Focused Passage

Isaiah 48:1-8

The LORD Refines Stubborn Israel and Calls His People Out of Babylon

From Israel’s hypocritical covenant identity, to the LORD’s proof through fulfilled prophecy, to his restraint and refining for his name’s sake, to his self-revelation as Creator and sovereign speaker, to the command to leave Babylon, to the warning that peace does not belong to the wicked.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1 “Listen to this, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel, who have descended from the line of Judah, who swear by the name of the LORD, who invoke the God of Israel—but not in truth or righteousness—

2 who indeed call yourselves after the holy city and lean on the God of Israel; the LORD of Hosts is His name.

3 I foretold the former things long ago; they came out of My mouth and I proclaimed them. Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.

4 For I knew that you are stubborn; your neck is iron and your forehead is bronze.

5 Therefore I declared it to you long ago; I announced it before it came to pass, so that you could not claim, ‘My idol has done this; my carved image and molten god has ordained it.’

6 You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not acknowledge them? From now on I will tell you of new things, hidden things unknown to you.

7 They are created now, and not long ago; you have not heard of them before today. So you cannot claim, ‘I already knew them!’

8 You have never heard; you have never understood; for a long time your ears have not been open. For I knew how deceitful you are; you have been called a rebel from birth.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

Listen שִׁמְעוּ־ H8085 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural to this זֹ֣את H2063 Pronoun - feminine singular O house בֵּֽית־ H1004 Noun - masculine singular construct of Jacob יַעֲקֹ֗ב H3290 Noun - proper - masculine singular you who are called הַנִּקְרָאִים֙ H7121 Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural by the name בְּשֵׁ֣ם H8034 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of Israel יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular who have descended יָצָ֑אוּ H3318 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural from the line וּמִמֵּ֥י H4325 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct of Judah יְהוּדָ֖ה H3063 Noun - proper - masculine singular who swear הַֽנִּשְׁבָּעִ֣ים׀ H7650 Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural by the name בְּשֵׁ֣ם H8034 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֗ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular who invoke יַזְכִּ֔ירוּ H2142 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural the God וּבֵאלֹהֵ֤י H430 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct of Israel יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular but not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle in truth בֶאֱמֶ֖ת H571 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular [or] וְלֹ֥א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle righteousness בִצְדָקָֽה׃ H6666 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 2

Original words

who indeed כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction call yourselves נִקְרָ֔אוּ H7121 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural after the holy הַקֹּ֙דֶשׁ֙ H6944 Article | Noun - masculine singular city מֵעִ֤יר H5892 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct and lean נִסְמָ֑כוּ H5564 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural on וְעַל־ H5921 Conjunctive waw | Preposition the God אֱלֹהֵ֥י H430 Noun - masculine plural construct of Israel יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular the LORD יְהוָ֥ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular of Hosts צְבָא֖וֹת H6635 Noun - common plural [is] His name שְׁמֽוֹ׃ס H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 3

Original words

I foretold הִגַּ֔דְתִּי H5046 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular the former things הָרִֽאשֹׁנוֹת֙ H7223 Article | Adjective - feminine plural long ago מֵאָ֣ז H227 Preposition-m | Adverb they came יָצְא֖וּ H3318 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural out of My mouth וּמִפִּ֥י H6310 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular and I proclaimed them וְאַשְׁמִיעֵ֑ם H8085 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural Suddenly פִּתְאֹ֥ם H6597 Adverb I acted עָשִׂ֖יתִי H6213 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular and they came to pass וַתָּבֹֽאנָה׃ H935 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine plural
Verse 4

Original words

For I knew מִדַּעְתִּ֕י H3045 Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common singular that כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction you אָ֑תָּה H859 Pronoun - second person masculine singular . . . וְגִ֤יד H1517 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct are stubborn קָשֶׁ֖ה H7186 Adjective - masculine singular your neck עָרְפֶּ֔ךָ H6203 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular is iron בַּרְזֶל֙ H1270 Noun - masculine singular and your forehead וּמִצְחֲךָ֖ H4696 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular [is] bronze נְחוּשָֽׁה׃ H5154 Noun - feminine singular
Verse 5

Original words

Therefore I declared it וָאַגִּ֤יד H5046 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular to you לְךָ֙ Preposition | second person masculine singular long ago מֵאָ֔ז H227 Preposition-m | Adverb I announced it הִשְׁמַעְתִּ֑יךָ H8085 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular before בְּטֶ֥רֶם H2962 Preposition-b | Adverb it came to pass תָּב֖וֹא H935 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular so that you could not פֶּן־ H6435 Conjunction claim תֹּאמַר֙ H559 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular My idol עָצְבִּ֣י H6090 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular has done this עָשָׂ֔ם H6213 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural my carved image וּפִסְלִ֥י H6459 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular and molten god וְנִסְכִּ֖י H5262 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular has ordained it צִוָּֽם׃ H6680 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Verse 6

Original words

You have heard [these things] שָׁמַ֤עְתָּֽ H8085 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular look at them חֲזֵה֙ H2372 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular all כֻּלָּ֔הּ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular Will you וְאַתֶּ֖ם H859 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person masculine plural not הֲל֣וֹא H3808 Adverb - Negative particle acknowledge [them]? תַגִּ֑ידוּ H5046 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural From now on מֵעַ֔תָּה H6258 Preposition-m | Adverb I will tell you of הִשְׁמַעְתִּ֤יךָ H8085 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular new things חֲדָשׁוֹת֙ H2319 Adjective - feminine plural hidden things וּנְצֻר֖וֹת H5341 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine plural unknown to you וְלֹ֥א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle . . . יְדַעְתָּֽם׃ H3045 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Verse 7

Original words

They are created נִבְרְאוּ֙ H1254 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural now עַתָּ֤ה H6258 Adverb and not וְלֹ֣א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle long ago מֵאָ֔ז H227 Preposition-m | Adverb you have not וְלֹ֣א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle heard of them שְׁמַעְתָּ֑ם H8085 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine plural before וְלִפְנֵי־ H6440 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct today י֖וֹם H3117 Noun - masculine singular So you cannot פֶּן־ H6435 Conjunction claim תֹּאמַ֖ר H559 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular I already הִנֵּ֥ה H2009 Interjection knew them יְדַעְתִּֽין׃ H3045 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | third person feminine plural
Verse 8

Original words

- גַּ֣ם H1571 Conjunction You have never לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle heard שָׁמַ֗עְתָּ H8085 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular . . . גַּ֚ם H1571 Conjunction you have never לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle understood יָדַ֔עְתָּ H3045 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular . . . גַּ֕ם H1571 Conjunction for a long time מֵאָ֖ז H227 Preposition-m | Adverb your ears אָזְנֶ֑ךָ H241 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular have not לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle been open פִתְּחָ֣ה H6605 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person feminine singular For כִּ֤י H3588 Conjunction I knew יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ H3045 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular how deceitful you are בָּג֣וֹד H898 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute . . . תִּבְגּ֔וֹד H898 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular you have been called קֹ֥רָא H7121 Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person masculine singular a rebel וּפֹשֵׁ֥עַ H6586 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular from birth מִבֶּ֖טֶן H990 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.