Isaiah 49 · Verse 2

Isaiah 49:2

And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;
Isaiah 49:2, King James Version

Isaiah 49:2 in other translations

BSBHe made My mouth like a sharp sword; He hid Me in the shadow of His hand. He made Me like a polished arrow; He hid Me in His quiver.
WEBHe has made my mouth like a sharp sword. He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand. He has made me a polished shaft. He has kept me close in his quiver.
ASVand he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me: and he hath made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he kept me close:
YLTAnd he maketh my mouth as a sharp sword, In the shadow of His hand He hath hid me, And He maketh me for a clear arrow, In His quiver He hath hid me.
DARBYAnd he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword, he hath concealed me under the shadow of his hand, and he hath made me a polished shaft: in his quiver hath he hidden me.
BBEAnd he has made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shade of his hand he has kept me; and he has made me like a polished arrow, keeping me in his secret place;
WebsterAnd he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shade of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;

What does Isaiah 49:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. my mouth ... sword--(Is 11:4; Re 19:15). The double office of the Word of God, saving and damnatory, is implied (Is 50:4; Joh 12:48; He 4:12). shaft--(Psa 45:5). "Polished," that is, free from all rust, implies His unsullied purity. in ... quiver ... hid me--Like a sword in its scabbard, or a shaft in the quiver, Messiah, before His appearing, was hid with God, ready to be drawn forth at the moment God saw fit [Hengstenberg]; also always protected by God, as the arrow by the quiver (Is 51:16).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword "And he hath made my mouth a sharp sword" - The servant of God, who speaks in the former part of this chapter, must be the Messiah. If any part of this character can in any sense belong to the prophet, yet in some parts it must belong exclusively to Christ; and in all parts to him in a much fuller and more proper sense. Isaiah's mission was to the Jews, not to the distant nations, to whom the speaker in this place addresses himself. "He hath made my mouth a sharp sword;" "to reprove the wicked, and to denounce unto them punishment," says Jarchi, understanding it of Isaiah. But how much better does it suit him who is represented as having "a sharp two-edged sword going out of his mouth," Rev 1:16; who is himself the Word of God; which word is "quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart;" Heb 4:12. This mighty Agent and Instrument of God, "long laid up in store with him, and sealed up among his treasures," is at last revealed and produced by his power, and under his protection, to execute his great and holy purposes. He is compared to a polished shaft stored in his quiver for use in his due time. The polished shaft denotes the same efficacious word which is before represented by the sharp sword. The doctrine of the Gospel pierced the hearts of its hearers, "bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." The metaphor of the sword and the arrow, applied to powerful speech, is bold, yet just. It has been employed by the most ingenious heathen writers, if with equal elegance, not with equal force. It is said of Pericles by Aristophanes, (see Cicero, Epist. ad Atticum, 12:6): - Οὑτως εκηλει, και μονος των ῥητορων Το κεντρον εγκατελειπε τοις ακροωμενοις. Apud. Diod. lib. xii. His powerful speech Pierced the hearer's soul, and left behind Deep in his bosom its keen point infixed. Pindar is particularly fond of this metaphor, and frequently applies it to his own poetry: - Επεχε νυν σκοπῳ τοξον, Αγε, θυμε. τινα βαλλομεν Εκ μαλθακας αυτε φρε- νος ευκλεας οΐστους Ἱεντες - ; Olymp. 2:160. "Come on! thy brightest shafts prepare, And bend, O Muse, thy sounding bow; Say, through what paths of liquid air Our arrows shall we throw?' West. See also ver. 149 of the same ode, and Olymp. Heb 9:17, on the former of which places the Scholiast says, τροπικος ὁ λογος· βελη δε τους λογους εορηκε, δια το οξυ και καιριον των εγκωμιων. "He calls his verses shafts, by a metaphor, signifying the acuteness and the apposite application of his panegyric." This person, who is (Isa 49:3) called Israel, cannot in any sense be Isaiah. That name, in its original design and full import, can only belong to him who contended powerfully with God in behalf of mankind, and prevailed, Gen 32:28. After all that Vitringa, Bp. Lowth, and others have said in proof of this chapter speaking of the Messiah, and of him alone, I have my doubts whether sometimes Isaiah, sometimes Cyrus, and sometimes the Messiah, be not intended; the former shadowing out the latter, of whom, in certain respects, they may be considered the types. The literal sense should be sought out first; this is of the utmost importance both in reading and interpreting the oracles of God.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 49:1-6

The unbelief and rejection of the Jews. (Is. 49:1-6) Gracious promise to the Gentiles. (Is. 49:7-12) God's love to the church. (Is. 49:13-17) Its increase. (Is. 49:18-23) And deliverance. (Is. 49:24-26) Verses 1-6 The great Author of redemption shows the authority for his work. The sword of his word slays the lusts of his people, and all at enmity with them. His sharp arrows wound the conscience; but all these…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 49:1-6 →

Isaiah 49:2 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.

וַיָּ֤שֶׂםvai.Ya.semand he madeH7760
פִּי֙pimouth myH6310
כְּחֶ֣רֶבke.Che.revlike a swordH2719
חַדָּ֔הcha.DahsharpH2299
בְּצֵ֥לbe.Tzelin [the] shadow ofH6738
יָד֖וֹya.Dohand hisH3027
הֶחְבִּיאָ֑נִיhech.bi.'A.nihe hid meH2244
וַיְשִׂימֵ֙נִי֙vay.si.Me.niand he made meH7760
לְחֵ֣ץle.Chetz<into> an arrowH2671
בָּר֔וּרba.RurpolishedH1305
בְּאַשְׁפָּת֖וֹbe.'ash.pa.Toin quiver hisH827
הִסְתִּירָֽנִי\׃his.ti.Ra.nihe concealed meH5641

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

Cross references for Isaiah 49:2

  • Hebrews 4:12

    For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

  • Revelation 1:16

    And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

  • Isaiah 50:4

    The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.

  • Revelation 2:12

    And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;

  • Isaiah 51:16

    And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.

  • Isaiah 11:4

    But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

  • Jeremiah 1:18

    For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.

  • Psalms 91:1

    He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

  • Hosea 6:5

    Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.

  • Jeremiah 15:19-20

    Therefore thus saith the Lord, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them. And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the Lord.

  • Isaiah 61:1-3

    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; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

  • Revelation 19:15

    And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
he hath made.
11:4; Ps 45:2-5; Ho 6:5; Heb 4:12; Re 1:16; 2:12; 19:15
in the.
42:1; 51:16; Ps 91:1; Lu 23:46
made me.The polished shaft, says Bp. Lowth, denotes the same efficacious word which is before represented by the sharp sword. The doctrine of the gospel pierced the hearts of its hearers, "bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."
50:4; 61:1-3; Ps 45:5; Jer 1:18; 15:19,20

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

Context

  • Isaiah 49:1

    Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.

  • Isaiah 49:2

    And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;

  • Isaiah 49:3

    And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

Read all of Isaiah 49

Isaiah 49:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y puso mi boca como espada aguda, cubrióme con la sombra de su mano; y púsome por saeta limpia, guardóme en su aljaba;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il a rendu ma bouche semblable à une épée aiguë; il m’a caché sous l’ombre de sa main, et il a fait de moi une flèche polie; il m’a caché dans son carquois.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und er machte meinen Mund wie ein scharfes Schwert, hat mich versteckt in dem Schatten seiner Hand; und er machte mich zu einem geglätteten Pfeile, hat mich verborgen in seinem Köcher.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et posuit os meum quasi gladium acutum, in umbra manus suæ protexit me, et posuit me sicut sagittam electam: in pharetra sua abscondit me.