Isaiah 49:6

“he said: “It is too small a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved ones of Israel; I will make you also a light of the nations, to be my salvation to the end of the earth.””
Isaiah 49:6 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

he said:וַיֹּאמֶר“It is too small a thingנָקֵלthat you should beמִהְיוֹתְךָmy servantלִי עֶבֶדto raise upלְהָקִים אֶתthe tribesשִׁבְטֵיof Jacobיַעֲקֹבand to bring backוּ לְהָשִׁיבthe preserved onesנְצוּרֵיof Israel;יִשְׂרָאֵלI will make youנְתַתִּיךָalsoוּa lightלְאוֹרof the nations,גּוֹיִםto beלִהְיוֹתmy salvationיְשׁוּעָתִיtoעַדthe endקְצֵהof the earth.”הָאָרֶץ

Quotation · Acts 13:47

Go to Acts 13:47

Paul and Barnabas apply to their mission Isaiah 49:6, said of the servant of YHWH: “I have set you as a light for the nations.”

Formula: οὕτως γὰρ ἐντέταλται ἡμῖν ὁ κύριος “for so the Lord has commanded us” (Acts 13:47)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: οὕτως γὰρ ἐντέταλται ἡμῖν ὁ κύριος Τέθεικά σε εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν τοῦ εἶναί σε εἰς σωτηρίαν ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς

Hebrew (Masoretic text): וַיֹּאמֶר נָקֵל מִהְיוֹתְךָ לִי עֶבֶד לְהָקִים אֶת שִׁבְטֵי יַעֲקֹב וּנְצוּרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהָשִׁיב וּנְתַתִּיךָ לְאוֹר גּוֹיִם לִהְיוֹת יְשׁוּעָתִי עַד קְצֵה הָאָרֶץ

Septuagint (Isaiah 49:6-7 in the Septuagint numbering): καὶ εἶπέν μοι Μέγα σοί ἐστιν τοῦ κληθῆναί σε παῖδά μου, τοῦ στῆσαι τὰς φυλὰς Ἰακὼβ καὶ τὴν διασπορὰν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἐπιστρέψαι· ἰδοὺ τέθεικά σε εἷς φῶς ἐθνῶν, τοῦ εἷναί σε εἰς σωτηρίαν ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς. οὕτως λέγει Κύριος ὃ ῥυσάμενός σε ὅ θεὸς Ἰσραήλ Ἁγιάσατε τὸν φαυλίζοντα τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, τὸν βδελυσσόμενον ὑπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν τῶν δούλων τῶν ἀρχόντων· βασιλεῖς ὄψονται αὐτόν, καὶ ἀναστήσονται ἄρχοντες καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν αὐτῷ ἕνεκεν Κυρίου· ὅτι πιστός ἐστιν ὃ ἅγιος Ἰσραήλ, καὶ ἐξελεξάμην σε.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 14 consecutive words: “Τέθεικά σε εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν τοῦ εἶναί σε εἰς σωτηρίαν ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Isaiah 49:6, word by word

he saidיֹּאמֶרyomer

say

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

Where else “yomer” appears

“It is too small a thingנָקֵלnakel

despise

To count something or someone as little, as a thing without weight.

Where else “nakel” appears

that you should beהְיוֹתְheot

To be: "I will be their Elohim".

Where else “heot” appears

my servantעֶבֶדeved

servant of YHWH

YHWH's servant, like Moses or David.

Where else “eved” appears

to raise upהָקִיםhakim

establish

To put something up, or confirm a covenant.

Where else “hakim” appears

the tribesשִׁבְטֵיshivte

tribe

Literally "the rod": one of the twelve great clans of Israel.

Where else “shivte” appears

of 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

and to bring backהָשִׁיבhashiv

bring back

To return something, restore.

Where else “hashiv” appears

the preserved onesנְצוּרֵיnetsure

guard

To be watchful in looking after and protecting someone or something.

Where else “netsure” appears

of 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

I will make youנְתַתִּיnetati

make

To make someone something: "I have made you a father".

Where else “netati” appears

a lightאוֹרor

light

The brightness that comes from the sun, the day or a lamp and lets one see.

Where else “or” appears

of the nationsגּוֹיִםgoyim

Gentiles

The peoples other than Israel.

Where else “goyim” appears

my salvationיְשׁוּעָתִyeshuati

salvation

Salvation: the help with which God delivers from danger; also victory. The name "Jesus" (Yeshua) comes from the same root.

Where else “yeshuati” appears

the endקְצֵהketse

end

The place where something ends: its edge or farthest point.

Where else “ketse” appears

of the earthאָרֶץarets

earth

The whole world, everything under the sky.

Where else “arets” appears

Translation note

Paul and Barnabas quote this verse in Acts 13:47; see also Luke 2:32.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Acts 13:47

Paul and Barnabas apply to their mission Isaiah 49:6, said of the servant of YHWH: “I have set you as a light for the nations.”

See them side by side

Isaiah 49:6

⁶he said: “It is too small a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved ones of Israel; I will make you also a light of the nations, to be my salvation to the end of the earth.”

Acts 13:47

⁴⁷For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light for the nations, that you may be for salvation to the end of the earth.’”

The context

5And now says YHWH, who formed me from the womb as his servant, to bring back Jacob to him, and Israel to him will be gathered —and I am honored in the eyes of YHWH, and my Elohim has been my strength—

6 · This verse (above)

7Thus says YHWH, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, to the one despised in soul, to the one abhorred by the nation, to the slave of rulers: “Kings will see and rise up, princes, and they will bow down, because of YHWH, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Read all of Isaiah 49

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