Isaiah 49

Isaiah 49
Isaiah 49
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	TheGreat Isaiah Scroll,the best preserved of the biblical scrolls found atQumranfrom the second century BC, contains all the verses in this chapter.
Book	Book of Isaiah
Hebrew Bible part	Nevi'im
Order in the Hebrew part	5
Category	Latter Prophets
Christian Bible part	Old Testament
Order in the Christian part	23

Isaiah 49is the forty-ninthchapterof theBook of Isaiahin theHebrew Bibleor theOld Testamentof theChristian Bible.This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophetIsaiah,and is one of theBooks of the Prophets.Chapters 40-55 are known as "Deutero-Isaiah" and date from the time of theIsraelites'exile in Babylon.This chapter includes the second of thesongsof the "Suffering Servant".

Text

The original text was written inHebrew language.This chapter is divided into26 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter inHebreware of theMasoretic Texttradition, which includes theCodex Cairensis(895),the Petersburg Codex of the Prophets(916),Aleppo Codex(10th century),Codex Leningradensis(1008).^[1]

Fragments containing parts of this chapter were found among theDead Sea Scrolls(3rd century BC or later):

1QIsa^a:complete
1QIsa^b:extant: verses 1‑13, 15
4QIsa^b(4Q56): extant: verses 21-23
4QIsa^d(4Q58): extant: verses 1‑15

There is also a translation intoKoine Greekknown as theSeptuagint,made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of theSeptuagintversion includeCodex Vaticanus(B; ${\mathfrak {G}}$ ^B;4th century),Codex Sinaiticus(S;BHK: ${\mathfrak {G}}$ ^S;4th century),Codex Alexandrinus(A; ${\mathfrak {G}}$ ^A;5th century) andCodex Marchalianus(Q; ${\mathfrak {G}}$ ^Q;6th century).^[2]

Parashot

Theparashahsections listed here are based on theAleppo Codex.^[3]Isaiah 49 is a part of theConsolations (Isaiah 40 –66).{P}: openparashah;{S}: closedparashah.

{P} 49:1-4 {S} 49:5-6 {S} 49:7 {S} 49:8-13 {S} 49:14-21 {P} 49:22-23 {S} 49:24 {S} 49:25-26 {S}

Second servant song (49:1–12)

Theservant songsare fourpoemswithin the Book of Isaiah written about a certain "servant ofYHWH".God calls the servant to lead the nations, but the servant is horribly repressed. In the end, he is rewarded. Those four poems are:

The second of the "servant songs" begins atIsaiah 49:1,continuing through49:12.This poem, written from the Servant's point of view, is an account of his pre-natal calling by God to lead both Israel and the nations. The Servant is now portrayed as theprophetof the Lord equipped and called to restore the nation to God. Yet, anticipating thefourth song,he is without success. Taken with the picture of the Servant in the first song, his success will come not by political or military action, but by becoming a light to the Gentiles. Ultimately his victory is in God's hands.^[4]

Verse 1

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far;

The LORD hath called me from the womb;

from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.^[5]

"Isles" (KJV;NKJV:"coastlands" or "islands" ) are frequently referred to inDeutero-Isaiah(Isaiah 40–55). The first reference is in40:15.

Verse 11

And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.^[6]

"Shall be exalted" or "shall be elevated" is translated from the Hebrew wordיְרֻמֽוּן,yə-ru-mūn,^[7]in the sense of being "lifted up" into "well-made roads".^[8]

Verse 12

Behold, these shall come from far:

and, lo, these from the north and from the west;

and these from the land of Sinim.^[9]

"Sinim" (Hebrew:סִינִֽים,sî-nîm;^[10]NIV: "Aswan"based on 'Dead Sea Scrolls'):a word that only found here in the Bible,could be interpreted as "Persia"(SeptuagintGreek:γῆς Περσῶν,tes Person^[11]), "the South" (Vulgate Latin:terra australi^[12]) or even "China"(cf. the English term 'sinologist' comes from the Greek word for 'Chinese'), but the most can be said safely is that verse 12 foresees many converts coming from far distant places, of which 'Sinim' was a notable example.^[13]

Comfort for Jerusalem (49:14–26)

Verse 16

See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;

Your walls are continually before Me.^[14]

Biblical translator and commentatorRobert Lowthsuggests that there was "some practice, common among the Jews at that time, of making marks on their hands or arms by punctures on the skin, with some sort of sign or representation of the city (i.e.Jerusalem) ortemple,to shew their affection and zeal for it ".^[15]

Verse 22

Thus saith the Lord GOD,

Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people:

and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.^[16]

Cross reference:Isaiah 2:3;Isaiah 11:10;Isaiah 43:6;Isaiah 60:3;Isaiah 66:12

References

^Würthwein 1995,pp. 35–37.
^Würthwein 1995,pp. 73–74.
^As implemented in theJewish Publication Society's 1917 edition of the Hebrew Bible in English.
^Isaiah 49:1–6
^Isaiah 49:1 KJV
^Isaiah 49:11KJV
^Hebrew Text Analysis: Isaiah 49:11.Biblehub.
^Keil, Carl Friedrich; Delitzsch, Franz.’’Commentary on the Old Testament’’ (1857-1878). Isaiah 49.Accessed 24 Juni 2019.
^Isaiah 49:12KJV
^Hebrew Text Analysis: Isaiah 49:12.Biblehub
^Isaiah 49 Swete's Septuagint.Biblehub
^Isaiah 49:12 Multilingual.Biblehub
^Kidner 1994,p. 661.
^Isaiah 49:16NKJV
^Noyes, George Rapall (1880).A New Translation of the Hebrew Prophets: With an Introduction and Notes.Vol. 1 (5 ed.). American Unitarian Association. p. 256.
^Isaiah 49:22KJV

Sources

Kidner, Derek(1994). "Isaiah". InCarson, D. A.;France, R. T.;Motyer, J. A.;Wenham, G. J.(eds.).New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition(4, illustrated, reprint, revised ed.). Inter-Varsity Press. pp. 629–670.ISBN 9780851106489.
Würthwein, Ernst(1995).The Text of the Old Testament.Translated by Rhodes, Erroll F. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans.ISBN 0-8028-0788-7.RetrievedJanuary 26,2019.

External links

Jewish

Isaiah 49: Hebrew with Parallel English

Christian

[FOOTNOTEWürthwein199535–37-1] Würthwein 1995,pp. 35–37.

[FOOTNOTEWürthwein199573–74-2] Würthwein 1995,pp. 73–74.

[3] As implemented in theJewish Publication Society's 1917 edition of the Hebrew Bible in English.

[4] Isaiah 49:1–6

[5] Isaiah 49:1 KJV

[6] Isaiah 49:11KJV

[7] Hebrew Text Analysis: Isaiah 49:11.Biblehub.

[kad-8] Keil, Carl Friedrich; Delitzsch, Franz.’’Commentary on the Old Testament’’ (1857-1878). Isaiah 49.Accessed 24 Juni 2019.

[9] Isaiah 49:12KJV

[10] Hebrew Text Analysis: Isaiah 49:12.Biblehub

[11] Isaiah 49 Swete's Septuagint.Biblehub

[12] Isaiah 49:12 Multilingual.Biblehub

[FOOTNOTEKidner1994661-13] Kidner 1994,p. 661.

[14] Isaiah 49:16NKJV

[15] Noyes, George Rapall (1880).A New Translation of the Hebrew Prophets: With an Introduction and Notes.Vol. 1 (5 ed.). American Unitarian Association. p. 256.

[16] Isaiah 49:22KJV

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