Isaiah 41:9
in Isaiah 41I brought you from the ends of the earth and called you from its farthest corners. I said, ‘You are My servant.’ I have chosen and not rejected you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
thou whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called from the corners thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant, I have chosen thee and not cast thee away;
KJV
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
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This verse in Isaiah 41
Commentary
12 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth - From Chaldea - regarded by the Jews as the remote part of the earth. Thus in Isa 13:5, it is said of the Medes that they came ‘from a far country, from the end of heaven’ (see the note on that place). Abraham was called from Ur of the Chaldees - a city still remaining on the east of the river Euphrates. It is probably the same place as the Persian fortress Ur, between Nesibis and the Tigris.
This site's exposition
But you, O Israel, My servant
on Isaiah 41:8-10
Against the frightened nations stands Israel, My servant, Jacob, descendant of Abraham My friend. The reassurance rises to the chapter's best known line, Do not fear, for I am with you. Every verb of the promise is first person, I will strengthen you, I will surely help you.
This site's exposition
called you from its farthest corners
Barnes places the ends of the earth in Chaldea, the far country from which Abraham was called out of Ur. Israel in exile is back where the chosen line began. The God who called Abraham from that land can call his descendants from it again.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Since the seed of Abraham is spread over all the earth, he speaks about this.… In the same way Paul the apostle shows the Jews, "first it was necessary that the word be proclaimed to you, but since you turn away, we are going to the Gentiles." Isaiah addresses those among them, therefore, who would obey the calling and the Gospel word that is handed on: "You whom I took from the ends of the earth and called from its farthest corners." Many from the Jews, during the apostolic times, handed on the word of Christ, not only to the land of Judah but also to the rest of the nations. For the seed of Abraham rises quickly, until the time when God remembers the election of the apostolic chorus, and he says to them, "you are my son," or, according to the other interpretations, "you are my servant; I have chosen you and not abandoned you." Probably the divine apostle equates the servant with himself, made present as one worthy of the honor of being a servant of the Savior, since also from the first the word proclaimed this, saying, "great to you are those called 'my servant.' "
To Israel [Isaiah] awards praise at one time, then later addresses accusations. Far from acting in a contradictory manner, he does things in consonance. For those who believe are descendants of Israel, as are also those who crucified Jesus. It is, therefore, natural that [Isaiah] …
(Verses 8-9) And you, O Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend. I have taken hold of you from the ends of the earth, and summoned you from its farthest corners. I said to you, 'You are my servant; I have chosen you and have not rejected you.'
The Medieval Church1 voice
806. But you Israel. In this part, he strengthens the Jews by the same benefits. And first is set out the repetition of past benefits in the election of their fathers Jacob and Abraham, in whom they were distinguished from others universally: Jacob whom I …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Those that make them are like unto them, and so is every one that trusts in them; but thou, O Israel! art the servant of a better Master." Observe what is suggested here for the encouragement of God's people when they are threatened and insulted over.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
23 ), whom God covenanted and conversed with as a friend, and the man of his counsel; and this honour have all the saints, John xv. And for the father's sake the people of Israel were beloved. God was pleased to look upon them as the posterity of an old friend of his, and therefore to be kind to them; for the covenant of friendship was made with Abraham and his seed.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,....
He encourages his faithful ones to trust in him, with an assurance that he would take their part against their enemies, make them victorious over them, and bring about a happy change of their affairs,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
And called thee from the chief men thereof “And called from the extremities thereof” - אציל מאציליה atsil meatsileyha, signifies the arm, ascilla, ala; and is used like כנף canaph, “the wing, “for any thing extended from the extremity of another, or joined on to it. It is here parallel with and synonymous to מקצות mikkatsoth, “from the ends, “in the preceding member.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הֶחֱזַקְתִּ֙יךָ֙ | hechezakticha | I took hold of you | H2388 → | 291 times |
| מִקְצ֣וֹת | miktzot | from [the] ends of | H7098 → | 35 times |
| הָאָ֔רֶץ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וּמֵאֲצִילֶ֖יהָ | umeatzileiha | and from remotest parts its | H678 → | |
| קְרָאתִ֑יךָ | keraticha | I called you | H7121 → | 733 times |
| וָאֹ֤מַר | vaomar | and I said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לְךָ֙ | lekha | to you | ||
| עַבְדִּי־ | ʾavdi- | [are] servant my | H5650 → | 799 times |
| אַ֔תָּה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| בְּחַרְתִּ֖יךָ | bechartikha | I have chosen you | H977 → | 171 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| מְאַסְתִּֽיךָ׃ | meastikha | I have rejected you | H3988 → | 76 times |
אֲשֶׁ֤רwhom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הֶחֱזַקְתִּ֙יךָ֙I took hold of you
hechezaktichaH2388 →291 times
מִקְצ֣וֹתfrom [the] ends of
miktzotH7098 →35 times
הָאָ֔רֶץthe earth
haaretzH776 →2504 times
וּמֵאֲצִילֶ֖יהָand from remotest parts its
umeatzileihaH678 →
קְרָאתִ֑יךָI called you
keratichaH7121 →733 times
וָאֹ֤מַרand I said
vaomarH559 →5305 times
לְךָ֙to you
lekha
עַבְדִּי־[are] servant my
ʾavdi-H5650 →799 times
אַ֔תָּהyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
בְּחַרְתִּ֖יךָI have chosen you
bechartikhaH977 →171 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
מְאַסְתִּֽיךָ׃I have rejected you
meastikhaH3988 →76 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
James 2:5Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?
it leads to
- Matthew 5:3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- Luke 6:20
Looking up at His disciples, Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
- Revelation 2:9
I know your affliction and your poverty—though you are rich! And I am aware of the slander of those who falsely claim to be Jews, but are in fact a synagogue of Satan.
- 1 Corinthians 1:26–28
Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth.
- 2 Corinthians 8:9
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
- Matthew 5:3
Through
Psalms 94:14For the LORD will not forsake His people; He will never abandon His heritage.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 12:22
Indeed, for the sake of His great name, the LORD will not abandon His people, because He was pleased to make you His own.
- Psalms 37:28
For the LORD loves justice and will not forsake His saints. They are preserved forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off.
- Romans 11:1–2
I ask then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.
- 1 Samuel 12:22
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Eusebius of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 2:20; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 12:41.8 and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.