Isaiah 50:2
Why, when I came, was there no man; why, when I called, was there no one to answer? Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a desert; their fish stink for lack of water and die of thirst.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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God laments that His people were unresponsive to His presence and calls, not due to His lack of power to save, but because they failed to recognize or embrace Him when He reached out. The dramatic imagery of drying up the sea and rivers underscores that the inability to deliver wasn't His, but theirs for not accepting His offered redemption.
This passage appears in a section where God addresses Israel's perceived abandonment, clarifying that it's their own iniquities, not God's failure, that led to their exile. The speaker, likely representing God or a servant figure, laments the lack of response to His calls and questions if His power to save has diminished, highlighting His immense power over nature as proof. The immediate context shows God rebutting any notion that He is unable or unwilling to deliver, pointing to His past miracles as evidence of His capabilities.
Have you ever felt like you're calling out into the void, with no response? Isaiah 50:2 captures this frustration, but from God's perspective.
In this passage, God expresses a deep sorrow and confusion: 'Why, when I came, was there no man; why, when I called, was there no one to answer?' This isn't just about a single instance, but a pattern of rejection.
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When we face insurmountable problems, we might question God's ability to help. But God asks a pointed question here: Is His power truly limited?
After lamenting the lack of response, God immediately pivots to assert His supreme power and ability to deliver. The rhetorical questions 'Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver?' are not genuine doubts, but a powerful statement of His capability.
Understand the original words
padah · Hebrew Verb
The act of buying back or setting free from bondage, bondage, or debt; in a theological context, it is the act of God reclaiming His people from slavery or judgment through the payment of a price.
gearah · Hebrew Noun
A forceful expression of disapproval or correction, often associated with God’s authority over creation, used to restrain evil or exercise divine sovereignty.
This passage speaks powerfully to the devastation of the Babylonian exile, where God's people felt abandoned and their divine protection seemed absent. The prophet's words remind them that God's perceived inaction was not due to a lack of power, but a consequence of their own unfaithfulness, while simultaneously affirming His ultimate power to deliver and restore.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling its inhabitants. This event serves as a stark warning to the Southern Kingdom of Judah about the consequences of disobedience.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon begins deporting Judean elites and skilled workers to Babylon. This marks the start of the Babylonian exile and signifies Judah's loss of sovereignty.
c. 597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports more of Judah's population, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel. Jerusalem's temple is partially plundered.
c. 586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonians completely destroy Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple, exiling the remaining population. This is a catastrophic national trauma, leaving the Judeans in despair.
c. 539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers the Babylonian Empire, allowing the Judean exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple.
This passage vividly illustrates God's power to control the sea, just as Isaiah describes drying up the sea with a rebuke, showing His ability to intervene supernaturally.
Joshua 3:16-17Here, the Jordan River was stopped by God's power, mirroring the imagery of making rivers a wilderness and demonstrating His absolute authority over natural elements.
Matthew 8:26Jesus rebuking the storm shows a parallel to God's 'rebuke' in Isaiah, highlighting divine power over nature and the response of the elements to His word.
Isaiah 40:28This verse directly states that God does not faint or grow weary, reinforcing Isaiah 50:2's rhetorical question about whether His hand is shortened, asserting His unending strength.
Psalm 106:9This Psalm mentions God rebuking the sea and making it dry, directly connecting to the imagery used in Isaiah 50:2 to demonstrate His power and saving might.
wesleyIsaiah 50:2: "Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst."
50:2 Wherefore - The general accusation delivered in the last words he now proves by particular instances. When - When I, first by my prophets, came to call them to repentance.…
clarkeIsaiah 50:2: "Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst."
Their fish stinketh "Their fish is dried up" - For תבאש tibaosh, stinketh, read תיבש tibash, is dried up; so it stands in the Bodl. MS., and it is confirmed by the Septuagint,…
God laments that His people were unresponsive to His presence and calls, not due to His lack of power to save, but because they failed to recognize or embrace Him when He reached out. The dramatic imagery of drying up the sea and rivers underscores that the inability to deliver wasn't His, but theirs for not accepting His offered redemption.
This passage appears in a section where God addresses Israel's perceived abandonment, clarifying that it's their own iniquities, not God's failure, that led to their exile. The speaker, likely representing God or a servant figure, laments the lack of response to His calls and questions if His power to save has diminished, highlighting His immense power over nature as proof. The immediate context shows God rebutting any notion that He is unable or unwilling to deliver, pointing to His past miracles as evidence of His capabilities.
This passage appears in a section where God addresses Israel's perceived abandonment, clarifying that it's their own iniquities, not God's failure, that led to their exile. The speaker, likely representing God or a servant figure, laments the lack of response to His calls and questions if His power to save has diminished, highlighting His immense power over nature as proof. The immediate context shows God rebutting any notion that He is unable or unwilling to deliver, pointing to His past miracles as evidence of His capabilities.
"Why, when I came, was there no man; why, when I called, was there no one to answer? Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make t…" — God laments that His people were unresponsive to His presence and calls, not due to His lack of power to save, but because they failed to recognize or embrace Him when He reached out. The dramatic im…
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