Isaiah 45:20
in Isaiah 45Come, gather together, and draw near, you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry idols of wood and pray to a god that cannot save.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that carry the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
KJV
Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
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This verse in Isaiah 45
Commentary
9 notes on this verse(Vers. 18 seqq.) Because this is what the Lord says, the one who created the heavens, the one who formed the earth and made it, the one who established it; he did not create it in vain, but formed it to be inhabited. I am the Lord, and there is no other. I did not speak in secret, in a dark place on the earth. I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, 'Seek me in vain.' I am the Lord, speaking truth, declaring what is right.
This site's exposition
ye that are escaped of the nations
on Isaiah 45:20-21
Assemble yourselves and come summons the nations themselves into the trial as spectators or participants, ye that are escaped of the nations invited to judge between the God who speaks and the wood of their graven image that cannot save. Verse 21 asks the trial's question one final time, who hath declared this from ancient time? and answers it with a title new to the chapter, a just God and a Saviour, justice and salvation joined in the same claim. The older writers read the pairing as preparing the invitation that follows immediately in verse 22, judgment and mercy offered by the same voice.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
(Vers. 20) Gather together and come, draw near, you who have been saved from the nations. They have no knowledge, those who carry about their wooden idols and pray to a god who cannot save. LXX: Assemble yourselves, and come, and draw near together, ye that are saved of the Gentiles: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven work, and pray to a god that cannot save.
But Emmanuel appeared who led with courage those who were snared. He endured for us the death of the flesh so that as Isaiah says in an evangelical way, the scattered children of God would be gathered into one … to gather, that is, to be bound together in one faith and like-mindedness. [They are] gathered by God the ruler of all through holiness and righteousness … and "brought near through the blood of Christ." … For it is through faith that understanding grows so that it is not in doubt. Even though faith might be undermined by deceit of ill counsel or led astray into ruin by ancient wickedness, we can quickly return to God and receive the light of the true divine knowledge and with a deliberation that comes from an upright mind constantly pursue the better things. Consider then and take counsel, all who have been saved from among the nations.
The Medieval Church1 voice
867. Second, where it says, assemble yourselves, he enjoins upon the Jews the calling of the gentiles, recalling their salvation: assemble yourselves, as though to hear my precept, you that are saved, liberated from the captivity to the gentiles, below: I will send of them …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And here, as in many other parts of this prophecy, there is much of Christ and of gospel grace. Prophecies Concerning Cyrus. 1 Thus saith the L ORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:39w-of-66
Assemble yourselves, and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Assemble yourselves, and come - This, like the passage in Isa 41:1 ff, is a solemn appeal to the worshippers of idols, to come and produce the evidences of their being endowed with omniscience, and with almighty power, and of their having claims to the homage of their worshippers. Ye that are escaped of the nations - This phrase has been very variously interpreted.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
escaped of the nations--those of the nations who shall have escaped the slaughter inflicted by Cyrus. Now, at last, ye shall see the folly of "praying to a god that cannot save" (Isa 45:16). Ultimately, those that shall be "left of all the nations which shall come against Jerusalem" are meant (Zec 14:16).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הִקָּבְצ֥וּ | hikavetzu | gather together | H6908 → | 127 times |
| וָבֹ֛אוּ | vavou | and come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| הִֽתְנַגְּשׁ֥וּ | hitnageshu | draw near | H5066 → | 125 times |
| יַחְדָּ֖ו | yachdav | together | H3162 → | 141 times |
| פְּלִיטֵ֣י | pelitei | O fugitives of | H6412 → | |
| הַגּוֹיִ֑ם | hagoyim | the nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָדְע֗וּ | yadeu | they know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| הַנֹּֽשְׂאִים֙ | hanoseim | those [who] carry | H5375 → | 656 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֵ֣ץ | ʾetz | [the] wood of | H6086 → | 328 times |
| פִּסְלָ֔ם | pislam | idol their | H6459 → | 31 times |
| וּמִתְפַּלְלִ֔ים | umitpalim | and [those who] pray | H6419 → | 84 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֵ֖ל | ʾel | a god | H410 → | 241 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | [which] not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃ | yoshia' | it will save | H3467 → | 206 times |
הִקָּבְצ֥וּgather together
hikavetzuH6908 →127 times
וָבֹ֛אוּand come
vavouH935 →2568 times
הִֽתְנַגְּשׁ֥וּdraw near
hitnageshuH5066 →125 times
יַחְדָּ֖וtogether
yachdavH3162 →141 times
פְּלִיטֵ֣יO fugitives of
peliteiH6412 →
הַגּוֹיִ֑םthe nations
hagoyimH1471 →561 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יָדְע֗וּthey know
yadeuH3045 →945 times
הַנֹּֽשְׂאִים֙those [who] carry
hanoseimH5375 →656 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עֵ֣ץ[the] wood of
ʾetzH6086 →328 times
פִּסְלָ֔םidol their
pislamH6459 →31 times
וּמִתְפַּלְלִ֔יםand [those who] pray
umitpalimH6419 →84 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אֵ֖לa god
ʾelH410 →241 times
לֹ֥א[which] not
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃it will save
yoshia'H3467 →206 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
Isaiah 4:2On that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of Israel’s survivors.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 23:5
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
- Zechariah 6:12
And you are to tell him that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Here is a man whose name is the Branch, and He will branch out from His place and build…
- Zechariah 3:8
Hear now, O high priest Joshua, you and your companions seated before you, who are indeed a sign. For behold, I am going to bring My servant, the Branch.
- Isaiah 27:6
In the days to come, Jacob will take root. Israel will bud and blossom and fill the whole world with fruit.
- Jeremiah 23:5
Through
Jeremiah 10:5Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any…
it leads to
- Isaiah 46:7
They lift it to their shoulder and carry it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands, not budging from that spot. They cry out to it, but it does not…
- 1 Corinthians 12:2
You know that when you were pagans, you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.
- Isaiah 41:23–24
Tell us the things that are to come, so that we may know that you are gods. Yes, do something good or evil, that we may look on together in dismay.
- Isaiah 46:7
Through
Isaiah 46:1Bel crouches; Nebo cowers. Their idols weigh down beasts and cattle. The images you carry are burdensome, a load to the weary animal.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 51:44
I will punish Bel in Babylon. I will make him spew out what he swallowed. The nations will no longer stream to him; even the wall of Babylon will fall.
- Jeremiah 51:44
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Isaiah
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 4:3.45:20; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Calvin, Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.