The verse highlights not just the ability to speak words of comfort, but the constant, daily process of learning how to do so. The "tongue of those who are taught" isn't just a gift, but an ear that God "awakens morning by morning" to diligently learn and receive the very words needed to sustain the weary.
The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage marks a shift in Isaiah's prophecy, introducing a new voice, the Servant of the Lord, who speaks about his unique calling and relationship with God. Following a section where God defends His actions and people, this soliloquy reveals the Servant's divinely appointed ability to offer comfort and wisdom. It lays the groundwork for understanding his mission, which will later include suffering and ultimate vindication.
Have you ever felt utterly drained, needing just the right words to lift you up? This verse reveals a divinely equipped communicator whose primary mission is to offer that exact kind of solace.
The passage emphasizes that the ability to speak a 'word in season' to the weary isn't accidental; it's a gift from the Lord GOD. This isn't just about having a way with words; it's about being specifically equipped by God with a 'tongue of those who are taught.' This implies a deep understanding, not just of words, but of the weary heart. The goal is to 'sustain' them. Think about what it means to truly support someone – it’s more than just saying 'things will get better.' It’s about offering the right message at the right time, a message that refreshes and strengthens.
We often think of prophets hearing God in dramatic visions. But what if true prophetic insight, the kind that sustains others, comes from something much more intimate and consistent?
The verse paints a picture of continuous connection with God. 'Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear.' This isn't a sporadic download of information; it's a daily, intentional communion. God is actively opening the Servant's ear, not just to receive instruction, but to hear as the taught learn. This implies an attentive, humble posture, ready to receive and internalize God's message. It's this persistent, intimate listening that equips the Servant to then speak with wisdom and empathy to those who are weary.
Understand the original words
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Adonai YHWH · Hebrew Title/Noun
A title of God emphasizing His absolute sovereignty, authority, and status as the Creator and Ruler of all (often used in tandem with the personal name YHWH).
limmudim · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
One who is discipled or instructed by God; it implies a heart that is submissive to divine revelation and eager to learn the mind of God.
marah · Hebrew Adjective
Stubborn, willful resistance to the will and command of God; a refusal to submit to divine authority.
This prophecy was delivered during a time of immense national crisis for Judah, characterized by internal spiritual decay and external threats from powerful empires like Assyria and Babylon. The impending or ongoing exile and destruction of Jerusalem deeply impacted the people, making the message of a divinely appointed Servant, who could offer comfort and wisdom, profoundly relevant.
c. 740 BC
Isaiah's Prophetic Ministry Begins
Isaiah begins his prophetic ministry in Judah during a period of political and religious turmoil, serving as a mouthpiece for God's messages.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, leading to the exile of its people and serving as a dire warning to Judah.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
King Sennacherib of Assyria besieges Jerusalem, a pivotal event during which Isaiah delivered messages of both judgment and divine deliverance to King Hezekiah.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Babylon, under Nebuchadnezzar, begins deporting skilled individuals and nobles from Judah to Babylon, marking the start of the exile.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Babylon completely destroys Jerusalem and its sacred Temple, ushering in a period of profound national trauma and exile for the remaining Jewish population.
c. 539 BC
Cyrus's Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon, paving the way for the return of Jewish exiles to Jerusalem.
This passage echoes Isaiah's description of comforting the weary, as Jesus invites those who are laboring and heavy laden to come to Him for rest.
John 8:28This verse highlights Jesus' consistent reliance on God's teaching, mirroring Isaiah's 'tongue of those who are taught' and His statement, 'I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father teaches me.'
Hebrews 5:8The passage in Hebrews speaks of Jesus learning obedience through what He suffered, which aligns with Isaiah's description of being awakened daily to hear and learn as a disciple, even in His perfect obedience.
1 Corinthians 1:18This verse speaks of the 'message of the cross' being foolishness to those perishing but the power of God, reflecting Isaiah's commission to speak a sustaining word, which is God's wisdom, to a weary world.
barnesIsaiah 50:4: "The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned."
The Lord God hath given me - This verse commences a new subject, and the deliverer is directly introduced as himself speaking. The reasons why this is supposed to refer to the Messiah, have been given in the analysis to the chapter. Those reasons will be strengthened by the examina…
bensonIsaiah 50:4: "The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned."
Isaiah 50:4 . The Lord God hath given me, &c. — The second discourse of the fifth part of Isaiah’s prophecies, according to Vitringa, begins here, and is continued to the seventeenth verse of the following chapter. God having, in the preceding paragraph, asserted his own power; to…
The verse highlights not just the ability to speak words of comfort, but the constant, daily process of learning how to do so. The "tongue of those who are taught" isn't just a gift, but an ear that God "awakens morning by morning" to diligently learn and receive the very words needed to sustain the weary.
This passage marks a shift in Isaiah's prophecy, introducing a new voice, the Servant of the Lord, who speaks about his unique calling and relationship with God. Following a section where God defends His actions and people, this soliloquy reveals the Servant's divinely appointed ability to offer comfort and wisdom. It lays the groundwork for understanding his mission, which will later include suffering and ultimate vindication.
This passage marks a shift in Isaiah's prophecy, introducing a new voice, the Servant of the Lord, who speaks about his unique calling and relationship with God. Following a section where God defends His actions and people, this soliloquy reveals the Servant's divinely appointed ability to offer comfort and wisdom. It lays the groundwork for understanding his mission, which will later include suffering and ultimate vindication.
"The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are ta…" — The verse highlights not just the ability to speak words of comfort, but the constant, daily process of learning how to do so. The "tongue of those who are taught" isn't just a gift, but an ear t…
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Last reviewed October 2026
