Focused Passage

Isaiah 51:9-16

The LORD Comforts Zion and Calls His People to Awake

From listening to covenant ancestry, to promised Eden-like comfort for Zion, to God’s righteousness and salvation for the nations, to courage against human reproach, to prayer for the LORD’s arm to awake, to divine rebuke of fear, to Jerusalem’s awakening from the cup of wrath.

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

9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD. Wake up as in days past, as in generations of old. Was it not You who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced through the dragon?

10 Was it not You who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea for the redeemed to cross over?

11 So the redeemed of the LORD will return and enter Zion with singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.

12 “I, even I, am He who comforts you. Why should you be afraid of mortal man, of a son of man who withers like grass?

13 But you have forgotten the LORD, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth. You live in terror all day long because of the fury of the oppressor who is bent on destruction. But where is the fury of the oppressor?

14 The captive will soon be freed; he will not die in the dungeon, and his bread will not be lacking.

15 For I am the LORD your God who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD of Hosts is His name.

16 I have put My words in your mouth, and covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 9

Original words

Awake עוּרִ֨י H5782 Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular awake עוּרִ֤י H5782 Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular put on לִבְשִׁי־ H3847 Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular strength עֹז֙ H5797 Noun - masculine singular O arm זְר֣וֹעַ H2220 Noun - feminine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֔ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular Wake up ע֚וּרִי H5782 Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular as in days כִּ֣ימֵי H3117 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine plural construct past קֶ֔דֶם H6924 Noun - masculine singular as in generations דֹּר֖וֹת H1755 Noun - masculine plural construct of old עוֹלָמִ֑ים H5769 Noun - masculine plural Was it not הֲל֥וֹא H3808 Adverb - Negative particle . . . הִ֛יא H1931 Pronoun - third person feminine singular You אַתְּ־ H859 Pronoun - second person feminine singular who cut Rahab רַ֖הַב H7294 Noun - masculine singular to pieces הַמַּחְצֶ֥בֶת H2672 Article | Verb - Hifil - Participle - feminine singular who pierced through מְחוֹלֶ֥לֶת H2490 Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine singular construct the dragon תַּנִּֽין׃ H8577 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 10

Original words

Was it not הֲל֤וֹא H3808 Adverb - Negative particle . . . הִיא֙ H1931 Pronoun - third person feminine singular You אַתְּ־ H859 Pronoun - second person feminine singular who dried up הַמַּחֲרֶ֣בֶת H2717 Article | Verb - Hifil - Participle - feminine singular the sea יָ֔ם H3220 Noun - masculine singular the waters מֵ֖י H4325 Noun - masculine plural construct of the great רַבָּ֑ה H7227 Adjective - feminine singular deep תְּה֣וֹם H8415 Noun - common singular who made הַשָּׂ֙מָה֙ H7760 Article | Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular a road דֶּ֖רֶךְ H1870 Noun - common singular in the depths מַֽעֲמַקֵּי־ H4615 Noun - masculine plural construct of the sea יָ֔ם H3220 Noun - masculine singular for the redeemed גְּאוּלִֽים׃ H1350 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural to cross over לַעֲבֹ֥ר H5674 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Verse 11

Original words

So the redeemed וּפְדוּיֵ֨י H6299 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural construct of the LORD יְהוָ֜ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular will return יְשׁוּב֗וּן H7725 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun and enter וּבָ֤אוּ H935 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural Zion צִיּוֹן֙ H6726 Noun - proper - feminine singular with singing בְּרִנָּ֔ה H7440 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular crowned עַל־ H5921 Preposition . . . רֹאשָׁ֑ם H7218 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural with everlasting עוֹלָ֖ם H5769 Noun - masculine singular joy וְשִׂמְחַ֥ת H8057 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct Gladness שָׂשׂ֤וֹן H8342 Noun - masculine singular and joy וְשִׂמְחָה֙ H8057 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular will overtake them יַשִּׂיג֔וּן H5381 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun and sorrow יָג֥וֹן H3015 Noun - masculine singular and sighing וַאֲנָחָֽה׃ס H585 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular will flee נָ֖סוּ H5127 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Verse 12

Original words

I אָנֹכִ֧י H595 Pronoun - first person common singular even I אָנֹכִ֛י H595 Pronoun - first person common singular am He ה֖וּא H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular who comforts you מְנַחֶמְכֶ֑ם H5162 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural Why מִֽי־ H4310 Interrogative should you אַ֤תְּ H859 Pronoun - second person feminine singular be afraid וַתִּֽירְאִי֙ H3372 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person feminine singular of mortal יָמ֔וּת H4191 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular man מֵאֱנ֣וֹשׁ H582 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular of a son וּמִבֶּן־ H1121 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct of man אָדָ֖ם H120 Noun - masculine singular who withers יִנָּתֵֽן׃ H5414 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular like grass חָצִ֥יר H2682 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 13

Original words

But you have forgotten וַתִּשְׁכַּ֞ח H7911 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular the LORD יְהוָ֣ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your Maker עֹשֶׂ֗ךָ H6213 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular who stretched out נוֹטֶ֣ה H5186 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular the heavens שָׁמַיִם֮ H8064 Noun - masculine plural and laid the foundations וְיֹסֵ֣ד H3245 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular of the earth אָרֶץ֒ H776 Noun - feminine singular You live in terror וַתְּפַחֵ֨ד H6342 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular vvv תָּמִ֜יד H8548 Adverb all day long כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct . . . הַיּ֗וֹם H3117 Article | Noun - masculine singular because of מִפְּנֵי֙ H6440 Preposition-m | Noun - common plural construct the fury חֲמַ֣ת H2534 Noun - feminine singular construct of the oppressor הַמֵּצִ֔יק H6693 Article | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular who כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative is bent כּוֹנֵ֖ן H3559 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular on destruction לְהַשְׁחִ֑ית H7843 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct But where וְאַיֵּ֖ה H346 Conjunctive waw | Interrogative is the fury חֲמַ֥ת H2534 Noun - feminine singular construct of the oppressor הַמֵּצִֽיק׃ H6693 Article | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular
Verse 14

Original words

The captive צֹעֶ֖ה H6808 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular will soon מִהַ֥ר H4116 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular be freed לְהִפָּתֵ֑חַ H6605 Preposition-l | Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct he will not וְלֹא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle die יָמ֣וּת H4191 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular in the dungeon לַשַּׁ֔חַת H7845 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular and his bread לַחְמֽוֹ׃ H3899 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular will not וְלֹ֥א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle be lacking יֶחְסַ֖ר H2637 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Verse 15

Original words

For I וְאָֽנֹכִי֙ H595 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular am the LORD יְהוָ֣ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular who stirs up רֹגַ֣ע H7280 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular the sea הַיָּ֔ם H3220 Article | Noun - masculine singular so that its waves גַּלָּ֑יו H1530 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular roar וַיֶּהֱמ֖וּ H1993 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural the LORD יְהוָ֥ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular of Hosts צְבָא֖וֹת H6635 Noun - common plural [is] His name שְׁמֽוֹ׃ H8034 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 16

Original words

I have put וָאָשִׂ֤ים H7760 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular My words דְּבָרַי֙ H1697 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular in your mouth בְּפִ֔יךָ H6310 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular and covered you כִּסִּיתִ֑יךָ H3680 Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular with the shadow וּבְצֵ֥ל H6738 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of My hand יָדִ֖י H3027 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular to establish לִנְטֹ֤עַ H5193 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct the heavens שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ H8064 Noun - masculine plural to found וְלִיסֹ֣ד H3245 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct the earth אָ֔רֶץ H776 Noun - feminine singular and to say וְלֵאמֹ֥ר H559 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct to Zion לְצִיּ֖וֹן H6726 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular You אָֽתָּה׃ס H859 Pronoun - second person masculine singular are My people עַמִּי־ H5971 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular

BSB notes

  • Or to plant

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.