Isaiah 48:3 kjv
I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.
Isaiah 48:3 nkjv
"I have declared the former things from the beginning; They went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to hear it. Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.
Isaiah 48:3 niv
I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.
Isaiah 48:3 esv
"The former things I declared of old; they went out from my mouth, and I announced them; then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.
Isaiah 48:3 nlt
Long ago I told you what was going to happen.
Then suddenly I took action,
and all my predictions came true.
Isaiah 48 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 48:3 | "I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass." | Isaiah 48:3 (original verse) |
| Genesis 1:3 | "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." | God's spoken word causing creation |
| Psalm 33:9 | "For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast." | Divine command as cause |
| Isaiah 14:24 | "The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:" | God's irrevocable purpose |
| Isaiah 43:10 | "Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me." | Israel as witnesses of God's power |
| Isaiah 44:26 | "That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:" | Confirmation of God's prophetic word |
| Isaiah 45:21 | "Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath it foretold from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a saviour; there is none beside me." | God as the sole predictor of future events |
| Isaiah 46:10 | "Saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:" | God's eternal counsel and will |
| Jeremiah 23:20 | "The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly." | God's persistent execution of His plans |
| Jeremiah 29:11 | "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." | God's predetermined good plans |
| John 1:1 | "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." | Jesus as the eternal Word of God |
| John 1:14 | "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." | The Word (Christ) made manifest |
| John 14:26 | "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." | The Spirit bringing God's words to mind |
| Hebrews 1:3 | "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;" | Christ upholding all things by His word |
| Revelation 1:8 | "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." | God's eternal, all-encompassing nature |
| Revelation 21:6 | "And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is thirsty of the water of life freely." | Completion of God's divine plan |
| Matthew 24:35 | "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." | The permanence of Jesus' words |
| Romans 3:3-4 | "For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy saying, and mightest overcome when thou art judged." | God's faithfulness to His word |
| Acts 2:22-23 | "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:" | Fulfillment of God's foreknown plan |
| 1 Peter 1:20 | "Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you," | Predestination of Christ's coming |
| Revelation 19:11 | "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon it was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war." | Christ as Faithful and True |
Isaiah 48 verses
Isaiah 48 3 Meaning
Isaiah declares God's sovereignty and predictive power concerning Israel's future restoration, contrasting it with their past reliance on idols. The verse emphasizes that God's pronouncements, declared through His prophets, are certain and have already been revealed for Israel to know and remember their God.
Isaiah 48 3 Context
This verse is part of Isaiah's address to the house of Jacob, specifically reproaching them for their idolatry and disobedience, while asserting God's unique power as the sovereign Lord and the revealer of future events. The preceding verses (Isaiah 48:1-2) highlight God's indictment of Judah, who swear by the name of the LORD and profess to be of the holy city, but are not sincere. The chapter underscores a core theme: God's actions in history are preordained and declared through prophecy, a testament to His divinity and His unfailing purpose for His people, even through their exilic experience. This verse serves as proof of God's power and faithfulness, contrasting with the impotent gods of the nations.
Isaiah 48 3 Word Analysis
- "I" (אָנֹכִי - Anokhi): First-person singular pronoun, emphasizing God as the speaker.
- "have declared" (הִגַּדְתִּי - Higgins'dti): Perfect tense verb meaning to make known, to tell, to declare. It signifies a completed action of revelation.
- "the former things" (רִאשֹׁנֹת - Ri'shonot): Plural feminine noun meaning first things, former things, past events. This refers to events from the beginning of creation and historical interventions by God.
- "from the beginning" (מֵרֹאשׁ - Merosh): Preposition "min" (from) with the noun "rosh" (head, beginning, first). Signifies from the outset, from the earliest times.
- "and" (וְ - Ve): Conjunction, connecting clauses.
- "they went forth" (הִגִּידָה - Higgins'da): Third-person feminine singular perfect verb (from 'nagad' - to tell, declare, make known), implicitly referring to "the former things" or "my word." This indicates their emergence or announcement. The Septuagint has a plural form suggesting "they" (things or words) went forth.
- "out of my mouth" (מִפִּי - Mi-phi): Preposition "min" (from) with "phi" (mouth). Emphasizes divine origination; God's pronouncements.
- "and" (וְ - Ve): Conjunction.
- "I shewed them" (וַאֲשׁוּעֵם - Va'ashu'em): Hiphil infinitive construct of 'sha'a' (to rescue, to look). However, the Hebrew here is complex and can also be related to declaring or making clear. The standard reading is a Qal perfect verb (from 'higaid' or 'rash'ah' which fits contextually as "I proclaimed them" or "I showed them"). Some scholars propose variants based on manuscript differences.
- "I did them suddenly" (עָשִׂיתִי - Asisi): First-person singular perfect verb 'asah' (to do, make, perform). Expresses a decisive, complete action. "Suddenly" (פִּתְאֹם - Pit'om) could refer to the unexpected speed or suddenness of their fulfillment once God determined it.
- "and" (וּ - U): Conjunction.
- "they came to pass" (וַתָּבֹאנָה - Va'tavonah): Third-person feminine plural imperfect verb 'bow' (to come, come to pass). Indicates their occurrence or fulfillment.
Word Group Analysis:
- "I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth": This powerful phrase establishes God's unique role as the eternal revealer. The "former things" point to His actions in creation and history (e.g., Exodus), which He announced beforehand through prophets. His "mouth" signifies His authoritative word, the source of all truth and revelation.
- "and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass": This group emphasizes God's omnipotence and the certainty of His pronouncements. "Showed them" implies clear manifestation, either through prophecy or immediate action. "Suddenly, and they came to pass" highlights that once declared, God acts swiftly and decisively to bring His word to fulfillment, demonstrating His control over time and events.
Isaiah 48 3 Bonus Section
The phrase "suddenly, and they came to pass" speaks to the instantaneous and perfect execution of God's will once declared. This reflects the principle seen in creation itself, where God's word brought reality into being (Gen 1). It also foreshadows future fulfillments, such as the coming of Messiah, which, though divinely planned from eternity, arrived "in the fullness of time" (Gal 4:4), appearing suddenly to a world that did not fully recognize His advent until it was already happening. The entirety of Isaiah chapter 48, and this verse specifically, serves as a polemic against pagan deities, whose soothsayers and oracles could not reliably predict the future or guarantee outcomes, unlike the LORD who is the true God, "the first and the last."
Isaiah 48 3 Commentary
Isaiah 48:3 stands as a bold assertion of God's absolute sovereignty and the unfailing nature of His word. It's a divine testimony that God is not like the idols of the nations, who are mute and powerless. Instead, God speaks, and His declarations, originating from the very beginning, are perfectly and promptly fulfilled. The prophet here reminds Israel that God's previous acts of salvation (like the Exodus, which was declared) were not random occurrences but were part of His eternal plan, announced beforehand and executed decisively. This serves to strengthen Israel's faith by demonstrating God's immutability and power, encouraging them to trust in His promised future restoration. It establishes a pattern for understanding all of God's prophetic word: He speaks it, He initiates it, and He brings it to completion with precision and power, often with an element of suddenness in its fulfillment.