Isaiah 42:14
I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.
Original Language Analysis
מֵֽעוֹלָ֔ם
I have long time
H5769
מֵֽעוֹלָ֔ם
I have long time
Strong's:
H5769
Word #:
2 of 9
properly, concealed, i.e., the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e., (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial
אַחֲרִ֖ישׁ
I have been still
H2790
אַחֲרִ֖ישׁ
I have been still
Strong's:
H2790
Word #:
3 of 9
to scratch, i.e., (by implication) to engrave, plough; hence (from the use of tools) to fabricate (of any material); figuratively, to devise (in a bad
כַּיּוֹלֵדָ֣ה
like a travailing woman
H3205
כַּיּוֹלֵדָ֣ה
like a travailing woman
Strong's:
H3205
Word #:
5 of 9
to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage
Historical Context
God's apparent inactivity during the long exile tested faith. This assures that silence wasn't abandonment but patient waiting for the appointed time. When God acts, it will be with explosive, irresistible force.
Questions for Reflection
- How do you interpret God's silence in your life—as absence or as patient timing?
- What does the birthing imagery teach about the intensity of God's coming actions?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
God's long silence ('been still' and 'refrained myself') has been deliberate patience, but now He will act like a woman in labor—crying out and panting. This striking feminine imagery conveys the intensity and inevitability of coming judgment/deliverance. What has been gestating must now be born.