Isaiah 41:8

“But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, offspring of Abraham, my friend;”
Isaiah 41:8 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

But you,וְאַתָּהIsrael,יִשְׂרָאֵלmy servant,עַבְדִּיJacob,יַעֲקֹבwhomאֲשֶׁרI have chosen,בְּחַרְתִּיךָoffspringזֶרַעof Abraham,אַבְרָהָםmy friend;אֹהֲבִי

Allusion · Hebrews 2:16

Go to Hebrews 2:16

Both texts speak of the offspring of Abraham and of taking it by the hand or helping it.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

הֶחֱזַקְתִּיhejezaktiH2388ἐπιλαμβάνεταιepilambanetaiG1949“be strong, strengthen, grasp”
זֶרַעzeraH2233σπέρματοςspermatosG4690“seed; offspring; semen”
אַבְרָהָםavrahamH85ἈβραὰμAbraamG11“Abraham”

Isaiah 41:8, word by word

Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyisrael

Israel

Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.

Where else “yisrael” appears

my servantעַבְדִּavdi

servant of YHWH

YHWH's servant, like Moses or David.

Where else “avdi” appears

Jacobיַעֲקֹבyaakov

Jacob

Jacob, the younger son of Isaac and Rebekah, twin brother of Esau and father of the twelve tribes. In Hebrew "Yaakov" sounds like "heel" and "supplant" (Genesis 25:26; 27:36). God later gave him the name Israel; the name also stands for his descendants, the people of Israel.

Where else “yaakov” appears

I have chosenבְּחַרְתִּיbecharti

elect

God picks out his people, a place or a king.

Where else “becharti” appears

offspringזֶרַעzera

offspring

The children, grandchildren and whole line that come from someone.

Where else “zera” appears

of Abrahamאַבְרָהָםavraham

Abraham

Abraham, the name God gave to Abram; it sounds like "father of a multitude" (Genesis 17:5). The father of the people of Israel, to whom God promised the land and blessing for all the families of the earth.

Where else “avraham” appears

my friendאֹהֲבִohavi

lover

One who loves another: the faithful friend or the lover.

Where else “ohavi” appears

Translation note

“My friend”: in Hebrew, “the one who loves me.” James 2:23 recalls that Abraham “was called a friend of God.”

The context

7And the craftsman encourages the goldsmith, he who smooths with the hammer him who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, “It is good”; and he fastens it with nails, so that it will not totter.

8 · This verse (above)

9you whom I took hold of from the ends of the earth, and from its remotest corners called, and said to you, “You are my servant; I have chosen you and have not rejected you”:

Read all of Isaiah 41

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