Isaiah 46:4 kjv
And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.
Isaiah 46:4 nkjv
Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you.
Isaiah 46:4 niv
Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
Isaiah 46:4 esv
even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.
Isaiah 46:4 nlt
I will be your God throughout your lifetime ?
until your hair is white with age.
I made you, and I will care for you.
I will carry you along and save you.
Isaiah 46 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 43:10 | "Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior." | God's singular, unchanging identity ("I am He"). |
| Isa 43:13 | "Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. I act, and who can reverse it?" | God's eternal sovereignty and irresistible power. |
| Exod 3:14 | "God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM."" | The divine name (YHWH) and self-declaration, "I Am He". |
| Deut 1:31 | "There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went..." | God carrying His people, like a parent. |
| Deut 32:11 | "like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions." | Imagery of God tenderly carrying and protecting His people. |
| Exod 19:4 | "You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself." | God's active deliverance and carrying during the Exodus. |
| Ps 71:9 | "Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone." | A plea for God's presence in old age, affirmed by Isa 46:4. |
| Ps 71:18 | "Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God..." | Seeking God's faithfulness into declining years. |
| Ps 139:13-16 | "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together... your eyes saw my unformed body..." | God as the ultimate Creator, forming individuals. |
| Ps 100:3 | "Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his..." | Affirmation of God as our Creator. |
| Job 10:11-12 | "You clothed me with skin and flesh... and granted me life and steadfast love, and your care preserved my spirit." | God as the Sustainer of life from creation. |
| Mal 3:6 | "For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed." | God's unchanging character ensures His covenant faithfulness. |
| Heb 13:8 | "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." | Echoes God's unchanging nature from the New Testament. |
| Jas 1:17 | "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change..." | God's immutability as the source of all good. |
| Ps 28:9 | "Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever." | A plea for God to carry and shepherd His people continuously. |
| Ps 34:19 | "The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all." | God's commitment to rescue His people from all afflictions. |
| Ps 37:24 | "though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand." | God's sustaining power in times of difficulty. |
| Ps 37:40 | "The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him." | God's comprehensive deliverance and salvation. |
| Phil 1:6 | "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." | God's continuous work from beginning to end in the believer. |
| Phil 4:19 | "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." | Divine provision and sustenance for all needs. |
| 1 Pet 5:7 | "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." | God actively bearing the burdens of His people. |
| Rom 8:38-39 | "For I am convinced that neither death nor life... will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." | God's steadfast love endures through all circumstances. |
| Matt 11:28 | "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." | Jesus offering to take our burdens, echoing God's carrying. |
Isaiah 46 verses
Isaiah 46 4 Meaning
Isaiah 46:4 declares God's steadfast, unending commitment to His people, promising to sustain them through their entire lives, from creation into old age. He identifies Himself as the unchanging Divine being who actively bears His people, a sharp contrast to the burden of idols. The verse emphasizes God's sovereign care, drawing a direct line from His act of creating His people to His continuous work of sustaining and ultimately rescuing them. It portrays an intimate and unwavering divine relationship that lasts a lifetime.
Isaiah 46 4 Context
Isaiah 46:4 is part of a larger section within Second Isaiah (chapters 40-55) where God reveals His singular identity and power to a people facing Babylonian captivity and idolatry. Chapters 40-48 often involve "trial scenes" where God challenges the idol-worshipping nations and contrasts His nature and deeds with those of their false gods. Specifically, in chapter 46, God declares the downfall of the prominent Babylonian idols, Bel and Nebo, whose images are shown to be helpless burdens carried into exile (Isa 46:1-2). They cannot save themselves, much less their devotees. In stark contrast to these inanimate, burdensome gods who are carried, Isaiah 46:3 introduces Yahweh's promise to carry His people from their very birth ("from the womb") through old age. Verse 4 extends this promise, reiterating His enduring care for them through their entire life journey, from creation to final deliverance. The verse serves as a polemic, asserting God's superiority over all idols by demonstrating His unique power to act on behalf of His people, not needing to be carried by them.
Isaiah 46 4 Word analysis
- Even to your old age: עַד־זִקְנָה (`ad-ziqna`) - Signifies a promise of lifelong constancy, covering the full span of human experience. "Old age" represents the conclusion of life, often a time of weakness and dependence. God promises He will not abandon His people during their most vulnerable phase. This contrasts sharply with the finite lifespan of humans and the temporary nature of idols.
- and gray hairs: וַאֲדִימָה (`wa'adimah`) - A common biblical idiom signifying advanced age, completion, and the ultimate end of one's days. The phrase "old age and gray hairs" (also Ps 71:18) poetically ensures the comprehensiveness of the promise – it is not just until nearly old, but fully through it. It further stresses the unchanging nature of God, who remains faithful while human strength fades.
- I am he: אֲנִי הוּא (`ani Hu`) - A powerful divine self-declaration, "I AM HE." This expression of divine identity is uniquely significant in Isaiah (e.g., Isa 43:10, 13; 48:12) and connects directly to the Tetragrammaton YHWH ("I Am Who I Am" - Exod 3:14). It asserts God's eternal, self-existent, and unchanging nature. It means: "I am the one I always have been, and always will be." This is critical because idols change and cease to exist, but God does not.
- I will sustain you: אֶסְבֹּל (`esbol`) - Literally, "I will bear" or "carry." The root `sabal` (related to burden/carry) is strategically used in Isaiah 46. In verses 1-2, it refers to idols being "carried" (a burden); here, God uses the same word to say He will carry His people. It signifies not merely a passive act but an active, supportive, burden-bearing engagement on behalf of another. It speaks of physical and emotional sustenance.
- I have made you: אֲנִי עָשִׂיתִי (`ani 'asîti`) - Emphasizes God's role as Creator. This past perfect tense highlights the established fact of creation. The act of making gives God both the right and the perfect understanding to sustain and care for His creation. His faithfulness to His people stems from His original act of bringing them into being. This implies an intrinsic, covenantal relationship.
- and I will carry you: וַאֲנִי אֶשָּׂא (`wa'ani 'esśa'`) - This is a common Hebrew verb for "to lift," "to carry," "to bear," often used of a parent carrying a child. Similar to `esbol`, but its repetition here intensifies the promise. The switch from `sabal` to `nasa` creates a literary parallelism, underscoring the comprehensive nature of God's act of bearing. It is an act of gentle, protective care, unlike a burdensome load.
- I will sustain you: אֲנִי אֶסְבֹּל (`ani 'esbol`) - Repetition of the first "sustain," reinforcing the unyielding commitment. This stylistic repetition in Hebrew intensifies the promise and assures His people of continuous, unwavering support and strength throughout every phase of life. It implies God carrying their burdens for them.
- and I will rescue you: וַאֲמַלֵּט (`wa'amallēṭ`) - To "deliver," "save," "cause to escape," "bring to safety." This signifies the ultimate goal and outcome of God's carrying and sustaining. His care is not only about endurance but also about ultimate salvation and complete freedom from trouble and danger. It underscores the redemptive aspect of His relationship with His people.
- "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he": This phrase encapsulates God's eternal, unchanging identity ("I am he") that is co-extensive with the entire human lifespan. It highlights the vast difference between God, who remains constant through all generations, and temporary human beings or failing idols. The temporal limits of human life do not limit God's faithfulness.
- "I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you": This links God's inherent being and identity (`ani Hu`) with His past action (`'asîti`) and future promise (`esbol`, `'esśa'`). His nature as Creator is the foundation for His role as the ever-present, protective Sustainer. The assurance of "I will carry you" springs directly from "I have made you" – a parent’s inherent responsibility for their child.
- "I will sustain you and I will rescue you": This grouping provides a dual promise: continuous provision and support (`esbol`) throughout the journey, and ultimate deliverance (`amallēṭ`) at the destination. God's care is comprehensive, covering both the challenges during life and final liberation from life's ultimate threats. It's an all-encompassing salvific promise, both for daily life and eternal destiny.
Isaiah 46 4 Bonus section
This verse embodies a powerful polemic not just against specific Babylonian deities, but against the very concept of idolatry. Pagan deities were typically depicted as needing physical support (statues needing altars, or being carried in procession), and they had no personal, intimate relationship with their adherents. They could not initiate creation or guarantee individual sustenance. In direct opposition, Yahweh asserts His active role in the very making of His people and promises to bear their burdens throughout life, emphasizing a personal, lifelong covenantal bond. The parental imagery of carrying them "from the womb" and "even to your old age" signifies an intimate care that is holistic and extends through all stages of vulnerability and dependence. This divine promise extends beyond the historical context to encompass God's consistent care for all believers, echoing the New Testament truth that Christ continually sustains those He saves.
Isaiah 46 4 Commentary
Isaiah 46:4 is a profound declaration of God's enduring faithfulness and personal involvement in the lives of His people, standing in sharp contrast to the impotence of pagan idols described in the preceding verses. While idols are dead weights, burdens to their worshippers who must be carried (Isa 46:1-2), Yahweh actively declares that He is the one who carries His people, not merely from birth but continuously, even into old age and through every season of life. His promise, "I am He," reiterates His unique, eternal, and unchanging nature as the sole God. This divine identity is the bedrock of His unfailing commitment: because He is the Creator who originally made them, He holds a personal stake and a loving obligation to sustain them throughout their existence and ultimately bring them to salvation. It’s a promise of intimate, parental care, offering profound comfort that God will not abandon them, regardless of their age, strength, or circumstances.