Isaiah 42:5

“Thus says El, YHWH, who creates the heavens and stretches them out, who spreads out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it:”

Isaiah 42:5 · direct translation from the Hebrew
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With the Hebrew beneath

5

Isaiah 42:5, word by word

saysאָמַרamar

say

To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.

Where else “amar” appears
Elאֵלel

El, God, god

"El", an ancient Hebrew word for "God". Alone or with another title it is a name of the God of Israel: El Elyon (God Most High), El Shaddai (God Almighty). Neighboring peoples used the same word for their gods; then this translation writes "god" in lower case. It also means "mighty".

Where else “el” appears
YHWHיְהוָהyehva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yehva” appears
who createsבּוֹרֵאbore

create

To bring something new into being; only God does this.

Where else “bore” appears
the heavensשָּׁמַיִםshamayim

sky

The high space seen above the earth, where the birds, clouds, sun and stars are.

Where else “shamayim” appears
and stretches them outנוֹטֵיnote

stretch out

To reach out the hand, or set up a tent.

Where else “note” appears
who spreads outרֹקַעroka

spread out

To lay out, like the earth or clouds.

Where else “roka” appears
the earthאָרֶץarets

earth

The whole world, everything under the sky.

Where else “arets” appears
and what comes from itצֶאֱצָאֶיtseetsae

produce

What grows from the earth.

Where else “tseetsae” appears
who givesנֹתֵןnoten

give

To hand something over to someone: a gift, a payment, a charge or a land.

Where else “noten” appears
breathנְשָׁמָהneshama

breath

The puff of life God gave; "every living thing that draws air".

Where else “neshama” appears
to the peopleעָםam

crowd

The people gathered in a place: the crowd, or the troops that go out to war.

Where else “am” appears
and spiritרוּחַruach

spirit

What moves a person inside: their life, their mood.

Where else “ruach” appears
to those who walkהֹלְכִיםholchim

go

To move on foot from place to place; to set out.

Where else “holchim” appears

The context

4He will not grow dim nor be broken, until he establishes justice in the earth; and for his instruction the coastlands will wait.

5 · This verse (above)

6“I, YHWH, have called you in righteousness, and I will take hold of your hand, and I will keep you, and I will give you as a covenant of the people, as a light of the nations,

Read all of Isaiah 42

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