Isaiah 50:1 kjv
Thus saith the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.
Isaiah 50:1 nkjv
Thus says the LORD: "Where is the certificate of your mother's divorce, Whom I have put away? Or which of My creditors is it to whom I have sold you? For your iniquities you have sold yourselves, And for your transgressions your mother has been put away.
Isaiah 50:1 niv
This is what the LORD says: "Where is your mother's certificate of divorce with which I sent her away? Or to which of my creditors did I sell you? Because of your sins you were sold; because of your transgressions your mother was sent away.
Isaiah 50:1 esv
Thus says the LORD: "Where is your mother's certificate of divorce, with which I sent her away? Or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities you were sold, and for your transgressions your mother was sent away.
Isaiah 50:1 nlt
This is what the LORD says: "Was your mother sent away because I divorced her?
Did I sell you as slaves to my creditors?
No, you were sold because of your sins.
And your mother, too, was taken because of your sins.
Isaiah 50 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 49:14 | But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me; the Lord has forgotten me." | God's perceived abandonment |
| Jer 30:12-15 | "For thus says the LORD: 'Your hurt is incurable, and your wound is grievous...' " | Judah's afflictions and God's action |
| Jer 50:17 | "Israel is a scattered sheep that the lions have driven away..." | Israel's dispersion and suffering |
| Ezek 36:22 | "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name...' " | God's action for His name |
| Ps 77:7-9 | "Will the Lord spurn forever, and will he never be favorable again?... Has his steadfast love forever ceased?... Has God forgotten to be gracious?" | Doubt of God's abandonment |
| Jer 3:8 | "She saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce..." | Spiritual adultery leading to exile |
| Matt 1:21 | "She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." | Jesus saving from sin |
| Heb 1:3 | "He upholds the universe by the word of his power." | Christ's sustaining power |
| Eph 2:8-9 | "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God..." | Salvation by grace, not works |
| Col 2:13-14 | "And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross." | Forgiveness of debt |
| Rom 8:33-34 | "Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died..." | No condemnation in Christ |
| John 6:37 | "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out." | Christ will not cast out |
| John 10:28-29 | "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..." | Security in Christ's hand |
| 1 Pet 1:18-19 | "knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ..." | Redemption without earthly price |
| Rev 5:9 | "And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you have purchased for God...' " | Purchased by Christ's blood |
| Isa 65:9 | "Jacob shall not be ashamed, nor shall his enemies be disgraced, for from the everlasting LORD is the descendant who shall not fail." | God's lasting covenant |
| Deut 30:3-4 | "then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will again gather you from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you." | God's future restoration |
| Jer 29:10-14 | "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." | God's plans for His people |
| Ezek 11:16 | "Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: Though I removed them to the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet I have been a little sanctuary for them..." | God as a sanctuary in exile |
| 2 Cor 5:19 | "in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them..." | God reconciling the world |
Isaiah 50 verses
Isaiah 50 1 Meaning
This verse, Isaiah 50:1, presents God's powerful declaration regarding His people, likely referring to Israel in their exile. It's a rhetorical question designed to provoke reflection on their state. God asks who has divorced them and cast them off. He emphasizes that it was not for any of their accumulated debts or sins that they were sold into captivity. This highlights that their present suffering was not a final abandonment by God, nor a consequence of an unpayable debt they owed.
Isaiah 50 1 Context
This verse belongs to the second part of Isaiah, often called "Deutero-Isaiah" (Isaiah 40-55), which speaks words of comfort and future restoration to the people of Judah in Babylonian exile. Chapter 50 sets a tone of instruction and encouragement for the suffering exiles. It focuses on the servant of the LORD, who suffers unjustly but remains obedient. This particular verse serves as an introduction, directly addressing the people's despair and God's response to it. It contextualizes God's relationship with His people, reassuring them that their current hardship is not due to final abandonment. The backdrop is the period of exile, a time when many would have questioned God's faithfulness and presence.
Isaiah 50 1 Word Analysis
"Who (מִֽי־, mi-)": An interrogative pronoun, initiating a question seeking to identify an agent or cause.
is (יֶשְׁנוֹ,yesh-noh) This verb form is absent in the Masoretic text here. The Hebrew reads more directly like "To whom [there is] divorcement".
there (ה֤) : A conjunctive waw, indicating continuity or a close connection of thought from a previous unstated idea, or here emphasizing "to which one".
a divorcement? (גֵּ֣רֶשׁ, geresh): The noun for divorce, particularly a writ of divorce. It signifies separation and putting away. Theologically, in Israel, divorce could occur, but God states He gives a "writ of divorce" only for adultery in Jeremiah 3:8. This question challenges whether God has permanently severed ties.
or (וְאִם־, wə-'im-) : A conjunction meaning "or" or "and if". It presents an alternative possibility.
to which (לְמִ֚י, lə-mi) : A prepositional phrase meaning "to whom".
of my (מִמֶּ֜נִּי, mim-me-): From me, indicating origin or source.
creditors (בַּעֲלֵ֣י חוֹב֔וֹת, ba‘ălê ḥōḇōṯ): Literally "masters of debts." This points to creditors, those to whom a debt is owed. In the context of exile, this could refer to the Babylonian captors or a more general sense of being indebted.
Word Group Analysis:
"To whom is there a divorcement? or to which of my creditors have I sold you?" : This phrase poses two fundamental questions concerning the cause of their predicament.
- The "divorcement" evokes the marital imagery often used for God's covenant relationship with Israel. Divorce implied a broken relationship and abandonment.
- The "creditors" implies being sold into slavery due to debt. This suggests they were treated as chattel, owned by others because of obligations they could not meet.
The verse asserts the negative to both questions: God states there is no valid reason for such actions in terms of divorce or being sold due to debt. This implies their suffering was not a result of God casting them off or them being bankrupt before Him to the point of total forfeiture.
Isaiah 50 1 Bonus Section
The imagery of being "sold for debt" could also allude to ancient Near Eastern practices where individuals could be sold into temporary servitude to pay off debts. However, the phrasing here suggests a complete forfeiture. The profound theological implication is that no matter how dire the circumstances of exile might appear, they were not the result of God's cessation of care or His inability to provide for His people's "debts" through His redemptive plan. This verse underscores the unbreakable nature of God's covenant love and faithfulness, which extends even through periods of judgment and discipline. The entire chapter continues to speak of the Servant's obedience and suffering, and this opening verse sets a tone of divine sovereignty and purpose behind all events.
Isaiah 50 1 Commentary
Isaiah 50:1 is a pivotal declaration by God asserting His continued relationship with His people despite their severe suffering and exile. It refutes any notion that their current plight is a result of God's definitive rejection, like a legal divorce or being sold due to insurmountable debt. God is highlighting that He did not permanently discard them, nor did He dispose of them to creditors because they were utterly bankrupt before Him. This is a theological assurance, positioning their hardship not as abandonment, but as a test or a period that will eventually lead to restoration. The concept of being "sold" speaks to the absolute loss of freedom experienced in exile. God’s question is rhetorical, intending to highlight the absurdity of thinking He would ever truly divorce His people or that their accumulated sin was so great it justified permanent forfeiture to any "creditor" of the nations. This lays the groundwork for God's ongoing action for their redemption, emphasizing that He remains their ultimate sustainer and provider, even in distress.