Isaiah 41 · Verse 17

Isaiah 41:17

When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
Isaiah 41:17, King James Version

Isaiah 41:17 in other translations

BSBThe poor and needy seek water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
WEBThe poor and needy seek water, and there is none. Their tongue fails for thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
ASVThe poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst; I, Jehovah, will answer them, I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
YLTThe poor and the needy are seeking water, And there is none, Their tongue with thirst hath failed, I, Jehovah do answer them, The God of Israel--I forsake them not.
DARBYThe afflicted and the needy seek water, and there is none; their tongue faileth for thirst: I, Jehovah, will answer them, I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
BBEThe poor and crushed are looking for water where no water is, and their tongue is dry for need of it: I the Lord will give ear to their prayer, I the God of Israel will not give them up.
WebsterWhen the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

What does Isaiah 41:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
17. poor and needy--primarily, the exiles in Babylon. water--figuratively, refreshment, prosperity after their affliction. The language is so constructed as only very partially to apply to the local and temporary event of the restoration from Babylon; but fully to be realized in the waters of life and of the Spirit, under the Gospel (Is 30:25; 44:3; Joh 7:37-39; 4:14). God wrought no miracles that we read of, in any wilderness, during the return from Babylon. faileth--rather, "is rigid" or parched [Horsley].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 41:10-20

God speaks with tenderness; Fear thou not, for I am with thee: not only within call, but present with thee. Art thou weak? I will strengthen thee. Art thou in want of friends? I will help thee in the time of need. Art thou ready to fall? I will uphold thee with that right hand which is full of righteousness, dealing forth rewards and punishments. There are those that strive with God's people, that seek their ruin…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 41:10-20 →

Isaiah 41:17 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

הָעֲנִיִּ֨יםha.'a.ni.Yimthe poor [people]H6041
וְהָאֶבְיוֹנִ֜יםve.ha.'ev.yo.Nimand the needy [people]H34
מְבַקְשִׁ֥יםme.vak.Shim[are] seekingH1245
מַ֙יִם֙ma.yimwaterH4325
וָאַ֔יִןva.'A.yinand there notH369
לְשׁוֹנָ֖םle.sho.Namtongue theirH3956
בַּצָּמָ֣אba.tza.Ma'with <the> thirstH6772
נָשָׁ֑תָּהna.Sha.tahit is dryH5405
אֲנִ֤י'a.NiIH589
יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahwehH3068
אֶעֱנֵ֔ם'e.'e.NemI will answer themH6030
אֱלֹהֵ֥י'e.lo.Hei[the] God ofH430
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
לֹ֥אlo'notH3808
אֶעֶזְבֵֽם\׃'e.'ez.VemI will forsake themH5800

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 41:17

  • Isaiah 55:1

    Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

  • Isaiah 44:3

    For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

  • Isaiah 30:19

    For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.

  • Matthew 5:6

    Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

  • Psalms 72:12-13

    For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.

  • Isaiah 61:1

    The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

  • Psalms 34:6

    This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

  • Isaiah 42:16

    And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.

  • Psalms 50:15

    And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

  • Hebrews 13:5-6

    Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

  • Genesis 28:15

    And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

  • John 4:10-15

    Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the poor.
61:1; 66:2; Ps 68:9,10; 72:12,13; 102:16,17; Mt 5:3
seek.
55:1; Ex 17:3,6; Ps 42:2; 63:1,2; Am 8:11-13; Mt 5:6; Joh 4:10-15
Joh 7:37-39; Re 21:6; 22:17
their tongue.
Ps 22:15; La 4:4; Lu 16:24
I the Lord.
30:19; Jud 15:18,19; Ps 34:6; 50:15; 102:17; 107:5,6; 2Co 12:9
I the God.
42:16; Ge 28:15; Ps 94:14; Heb 13:5,6

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Isaiah 41:16

    Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the Lord, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.

  • Isaiah 41:17

    When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

  • Isaiah 41:18

    I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.

Read all of Isaiah 41

Isaiah 41:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Los afligidos y menesterosos buscan las aguas, que no hay; secóse de sed su lengua; yo Jehová los oiré, yo el Dios de Israel no los desampararé.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Les affligés et les nécessiteux chercheront de l’eau, et il n’y en a pas, leur langue est desséchée par la soif: moi, l’ Éternel, je leur répondrai, moi, le Dieu d’Israël, je ne les abandonnerai pas.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Die Elenden und die Armen, welche nach Wasser suchen, und keines ist da, deren Zunge vor Durst vertrocknet: ich, Jehova, werde sie erhören, ich, der Gott Israels, werde sie nicht verlassen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Egeni et pauperes quærunt aquas, et non sunt; lingua eorum siti aruit. Ego Dominus exaudiam eos, Deus Israël, non derelinquam eos.