Isaiah 49 · Verse 4

Isaiah 49:4

Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God.
Isaiah 49:4, King James Version

Isaiah 49:4 in other translations

BSBBut I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength in futility and vanity; yet My vindication is with the LORD, and My reward is with My God.”
WEBBut I said, “I have labored in vain. I have spent my strength in vain for nothing; yet surely the justice due to me is with the LORD, and my reward with my God.”
ASVBut I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nought and vanity; yet surely the justice due to me is with Jehovah, and my recompense with my God.
YLTAnd I said, ‘For a vain thing I laboured, For emptiness and vanity my power I consumed, But my judgment is with Jehovah, And my wage with my God.
DARBY— And I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought and in vain; nevertheless my judgment is with Jehovah, and my work with my God.
BBEAnd I said, I have undergone weariness for nothing, I have given my strength for no purpose or profit: but still the Lord will take up my cause, and my God will give me my reward.
WebsterThen I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for naught, and in vain; yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.

What does Isaiah 49:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. I--Messiah. in vain--comparatively in the case of the greater number of His own countrymen. "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not" (Is 53:1-3; Lu 19:14; Joh 1:11; 7:5). Only a hundred twenty disciples met after His personal ministry was ended (Ac 1:15). yet ... my judgment ... with the Lord--Ultimately, God will do justice to My cause, and reward (Margin for "work," compare Is 40:10; 62:11) My labors and sufferings. He was never "discouraged" (Is 42:4; 50:7, 10). He calmly, in spite of seeming ill success for the time, left the result with God, confident of final triumph (Is 53:10-12; 1Pe 2:23). So the ministers of Christ (1Co 4:1-5; 1Pe 4:19).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · 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 49:4 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.

וַאֲנִ֤יva.'a.Niand IH589
אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙'a.Mar.tiI saidH559
לְרִ֣יקle.Rikto emptinessH7385
יָגַ֔עְתִּיya.Ga'.tiI have laboredH3021
לְתֹ֥הוּle.To.huto nothingnessH8414
וְהֶ֖בֶלve.He.veland futilityH1892
כֹּחִ֣יko.Chistrength myH3581
כִלֵּ֑יתִיkhi.Lei.tiI have caused to failH3615
אָכֵן֙'a.KhenneverthelessH403
מִשְׁפָּטִ֣יmish.pa.Tijustice myH4941
אֶת\־'et-[is] withH854
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068
וּפְעֻלָּתִ֖יu.fe.'u.la.Tiand recompense myH6468
אֶת\־'et-[is] withH854
אֱלֹהָֽי\׃'e.lo.HaiGod myH430

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

Cross references for Isaiah 49:4

  • Isaiah 35:4

    Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.

  • Galatians 4:11

    I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

  • 2 Corinthians 12:15

    And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

  • Isaiah 62:11

    Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

  • Isaiah 40:10

    Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

  • Matthew 23:37

    O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

  • Matthew 17:17

    Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

  • Ezekiel 3:19

    Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

  • Isaiah 53:10-12

    Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

  • Isaiah 65:23

    They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.

  • 2 Corinthians 2:15

    For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

  • Luke 24:26

    Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I have laboured.
65:2; Eze 3:19; Mt 17:17; 23:37; Joh 1:11; Ro 10:21; Ga 4:11
spent.
Le 26:20; 2Co 12:15
yet.
53:10-12; Ps 22:22-31; Lu 24:26; Joh 17:4,5; 2Co 2:15; Php 2:9,10
Heb 12:2
work. or, reward.
40:10; 62:11

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

Context

  • Isaiah 49:3

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

  • Isaiah 49:4

    Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God.

  • Isaiah 49:5

    And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.

Read all of Isaiah 49

Isaiah 49:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Yo empero dije: Por demás he trabajado, en vano y sin provecho he consumido mi fortaleza; mas mi juicio está delante de Jehová, y mi recompensa con mi Dios.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		– Et moi j’ai dit: J’ai travaillé en vain, j’ai consumé ma force pour le néant et en vain; toutefois mon jugement est par-devers l’ Éternel, et mon œuvre par-devers mon Dieu.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Ich aber sprach: Umsonst habe ich mich abgemüht, vergeblich und für nichts meine Kraft verzehrt; doch mein Recht ist bei Jehova und mein Lohn bei meinem Gott. -
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et ego dixi: In vacuum laboravi; sine causa et vane fortitudinem meam consumpsi: ergo judicium meum cum Domino, et opus meum cum Deo meo.