Isaiah 49:8
in Isaiah 49This is what the LORD says: “In the time of favor I will answer You, and in the day of salvation I will help You; I will keep You and appoint You to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land, to apportion its desolate inheritances,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thus saith Jehovah, In an acceptable time have I answered thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to raise up the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages;
KJV
Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;
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This verse in Isaiah 49
Commentary
16 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Thus saith the Lord - Still an address to the Messiah, and designed to give the assurance that he should extend the true religion, and repair the evils of sin on the earth. The Messiah is represented as having asked for the divine favor to attend his efforts, and this is the answer, and the assurance that his petition had not been offered in vain. In an acceptable time - Hebrew, ‘In a time of delight or will,’ that is, a time when Yahweh was willing, or pleased to hear him.
This site's exposition
In the time of favor
on Isaiah 49:8-9
“In the time of favor I will answer You” is the LORD’s reply to his servant. Paul quotes this verse at 2 Corinthians 6:2, where “now is the day of salvation”. The servant’s work begins as release, telling the prisoners to come out and those in darkness to show themselves.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
Those who have faith by which they win justification attain by the grace of God to the law of justice. For this reason the prophet says, "In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you."
God says through the prophet, "In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you." What other time, then, is more acceptable than when for piety toward God in Christ we are led under guard in procession before the world, celebrating a triumph rather than being led in triumph? For the martyrs in Christ disarm the principalities and powers with him, and they share his triumph as fellows of his sufferings, becoming in this way also fellows of the courageous deeds wrought in his sufferings. These deeds include triumphing over principalities and powers, which in a short time you will see conquered and put to shame. What other day is so much a day of salvation as the one when we gain such deliverance from them?
"Father, if this is not able to pass, then let your will be done." The Father received this prayer and then pointed to the time of the resurrection after death, saying, "In a time of favor I have answered you." Some dislike this interpretation and …
The blessed Paul knew the distance between the present world and the world to come. He knew that only in the present world could the blessing of salvation be acquired but that only in the world to come could a just reward be given to …
It seemed right to some of the previous exegetes to make this the head of the chapter that follows. For thus says the Lord: "In due season I heard you and on the day of salvation I helped you." And they say that this is what was said by the God and Father of all to Christ our Savior. For they weave in such a sense to the words. For he prayed, saying before the precious cross, "Father, if it is possible, take away this cup from me." But he was not heard, and he drank it. When he had suffered death with the Father permitting it, then the Father said to him what was necessary, "In due season I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you."
9 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Versed 8 and following) Thus says the Lord: In a time of favor I have answered you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you; I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages; saying to the prisoners, 'Come out,' to those who are in darkness, 'Show yourselves.'
The Medieval Church1 voice
901. Another preamble to their liberation is the exaltation of the liberating king, namely, Cyrus: in an acceptable time, and he does not determine the time of his exaltation: acceptable, when it pleased me to save my people, I have heard you, exalting you into …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Heard thee - Though not so as to deliver thee from death; yet so as to crown thee with glory and honour. For a covenant - To be the Mediator and surety of that covenant, which is made between me and them. To establish - To establish truth and righteousness upon earth, and subdue those lusts and passions, which are the great disturbers of human society.
But this is directed to the isles (that is, the Gentiles, for they are called the isles of the Gentiles, Gen. x. 5 ) and to the people from far, that were strangers to the commonwealth of Israel, and afar off.
Thus saith the Lord,....
God would preserve him, would preserve his interest, his kingdom among men, though fought against on all sides. Christ is preserved while Christianity is. God will authorize him to apply to his church the benefits of the redemption he is to work out.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Messiah is represented as having asked for the grace of God in behalf of sinners; this verse contains God the Father's favorable answer. an acceptable time--"In a time of grace" [HENGSTENBERG].
WE all believe that our Saviour has very much to do with the covenant of eternal salvation. We have been accustomed to regard him as the Mediator of the covenant, as the surety of the covenant, and as the scope or substance of the covenant. We have considered him to be the Mediator of the covenant, for we were certain that God could make no covenant with man unless there were a mediator—a days-man, who should stand between the both.
WE all believe that our Saviour has very much to do with the covenant of eternal salvation. We have been accustomed to regard him as the Mediator of the covenant, as the surety of the covenant, and as the scope or substance of the covenant. We have considered him to be the Mediator of the covenant, for we were certain that God could make no covenant with man unless there were a mediator—a days-man, who should stand between the both. And we have hailed him as the Mediator, who, with mercy in his hands, came down to tell to sinful man the news that grace was promised in the eternal counsel of the Most High. We have also loved our Saviour as the Surety of the covenant, who, on our behalf, undertook to pay our debts; and on his Father’s behalf, undertook, also, to see that all our souls should be secure and safe, and ultimately presented unblemished and complete before him. And I doubt not, we have also rejoiced in the thought that Christ is the sum and substance of the covenant; we believe that if we would sum up all spiritual blessings, we must say, “Christ is all.” He is the matter, he is the substance of it; and although much might be said concerning the glories of the covenant, yet nothing could be said which is not to be found in that one word, “Christ.” But this morning I shall dwell on Christ, not as the Mediator, nor as the surety, nor as the scope of the covenant, but as one great and glorious article of the covenant which God has given to his children.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כֹּ֣ה׀ | koh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֣ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בְּעֵ֤ת | beet | in a time of | H6256 → | 296 times |
| רָצוֹן֙ | ratzon | favor | H7522 → | 56 times |
| עֲנִיתִ֔יךָ | ʾanitikha | I will answer you | H6030 → | 331 times |
| וּבְי֥וֹם | uveyom | and on a day of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| יְשׁוּעָ֖ה | yeshuah | salvation | H3444 → | 78 times |
| עֲזַרְתִּ֑יךָ | ʾazartikha | I will help you | H5826 → | 81 times |
| וְאֶצָּרְךָ֗ | veetzarekha | and I will watch over you | H5341 → | 63 times |
| וְאֶתֶּנְךָ֙ | veetenkha | and I will make you | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לִבְרִ֣ית | livrit | <into> a covenant of | H1285 → | 284 times |
| עָ֔ם | ʾam | [the] people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| לְהָקִ֣ים | lehakim | to raise up | H6965 → | 628 times |
| אֶ֔רֶץ | ʾeretz | [the] land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| לְהַנְחִ֖יל | lehanchil | to give as inheritance | H5157 → | 59 times |
| נְחָל֥וֹת | nechalot | inheritances | H5159 → | 222 times |
| שֹׁמֵמֽוֹת׃ | shomemot | desolate | H8074 → | 86 times |
כֹּ֣ה׀thus
kohH3541 →577 times
אָמַ֣רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בְּעֵ֤תin a time of
beetH6256 →296 times
רָצוֹן֙favor
ratzonH7522 →56 times
עֲנִיתִ֔יךָI will answer you
ʾanitikhaH6030 →331 times
וּבְי֥וֹםand on a day of
uveyomH3117 →2304 times
יְשׁוּעָ֖הsalvation
yeshuahH3444 →78 times
עֲזַרְתִּ֑יךָI will help you
ʾazartikhaH5826 →81 times
וְאֶצָּרְךָ֗and I will watch over you
veetzarekhaH5341 →63 times
וְאֶתֶּנְךָ֙and I will make you
veetenkhaH5414 →2011 times
לִבְרִ֣ית<into> a covenant of
livritH1285 →284 times
עָ֔ם[the] people
ʾamH5971 →1873 times
לְהָקִ֣יםto raise up
lehakimH6965 →628 times
אֶ֔רֶץ[the] land
ʾeretzH776 →2504 times
לְהַנְחִ֖ילto give as inheritance
lehanchilH5157 →59 times
נְחָל֥וֹתinheritances
nechalotH5159 →222 times
שֹׁמֵמֽוֹת׃desolate
shomemotH8074 →86 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
2 Corinthians 6:2For He says: “In the time of favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!
it leads to
- Hebrews 4:7
God again designated a certain day as “Today,” when a long time later He spoke through David as was just stated: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”
- Hebrews 3:13
But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
- Isaiah 61:2
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of our God’s vengeance, to comfort all who mourn,
- Hebrews 4:7
Through
Isaiah 42:6“I, the LORD, have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a…
it leads to
- John 8:12
Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
- Luke 2:32
a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel.”
- Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind, because he trusts in You.
- Acts 13:47
For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
- John 8:12
Through
Hebrews 12:24to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
it leads to
- Hebrews 9:15
Therefore Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, now that He has died to redeem them from the transgressions committed under…
- Hebrews 9:15
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah
This page draws on 15 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Augustine of Hippo, LETTER 186; Charles Spurgeon, The New Park Street Pulpit, Sermon No. 103: “Christ in the Covenant” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 4:4.49:10; Fulgentius of Ruspe, ON THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS 2:5.3; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, EXHORTATION TO MARTYRDOM 42; Procopius of Gaza, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 49:1-13 and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.