Isaiah 42:10-12
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This call to sing a "new song" isn't just about a change in tune; it's a radical invitation for everyone, even those who traverse the vast oceans and live by the sea, to join in praise from the farthest reaches of the earth. This highlights a profound shift: God's message is no longer confined to one people or place, but is meant to echo across the entire globe, transforming even the most distant and disconnected communities.
Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants. Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits; let the habitants of Sela sing for joy, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory to the LORD, and declare his praise in the coastlands.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of a larger section calling all of creation to praise God, emphasizing the universality of His redemption. It immediately follows God's declaration of His servant's mission and precedes further descriptions of the servant's impact. The call to praise extends beyond the familiar lands to include those who travel the seas and inhabit the distant islands, highlighting the global reach of God's redemptive work.
Why does the prophet call for a 'new song'? What does this fresh melody represent?
The call to sing a 'new song' is deeply significant. It's not just about a new tune, but a new reason and a new way to praise God.
A New Cause for Praise
This new song is prompted by God's great redemptive acts, specifically the coming of a Redeemer (a concept developed throughout Isaiah) who will bring judgment and salvation to the nations. This isn't just a continuation of old praise songs; it's a response to a fresh, profound act of God's mercy that demands a fresh expression of thanks.
Universal Scope
The song is not limited to a particular place or people. It's to be sung 'from the end of the earth,' indicating a global reach. This highlights that God's saving work is not confined to one nation but is intended to encompass all peoples.
The verse specifically calls out those 'who go down to the sea' and the 'isles.' Why this particular focus?
The inclusion of seafarers and island dwellers emphasizes the comprehensive and far-reaching nature of God's praise.
The Reach of Redemption
Those who 'go down to the sea' represent merchants, sailors, and travelers – people whose lives and livelihoods are connected to the vast, often unpredictable, expanse of the ocean. The 'isles' and their inhabitants symbolize distant lands and peoples, those who might seem remote or hard to reach.
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Inclusive Worship
By calling out these specific groups, the prophet is painting a picture of universal worship. God's praise is not just for landlocked communities or those living in prominent centers of civilization. It extends to every corner of the globe, including the furthest shores and the islands that dot the seas. This inclusive call signifies that no one is outside the scope of God's saving power and deserves to join in the song of praise.
Understand the original words
shiyr chadash · Hebrew Noun Phrase
A song that celebrates a recent or ongoing act of divine deliverance, marking a new phase in God's redemptive history.
midbar · Hebrew Noun
In the Bible, this refers to an uncultivated, desolate, or sparsely populated region. It often serves as a place of testing, divine meeting, or a symbol of desolation awaiting restoration.
Qedar · Hebrew Proper Noun
A nomadic or semi-nomadic Ishmaelite tribe, often representing the far-flung, Gentile, or non-Israelite nations in prophetic literature.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
A Hebrew word used to describe the absolute, covenantal name of God, revealed to Moses, representing His self-existence, faithfulness, and holiness.
kabod · Hebrew Noun
In a biblical context, glory refers to the outward manifestation of God's weightiness, splendor, majesty, and moral excellence. To give glory is to acknowledge and declare this inherent worthiness.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon begins his campaigns in the Levant, initiating the first deportation of Jewish exiles, including Jehoiakim and Daniel.
597 BC
Second Deportation of Jerusalem
Following a rebellion by Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar deports more Jewish exiles, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel.
587 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and the Temple, exiling the remaining population to Babylon and marking the end of the Judean monarchy.
c. 540 BC— this verse
Prophecies of Deutero-Isaiah
The prophet known as Deutero-Isaiah (Second Isaiah) writes during the Babylonian exile, offering comfort and hope of restoration to the exiled people. This verse is part of his message.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, conquers Babylon, fulfilling prophecies that anticipated a foreign ruler would liberate the exiled Jews.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus Allows Return
Cyrus issues an edict allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple.
This Psalm also calls for a 'new song' of praise to the Lord, emphasizing His righteous acts and salvation, echoing the joyous and universal nature of the praise called for in Isaiah.
Psalm 107:23-24These verses specifically mention those who 'go down to the sea in ships' and 'do business on the great waters,' highlighting the maritime population's experience and their praise for God's deliverance, directly paralleling Isaiah's call to seafarers.
Isaiah 24:14-16This passage anticipates a future time of praise emanating 'from the ends of the earth' and 'from the sea,' foretelling a global celebration of God's glory, similar to the universal call in Isaiah 42:10.
Revelation 5:9This New Testament passage describes redeemed people from every 'tribe and language and people and nation' singing a new song of praise to the Lamb, illustrating the ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah's vision of universal worship.
Isaiah 60:9This verse speaks of the 'islands' waiting for God's law and the ships of Tarshish bringing His people from afar, reinforcing the idea of distant lands and seafaring peoples joining in God's praise.
barnesIsaiah 42:10: "Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof."
Sing unto the Lord a new song - It is common, as we have seen, to celebrate the goodness of God in a hymn of praise on the manifestation of any special act of mercy (see the notes at Isaiah 12:1-6 ; Isaiah 25:1-12 ; 26) Here the prophet calls upon all people to celebrate the divine mercy in a song of praise in view…
bensonIsaiah 42:10: "Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof."
Isaiah 42:10; Isaiah 42:12. Sing unto the Lord a new song — Upon this new and great occasion, the salvation of the world by Christ. It is with peculiar propriety and elegance that the nations are here called upon and exhorted to praise and extol Jehovah, for the singular blessing conferred upon them by the gospel. A…
This call to sing a "new song" isn't just about a change in tune; it's a radical invitation for everyone, even those who traverse the vast oceans and live by the sea, to join in praise from the farthest reaches of the earth. This highlights a profound shift: God's message is no longer confined to one people or place, but is meant to echo across the entire globe, transforming even the most distant and disconnected communities.
This passage is part of a larger section calling all of creation to praise God, emphasizing the universality of His redemption. It immediately follows God's declaration of His servant's mission and precedes further descriptions of the servant's impact. The call to praise extends beyond the familiar lands to include those who travel the seas and inhabit the distant islands, highlighting the global reach of God's redemptive work.
This passage is part of a larger section calling all of creation to praise God, emphasizing the universality of His redemption. It immediately follows God's declaration of His servant's mission and precedes further descriptions of the servant's impact. The call to praise extends beyond the familiar lands to include those who travel the seas and inhabit the distant islands, highlighting the global reach of God's redemptive work.
"Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants. Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice, the…" — This call to sing a "new song" isn't just about a change in tune; it's a radical invitation for everyone, even those who traverse the vast oceans and live by the sea, to join in praise from the far…
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Last reviewed October 2026
