתָי):
- Meaning: "my carrying" or "my bearing." This is a possessive plural noun form from the root
asa. - Significance: The repetition of this concept ("carried by Me from the womb, carried by Me from the belly") intensifies the message of God's continuous, intimate, and proactive support throughout life's entire span, from the most private beginnings. The plural "meṣā`ōṭai" might suggest repeated acts of carrying or different phases of it.
- Meaning: "my carrying" or "my bearing." This is a possessive plural noun form from the root
Group Analysis (Jacob and Israel):
- "House of Jacob" and "remnant of Israel" are used together to encompass the entirety of God's people. Jacob, the patriarch, represents the nation's origin and struggle. Israel, his chosen name, signifies his covenantal relationship with God. "Remnant" points to God's faithfulness to preserve His people, even when a larger part might fall away or be carried off.
Group Analysis (Womb and Belly):
- "From the womb" (
mibbēten) and "from my buttocks/carryings" (mĕṣāʿōtāyoften rendered in a way that links to bearing or the belly again) stress God's involvement from conception and birth. The repetition underlines the unwavering nature of this support. It is not a conditional or occasional carrying but one that has been constant from life's very inception.
- "From the womb" (
Isaiah 46 3 Bonus Section
The concept of God carrying His people is a recurring motif in Scripture, often expressed with the imagery of an eagle caring for its young (Deut 32:11) or a shepherd carrying a lamb. This verse highlights that God’s carrying isn't just a post-natal event; it originates from the earliest stages of life, signifying total dependency on and provision from Him. The inclusion of the "remnant" emphasizes God’s redemptive faithfulness. Even when His people stray or face judgment, a chosen few are preserved through His persistent carrying and care, pointing towards the ultimate fulfillment in Christ who saves His people from their sins and sustains them for eternity. This intimate carrying is a theological distinctiveness of Yahweh, set against the impotence of foreign deities.
Isaiah 46 3 Commentary
God commands Israel to listen, drawing their attention to His unique, unbroken history of care. Unlike the helpless idols of Babylon, who are unable to sustain themselves or their worshippers, Yahweh has been actively involved in His people's lives from the moment of their conception in the womb. This deep, personal commitment, expressed by the repeated phrase "carried by Me," serves as a powerful assurance. It declares that just as God sustained them from the very beginning of their existence, He will continue to support and deliver them, even in their current difficult circumstances or future exiles. This establishes God's faithfulness as the bedrock of Israel's hope and identity.