Isaiah 48 · Verse 10

Isaiah 48:10

Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
Isaiah 48:10, King James Version

Isaiah 48:10 in other translations

BSBSee, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
WEBBehold, I have refined you, but not as silver. I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction.
ASVBehold, I have refined thee, but not as silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
YLTLo, I have refined thee, and not with silver, I have chosen thee in a furnace of affliction.
DARBYBehold, I have refined thee, but not as silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
BBESee, I have been testing you for myself like silver; I have put you through the fire of trouble.
WebsterBehold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

What does Isaiah 48:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
10. (See on Is 1:25). with silver--rather, "for silver." I sought by affliction to purify thee, but thou wast not as silver obtained by melting, but as dross [Gesenius]. Thy repentance is not complete: thou art not yet as refined silver. Rosenmuller explains, "not as silver," not with the intense heat needed to melt silver (it being harder to melt than gold), that is, not with the most extreme severity. The former view is better (Is 1:25; 42:25; Eze 22:18-20, 22). chosen--or else [Lowth], tried ... proved: according to Gesenius, literally, "to rub with the touchstone," or to cut in pieces so as to examine (Zec 13:9; Mal 3:3; 1Pe 1:7).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 I have chosen thee "I have tried thee" - For בחרתיך becharticha, "I have chosen thee," a MS. has בחנתיך bechanticha, "I have tried thee." And so perhaps read the Syriac and Chaldee interpreters; they retain the same word בחרתך bechartach; but in those languages it signifies, I have tried thee. ככסף kecheseph, quasi argentum, "as silver." Vulgate. I cannot think בכסף becheseph, With silver, is the true reading. ככסף kecheseph, Like silver, as the Vulgate evidently read it, I suppose to have been the original reading, though no MS. yet found supports this word; the similarity of the two letters, ב beth and כ caph, might have easily led to the mistake in the first instance; and it has been but too faithfully copied ever since. כור cur, which we translate furnace, should be rendered crucible, the vessel in which the silver is melted. The meaning of the verse seems to be this: I have purified you, but not as silver is purified; for when it is purified, no dross of any kind is left behind. Had I done this with you, I should have consumed you altogether; but I have put you in the crucible of affliction, in captivity, that you may acknowledge your sins, and turn unto me.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 48:9-15

We have nothing ourselves to plead with God, why he should have mercy upon us. It is for his praise, to the honour of his mercy, to spare. His bringing men into trouble was to do them good. It was to refine them, but not as silver; not so thoroughly as men refine silver. If God should take that course, they are all dross, and, as such, might justly be put away. He takes them as refined in part only. Many have been…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 48:9-15 →

Isaiah 48:10 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.

הִנֵּ֥הhi.Nehhere!H2009
צְרַפְתִּ֖יךָtze.raf.Ti.khaI have refined youH6884
וְלֹ֣אve.Lo'and notH3808
בְכָ֑סֶףve.Kha.sef<in> silverH3701
בְּחַרְתִּ֖יךָbe.char.Ti.khaI have chosen youH977
בְּכ֥וּרbe.Khurin a furnace ofH3564
עֹֽנִי\׃'O.niafflictionH6040

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

Cross references for Isaiah 48:10

  • 1 Peter 4:12

    Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

  • Proverbs 17:3

    The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts.

  • Job 23:10

    But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

  • Hebrews 12:10-11

    For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

  • Psalms 66:10

    For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.

  • 1 Peter 1:7

    That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

  • Jeremiah 9:7

    Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people?

  • Malachi 3:2-3

    But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

  • Zechariah 13:8-9

    And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.

  • Revelation 3:19

    As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

  • Deuteronomy 4:20

    But the Lord hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day.

  • Ezekiel 22:18-22

    Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you. Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof. …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I have refined.
1:25,26; Job 23:10; Ps 66:10; Pr 17:3; Jer 9:7; Eze 20:38
Eze 22:18-22; Zec 13:8,9; Mal 3:2,3; Heb 12:10,11; 1Pe 1:7; 4:12
Re 3:19
with silver. or, for silver. I have chosen.
De 4:20

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

Context

  • Isaiah 48:9

    For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.

  • Isaiah 48:10

    Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

  • Isaiah 48:11

    For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.

Read all of Isaiah 48

Isaiah 48:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
He aquí te he purificado, y no como á plata; hete escogido en horno de aflicción.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Voici, je te purifierai, mais non comme de l’argent: je t’ai choisi au creuset de l’affliction.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Siehe, ich habe dich geläutert, doch nicht wie Silber; ich habe dich geprüft im Schmelzofen des Elends.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Ecce excoxi te, sed non quasi argentum; elegi te in camino paupertatis.