Isaiah 43
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Isaiah 43 is the forty-third
chapter Chapter or Chapters may refer to: Books * Chapter (books), a main division of a piece of writing or document * Chapter book, a story book intended for intermediate readers, generally age 7–10 * Chapters (bookstore), Canadian big box bookstore ...
of the
Book of Isaiah The Book of Isaiah ( ) is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible and the first of the Major Prophets in the Christian Old Testament. It is identified by a superscription as the words of the 8th-century BC prophet Isaiah ben Amo ...
in the
Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
. '' Old Testament The Old Testament (OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew and occasionally Aramaic writings by the Isr ...
of the
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...
. This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophet
Isaiah Isaiah ( or ; , ''Yəšaʿyāhū'', "Yahweh is salvation"; also known as Isaias or Esaias from ) was the 8th-century BC Israelite prophet after whom the Book of Isaiah is named. The text of the Book of Isaiah refers to Isaiah as "the prophet" ...
, and is one of the
Books of the Prophets The (; ) is the second major division of the Hebrew Bible (the ''Tanakh''), lying between the () and (). The Nevi'im are divided into two groups. The Former Prophets ( ) consists of the narrative books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings ...
. Chapters 40–55 are known as "Deutero-Isaiah" and date from the time of the
Israelites Israelites were a Hebrew language, Hebrew-speaking ethnoreligious group, consisting of tribes that lived in Canaan during the Iron Age. Modern scholarship describes the Israelites as emerging from indigenous Canaanites, Canaanite populations ...
' exile in Babylon. This chapter "refers mainly to the promised deliverance from Babylon". "But now", the opening words of this chapter, reverse the tone of the latter part of Isaiah 42, connecting the two chapters. In , the prophet has rebuked the people of
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
for their blindness and deafness; in he calls for "the blind people who have eyes, and the deaf who have ears" to hear the proclamation of a "new Exodus".


Text

The original text was written in the
Hebrew language Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and remained in regular use as a first language unti ...
. This chapter is divided into 28 verses.


Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in
Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...
are of the
Masoretic Text The Masoretic Text (MT or 𝕸; ) is the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible (''Tanakh'') in Rabbinic Judaism. The Masoretic Text defines the Jewish canon and its precise letter-text, with its vocaliz ...
tradition, which includes the
Codex Cairensis The Codex Cairensis (also: ''Codex Prophetarum Cairensis'', ''Cairo Codex of the Prophets'') is a Hebrew manuscript containing the complete text of the Hebrew Bible's Nevi'im (Prophets). It has traditionally been described as "the oldest dated He ...
(895), the Petersburg Codex of the Prophets (916),
Aleppo Codex The Aleppo Codex () is a medieval bound manuscript of the Hebrew Bible. The codex was written in the city of Tiberias in the tenth century CE (circa 920) under the rule of the Abbasid Caliphate, and was endorsed for its accuracy by Maimonides. ...
(10th century), Codex Leningradensis (1008). Fragments containing parts of this chapter were found among the
Dead Sea Scrolls The Dead Sea Scrolls, also called the Qumran Caves Scrolls, are a set of List of Hebrew Bible manuscripts, ancient Jewish manuscripts from the Second Temple period (516 BCE – 70 CE). They were discovered over a period of ten years, between ...
(3rd century BC or later): * 1QIsaa: complete * 1QIsab: extant: verses 2–14, 20‑21, 23-27 * 4QIsab (4Q56): extant: verses 12‑15 * 4QIsag (4Q61): extant: verses 1–4, 17-24 There is also a translation into
Koine Greek Koine Greek (, ), also variously known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek, Septuagint Greek or New Testament Greek, was the koiné language, common supra-regional form of Greek language, Greek spoken and ...
known as the
Septuagint The Septuagint ( ), sometimes referred to as the Greek Old Testament or The Translation of the Seventy (), and abbreviated as LXX, is the earliest extant Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible from the original Biblical Hebrew. The full Greek ...
, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the
Septuagint The Septuagint ( ), sometimes referred to as the Greek Old Testament or The Translation of the Seventy (), and abbreviated as LXX, is the earliest extant Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible from the original Biblical Hebrew. The full Greek ...
version include
Codex Vaticanus The Codex Vaticanus ( The Vatican, Bibl. Vat., Vat. gr. 1209), is a manuscript of the Greek Bible, containing the majority of the Old Testament and the majority of the New Testament. It is designated by siglum B or 03 in the Gregory-Aland numb ...
(B; \mathfrakB; 4th century),
Codex Sinaiticus The Codex Sinaiticus (; Shelfmark: London, British Library, Add MS 43725), also called the Sinai Bible, is a fourth-century Christian manuscript of a Greek Bible, containing the majority of the Greek Old Testament, including the deuterocanonica ...
(S; BHK: \mathfrakS; 4th century),
Codex Alexandrinus The Codex Alexandrinus (London, British Library, Royal MS 1. D. V-VIII) is a manuscript of the Greek Bible,The Greek Bible in this context refers to the Bible used by Greek-speaking Christians who lived in Egypt and elsewhere during the early ...
(A; \mathfrakA; 5th century) and
Codex Marchalianus Codex Marchalianus, designated by siglum Q, is a 6th-century Greek language, Greek manuscript copy of the Greek version of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh or Old Testament) known as the Septuagint. It is now in the Vatican Library. The text was writte ...
(Q; \mathfrakQ; 6th century).


Parashot

The ''
parashah The term ''parashah'', ''parasha'' or ''parashat'' ( ''Pārāšâ'', "portion", Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian , Sephardi Hebrew, Sephardi , plural: ''parashot'' or ''parashiyot'', also called ''parsha'') formally means a section of a biblical book ...
'' sections listed here are based on the
Aleppo Codex The Aleppo Codex () is a medieval bound manuscript of the Hebrew Bible. The codex was written in the city of Tiberias in the tenth century CE (circa 920) under the rule of the Abbasid Caliphate, and was endorsed for its accuracy by Maimonides. ...
. Isaiah 43 is a part of the ''Consolations (
Isaiah 40 Isaiah 40 is the fortieth chapter of the Book of Isaiah in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, and the first chapter of the section known as "Deutero-Isaiah" (Isaiah 40- 55), dating from the time of the Israelites' ex ...
–66)''. : open ''parashah''; : closed ''parashah''. : 42:18-2543:1-10 43:11-13 43:14-15 43:16-21 43:22-28


The Lord will redeem his people (verses 1–7)

This section contains an oracle of salvation, with the repetition of 'Do not fear' in verses 1 and 5 to emphasize the message of reassurance, that YHWH had made the people of Israel part of his family and just as in the past, he is active in delivering them from every kind of danger in the future.


Verse 1

:''But now thus says the Lord,'' :''he who created you, O Jacob,'' ::''he who formed you, O Israel:'' :''"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;'' ::''I have called you by name, you are mine."'' *"Have redeemed you": NCV: “saved you”; CEV: “rescued you”; NLT: “ransomed you"; NET Bible: "will protect you". This is the act of a
goel Goel or Goyal (alternative transliterations of Hindi गोयलl) is a surname of Indian origin. It may refer to: Goel * Adarsh Kumar Goel (born 1953), Indian judge * Anita Goel, American physicist, physician, and scientist * Aseem Goel, In ...
or "kinsman redeemer" (in Hebrew: , ''goʾel'') who is 'a protector of the extended family's interests'.


Verse 6

:''I will say to the north, Give up;'' ::''and to the south, Keep not back:'' :''bring my sons from far,'' ::''and my daughters from the ends of the earth;'' *Cross reference: Isaiah 2:3; Isaiah 11:10; Isaiah 49:22; Isaiah 60:3; Isaiah 66:12


The Lord declares his sovereignty (verses 8–13)

In this section the language of a trial returns with the demand for Israel to bear witness to YHWH's deeds, although they are blind and deaf (cf. Isaiah 42:18), to declare the incomparability of YHWH.


Verse 10

:''"You are My witnesses," says the Lord,'' :''"And My servant whom I have chosen,'' :''That you may know and believe Me,'' :''And understand that I am He.'' :''Before Me there was no God formed,'' :''Nor shall there be after Me.'' *"Nor shall there be after Me": Hebrew: "and after me, there will not be"; NASB "there will be none after Me."


The Lord will do something new (verses 14–21)

The oracle in this section commands the hearers not to remember the former things as they will pale into insignificance before 'the new thing' that YHWH will do in the future with his saving power.


Verse 17

:''Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power;'' ::''they shall lie down together, they shall not rise:'' :::''they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.'' *"Quenched": from the Hebrew root: k-b-h (, ''kabah'', "to be quenched or extinguished, to go out"), is also used in Isaiah 1:31 and Isaiah 66:24 for: "the fire shall not be quenched"; Isaiah 34:10: 'the fire devouring Edom "will not be quenched"'; as well as of the servant in 42:3, that "a dimly burning wick ('smoking flax') he will not quench". *Natural tow (in the
King James Version The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version (AV), is an Early Modern English Bible translations, Early Modern English translation of the Christianity, Christian Bible for the Church of England, wh ...
) is a broken fibre, removed during the processing of flax, hemp, or jute. Other texts generally use the image of being "quenched like a wick".


Verse 18

:''Remember not the former things,'' :''nor consider the things of old.'' "The former things" refers to "events that had been predicted and fulfilled in the past (41:22; 42:9; 43:9; 46:9; 48:3)", in particular to the event of "
the Exodus The Exodus (Hebrew language, Hebrew: יציאת מצרים, ''Yəṣīʾat Mīṣrayīm'': ) is the Origin myth#Founding myth, founding myth of the Israelites whose narrative is spread over four of the five books of the Torah, Pentateuch (specif ...
", in contrast to the predicted "new Exodus" which God will perform differently so that it should be "allowed to stand in its own right" (cf.
Jeremiah 23 Jeremiah 23 is the twenty-third chapter of the Book of Jeremiah in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. This book contains prophecies attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, and is one of the Books of the Prophets. Text The ...
:7–8). Verna Holyhead notes that the prophet does not want the people "to forget and discount God's faithfulness", but to appreciate that God will do greater things in the future even than the deeds of the past.


The Lord rebukes his unfaithful people (verses 22–28)

In verses 22–24 YHWH condemns the people for the failure to participate in worship, which seems to be in contrast with what was condemned earlier in Isaiah 1:10—17, that is, 'misplaced enthusiasm for worship' (also similarly condemned in other prophetic passages (Amos 5:18-24; Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8), but this section is 'concerned with the worship of other gods', as emphasized by the repetition of the word 'me' (8 times in 3 verses). Verses 25–28 clarify that the condemnation 'is to be seen in the context of the trial' and the whole community is not free from blame.


Verse 24

:''You have bought Me no sweet cane with money,'' :''Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices;'' :''But you have burdened Me with your sins,'' :''You have wearied Me with your iniquities.'' *"Sweet cane" (Hebrew: ''qâneh'') is also mentioned in as coming from a “far country”. Skinner, in the
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges is a biblical commentary set published in 56 volumes by Cambridge University Press between 1878 and 1918. Many volumes went through multiple reprintings, while some volumes were also revised, usually by ...
, suggests that this refers to ''calamus odoratus'' (Plin. 12:12, 48) with scientific name ''
Acorus calamus ''Acorus calamus'' (also called sweet flag, sway or muskrat root, among many other common names) is a species of flowering plant with psychoactive chemicals. It is a tall wetland monocot of the family Acoraceae, in the genus ''Acorus.'' Alth ...
'', a product of
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, but grown also in Arabia and Syria. NIV renders it "calamus"; NCV, TEV, NLT "incense"; CEV "spices." *"Nor have you satisfied Me": Hebrew: "you did not saturate me"; NASB "Neither have you filled Me."


Verse 26

:''Put Me in remembrance;'' ::''let us plead together;'' ::''state your cause, that you may be justified.'' "State your cause, that you may be justified" is translated from Hebrew, literally: "you tell in order that you may be right".Note on Isaiah 43:26 in NET Bible


See also

*
Babylon Babylon ( ) was an ancient city located on the lower Euphrates river in southern Mesopotamia, within modern-day Hillah, Iraq, about south of modern-day Baghdad. Babylon functioned as the main cultural and political centre of the Akkadian-s ...
*
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
*
Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
*
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
*
Jacob Jacob, later known as Israel, is a Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions. He first appears in the Torah, where he is described in the Book of Genesis as a son of Isaac and Rebecca. Accordingly, alongside his older fraternal twin brother E ...
*
Seba Seba or SEBA may refer to: Places * Seba, Indonesia, on the Savu Islands *Seven Brothers Islands, also known as the Seba Islands, part of the Republic of Djibouti Institutions * Secondary Education Board of Assam, India * Systematic and Evolutiona ...
*Related
Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...
parts:
Isaiah 41 Isaiah 41 is the forty-first chapter of the Book of Isaiah in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible and the second chapter of the section known as "Deutero-Isaiah" (Isaiah 40–55), dating from the time of the Israelites' ...
, Jeremiah 6


References


Sources

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External links


Jewish


Isaiah 43 Original Hebrew with Parallel English


Christian


Isaiah 43 English Translation with Parallel Latin VulgateWhat is the Real meaning of Isaiah 43:2?
{{DEFAULTSORT:Isaiah, Book Of 43