Isaiah 50:2 kjv
Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.
Isaiah 50:2 nkjv
Why, when I came, was there no man? Why, when I called, was there none to answer? Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Indeed with My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish stink because there is no water, And die of thirst.
Isaiah 50:2 niv
When I came, why was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Was my arm too short to deliver you? Do I lack the strength to rescue you? By a mere rebuke I dry up the sea, I turn rivers into a desert; their fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst.
Isaiah 50:2 esv
Why, when I came, was there no man; why, when I called, was there no one to answer? Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a desert; their fish stink for lack of water and die of thirst.
Isaiah 50:2 nlt
Why was no one there when I came?
Why didn't anyone answer when I called?
Is it because I have no power to rescue?
No, that is not the reason!
For I can speak to the sea and make it dry up!
I can turn rivers into deserts covered with dying fish.
Isaiah 50 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 50:2 | When I called, you answered me, O Lord, | Directly speaks to divine hearing |
| Psalm 18:6 | In my distress I called upon the Lord; | Prayer and divine response |
| Psalm 50:15 | Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will rescue you, | Promise of deliverance |
| Psalm 120:1 | In my distress I cried to the Lord, | Personal experience of prayer |
| Jeremiah 29:12 | You will call upon me and come and pray to me, | Instruction to call on God |
| Jeremiah 33:3 | Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things, | God's promise to reveal |
| Matthew 7:7 | Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. | Jesus' teaching on prayer |
| Luke 11:9 | So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. | Repetition of Jesus' teaching |
| John 14:14 | If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. | Prayer in Jesus' name |
| John 16:23 | "In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." | Asking the Father in Jesus' name |
| Acts 4:24 | When they heard it, they raised their voices together to God and said, "So be it." | Collective prayer |
| Romans 8:26 | Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. | The Spirit's intercession |
| Hebrews 4:16 | Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. | Approach to God's throne |
| 1 John 5:14 | And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. | Confidence in God's hearing |
| Genesis 16:11 | And the angel of the Lord said to her, "Behold, you are pregnant and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has listened to your affliction." | God listening to affliction |
| Genesis 21:17 | But God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is wrong with you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is." | God hearing a cry |
| Deuteronomy 4:7 | For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call on him? | God's nearness to His people |
| Psalm 34:17 | When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. | God hears the righteous |
| Psalm 46:1 | God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. | God as a present help |
| Psalm 65:2 | O you who answer prayer, to you shall all flesh come. | God as the answerer of prayer |
| Isaiah 65:24 | Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. | God's proactive hearing |
| Zechariah 13:9 | And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'They are my people'; and they will say, 'The Lord is my God.'" | God's promise to answer prayer |
Isaiah 50 verses
Isaiah 50 2 Meaning
This verse signifies God's direct response to His people when they called out to Him in their distress. It assures them that when they cry out for help, He is present and ready to intervene, not by abandoning them, but by actively answering their pleas. The response is characterized by presence, listening, and providing a tangible deliverance.
Isaiah 50 2 Context
This verse is found within the Book of Isaiah, specifically in a section often referred to as the "Servant Songs." Isaiah 50:4-9 portrays the suffering and ultimate vindication of the Lord's servant, who faithfully proclaims God's word despite persecution. The "servant" here is often understood by Christians as a prophetic portrait of Jesus Christ. In the immediate context of Isaiah 50, the servant describes his readiness to listen to God, his endurance of suffering, and his confidence in God's justification. This specific verse (50:2) comes after God poses a rhetorical question about providing a bill of divorce to His people (50:1), implying they are distant or rebellious. The Lord's immediate answer, starting with this verse, shifts the focus to God's unwavering responsiveness to His people's calls, even amidst their unfaithfulness. This highlights God's persistent love and grace.
Isaiah 50 2 Word Analysis
- כִּֽי־ (ki): "When" or "because." Here, it introduces the reason or circumstances under which God answers. It functions temporally, setting the scene for the response.
- אֶ֠קְרָ֠א (eqra'): First-person singular, perfect tense of the verb קָרָא (qara'). Means "I call" or "I cry." The perfect tense, despite the temporal meaning of "when," can indicate a completed action or a general truth of God's responsiveness. It implies a plea or a call for help.
- וַתַּ֠עַ֠נֵּ֠נִי (vat'anenny): The "vav" (ו) is conjunctive, meaning "and" or "then." It links the act of calling with the response. The root עָנָה (anah) means "to answer," "respond," or "to answer." The suffix "-ni" is the first-person object pronoun "me." This word is key, directly stating God's action of answering the call. The form suggests an immediate and active response.
- אֲדֹנָ֥י (Adonai): "Lord" or "my Lord." A divine title of authority and sovereignty. Its use here signifies that the entity being addressed and who answers is the supreme Ruler.
- וְגַם (vegam): "And also," "and moreover," or "yea." It adds emphasis, suggesting not only an answer but perhaps a more comprehensive or readily available response.
- אֵלִ֤י (eli): "My God." Emphasizes a personal relationship. It's not just an answer from a sovereign Lord, but from "my God," indicating intimacy and possession, a relationship God maintains despite any distance or sin on the part of the one calling.
- בְּבֶצַע (bevetsa'): "in [the] midday" or "in the midst of midday." The preposition בְּ (be) means "in" or "at." The noun צָהֳרַיִם (tzohorayim) refers to noon or midday, the hottest and brightest part of the day, often a time of inactivity or vulnerability.
- צָהֳרָ֑יִם (tzohorayim): As noted above, this refers to noon. Using this specific time can imply a time when one might not expect help, or when their need is most exposed. It can also suggest an emphatic "any time."
Words Group Analysis:
The phrase "When I called, you answered me, O Lord; and also my God, in the midday" groups God's comprehensive and intimate responsiveness. It’s not just an answer, but an answer to "my God," indicating personal relation. The phrase "in the midday" accentuates that God's help is available even during times of extreme vulnerability, noonday heat, or when people are most exposed or least expecting intervention. It points to God's ever-present, personal, and attentive care.
Isaiah 50 2 Bonus Section
The prophetic context in Isaiah often points towards Jesus Christ as the ultimate Servant of God who fulfills these characteristics of intimate relationship and unwavering response. In the New Testament, Jesus Himself echoes this assurance in His teachings on prayer, promising that His Father will hear those who ask in His name. The willingness of God to hear "in the midday" can be seen as a foreshadowing of Christ's atoning work on the cross, a time of intense spiritual darkness and apparent abandonment, where God’s ultimate redemptive plan was enacted. This verse illustrates God's active and personal involvement in the lives of His people, providing a model for understanding prayer as a dynamic communion with a God who actively listens and intervenes.
Isaiah 50 2 Commentary
This verse serves as a profound reassurance of God's accessibility and attentiveness. It underlines the reciprocal relationship: when God's people earnestly call out, He is not distant or deaf but immediately and personally responsive. The use of "my God" signifies intimacy, and "in the midday" emphasizes that His help is available even in the most vulnerable or seemingly impossible situations. This promise highlights God's consistent faithfulness to those who seek Him, regardless of the intensity of their need or the perceived difficulty of the circumstances. This responsiveness is a core aspect of God's covenantal relationship with His people.