Isaiah 52:3 kjv
For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.
Isaiah 52:3 nkjv
For thus says the LORD: "You have sold yourselves for nothing, And you shall be redeemed without money."
Isaiah 52:3 niv
For this is what the LORD says: "You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed."
Isaiah 52:3 esv
For thus says the LORD: "You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money."
Isaiah 52:3 nlt
For this is what the LORD says:
"When I sold you into exile,
I received no payment.
Now I can redeem you
without having to pay for you."
Isaiah 52 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 52:3 | For thus says the LORD, "You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money." | God’s unconditional redemption |
| Genesis 14:23 | "I will not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abraham rich.'" | Abraham’s refusal of reward |
| Deuteronomy 32:6 | "Do you thus repay the LORD, you foolish and senseless people? Is not he your father, who created you, who made you and established you?" | God’s fatherly relationship |
| 1 Samuel 12:11 | Then the LORD sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel. And he delivered you from the hand of your enemies on every side. | God’s deliverance through judges |
| Psalm 44:3 | For by their own sword they did not conquer the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm and the light of your face, for you delighted in them. | God’s saving arm |
| Psalm 49:7-9 | Truly, no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his redemption (that their ransom is too dear and can never suffice), that he should continue to live forever and never see the pit. | Inability of human ransom |
| Psalm 73:24 | You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me to glory. | God’s guidance to glory |
| Jeremiah 15:13 | "Your goods and your treasures I will give as plunder, without price, and with all your sins, in all your boundaries." | Unpriced giving of treasures |
| Jeremiah 17:11 | Like a partridge that gathers what it did not hatch, so is he who gets riches but not by right. In the midst of his days they will leave him, and at his end he will be a fool. | Riches not by right |
| Jeremiah 30:18 | "Thus says the LORD: Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob, and I will have mercy on his dwellings; he will rebuild the city on its mound, and the palace will stand on its proper place." | Restoration of Jacob |
| Jeremiah 50:33-34 | Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: The children of Israel and the children of Judah are oppressed together. All who take them captive have held them fast; they refuse to let them go. Their Redeemer is strong: the LORD of hosts is his name. He will by no means plead their cause, that he may bring ruin upon the earth, and with his contending against the inhabitants of the earth, with his contending against the inhabitants of the earth. | Strong Redeemer of Israel |
| Micah 6:11-12 | "Can I justify transactions with wicked scales and a bag of deceitful weights? Your riches are corruption, and your wives are violence." | Wicked scales and corruption |
| Zechariah 11:5 | Let them be bought who take the same pleasure in them, and let the seller say, 'Blessed be the LORD, for I have become rich,' while their shepherds pity them not. | Shepherds pitying not |
| Matthew 10:7-8 | And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without pay; give without pay. | Freely giving, freely received |
| Romans 3:23-24 | for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. | Justification by grace as a gift |
| Romans 5:8 | but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. | God's love while sinners |
| Romans 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. | Free gift of God |
| 1 Corinthians 1:30 | He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. | Christ our redemption |
| Ephesians 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, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. | Saved by grace through faith, a gift |
| Titus 3:5 | he saved us, not because of works done in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, | Saved according to His mercy |
| Revelation 21:4 | He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, anymore, for the former things have passed away. | No more death or pain |
Isaiah 52 verses
Isaiah 52 3 Meaning
This verse declares that God's people will not be redeemed through costly sacrifice or the acquisition of land, but by His own sovereign grace, highlighting a complete deliverance that requires no human merit or financial transaction.
Isaiah 52 3 Context
This verse is part of a larger prophecy in Isaiah 52-53, often referred to as the "Suffering Servant" passages. It speaks of Israel's future redemption and restoration. In chapter 52, the prophet calls for Jerusalem to awake and put on her strength, proclaiming the impending arrival of salvation. The people of Israel had been exiled and enslaved due to their sins, becoming like slaves who were sold. This verse assures them that their redemption from this state of captivity will not be a transaction of monetary payment or a laborous acquisition but a sovereign act of God. It shifts the focus from human effort or transactional salvation to God's gracious and unmerited intervention. The imagery of being "sold for nothing" emphasizes the injustice and indignity of their enslavement, and the subsequent promise of redemption "without money" underscores the freeness and completeness of God's saving grace.
Isaiah 52 3 Word analysis
For (Hebrew: כִּי - ki): Indicates a reason or explanation.
thus (Hebrew: כֹּה - koh): In this manner, so.
says (Hebrew: אָמַר - amar): To speak, say, declare.
the LORD (Hebrew: יְהוָה - YHWH): The covenant name of God, indicating His personal relationship and power.
You were sold (Hebrew: מְכַרְתֶּם - mekhartem): You were sold off, delivered over. The verb is in the passive voice, implying they were subjected to this state.
for nothing (Hebrew: לֹא בְכֶסֶף - lo bekesef): Literally "not for silver" or "not for money." This highlights the lack of legitimate transaction or inherent worth in the 'sale' that reduced them to servitude.
and (Hebrew: וְ - ve): Connective particle.
you shall be redeemed (Hebrew: תִּגָּאֲלוּ - tig'alu): You shall be bought back, ransomed, set free. The root גָּאַל (ga'al) implies reclaiming, often with a kinsman-redeemer (goel) function.
without money (Hebrew: בְּלִי כָסֶף - beli kesef): Without payment, not by means of money. This emphasizes the freeness of the redemption.
You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money: This phrase juxtaposes the indignity of their former state with the graciousness of their future liberation. The “selling for nothing” suggests they were treated as valueless, mere chattel, subjected to bondage not because of any justifiable debt but through oppressive circumstances or injustice. The “redeemed without money” contrasts this starkly, showing that their liberation is not earned or purchased but is a free act of divine grace and power, much like a kinsman-redeemer who rescues a family member.
Isaiah 52 3 Bonus section
The concept of redemption through a kinsman-redeemer (Hebrew: גּוֹאֵל - go'el) is a significant theme in the Old Testament, notably in the story of Ruth. The kinsman-redeemer had the right and responsibility to buy back land and ransom family members in distress. Isaiah 52:3 prophetically points to God Himself as the ultimate Kinsman-Redeemer for Israel, one who will set them free not with earthly currency but with His own potent action. This rich theological concept finds its perfect fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who is our Redeemer, buying us back from sin with the precious blood of His own sacrifice, freely given.
Isaiah 52 3 Commentary
God's declaration in Isaiah 52:3 underscores that His redemption of His people is entirely His initiative and provision, not something earned or bought by them. They were subjugated and exploited without regard for their value ("sold for nothing"), and their deliverance will come freely ("without money"). This foreshadows the ultimate redemption through Christ, whose sacrifice was a gift of grace, not a commercial transaction. It reminds believers that their salvation is a testament to God's power and love, not their own merit.