Isaiah 52:5 kjv
Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.
Isaiah 52:5 nkjv
Now therefore, what have I here," says the LORD, "That My people are taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them Make them wail," says the LORD, "And My name is blasphemed continually every day.
Isaiah 52:5 niv
"And now what do I have here?" declares the LORD. "For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who rule them mock," declares the LORD. "And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed.
Isaiah 52:5 esv
Now therefore what have I here," declares the LORD, "seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail," declares the LORD, "and continually all the day my name is despised.
Isaiah 52:5 nlt
What is this?" asks the LORD. "Why are my people enslaved again? Those who rule them shout in exultation. My name is blasphemed all day long.
Isaiah 52 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 52:5 | "What then do I gain by their silence," declares the Lord GOD. | Prophetic utterance/Divine question |
| Gen 12:10 | Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. | Patriarchal history/Famine context |
| Gen 46:3-7 | "I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make a great nation of you there. I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph's hand will close your eyes." | Patriarchal migration/Divine assurance |
| Ex 1:11 | Therefore they set over them taskmasters to afflict them with heavy burdens. It was through their forced labor that they built the cities of Pithom and Raamses as store cities for Pharaoh. | Israel's Egyptian bondage/Taskmasters |
| Ex 1:13-14 | And the Egyptians became harsh in their treatment of the Israelites and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick and in all kinds of work in the field. And their taskmasters hurried them on, saying, "Be diligent! Complete your work!" on each assignment. | Israel's enslavement/Harsh treatment |
| Ex 2:23 | During those many days the king of Egypt died. And the Israelites groaned because of their slavery and cried out, and their cry to God went up out of the slavery. | Cry of the oppressed/God's awareness |
| Neh 9:9 | "You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry by the Red Sea. | Recounting deliverance/Divine intervention |
| Ps 105:23 | Then Israel settled in the land of Ham and sojourned in the land of Shem. | Historical fulfillment/Land settlement |
| Ps 106:7 | Our fathers did not consider your wondrous works in Egypt, but they rebelled against the Most High, by the Red Sea. | Failure to remember/Rebellion |
| Jer 2:6 | "They did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, through a land of desert and pits, through a land of drought and gloom, through a land through which no one passes, on which no one lives?" | Rejection of God's leadership/Forgetting past deliverance |
| Jer 43:5-7 | Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces took all the remnant of Judah who had returned to resettle in the land of Judah... But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces disregarded the Lord's command to stay in the land of Judah. Instead, they and all the remnant took along all their remaining people, men, women, and children, and the king’s daughters and everyone whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, including the king's daughters and the king himself. They went to the land of Egypt in defiance of the Lord. | Post-exilic migration/Defiance of God |
| Hos 9:3 | They shall not dwell in the Lord’s land, but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria. | Judgment/Return to Egypt symbolism |
| Acts 7:29 | And when this word was spoken, Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian. He became the father of two sons. | New Testament fulfillment/Moses' exile |
| Rom 9:17 | For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "I have raised you up for this very purpose, of showing my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." | Divine sovereignty/Pharaoh's purpose |
| Rom 9:19 | You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who resists his will?" | Theological consideration/God's will |
| John 8:36 | So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. | Spiritual freedom/New Covenant |
| Rev 11:8 | and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was also crucified. | Symbolic language/Spiritual oppression |
| Isa 5:13 | Therefore my people go into exile for want of knowledge; their high estate is emptied, their multitudes are scattered and brought low by hunger and thirst. | Cause of exile/Lack of discernment |
| Psa 136:10-15 | To him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, for his steadfast love endures forever; and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever; with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever; and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever, but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever. | Deliverance narrative/God's faithfulness |
| Exo 20:2 | "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. | Divine Identity/Foundation of law |
Isaiah 52 verses
Isaiah 52 5 Meaning
The people of Israel, my people, will go down into Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrian will oppress them without cause.
Isaiah 52 5 Context
Isaiah 52:5 occurs within a prophecy that speaks of God's redemption and restoration of His people, particularly after periods of exile and oppression. The preceding verses (Isa 51:22-23) portray God as a restorative force who will no longer tolerate His people being trodden down. Verse 5 shifts to a more immediate lament over the current state of God's people, referring to their past vulnerability and subjection. The immediate context emphasizes God's power to vindicate and deliver, contrasting with the people's previous state of suffering and dispersal, which the verse will elaborate upon. Historically, the people of Israel experienced cycles of oppression, notably in Egypt and later under Assyrian and Babylonian rule. The reference to Egypt carries the weight of their foundational slavery, a stark reminder of their need for divine intervention.
Isaiah 52 5 Word Analysis
- “My people”: (Hebrew: עַמִּי, ammi) - This possessive pronoun signifies a special relationship between God and Israel. It is a term of endearment and covenant ownership.
- “go down” (Hebrew: יֵרֵד, yered) - Indicates movement downwards, often signifying descent into a lower or more vulnerable position. It directly recalls the descent of Jacob's family into Egypt.
- “into Egypt” (Hebrew: מִצְרַיִם, Mitzrayim) - Refers to Egypt, a land historically associated with Israel's enslavement and their initial formative years as a nation.
- “to sojourn” (Hebrew: לָגוּר, lagur) - Denotes dwelling or residing for a time, often in a temporary or foreign capacity. It implies a lack of permanent ownership or full settlement.
- “there”: Points to Egypt as the specific location of this temporary dwelling.
- “and the Assyrian” (Hebrew: וְאַשּׁוּר, ve'Ashur) - Refers to the Assyrian empire, a major power that repeatedly oppressed Israel and Judah, carrying them into exile.
- “will oppress” (Hebrew: יַחֲמֹס, yachamose) - From the root חָמַס (chamas), meaning to treat violently, wrong, or oppress. It implies an unjust and forceful subjugation.
- “without cause” (Hebrew: חִנָּם, chinam) - Literally "for nothing," "freely," or "without reason." This signifies that the oppression is undeserved and illegitimate.
Isaiah 52 5 Bonus Section
The reference to Egypt and Assyria together serves as a comprehensive sweep of Israel's history of affliction. Egypt represents their early national trauma and the beginning of their dependency on foreign powers, even if initially invited. Assyria signifies the brutal imperial power that decimated the northern kingdom and threatened the southern kingdom of Judah, ultimately leading to exile. This verse, by invoking these two powerful adversaries, frames the present spiritual warfare and eventual deliverance in the light of a long-standing struggle for God's people. It reminds believers that their current afflictions, while real, are not outside the purview of God's ultimate redemptive plan, echoing His faithful remembrance of Israel's suffering in Egypt. The declaration "without cause" points to the spiritual dimension, where God's people are sometimes attacked for their faith, for their covenant status, rather than for any wrong they have committed.
Isaiah 52 5 Commentary
This verse encapsulates the precariousness and suffering Israel has faced. Even as God promises ultimate vindication and release from present oppressions, He acknowledges the historical vulnerability that defines their experience. The mention of going down to Egypt for sojourning and the oppression by Assyria highlights the deep-seated patterns of hardship Israel has endured. It speaks to their foundational experience of bondage in Egypt, from which God powerfully delivered them, and their subsequent subjection to empires like Assyria. The phrase "without cause" emphasizes the injustice and undeserved nature of the suffering inflicted upon God's chosen people, underscoring God's awareness and impending action to rectify these wrongs.