Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights that God's calling of Abraham was a pivotal moment, transforming a single, solitary individual into the father of a vast nation. It's a powerful reminder that our origins, even when seemingly insignificant or alone, are foundational to God's grand, multiplying purposes for us.
Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet is speaking to a people in exile, feeling forgotten and insignificant. He's reminding them of their foundational ancestor, Abraham, whom God called as a single, childless man. God then blessed and multiplied him into a nation, demonstrating His power to restore and expand His people from even the most desolate beginnings.
When life feels small and prospects dim, where do you turn for hope? This verse points us to a surprising source: our spiritual heritage.
The prophet Isaiah, speaking to the discouraged Israelites in exile, directs their gaze backward, not to their present suffering, but to their foundational figures: Abraham and Sarah.
A Humble Beginning
This isn't just a history lesson. It's an invitation to see God’s consistent pattern: He often begins with seemingly impossible beginnings to bring about His great purposes. Your spiritual lineage, whether through faith or through the historical people of God, is a testament to His faithfulness.
The greatest nation started with one person. How does this truth speak to the 'smallness' you might feel in your own life or circumstances?
The core of Isaiah’s argument lies in God's demonstrated power to bring about immense growth from the smallest seed.
From One to Multitude
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The prophet Isaiah reminds the exiled and broken people of Israel that their nation began with a single man, Abraham, and a barren woman, Sarah. This historical perspective is crucial for them to grasp God's power to restore and multiply them, even from their most desperate condition in Babylonian exile.
c. 2000 BC
Call of Abraham
God calls Abraham from Ur to leave his homeland and people, promising to make him a great nation and bless the world through him.
c. 1800 BC
Abraham and Sarah's Covenant
God reaffirms His covenant with Abraham and Sarah, promising them descendants despite their advanced age and Sarah's barrenness.
c. 1790 BC
Birth of Isaac
Isaac is born to Abraham and Sarah, fulfilling God's promise and establishing the lineage through which the nation would grow.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon begins deporting Jewish people, including royalty and skilled laborers, to Babylon, marking the start of the Babylonian Exile.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, leading to a second, larger deportation and scattering of the remaining Jewish population.
c. 539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon, opening the way for the exiled Jews to eventually return to their homeland.
c. 538 BC— this verse
Edict of Cyrus
Cyrus issues a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple, marking the beginning of the return.
This passage is the foundational call to Abraham, where God promises to make him a great nation and bless him, directly reflecting the 'calling' and 'blessing' mentioned in Isaiah 51:2.
Genesis 17:5-6Here, God reiterates His promise to Abraham, changing his name and emphasizing that he would become the father of many nations. This directly illustrates the 'multiplying' mentioned in Isaiah, showing the fulfillment of the promise from a single individual.
Hebrews 11:11-12This New Testament passage highlights Sarah's faith and the miraculous birth of Isaac, directly referencing Abraham and Sarah as progenitors and emphasizing the theme of God's faithfulness in multiplying them from seemingly impossible circumstances.
Romans 4:18-22Paul uses Abraham's faith as a prime example for believers, focusing on how Abraham 'against hope believed hope' and was strengthened in faith. This echoes Isaiah's call to 'look to Abraham' as an example of trusting God's promises even when humanly impossible.
barnesIsaiah 51:2: "Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him."
Look unto Abraham - What was figuratively expressed in the former verse is here expressed literally. They were directed to remember that God had taken Abraham and Sarah from a distant land, and that from so humble a beginning he had increased them to a great nation. The argument is, that he was able to bless and increase the exile Jews, though comparatively fee…
wesleyIsaiah 51:2: "Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him."
51:2 Him alone - To follow me to an unknown land: him only of all his kindred. Increased - Into a vast multitude, when his condition was desperate in the eye of reason. And therefore God can as easily raise his church when they are in the most forlorn condition.
This verse highlights that God's calling of Abraham was a pivotal moment, transforming a single, solitary individual into the father of a vast nation. It's a powerful reminder that our origins, even when seemingly insignificant or alone, are foundational to God's grand, multiplying purposes for us.
The prophet is speaking to a people in exile, feeling forgotten and insignificant. He's reminding them of their foundational ancestor, Abraham, whom God called as a single, childless man. God then blessed and multiplied him into a nation, demonstrating His power to restore and expand His people from even the most desolate beginnings.
The prophet is speaking to a people in exile, feeling forgotten and insignificant. He's reminding them of their foundational ancestor, Abraham, whom God called as a single, childless man. God then blessed and multiplied him into a nation, demonstrating His power to restore and expand His people from even the most desolate beginnings.
"Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him." — This verse highlights that God's calling of Abraham was a pivotal moment, transforming a single, solitary individual into the father of a vast nation. It's a powerful reminder that our origins, even…
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Last reviewed October 2026