Isaiah 50:9
Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.
Original Language Analysis
אֲדֹנָ֤י
Behold the Lord
H136
אֲדֹנָ֤י
Behold the Lord
Strong's:
H136
Word #:
2 of 14
the lord (used as a proper name of god only)
מִי
H4310
מִי
Strong's:
H4310
Word #:
6 of 14
who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix
ה֖וּא
H1931
ה֖וּא
Strong's:
H1931
Word #:
7 of 14
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo
יַרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי
me who is he that shall condemn
H7561
יַרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי
me who is he that shall condemn
Strong's:
H7561
Word #:
8 of 14
to be (causatively, do or declare) wrong; by implication, to disturb, violate
כֻּלָּם֙
H3605
כֻּלָּם֙
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
10 of 14
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
Cross References
Job 13:28And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.Isaiah 41:10Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.Psalms 102:26They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:Psalms 39:11When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah.
Historical Context
Israel's historical enemies (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon) all fell while God's people endured through exile and return. This pattern anticipates Satan's final defeat (Revelation 20:10) while those justified in Christ live eternally.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the inevitability of your accusers' decay encourage patient endurance of false charges?
- What is the difference between temporary human condemnation and eternal divine justification?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The assurance 'the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me?' repeats for emphasis the impossibility of successful accusation against God's justified servant. The imagery 'they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up' depicts enemies' decay versus God's eternal vindication. Accusers are temporary; God's approval is permanent.