“Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am he; I am the first, and I am the last.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse doesn't just declare God's eternality with "I am the first, and I am the last"; it emphatically calls Jacob and Israel to "listen" to Him, the One who is. This isn't just a statement of fact about God's nature, but a direct, urgent plea for His chosen people to pay attention to Him as the sole, eternal source of their salvation, especially as they faced hardship.
“Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am he; I am the first, and I am the last.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This chapter is God calling out His people, Jacob and Israel, who have been unfaithful and idolatrous despite His continued faithfulness. He rebukes them for their hypocrisy, reminding them of His past interventions and His unique ability to foretell future events, a power no idol possesses. The verse serves as a powerful declaration of God's ultimate authority and unchanging nature, directly addressing the people to command their attention before He reveals a new plan involving Cyrus for their deliverance.
God’s words carry immense weight, especially when He calls us to listen. This verse begins with a direct invitation, urging us to pause and truly hear what He has to say.
The verse opens with a powerful imperative: "Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called!" This isn't a casual suggestion; it's a divine summons. God is addressing His chosen people, reminding them of their unique relationship with Him as those He has called. This call to listen is foundational because what follows is a declaration of His identity and power, crucial for them to understand, especially in their exilic situation.
Why Listen Now?
In a world of constant change, where do we find unshakeable truth? God declares His own name, revealing a reality that transcends all.
The core of God's self-declaration here is "I am he." This simple statement, echoing the divine name revealed to Moses (I AM WHO I AM), signifies His self-existence, His absolute being, and His unchanging nature. He isn't dependent on anything or anyone; He simply . This is the bedrock upon which all His promises and actions are built.
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The Unchangeable One
God isn't just present; He encompasses all of time and existence. What does it mean that He is both the beginning and the end?
The declaration continues, "I am the first, and I am the last." This is a profound statement of God's sovereignty over all of history and reality. He existed before anything else, and He will exist after everything else is finished. There is no time or event outside of His knowledge, His plan, or His control.
Cosmic Significance
Understand the original words
rishon / acharon · Hebrew Adjective/Adjective
A title for God expressing His absolute eternity and sovereignty over all time. It signifies that He is the origin and the culmination of all history, ruling over all events from beginning to end.
The declaration 'I am the first and the last' is spoken into the profound despair of the Babylonian exile following the destruction of Jerusalem. It's God's powerful reminder of His eternal sovereignty and faithfulness, contrasting with the apparent finality of their national catastrophe.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
Sennacherib, king of Assyria, besieges Jerusalem during the reign of King Hezekiah. While Jerusalem is not captured, the event highlights Judah's vulnerability and reliance on foreign alliances.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar I of Babylon conquers Judah and deports a group of its elite, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a revolt, Nebuchadnezzar deports more of Judah's leadership and population, including the prophet Ezekiel and King Jehoiachin, to Babylon.
587/586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, ending the Davidic kingdom and sending the majority of the remaining population into exile in Babylon. This is the defining catastrophe for the Judean people.
c. 550 BC
Rise of Cyrus the Great
Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian Empire, begins his conquests, setting the stage for the eventual end of the Babylonian exile.
539 BC
Fall of Babylon and Cyrus's Edict
Cyrus conquers Babylon. His famous edict allows exiled peoples, including the Judeans, to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples. This marks the beginning of the return from exile.
This verse directly echoes the language of Isaiah 48:12, asserting God's unique claim as 'the first and the last' and the only God, reinforcing His singular sovereignty.
Revelation 1:8The phrase 'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end' in Revelation is a clear New Testament parallel, also spoken by Christ, echoing this declaration of God's eternal nature and supreme authority.
Isaiah 41:4This earlier passage in Isaiah also presents God as 'the first and the last,' establishing the theme of His eternal preeminence and involvement in history long before this specific declaration to Jacob and Israel.
John 8:58Jesus' statement 'Before Abraham was, I AM' points to His eternal existence and divine identity, aligning with the 'I am he' and 'I am the first and the last' claims, signifying His divine nature and authority.
Deuteronomy 32:39The statement 'See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me' powerfully reinforces the singular, exclusive nature of God's identity and power, a foundational truth underscored by Isaiah's declaration.
barnesIsaiah 48:12: "Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last."
Hearken unto me - This is a solemn call on the Jews in Babylon to attend to what he was now about to say. It is the commencement of a new part of the argument, containing the assurance that he would deliver them, and utterly destroy the Chaldeans. He begins, therefore, by asserting that he is the only true God, and that he is able to accomplish all his purposes. My called - The people wh…
clarkeIsaiah 48:12: "Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last."
O Jacob "O Jacob, my servant" - After יעקב yaakob, a MS. of Kennicott's, two of De Rossi's, and the two old editions of 1486 and 1488, add the word עבדי abdi, "my servant," which is lost out of the present text; and there is a rasure in its place in another ancient MS. The Jerusalem Talmud has the same word. I also am the last "I am the last" - For אף אני aph ani, "even I," two ancien…
The verse doesn't just declare God's eternality with "I am the first, and I am the last"; it emphatically calls Jacob and Israel to "listen" to Him, the One who is. This isn't just a statement of fact about God's nature, but a direct, urgent plea for His chosen people to pay attention to Him as the sole, eternal source of their salvation, especially as they faced hardship.
This chapter is God calling out His people, Jacob and Israel, who have been unfaithful and idolatrous despite His continued faithfulness. He rebukes them for their hypocrisy, reminding them of His past interventions and His unique ability to foretell future events, a power no idol possesses. The verse serves as a powerful declaration of God's ultimate authority and unchanging nature, directly addressing the people to command their attention before He reveals a new plan involving Cyrus for their deliverance.
This chapter is God calling out His people, Jacob and Israel, who have been unfaithful and idolatrous despite His continued faithfulness. He rebukes them for their hypocrisy, reminding them of His past interventions and His unique ability to foretell future events, a power no idol possesses. The verse serves as a powerful declaration of God's ultimate authority and unchanging nature, directly addressing the people to command their attention before He reveals a new plan involving Cyrus for their deliverance.
"“Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am he; I am the first, and I am the last." — The verse doesn't just declare God's eternality with "I am the first, and I am the last"; it emphatically calls Jacob and Israel to "listen" to Him, the One who is. This isn't just a statement of…
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Last reviewed October 2026