Isaiah 50:4 - The Servant's Obedience (2024)

New International Version
The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.New Living Translation
The Sovereign LORD has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will.English Standard Version
The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.Berean Standard Bible
The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of discipleship, to sustain the weary with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning; He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.King James Bible
The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.New King James Version
“The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned.New American Standard Bible
The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, So that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.NASB 1995
The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.NASB 1977
The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.Legacy Standard Bible
Lord Yahweh has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning; He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.Amplified Bible
The Lord GOD has given Me [His Servant] the tongue of disciples [as One who is taught], That I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple [as One who is taught].Christian Standard Bible
The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are instructed to know how to sustain the weary with a word. He awakens me each morning; he awakens my ear to listen like those being instructed.Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of those who are instructed to know how to sustain the weary with a word. He awakens Me each morning; He awakens My ear to listen like those being instructed. American Standard Version
The Lord Jehovah hath given me the tongue of them that are taught, that I may know how to sustain with words him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as they that are taught.Aramaic Bible in Plain English
LORD JEHOVAH God gave to me the tongue of learning, that I shall make known and I shall show the word to the troubled. I shall awaken at dawn, at dawn he shall make for me an ear to hear learningBrenton Septuagint Translation
The Lord even God gives me the tongue of instruction, to know when it is fit to speak a word: he has appointed for me early, he has given me an ear to hear:Contemporary English Version
The LORD God gives me the right words to encourage the weary. Each morning he awakens me eager to learn his teaching; Douay-Rheims Bible
The Lord hath given me a learned tongue, that I should know how to uphold by word him that is weary: he wakeneth in the morning, in the morning he wakeneth my ear, that I may hear him as a master. English Revised Version
The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of them that are taught, that I should know how to sustain with words him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as they that are taught.GOD'S WORD® Translation
The Almighty LORD will teach me what to say, so I will know how to encourage weary people. Morning after morning he will wake me to listen like a student.Good News Translation
The Sovereign LORD has taught me what to say, so that I can strengthen the weary. Every morning he makes me eager to hear what he is going to teach me. International Standard Version
"The Lord GOD has given me a learned tongue, so that I may know how to sustain the weary with words. And morning after morning he wakens, and he wakens my ear to listen like those who are being taught.JPS Tanakh 1917
The Lord GOD hath given me The tongue of them that are taught, That I should know how to sustain with words him that is weary; He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear To hear as they that are taught.Literal Standard Version
Lord YHWH has given to Me | The tongue of taught ones, | To know to aid the weary [by] a word, | He awakens [Me] morning by morning, | He awakens [My] ear to hear as taught ones.Majority Standard Bible
The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of discipleship, to sustain the weary with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning; He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.New American Bible
The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, That I might know how to answer the weary a word that will waken them. Morning after morning he wakens my ear to hear as disciples do; NET Bible
The sovereign LORD has given me the capacity to be his spokesman, so that I know how to help the weary. He wakes me up every morning; he makes me alert so I can listen attentively as disciples do. New Revised Standard Version
The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens— wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.New Heart English Bible
The LORD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary: he wakens morning by morning, he wakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.Webster's Bible Translation
The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth my ear to hear as the learned.World English Bible
The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with words him who is weary. He awakens morning by morning, he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. Young's Literal Translation
The Lord Jehovah hath given to me The tongue of taught ones, To know to aid the weary by a word, He waketh morning by morning, He waketh for me an ear to hear as taught ones.Additional Translations ...

(4) The Lord God . . .--A new section begins in the form of an abruptly introduced soliloquy. As in Isaiah 49:4, the speaker is the Servant of Jehovah, not Isaiah, though we may legitimately trace in what follows some echoes of the prophet's own experience. The union of the two names Adonai Jahveh (or Jehovah) indicates, as elsewhere, a special solemnity.

The tongue of the learned.--Better, of a disciple, or, well-trained scholar.

That I should know how to speak.--Better, that I should know how to sustain (or, refresh) the weary with a word.

He wakeneth.--The daily teaching of the morning communion with God is contrasted by implication with the dreams and night visions of a less perfect inspiration. An illustration, perhaps a conscious fulfilment, may be found in Mark 1:35; Luke 4:42.

To hear as the learned.--Read disciples, as before. The true Servant is also as a scholar, studious of the Master's will, as are other scholars.

Verses 4-9. - A SOLILOQUY OF THE SERVANT OF JEHOVAH. The separateness of this passage has been maintained in the opening paragraph. That it is not of himself that the prophet here speaks, appears

(1) from the self-assertion (vers, 4, 5, 9);

(2) from the depth of humiliation declared in ver. 6, which is beyond anything recorded of Isaiah. But if he does not speak of himself, he can scarcely speak of any other besides "the Servant," of whom he has already said much (Isaiah 42:1-8; Isaiah 49:1-12), and of whom he has still much more to say (Isaiah 52:13-15; Isaiah 53:1-12). Verse 4. - The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned; literally, the tongue of disciples; i.e. a trained tongue, a well-taught tongue. Christ "did nothing of himself; as the Father had taught him," so he spoke (John 8:28). That I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary; rather, that I shall know how to sustain by a word him that is weary. Compare, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). He wakeneth morning by morning... mine ear. God held immediate and constant communication with the "Servant" - not enlightening him occasionally, as he did the prophets, by dreams and visions, but continually whispering in his ear. At no time did the Father "leave him alone" (John 8:29) or cease to speak to him. "Morning by morning" is not to be narrowed to the bare literal meaning, but to be taken in the sense of "un-interruptedly." To hear as the learned; rather, to hear as disciples hear; i.e. attentively, submissively, gladly. Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

The Lord
אֲדֹנָ֣י (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136: The Lord

GOD
יְהֹוִ֗ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3069: YHWH

has given Me
נָ֤תַן (nā·ṯan)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

the tongue
לְשׁ֣וֹן (lə·šō·wn)
Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 3956: The tongue

of discipleship,
לִמּוּדִ֔ים (lim·mū·ḏîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 3928: Instructed

to sustain
לָע֥וּת (lā·‘ūṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5790: To hasten, succor

the weary
יָעֵ֖ף (yā·‘êp̄)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 3287: Fatigued, exhausted

with a word.
דָּבָ֑ר (dā·ḇār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

He awakens Me
יָעִ֣יר ׀ (yā·‘îr)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5782: To rouse oneself, awake

morning
בַּבֹּ֣קֶר (bab·bō·qer)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1242: Dawn, morning

by morning;
בַּבֹּ֗קֶר (bab·bō·qer)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1242: Dawn, morning

He awakens
יָעִ֥יר (yā·‘îr)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5782: To rouse oneself, awake

My ear
אֹ֔זֶן (’ō·zen)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 241: Broadness, the ear

to listen
לִשְׁמֹ֖עַ (liš·mō·a‘)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

as a disciple.
כַּלִּמּוּדִֽים׃ (kal·lim·mū·ḏîm)
Preposition-k, Article | Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 3928: Instructed

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