Isaiah 46:13
in Isaiah 46I am bringing My righteousness near; it is not far away, and My salvation will not be delayed. I will grant salvation to Zion and adorn Israel with My splendor.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I bring near my righteousness, it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry; and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.
KJV
I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.
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This verse in Isaiah 46
Commentary
11 notes on this verse(Verses 12, 13.) Hear me, you with hard hearts, who are far from justice. I have brought forth my justice: it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not delay. I will give salvation in Zion and my glory in Israel. LXX: Hear me, you who have lost heart, who are far from justice. I have brought forth my justice, and the salvation that is from me, I will not delay. I have given salvation in Zion and glory in Israel.
This site's exposition
Listen to Me, you stubborn people
on Isaiah 46:12-13
Verse 12 addresses “you stubborn people, far removed from righteousness”, and the chapter turns to comfort. The answer is a promise already approaching, “I am bringing My righteousness near”. The last line keeps Zion as the promise’s address, “I will grant salvation to Zion and adorn Israel with My splendor.”
This site's exposition
I am bringing My righteousness near
Barnes takes righteousness here as God's faithfulness to his promises. Wesley ties the promise to the seventy years of captivity, kept for a stubborn people far removed from righteousness. Aquinas reads salvation brought near on two levels, deliverance through Cyrus and the righteousness of Christ still to come.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
For God did not hate those whom he took out of Israel but intended salvation for them, just like the cutting and draining done by doctors. For all punishment was carried out for their advantage. He adds to the underlying form of the particular its …
The Medieval Church1 voice
Second, he foretells its nearness: I have brought near, I will bring, using the past tense for the future, my justice, concerning Babylon for you through Cyrus, or the justice of Christ, below: my salvation is near to come, and my justice to be revealed …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
I bring - Tho' you are unrighteous, I will shew myself a righteous and faithful God, making good my promise of delivering you out of Babylon after seventy years.
This is applicable to the Jewish nation when they rejected the gospel of Christ; though they followed after the law of righteousness, they attained not to righteousness, because they sought it not by faith, Rom. ix. They perished far from righteousness; and it was because they were stout-hearted, Rom. x.
1 Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast. 2 They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.
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3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
I bring near my righteousness, it shall not be far off,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
I bring near my righteousness - The word ‘righteousness’ here evidently denotes his truth; the fulfillment of his promises. His righteous and true character would be manifested to them so plainly and clearly that they would be able no longer to doubt. It would not be remote in time, or in place, but it would be so near that they could see it, and so plain that they could no longer doubt or misunderstand it. And my salvation shall not tarry - The people shall be delivered from their bondage at the exact time which has been predicted.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
near--antithetical to "far" (Isa 46:12; Ro 10:6-8). righteousness--answering to "salvation" in the parallel clause; therefore it means here, "my righteous deliverance"; righteous, because proving the truth of God's promises, and so contrived as to not compromise, but vindicate, His righteousness (Isa 42:21;
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How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
I have brought near My righteousness from now on, and it will not be far off.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
stout-hearted You who have strengthened your heart among the heathens (the nations [Parshandatha, K’li Paz]) and have clung to Me.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| קֵרַ֤בְתִּי | keravti | I have brought near | H7126 → | 280 times |
| צִדְקָתִי֙ | tzidkati | righteousness my | H6666 → | 157 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִרְחָ֔ק | tirchak | it is far away | H7368 → | 57 times |
| וּתְשׁוּעָתִ֖י | uteshuati | and salvation my | H8668 → | 34 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תְאַחֵ֑ר | teacher | it will delay | H309 → | |
| וְנָתַתִּ֤י | venatati | and I will give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| בְצִיּוֹן֙ | vetziyon | in Zion | H6726 → | 154 times |
| תְּשׁוּעָ֔ה | teshuah | salvation | H8668 → | 34 times |
| לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל | leyisrael | to Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| תִּפְאַרְתִּֽי׃ ס | tifarti | splendor my | H8597 → | 51 times |
קֵרַ֤בְתִּיI have brought near
keravtiH7126 →280 times
צִדְקָתִי֙righteousness my
tzidkatiH6666 →157 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תִרְחָ֔קit is far away
tirchakH7368 →57 times
וּתְשׁוּעָתִ֖יand salvation my
uteshuatiH8668 →34 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תְאַחֵ֑רit will delay
teacherH309 →
וְנָתַתִּ֤יand I will give
venatatiH5414 →2011 times
בְצִיּוֹן֙in Zion
vetziyonH6726 →154 times
תְּשׁוּעָ֔הsalvation
teshuahH8668 →34 times
לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖לto Israel
leyisraelH3478 →2507 times
תִּפְאַרְתִּֽי׃ סsplendor my
tifartiH8597 →51 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 62:11Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the ends of the earth, “Say to Daughter Zion: See, your Savior comes! Look, His reward is with Him, and His recompense goes before Him.”
it leads to
- Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of…
- Matthew 21:5
“Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
- John 12:15
“Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion. See, your King is coming, seated on the colt of a donkey.”
- Zechariah 9:9
Through
Isaiah 12:2Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. For the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and He also has become my salvation.”
it leads to
- Exodus 15:2
The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.
- Psalms 118:14
The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.
- Psalms 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— whom shall I dread?
- Exodus 15:2
Through
Isaiah 61:3to console the mourners in Zion—to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be…
it leads to
- Psalms 30:11
You turned my mourning into dancing; You peeled off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
- Jeremiah 17:7–8
But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.
- Psalms 30:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Isaiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); 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); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Procopius of Gaza, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 47:1-15 and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.