Isaiah 51 10

Isaiah 51:10 kjv

Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?

Isaiah 51:10 nkjv

Are You not the One who dried up the sea, The waters of the great deep; That made the depths of the sea a road For the redeemed to cross over?

Isaiah 51:10 niv

Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea so that the redeemed might cross over?

Isaiah 51:10 esv

Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?

Isaiah 51:10 nlt

Are you not the same today,
the one who dried up the sea,
making a path of escape through the depths
so that your people could cross over?

Isaiah 51 verses

Isaiah 51 10 meaning

Isaiah 51:10 is a powerful rhetorical question addressed to God, serving as a reminder and reaffirmation of His unparalleled power and faithfulness. It evokes God's decisive act of drying up the Red Sea, creating a path through the formidable "great deep," to deliver the enslaved Israelites from Egypt. This past miracle of the Exodus is presented as an unchallengeable precedent, assuring the exiles in Babylon that the same mighty God will again intervene to create a "way" for His "redeemed" people, leading them out of captivity to salvation. The verse links God's redemptive power over natural forces with His covenant promises, guaranteeing a future deliverance as spectacular as the past.

Isaiah 51 10 Context

Isaiah 51:10 is embedded within the section known as Second Isaiah (chapters 40-55), a period when the Israelites are in Babylonian exile. The overall theme is comfort, restoration, and the declaration of God's unmatched sovereignty. The people are questioning God's faithfulness and power, feeling forgotten and abandoned in their foreign land.

Chapters 49-55 specifically highlight God's servant, the restoration of Zion, and the new covenant. Chapter 51 is a fervent call for the exiles to remember God's past works and to trust in His ongoing power to save. It uses rhetorical questions and reminders of historical deliverances (like Abraham's solitary call and the Exodus) to inspire hope. Verse 10 specifically recalls the Red Sea event as the definitive example of God's might in transforming an impassable barrier into a salvific "way." This past act serves as the foundational guarantee that God will, once again, make a way for His redeemed people to return to Zion from Babylon, paralleling the original Exodus.

Isaiah 51 10 Word analysis

• Was it not you (הֲלוֹא אַתְּ הִיא - Ha-lo att hiy)

  • Ha-lo: A rhetorical interrogative particle, translating to "is it not...?" or "did not...?". It anticipates an affirmative answer, reinforcing that the fact is undeniable and well-known.
  • Att hiy: "You, she," referring directly to God (feminine form in Hebrew often used poetically for a mighty, active force, or perhaps aligning with "wisdom" or "Jerusalem" as feminine concepts that embody God's acts in previous verses, though the agent here is definitively YHWH). It emphasizes God's direct, singular agency.
  • Significance: A powerful affirmation of YHWH's exclusive action and identity as the one true, capable deliverer.

• who dried up (יָבֵשֶׁת - yavesshet)

  • Yaveshet (verb form derived from root יָבֵשׁ - yavesh): To dry up, to become dry. The active participle, stressing an ongoing or characteristic action.
  • Significance: Direct reference to the Red Sea miracle. It points to a complete desiccation, not merely separation, creating solid ground for passage.

• the sea, the waters of the great deep, (יָם מֵי תְהוֹם רַבָּה - yam, mei tehom rabbah)

  • Yam: Sea. Specific reference to the Red Sea, the natural barrier.
  • Mei tehom rabbah: "Waters of the great deep."
    • Mei: Waters of.
    • Tehom (תְּהוֹם): The deep, primeval ocean, often associated with primordial chaos (Gen 1:2). It implies an overwhelming, foundational body of water.
    • Rabbah: Great, vast.
  • Significance: This elevates the Exodus event beyond just a physical crossing. It connects God's power in redemption to His creative power over primeval chaos itself, asserting His cosmic sovereignty. It dismisses any thought of other deities having such control.

• who made the depths of the sea a way (שָׂמָה מַעֲמַקֵּי יָם דֶּרֶךְ - sama ma'amakkei yam derekh)

  • Sama (שָׂמָה): "Who made," or "who set/placed." An active verb denoting intentional creation or transformation.
  • Ma'amakkei yam: "Depths of the sea." Reinforces the extreme, humanly impossible nature of the task. Not just the surface, but the profound deep was transformed.
  • Derekh (דֶּרֶךְ): A way, a path, a road. A prepared passage.
  • Significance: Emphasizes divine intentionality and engineering. God specifically transformed an insurmountable barrier into a clear path for His people. "Derekh" is a foundational biblical concept for God's guidance and provision.

• for the redeemed to pass over? (עֲבֹר גְּאֻלִים - avor ge'ulim)

  • Avor: To pass over, to cross through. Denotes movement through the prepared path.
  • Ge'ulim (גְּאֻלִים): "The redeemed." The passive participle plural of ga'al (גָּאַל), meaning "to redeem," "to ransom," "to buy back." In this context, it refers to those whom God has delivered from bondage (from Egypt, and by extension, from Babylon).
  • Significance: This is the object of God's redemptive power – His chosen people. The "redeemed" are not just survivors, but those specifically ransomed by God's powerful hand, underscoring the covenant relationship and the purpose of the miraculous intervention. It points to both physical and spiritual deliverance.

Isaiah 51 10 Bonus section

• The phrasing "Was it not you" directly addresses God, placing the responsibility and capability squarely on His shoulders. It is not an inquiry of doubt, but an assertion of profound, unwavering confidence.
• The use of tehom rabbah (great deep) echoes the chaotic waters of Gen 1:2, deliberately connecting God's power in salvation with His original power in creation. This link reinforces that the God of creation is also the God of re-creation and redemption, capable of ordering any chaos.
• This verse anticipates the concept of a "new Exodus," a recurring theme in Isaiah, where the return from Babylon would be as miraculous and defining as the initial departure from Egypt. It underscores God's pattern of providing miraculous ways of escape and deliverance for His people.
• The "way" (derekh) God provides is not merely a path, but often symbolizes the journey of faithfulness and righteous living God desires for His people. His deliverance establishes the environment for them to walk in His ways.
• This verse subtly engages in polemics against the gods of Babylon, which claimed control over creation and destiny. By asserting YHWH's past and present dominion over cosmic waters, Isaiah declares His unique power to shape history and rescue His people.

Isaiah 51 10 Commentary

Isaiah 51:10 powerfully uses historical memory to rekindle hope amidst despair. It functions as an unassailable argument for God's ongoing power and commitment to His people. By evoking the drying of the Red Sea – an event deeply embedded in Israel's collective consciousness – the prophet assures the exiles in Babylon that their seemingly impossible return is not only feasible but assured.

The verse is a direct appeal to God, framed as a rhetorical question, which makes the affirmation even stronger. "Was it not you?" demands an undeniable "Yes!" from the audience's heart. God, alone, conquered the Red Sea, a symbol of impassable chaos and overwhelming danger. The specific mention of "the waters of the great deep" (tehom rabbah) elevates the miracle from a mere parting of the Red Sea to a cosmic re-enactment of creation itself, where God brought order out of primordial chaos. This asserts God's ultimate sovereignty over all creation, implying that no obstacle, however great, is beyond His power to subdue for His purposes.

The creation of "a way for the redeemed to pass over" highlights God's intentional, purposeful deliverance. The "redeemed" are those who belong to God, those for whom He paid the ultimate price, emphasizing the personal and covenantal nature of His intervention. Just as He made a path through the impossible depths for their ancestors, He will again make a way through the 'wilderness' of Babylon and hostile nations. This offers not just historical reassurance but a blueprint for future salvation, fostering an expectant faith in God's ability to act on their behalf once more, a theme echoed in the future salvation provided by Christ as the "Way."