Isaiah 49:25
in Isaiah 49Indeed, this is what the LORD says: “Even the captives of the mighty will be taken away, and the plunder of the tyrant will be retrieved; I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But thus saith Jehovah, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered; for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.
KJV
But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.
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This verse in Isaiah 49
Commentary
12 notes on this verseTherefore, the Lord who judges those who oppressed Zion, whether he judges their judgement or liberates the children of those who were captured by the giant, he will save and feed his adversaries with their own flesh, and he will make them drunk with wine, so that they will be satisfied not with the death of others, but with their own death. And those who are flesh, because they have lost God's spirit, let them feed on their own flesh.
This site's exposition
Can the plunder be snatched from the mighty
on Isaiah 49:24-26
The LORD answers in his own name, “Even the captives of the mighty will be taken away”. The oppressors “eat their own flesh”. The chapter closes, “all mankind will know” the LORD as “the Mighty One of Jacob”, the title Jacob uses in blessing Joseph at Genesis 49:24.
This site's exposition
the plunder of the tyrant
Barnes gives the Hebrew as the captivity of the mighty and applies it to the captives held in Babylon. Their release lay beyond any ordinary means. The LORD will contend with the tyrant himself to save her children.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
For "it is I," he says, who "am God the first, and I am he for the things to come." It is he who has made us and judged us to be worthy of salvation, he who has freed us from the original deception, he …
(Verse 24 and following) Will the prey be taken from the mighty, or what is captured by the strong be saved? For thus says the Lord: Indeed, the captivity will be taken from the mighty, and what has been taken by the strong will be saved. But I will judge those who have judged you, and I will save your children. And I will feed your enemies with their own flesh, and they will be drunk with their own blood as with wine. And all flesh will know that I am the Lord, your Savior, and your strong Redeemer, Jacob.
Our Lord Jesus Christ came into the house of the strong man … he raided it and, throwing away the broken chains and the bonds of dark hell, he gave him over to the judgment of the great day to be kept for punishment.… Then Christ has conquered, and he has passed the victory on to us.… For he is the sole cause of our salvation. Therefore, he is the boast of the might of the saints, as Paul the most wise says: "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." …For Christ gave us the ability to overcome the murderous dragon so that we can take spoil from it, and we are saved from it as he sends us the victory to everlasting life for glory, praise and the kingdom of heaven.… For Christ said, "I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy." … This is just what we take from the strong one, that is, from Christ. Since he is the Lord of powers, we have been saved and have the victory.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Second, he excludes this doubt: for thus says the Lord, first, setting out the benefit of liberation: even the captivity, namely of the Jews: I broke the jaws of the wicked man (Job 29:17); second, the manner of liberation, setting out the destruction of their …
Well may that ancient ravager [the devil] mourn that he has lost his prey, for we see it is fulfilled as we have heard it foretold by the prophet. "Yes," he said, "captives can be taken from a warrior and booty rescued from a tyrant." …
4 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
In consoling his people through the prophet, God accordingly promises to judge their enemies.… For the wickedness of the evil ones who customarily tear at the chosen of God with their own teeth. When this happens, the life of the unrighteous is undone while that …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
4 Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the L ORD , and my work with my God. 5 And now, saith the L ORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the L ORD , and my God shall be my strength.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:92%@v4-5
But thus saith the Lord,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
But thus saith the Lord - The meaning of this verse is, that however difficult or impracticable this might seem to be, yet it should be done. The captives taken by the terrible and the mighty should be rescued, and should be restored to their own land. Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away - Margin, as Hebrew, ‘The captivity of the mighty.’ That which could not have been rescued by any ordinary means. The language here refers undoubtedly to Babylon, and to the captivity of the Jews there.
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| כֹ֣ה׀ | khoh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֣ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| גַּם־ | gam- | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| שְׁבִ֤י | shevi | a captive of | H7628 → | 49 times |
| גִבּוֹר֙ | gibor | a warrior | H1368 → | 158 times |
| יֻקָּ֔ח | yukach | he will be taken | H3947 → | 966 times |
| וּמַלְק֥וֹחַ | umalkoach | and [the] booty of | H4455 → | |
| עָרִ֖יץ | ʾaritz | a ruthless [person] | H6184 → | 20 times |
| יִמָּלֵ֑ט | yimalet | it will be delivered | H4422 → | 95 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H854 → | 929 times |
| יְרִיבֵךְ֙ | yerivekh | opponent your | H3401 → | |
| אָנֹכִ֣י | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| אָרִ֔יב | ʾariv | I will oppose | H7378 → | 67 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בָּנַ֖יִךְ | banayikh | children your | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אָנֹכִ֥י | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| אוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃ | ʾoshia' | I will save | H3467 → | 206 times |
כִּי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
כֹ֣ה׀thus
khohH3541 →577 times
אָמַ֣רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
גַּם־also
gam-H1571 →769 times
שְׁבִ֤יa captive of
sheviH7628 →49 times
גִבּוֹר֙a warrior
giborH1368 →158 times
יֻקָּ֔חhe will be taken
yukachH3947 →966 times
וּמַלְק֥וֹחַand [the] booty of
umalkoachH4455 →
עָרִ֖יץa ruthless [person]
ʾaritzH6184 →20 times
יִמָּלֵ֑טit will be delivered
yimaletH4422 →95 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH854 →929 times
יְרִיבֵךְ֙opponent your
yerivekhH3401 →
אָנֹכִ֣יI
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
אָרִ֔יבI will oppose
ʾarivH7378 →67 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
בָּנַ֖יִךְchildren your
banayikhH1121 →4930 times
אָנֹכִ֥יI
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
אוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃I will save
ʾoshia'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 54:13Then all your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their prosperity.
it leads to
- John 6:45
It is written in the Prophets: ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from Him comes to Me—
- Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
- Psalms 119:165
Abundant peace belongs to those who love Your law; nothing can make them stumble.
- Jeremiah 31:34
No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I…
- Hebrews 8:10
For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their minds and inscribe them on their hearts. And…
- John 6:45
Through
Isaiah 35:4Say to those with anxious hearts: “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance. With divine retribution He will come to save you.”
it leads to
- James 5:7–9
Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the soil—how patient he is for the fall and spring rains.
- Isaiah 41:10–14
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand…
- Zephaniah 3:16–17
On that day they will say to Jerusalem: “Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands fall limp.
- James 5:7–9
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 4:4.49:25-26; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; Isidore of Seville, THREE BOOKS OF THOUGHTS 3:57.8-9; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Leander of Seville, HOMILIES ON THE TRIUMPH OF THE CHURCH; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 15:49.26 and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.