Isaiah 51:2
WEB
Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you; for when he was but one I called him, I blessed him, and made him many.
BSB
Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who gave you birth. When I called him, he was but one; then I blessed him and multiplied him.
KJV
Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H5027
v — scan, look intently at, regard
Derivation: a primitive root;
to scan, i.e. look intently at; by implication, to regard with pleasure, favor or care
KJV: (cause to) behold, consider, look (down), regard, have respect, see.
vb — look
[נָבַט] vb. Pi., Hiph. look
Pi. look
Hiph. look
H413
prep — near, with, among, to
Derivation: (but only used in the shortened constructive form אֶל ); a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e.
near, with or among; often in general, to
KJV: about, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, × hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).
prep — motion to
אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).
1. of motion to or unto a person or place
2. Where the limit is actually entered, into
3. Of direction towards anything
4. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against
5. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to
6. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of
7. Of rule or standard according to (rare)
8. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion
9. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to
H85
n-pr-m — Abraham
Derivation: contracted from 1 and an unused root (probably meaning to be populous); father of a multitude;
Abraham, the later name of Abram
KJV: Abraham.
n.pr.m — Abraham
אַבְרָם n.pr.m. (id., Thes al. exalted father) Abram = אַבְרָהָם Abraham
H1
n-m — father
Derivation: a primitive word;
father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application
KJV: chief, (fore-) father(-less), × patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'.
n.m — father
אָב 1101 n.m. father
1. father of individual
2. of God as father of his people
3. head of household, family or clan
4. ancestor
5. originator or patron of a class, profession, or art
6. fig. of producer, generator
7. fig. of benevolence & protection
8. term of respect & honor
9. specif., ruler, chief (late)
H8283
n-pr-f — Sarah
Derivation: the same as 8282;
Sarah, Abraham's wife
KJV: Sarah.
n.pr.f — Sarah
שָׂרָה 37 n.pr.f. wife of Abraham (princess)
H2342
v — twist, whirl, dance, writhe in pain, fear, wait, pervert
Derivation: or חִיל; a primitive root;
properly, to twist or whirl (in a circular or spiral manner), i.e. (specifically) to dance, to writhe in pain (especially of parturition) or fear; figuratively, to wait, to pervert
KJV: bear, (make to) bring forth, (make to) calve, dance, drive away, fall grievously (with pain), fear, form, great, grieve, (be) grievous, hope, look, make, be in pain, be much (sore) pained, rest, shake, shapen, (be) sorrow(-ful), stay, tarry, travail (with pain), tremble, trust, wait carefully (patiently), be wounded.
vb — whirl
חוּל [חִיל] vb. whirl, dance, writhe
Qal
1. dance
2. twist, writhe
3. whirl, whirl about
Po‛lel
1. dance
2. writhe in travail with, bear, bring forth (poet.)
3. wait anxiously
Po‛lal
1. be made to writhe
2. be brought forth
Hiph. cause to be in anguish
Hoph. be born
Hithpol.
1. whirling
2. writhing, suffering torture
3. wait longingly
Hithpalp. and she writhed in anxiety
vb — be firm
[חול, חִיל] vb. be firm, strong
H3588
conj — relative conjunction
Derivation: a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent;
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
KJV: and, (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), but, certainly, doubtless, else, even, except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, (al-) though, till, truly, until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.
conj — that
כִּי conj. that, for, when
1. that
2.
a. Of time, when, of the past
b. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם
c. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though
3. Because, since
relative conjunction
כִּי אם־
1. each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:
a. that if
b. for if
2. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—
a. limiting the prec. clause, except
b. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but
c. after an oath, surely
forasmuch as
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
H259
a — united, one, first
Derivation: a numeral from 258;
properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first
KJV: a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), eleven, every, few, first, highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,
adj.num — one
אֶחָד 972 adj.num. one
1. one
2. = each, every
3. = a certain
4. = indef. art.
5. only, & (fem.) once
6. one … another, one … the other
7. as ordinal first
8. in combin.
H7121
v — call out to
Derivation: a primitive root (rather identical with 7122 through the idea of accosting a person met);
to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)
KJV: bewray (self), that are bidden, call (for, forth, self, upon), cry (unto), (be) famous, guest, invite, mention, (give) name, preach, (make) proclaim(-ation), pronounce, publish, read, renowned, say.
vb — call
קָרָא 724 vb. call, proclaim, read
Qal
1.
a. call, cry, utter a loud sound
b. call, cry
2.
a. call unto some one
b. cry for help
3. proclaim
4.
a. read aloud
b. read to oneself
5. summon
6. call = name
Niph.
1. reflex.
2. pass. be called
Pu. be called
H1288
v — kneel, bless, curse
Derivation: a primitive root;
to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason)
KJV: × abundantly, × altogether, × at all, blaspheme, bless, congratulate, curse, × greatly, × indeed, kneel (down), praise, salute, × still, thank.
vb — kneel
[בָּרַךְ] 329 vb. kneel, bless
Qal
1. kneel down
2. bless
Niph. bless oneself
Pi.
1. bless God, adore with bended knees
2. God blesses
3. men bless men
4. salute, greet, with an invocation of blessing
5. bless, with the antithetical meaning curse from the greeting in departing, saying adieu to, taking leave of; but rather a blessing overdone and so really a curse as in vulgar English as well as in the Shemitic cognates
Pu.
1. pass. to be blessed, adored
2. prospered by God
3. have prosperity invoked, by Balaam
4. in gratitude
Hiph. and he made his camel kneel
Hithp. bless oneself, congratulate oneself in his heart
H7235
v — increase
Derivation: a primitive root;
to increase (in whatever respect)
KJV: (bring in) abundance (× -antly), archer (by mistake for 7232), be in authority, bring up, × continue, enlarge, excel, exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly, × -ness), grow up, heap, increase, be long, (be, give, have, make, use) many (a time), (any, be, give, give the, have) more (in number), (ask, be, be so, gather, over, take, yield) much (greater, more), (make to) multiply, nourish, plenty(-eous), × process (of time), sore, store, thoroughly, very.
vb — be much
[רָבָה] 225 vb. be, or become, much, many, great
Qal 59
1. become many, numerous
2.
a. be great
b. grow great (Aramaism)
Pi. 4 make large, increase
Hiph. 162
1. make much or many
2. make great, obj. pers.
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Verses 1–3
Isaiah 51:1–3
Observe, 1. How the people of God are here described, to whom the word of this consolation is sent and who are called upon to hearken to it, Isa 51:1. They are such as follow after righteousness, such as are very desirous and solicitous both to be justified and to be sanctified, are pressing hard after this, to have the favour of God restored to them and the image of God renewed on them. These are those that seek the Lord, for it is only in the say of righteousness that we can seek him with any hope of finding him. 2. How they are here directed to look back to their original, and the smallness of their beginning: "Look unto the rock whence you were hewn" (the idolatrous family in Ur of the Chaldees, out of which Abraham was taken, the generation of slaves which the heads and fathers of their tribes were in Egypt); "look unto the hole of the pit out of which you were digged, as clay, when God formed you into a people." Note, It is good for those that are privileged by a new birth to consider what they were by their first birth, how they were conceived in iniquity and shapen in sin. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. How hard was that rock out of which we were hewn, unapt to receive impressions, and how miserable the hole of that pit out of which we were digged! The consideration of this should fill us with low thoughts of ourselves and high thoughts of divine grace. Those that are now advanced would do well to remember how low they began (Isa 51:2): "Look unto Abraham your father, the father of all the faithful, of all that follow after the righteousness of faith as he did (Rom 4:11), and unto Sarah that bore you, and whose daughters you all are as long as you do well. Think how Abraham was called alone, and yet was blessed and multiplied; and let that encourage you to depend upon the promise of God even when a sentence of death seems to be upon all the means that lead to the performance of it. Particularly let it encourage the captives in Babylon, though they are reduced to a small number, and few of them left, to hope that yet they shall increase so as to replenish their own land again." When Jacob is very small, yet he is not so small as Abraham was, who yet became father of many nations. "Look unto Abraham, and see what he got by trusting in the promise of God, and take example by him to follow God with an implicit faith." 3. How they are here assured that their present seedness of tears should at length end in a harvest of joys, Isa 51:3. The church of God on earth, even the gospel Zion, has sometimes had her deserts and waste places, many parts of the church, through either corruption or persecution, made like a wilderness, unfruitful to God or uncomfortable to the inhabitants; but God will find out a time and way to comfort Zion, not only by speaking comfortably to her, but by acting graciously for her. God has comforts in store even for the waste places of his church, for those parts of it that seem not regarded or valued. (1.) He will make them fruitful, and so give them cause to rejoice; her wildernesses shall put on a new face, and look pleasant as Eden, and abound in all good fruits, as the garden of the Lord. Note, It is the greatest comfort of the church to be made serviceable to the glory of God, and to be as his garden in which he delights. (2.) He will make them cheerful, and so give them hearts to rejoice. With the fruits of righteousness, joy and gladness shall be found therein; for the more holiness men have, and the more good they do, the more gladness they have. And where there is gladness, to their satisfaction, it is fit that there should be thanksgiving, to God's honour; for whatever is the matter of our rejoicing ought to be the matter of our thanksgiving; and the returns of God's favour ought to be celebrated with the voice of melody, which will be the more melodious when God gives songs in the night, songs in the desert.
Cross-references: Isa 51:1 · Isa 51:2 · Rom 4:11 · Isa 51:3