Focused Passage

Isaiah 49:14-21

The Servant Restores Israel and Becomes a Light for the Nations

From the Servant’s womb-called mission, to his apparent frustration and divine vindication, to the expansion of salvation to the nations, to the restoration of prisoners and exiles, to Zion’s comfort and renewal, to the LORD’s final promise that captives will be rescued from the mighty.

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

14But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; the Lord has forgotten me!”

15“Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you!

16Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are ever before Me.

17Your builders hasten back; your destroyers and wreckers depart from you.

18Lift up your eyes and look around. They all gather together; they come to you. As surely as I live,” declares the LORD, “you will wear them all as jewelry and put them on like a bride.

19For your ruined and desolate places and your ravaged land will now indeed be too small for your people, and those who devoured you will be far away.

20Yet the children of your bereavement will say in your hearing, ‘This place is too small for us; make room for us to live here.’

21Then you will say in your heart, ‘Who has begotten these for me? I was bereaved and barren; I was exiled and rejected. So who has reared them? Look, I was left all alone, so where did they come from?’”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 14

Original words

But Zionצִיּ֖וֹןH6726Noun - proper - feminine singularsaidוַתֹּ֥אמֶרH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularThe LORDיְהוָ֑הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularhas forsaken meעֲזָבַ֣נִיH5800Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singularthe Lordוַאדֹנָ֖יH136Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singularhas forgotten meשְׁכֵחָֽנִי׃H7911Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Verse 15

Original words

Can a womanאִשָּׁה֙H802Noun - feminine singularforgetהֲתִשְׁכַּ֤חH7911Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singularher nursing childעוּלָ֔הּH5764Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singularor lack compassionמֵרַחֵ֖םH7355Preposition-m | Verb - Piel - Infinitive constructfor the sonבֶּן־H1121Noun - masculine singular constructof her wombבִּטְנָ֑הּH990Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singularEven ifגַּם־H1571Conjunctionsheאֵ֣לֶּהH428Pronoun - common pluralcould forgetתִשְׁכַּ֔חְנָהH7911Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine pluralI willוְאָנֹכִ֖יH595Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singularnotלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particleforget youאֶשְׁכָּחֵֽךְ׃H7911Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular | second person feminine singular
Verse 16

Original words

Beholdהֵ֥ןH2005InterjectionI have inscribed youחַקֹּתִ֑יךְH2710Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | second person feminine singularonעַל־H5921Prepositionthe palms of My handsכַּפַּ֖יִםH3709Noun - fdyour wallsחוֹמֹתַ֥יִךְH2346Noun - feminine plural construct | second person feminine singularare everתָּמִֽיד׃H8548Adverbbefore Meנֶגְדִּ֖יH5048Preposition | first person common singular
Verse 17

Original words

Your buildersבָּנָ֑יִךְH1121Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singularhasten backמִֽהֲר֖וּH4116Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common pluralyour destroyersמְהָֽרְסַ֥יִךְH2040Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singularand wreckersוּמַחֲרִבַ֖יִךְH2717Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singulardepartיֵצֵֽאוּ׃H3318Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralfrom youמִמֵּ֥ךְH4480Preposition | second person feminine singular

BSB notes

  • DSS; MT Your sons
Verse 18

Original words

Lift upשְׂאִֽי־H5375Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singularyour eyesעֵינַ֙יִךְ֙H5869Noun - cdc | second person feminine singularand lookוּרְאִ֔יH7200Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singulararoundסָבִ֤יבH5439AdverbThey allכֻּלָּ֖םH3605Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine pluralgather togetherנִקְבְּצ֣וּH6908Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common pluralthey comeבָֽאוּ־H935Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralto youלָ֑ךְPreposition | second person feminine singularAs surely as Iאָ֣נִיH589Pronoun - first person common singularliveחַי־H2416Noun - masculine singulardeclaresנְאֻם־H5002Noun - masculine singular constructthe LORDיְהוָ֗הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singular-כִּ֤יH3588Conjunctionyou will wear themתִלְבָּ֔שִׁיH3847Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine singularallכֻלָּם֙H3605Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine pluralas jewelryכָּעֲדִ֣יH5716Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singularand put them onוּֽתְקַשְּׁרִ֖יםH7194Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - second person feminine singular | third person masculine plurallike a brideכַּכַּלָּֽה׃H3618Preposition-k, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 19

Original words

Forכִּ֤יH3588Conjunctionyour ruinedחָרְבֹתַ֙יִךְ֙H2723Noun - feminine plural construct | second person feminine singularand desolate placesוְשֹׁ֣מְמֹתַ֔יִךְH8074Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural construct | second person feminine singularand your ravaged landוְאֶ֖רֶץH776Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct. . .הֲרִֽסֻתֵ֑יךְH2035Noun - feminine singular construct | second person feminine singularwill nowעַתָּה֙H6258Adverbindeedכִּ֤יH3588Conjunctionbe too smallתֵּצְרִ֣יH3334Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person feminine singularfor your peopleמִיּוֹשֵׁ֔בH3427Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularand those who devoured youמְבַלְּעָֽיִךְ׃H1104Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singularwill be far awayוְרָחֲק֖וּH7368Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Verse 20

Original words

Yetע֚וֹדH5750Adverbthe childrenבְּנֵ֖יH1121Noun - masculine plural constructof your bereavementשִׁכֻּלָ֑יִךְH7923Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singularwill sayיֹאמְר֣וּH559Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralin your hearingבְאָזְנַ֔יִךְH241Preposition-b | Noun - feminine dual construct | second person feminine singularThis placeהַמָּק֖וֹםH4725Article | Noun - masculine singularis too small for usצַר־H6862Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularmake roomגְּשָׁה־H5066Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singularfor usלִּ֥יPreposition | first person common singularto live hereוְאֵשֵֽׁבָה׃H3427Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular
Verse 21

Original words

Then you will sayוְאָמַ֣רְתְּH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person feminine singularin your heartבִּלְבָבֵ֗ךְH3824Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singularWhoמִ֤יH4310Interrogativehas begottenיָֽלַד־H3205Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markertheseאֵ֔לֶּהH428Pronoun - common pluralfor meלִי֙Preposition | first person common singularIוַאֲנִ֥יH589Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singularwas bereavedשְׁכוּלָ֖הH7909Adjective - feminine singularand barrenוְגַלְמוּדָ֑הH1565Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine singularI was exiledגֹּלָ֣ה׀H1540Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singularand rejectedוְסוּרָ֗הH5494Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine singularSo whoמִ֣יH4310Interrogativevvvוְאֵ֙לֶּה֙H428Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - common pluralhas reared themגִדֵּ֔לH1431Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singularLookהֵ֤ןH2005InterjectionIאֲנִי֙H589Pronoun - first person common singularwas leftנִשְׁאַ֣רְתִּיH7604Verb - Nifal - Perfect - first person common singularall aloneלְבַדִּ֔יH905Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularsoאֵ֖לֶּהH428Pronoun - common pluralwhereאֵיפֹ֥הH375Interrogativedid they come fromהֵֽם׃פH1992Pronoun - third person masculine plural

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.