Isaiah 49:6

Authorized King James Version

And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Word-by-Word Analysis

וַיֹּ֗אמֶר

H559

And he said

to say (used with great latitude)

נָקֵ֨ל

H7043

It is a light thing

to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.)

מִֽהְיוֹתְךָ֥

H1961

to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)

לִי֙

עֶ֔בֶד

H5650

that thou shouldest be my servant

a servant

לְהָקִים֙

H6965

to raise up

to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)

אֶת

H853

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

שִׁבְטֵ֣י

H7626

the tribes

a scion, i.e., (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan

יַעֲקֹ֔ב

H3290

of Jacob

jaakob, the israelitish patriarch

#10

וּנְציּרֵ֥י

H5336

properly, conservative; but used passively, delivered

#11

יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל

H3478

of Israel

he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity

#12

לְהָשִׁ֑יב

H7725

and to restore

to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point);

#13

וּנְתַתִּ֙יךָ֙

H5414

I will also give

to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)

#14

לְא֣וֹר

H216

thee for a light

illumination or (concrete) luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.)

#15

גּוֹיִ֔ם

H1471

to the Gentiles

a foreign nation; hence, a gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts

#16

לִֽהְי֥וֹת

H1961

to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)

#17

יְשׁוּעָתִ֖י

H3444

that thou mayest be my salvation

something saved, i.e., (abstractly) deliverance; hence, aid, victory, prosperity

#18

עַד

H5704

as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)

#19

קְצֵ֥ה

H7097

unto the end

an extremity

#20

הָאָֽרֶץ׃

H776

of the earth

the earth (at large, or partitively a land)

Analysis

The salvation theme here intersects with the metanarrative of redemption running from Genesis to Revelation. Biblical theology recognizes this as part of a unified storyline from the promise in Genesis 3:15 to its fulfillment in Christ. The phrase emphasizing salvation encompasses justification, sanctification, and glorification in the ordo salutis and connects to the broader scriptural witness about God's saving work from the Exodus to the cross.

Historical Context

The literary and historical milieu of the literary conventions and historical circumstances of biblical literature shapes this text's meaning. The historical development of salvation within the theological tradition of Isaiah Understanding the ancient worldview that shaped the author's theological expression helps modern readers appreciate why the author emphasizes salvation in this particular way.

Questions for Reflection

How might the original audience's understanding of salvation differ from modern interpretations, and what bridges can be built between ancient meaning and contemporary application?
In what ways does this verse's emphasis on salvation address religious pluralism and questions about the necessity of Christ, and how should the church respond?
What practical applications emerge from understanding salvation as presented in this verse, particularly in light of addressing questions of religious pluralism and the exclusivity of Christ?

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