02-Isa.41:10

2012-08-11
By fbmenadmin
Posted in Bible Study Via Software

Study of this passage: Isaiah 41:10

“fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (ESV)

This verse is a real encouragement for us in our walk with God. It confirms that He holds us in his hand as Pastor Mike frequently stated in his messages. The verse states He will not leave us, therefore, any departure from His Spirit would be as a result our own steps. We would do well to memorize this verse and review it frequently in our walk with our God.

The software will point to several commentaries – I’ll give you three of them here:

NICOT (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament)

10 do not fear. Here is the address of God to his people. Because of their relationship with him they do not need to fear anything. This is not some species of positive thinking; their hope is not in casting off negative thoughts. Rather, in two concise causal (kî, “for”) clauses God states that they can take courage because he, their God, is with them. But who is he? One more of the helpless gods? No, he is the great “I Am.” Every other being in the universe is contingent; he alone is self-existent, complete in himself. That One has given himself to them to be their God; that One is immanently present with them. This was no new message. It was the same word that Isaiah had given to Ahaz (7:14), and that Moses had declared to the Israelites at the Red Sea (Exod. 14:13–14) and to Joshua on the plains of Moab (Deut. 31:8). It was the key to Joseph’s success (Gen. 39:2, 21, 23) and also to Isaac’s (Gen. 26:3, 28). But in a situation that would seem to make a mockery of all that they had believed about themselves and their identity (how could they be elect if they had been forcibly taken from God’s land?), they needed to hear in no uncertain terms that God was still with them and that he was still willing to be called their God.

strengthened … helped … supported. Since God, their God, is with them, they can expect certain things from him. The second bicolon of the verse details what these are with an interesting use of the particle ʾap, moreover. Its use between the three verbs gives them a sense of being piled on top of one another. Not only has he strengthened, but he has helped, and not only has he strengthened and helped, but he also has upheld them (cf. 40:24). That help is symbolized by God’s righteous right hand. It is common in some of the modern translations to translate ṣedeq with “victorious” (so NRSV and REB; cf. CBAT “true,” JPS “gracious,” NIV “righteous”). This is an attempt to convey the recognition that ṣedeq connotes more than ethical behavior—it connotes “right” action in all circumstances. Thus God’s great power (“right hand”) will do the right thing for his suffering people and deliver them. But “victorious” seems to go too far, because it has no relation to standards at all.

Reference: Oswalt, J. N. (1998). The Book of Isaiah. Chapters 40-66. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (91–92). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

NAC (New American Commentary)

41:10 Three practical aspects of God’s salvation are highlighted: (a) God’s servants do not need to fear others, for God is with them (10a); (b) God will strengthen and help his servants in the midst of these trials (10b); and then in 41:11–13 (c) God will cause their enemies to be nothing. The placement of the phrase “do not fear” at the beginning (10a) and end (13b,14a) shows that it was of prime importance in this message. If a powerful enemy was attacking Judah, it is possible that they were dismayed about God’s inaction (he was not defeating this enemy), and this may have caused some to wonder if God still loved them and would deliver them. This word of divine hope encouraged the removal of all thoughts of fear from the present situation. The reason why fear is unnecessary is initially found in the two motive clauses that explain that “I am with you” and “I am your God” (41:10). Both contain the personal pronoun “I” (ʾănî) to emphasize God’s personal commitment and presence. This is similar to the promise of God to be present with their forefathers (cf. Gen 15:1; 21:17; Josh 8:1). This is their own God who is still present with them and available to care for them. God will empower his people by “strengthening you, helping you, and upholding you” (41:10b). This is God’s firm promise to his fearful people based on his powerful and “victorious”173 right hand that brings salvation in times of war. Because of God’s power and love, people in the past and today can face the trials of life with courage, for God’s promise to be with his people has not changed (Matt 28:18–20). All power still rests in his hands.

Reference: (Smith, G. (2009). Vol. 15B: Isaiah 40-66. New American Commentary (134–135). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)

EBC (The Expositor’s Bible Commentary)

8–10 In Cyrus’s day the people of Israel would be in exile in Babylon, itself under threat and eventually to fall to Cyrus. The fear felt by the remote islands (v.5) would be even more natural in their hearts, but these verses are God’s answer to his people’s fears. Verses 8–9 form a most impressive introduction to the twin exhortations given in v.10, and these are in turn supported within that verse itself by further statements about God.

Verses 8–10 describe Israel in several encouraging ways. The name Israel suggests what God is determined to make of his people (Gen 32:28), while the name Jacob indicates that God loves them and has chosen them despite their demerit (see comment at 40:27). Taking them from the ends of the earth is hyperbole laying stress on the distance of Abraham’s journey from Ur to Canaan, undertaken under God’s watchful and caring eye. God chose the people for a purpose of service; and so, of course, they cannot perish without that purpose being fulfilled. These people are loved for the sake of beloved Abraham (cf. Deut 7:7–8), to whom God gave great promises (Gen 12:1–3; 17:1–8 et al.). The strength already promised (40:31) would be theirs. The threefold affirmation of strength comes to its consummation in a reference to the righteous right hand of God, a reminder possibly of the tender strength of the Shepherd-King in 40:9–11.

Reference: (Grogan, G. W. (1986). Isaiah. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 6: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (F. E. Gaebelein, Ed.) (250). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)

There were other resources to read about that verse, I’m just using three in this example.

In Greek according to: Swete, H. B., D.D. (2009). The Old Testament in Greek: According to the Septuagint (Text) (Is 41:10). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

10 μὴ φοβοῦ, μετὰ σοῦ γάρ εἰμι• μὴ πλανῶ, ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι ὁ θεός σου ὁ ἐνισχύσας σε, καὶ ἐβοήθησά σοι καὶ ἠσφαλισάμην σε τῇ δεξιᾷ τῇ δικαίᾳ μου.

A personal note: I found I couldn’t read Greek any better than I could read the Hebrew.

A series of cross references were given by the scripture and then just the reference:

Is 43:5 | Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you.

Ps 18:35 | You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great.

Ps 48:10 | As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness.

Is 41:13 | For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Is 41:14 | Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

Ge 15:1, 26:24, 28:15; Ex 3:20, 15:6, 12; Dt 3:22, 31:6; Jos 1:9; Job 40:14; Ps 18:35, 48:10, 63:8, 68:35, 119:28, 117, 138:7, 139:10; Is 41:13, 14, 43:2, 5, 44:2, 49:8, 50:7, 9; Je 1:19, 15:20, 30:10, 42:11, 46:27, 28; Eze 34:31; Ro 8:31

Parallel Passages:

Isa. 41:10 – Isa. 43:5 and Acts 18:9-10

Isaiah 43:5 (ESV)

5 Fear not, for I am with you;

I will bring your offspring from the east,

and from the west I will gather you.

Acts 18:9–10 (ESV)

9 And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.”

One can look at the text in grammatical format. I’ve just given a couple phrases for demonstration purposes: