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—

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

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

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

5Therefore 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.’

6You 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.

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

8You 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

Listenשִׁמְעוּ־H8085Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralto thisזֹ֣אתH2063Pronoun - feminine singularO houseבֵּֽית־H1004Noun - masculine singular constructof Jacobיַעֲקֹ֗בH3290Noun - proper - masculine singularyou who are calledהַנִּקְרָאִים֙H7121Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine pluralby the nameבְּשֵׁ֣םH8034Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לH3478Noun - proper - masculine singularwho have descendedיָצָ֑אוּH3318Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralfrom the lineוּמִמֵּ֥יH4325Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural constructof Judahיְהוּדָ֖הH3063Noun - proper - masculine singularwho swearהַֽנִּשְׁבָּעִ֣ים׀H7650Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine pluralby the nameבְּשֵׁ֣םH8034Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructof the LORDיְהוָ֗הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularwho invokeיַזְכִּ֔ירוּH2142Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralthe Godוּבֵאלֹהֵ֤יH430Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural constructof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵל֙H3478Noun - proper - masculine singularbut notלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particlein truthבֶאֱמֶ֖תH571Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular[or]וְלֹ֥אH3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particlerighteousnessבִצְדָקָֽה׃H6666Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 2

Original words

who indeedכִּֽי־H3588Conjunctioncall yourselvesנִקְרָ֔אוּH7121Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common pluralafter the holyהַקֹּ֙דֶשׁ֙H6944Article | Noun - masculine singularcityמֵעִ֤ירH5892Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular constructand leanנִסְמָ֑כוּH5564Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common pluralonוְעַל־H5921Conjunctive waw | Prepositionthe Godאֱלֹהֵ֥יH430Noun - masculine plural constructof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֖לH3478Noun - proper - masculine singularthe LORDיְהוָ֥הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularof Hostsצְבָא֖וֹתH6635Noun - common plural[is] His nameשְׁמֽוֹ׃סH8034Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 3

Original words

I foretoldהִגַּ֔דְתִּיH5046Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singularthe former thingsהָרִֽאשֹׁנוֹת֙H7223Article | Adjective - feminine plurallong agoמֵאָ֣זH227Preposition-m | Adverbthey cameיָצְא֖וּH3318Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralout of My mouthוּמִפִּ֥יH6310Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularand I proclaimed themוְאַשְׁמִיעֵ֑םH8085Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine pluralSuddenlyפִּתְאֹ֥םH6597AdverbI actedעָשִׂ֖יתִיH6213Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularand they came to passוַתָּבֹֽאנָה׃H935Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine plural
Verse 4

Original words

For I knewמִדַּעְתִּ֕יH3045Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common singularthatכִּ֥יH3588Conjunctionyouאָ֑תָּהH859Pronoun - second person masculine singular. . .וְגִ֤ידH1517Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular constructare stubbornקָשֶׁ֖הH7186Adjective - masculine singularyour neckעָרְפֶּ֔ךָH6203Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singularis ironבַּרְזֶל֙H1270Noun - masculine singularand your foreheadוּמִצְחֲךָ֖H4696Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular[is] bronzeנְחוּשָֽׁה׃H5154Noun - feminine singular
Verse 5

Original words

Therefore I declared itוָאַגִּ֤ידH5046Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singularto youלְךָ֙Preposition | second person masculine singularlong agoמֵאָ֔זH227Preposition-m | AdverbI announced itהִשְׁמַעְתִּ֑יךָH8085Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singularbeforeבְּטֶ֥רֶםH2962Preposition-b | Adverbit came to passתָּב֖וֹאH935Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singularso that you could notפֶּן־H6435Conjunctionclaimתֹּאמַר֙H559Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularMy idolעָצְבִּ֣יH6090Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularhas done thisעָשָׂ֔םH6213Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine pluralmy carved imageוּפִסְלִ֥יH6459Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularand molten godוְנִסְכִּ֖יH5262Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularhas ordained itצִוָּֽם׃H6680Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Verse 6

Original words

You have heard [these things]שָׁמַ֤עְתָּֽH8085Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singularlook at themחֲזֵה֙H2372Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularallכֻּלָּ֔הּH3605Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singularWill youוְאַתֶּ֖םH859Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person masculine pluralnotהֲל֣וֹאH3808Adverb - Negative particleacknowledge [them]?תַגִּ֑ידוּH5046Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralFrom now onמֵעַ֔תָּהH6258Preposition-m | AdverbI will tell you ofהִשְׁמַעְתִּ֤יךָH8085Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singularnew thingsחֲדָשׁוֹת֙H2319Adjective - feminine pluralhidden thingsוּנְצֻר֖וֹתH5341Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine pluralunknown to youוְלֹ֥אH3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle. . .יְדַעְתָּֽם׃H3045Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Verse 7

Original words

They are createdנִבְרְאוּ֙H1254Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common pluralnowעַתָּ֤הH6258Adverband notוְלֹ֣אH3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particlelong agoמֵאָ֔זH227Preposition-m | Adverbyou have notוְלֹ֣אH3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particleheard of themשְׁמַעְתָּ֑םH8085Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine pluralbeforeוְלִפְנֵי־H6440Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural constructtodayי֖וֹםH3117Noun - masculine singularSo you cannotפֶּן־H6435Conjunctionclaimתֹּאמַ֖רH559Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularI alreadyהִנֵּ֥הH2009Interjectionknew themיְדַעְתִּֽין׃H3045Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | third person feminine plural
Verse 8

Original words

-גַּ֣םH1571ConjunctionYou have neverלֹֽא־H3808Adverb - Negative particleheardשָׁמַ֗עְתָּH8085Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular. . .גַּ֚םH1571Conjunctionyou have neverלֹ֣אH3808Adverb - Negative particleunderstoodיָדַ֔עְתָּH3045Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular. . .גַּ֕םH1571Conjunctionfor a long timeמֵאָ֖זH227Preposition-m | Adverbyour earsאָזְנֶ֑ךָH241Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singularhave notלֹא־H3808Adverb - Negative particlebeen openפִתְּחָ֣הH6605Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person feminine singularForכִּ֤יH3588ConjunctionI knewיָדַ֙עְתִּי֙H3045Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularhow deceitful you areבָּג֣וֹדH898Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute. . .תִּבְגּ֔וֹדH898Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularyou have been calledקֹ֥רָאH7121Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person masculine singulara rebelוּפֹשֵׁ֥עַH6586Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularfrom birthמִבֶּ֖טֶןH990Preposition-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.