Isaiah 43:20

“The animals of the field will honor me, jackals and ostriches, because I have given in the wilderness water, rivers in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen one.”

Isaiah 43:20 · direct translation from the Hebrew
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With the Hebrew beneath

20

Allusion · 1 Peter 2:9

Go to 1 Peter 2:9

Both texts, in Greek, speak of God’s “chosen race,” formed to proclaim his “excellencies” (aretas): 1 Peter 2:9 and Isaiah 43:20-21 in the Septuagint.

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

Words of the Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of the OT (Isaiah 43:20 in the Septuagint numbering; Swete's text, CC BY-SA 4.0):

Isaiah 43:20, word by word

The animalsחַיַּתchayat

beast

Literally "living thing": a creature, especially a wild one.

Where else “chayat” appears
of the fieldשָּׂדֶהsade

field

The open country: "the beasts of the field".

Where else “sade” appears
will honor meתְּכַבְּדֵtechabde

honor

Literally "give weight": to hold someone in high regard.

Where else “techabde” appears
jackalsתַּנִּיםtanim

jackal

A wild dog that lives among ruins.

Where else “tanim” appears
and ostrichesבְנוֹתvenot

young

Literally "daughter" in set phrases, like the center of the eye or an animal's age.

Where else “venot” appears
and ostrichesיַעֲנָהyaana

ostrich

Ostrich (in the phrase "daughter of the ostrich"); the identification is debated.

Where else “yaana” appears
I have givenנָתַתִּיnatati

give

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

Where else “natati” appears
in the wildernessמִּדְבָּרmidbar

wilderness

Dry, unfarmed land where flocks graze.

Where else “midbar” appears
waterמַיִםmayim

water

Water: for drinking, of rivers or seas.

Where else “mayim” appears
riversנְהָרוֹתneharot

river

River, stream; above all the Euphrates ("the River") or the Nile.

Where else “neharot” appears
in the wastelandישִׁימֹןyshimon

wasteland

Wasteland, desolation: desert land with no inhabitants.

Where else “yshimon” appears
to give drinkהַשְׁקוֹתhashkot

give drink

To give water or another liquid to people or animals.

Where else “hashkot” appears
to my peopleעַמִּami

Ammi

Israel, YHWH's people: "my people".

Where else “ami” appears
my chosen oneבְחִירִvechiri

chosen

Chosen, elect: the one someone has chosen. It is said of Saul, of Moses, of David, of the servant of YHWH and of the people of Israel as God's chosen.

Where else “vechiri” appears

The context

19Look, I am doing a new thing; now it springs up; will you not know it? Indeed, I will make in the wilderness a way, in the wasteland rivers.

20 · This verse (above)

21The people whom I formed for myself will recount my praise.

Read all of Isaiah 43

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