The Meaning of Isaiah 43:3 Explained

Isaiah 43:3

KJV: For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

YLT: For I -- Jehovah thy God, The Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour, I have appointed Egypt thine atonement, Cush and Seba in thy stead.

Darby: For I am Jehovah thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

ASV: For I am Jehovah thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour; I have given Egypt as thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in thy stead.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For I [am] the LORD  thy God,  the Holy One  of Israel,  thy Saviour:  I gave  Egypt  [for] thy ransom,  Ethiopia  and Seba  for thee. 

What does Isaiah 43:3 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Three names heighten God"s unique relationship to Israel, and the Exodus and Sinai experiences had taught their meaning to the people. God would even sacrifice other nations to preserve Israel for Himself. Perhaps the Lord meant that He would give Persia rulership over Egypt, Ethiopia, and Seba-as rewards for allowing the Israelites to return to their homeland. [1] I tend to favor this view. Another option is that He meant that He had given over Egypt and its southern extremities to redeem Israel at the Exodus. [2] A third view is that these nations represent the heathen nations in general, whom God did not favor when He redeemed Israel. [3] In another larger sense, God sacrificed His Son as a ransom in the place of many whom He had called (cf. Isaiah 53:8-12; Matthew 20:28; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

Context Summary

Isaiah 43:1-13 - Jehovah's Witnesses
The magnificent conception of Isaiah 43:1-28 underlies this. We have still the convocation of mankind, summoned to decide whether Jehovah or some idol god shall be recognized as the supreme deity. In the arena are rows of helpless images rich in paint and tinsel, but mute and helpless, Isaiah 43:8-9. Jehovah, to vindicate His claims, calls into the witness box His Chosen People, that they may tell what they have known, tasted, and handled, of the Word of life, Isaiah 43:10.
This special function is not confined to the Hebrew race. By the express words of our Lord it is shared by the Church. See Acts 1:8. As our Lord bore witness to truth, His subjects are summoned to do the same. See 1 Timothy 6:13-14; Revelation 1:5.
Let us witness to the love that never tires. "Fear not, thou art mine." Let us witness to a purpose that never falters, Isaiah 43:1 and Isaiah 43:7. Let us witness to a deliverance that never disappoints. We are not saved from fire and water, but are delivered in the midst of them by the never-failing presence of our King. Let us ask for the Spirit of Truth to witness with us, Acts 5:31-32. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 43

1  The Lord comforts the church with his promises
8  He appeals to the people for witness of his omnipotence
14  He foretells them the destruction of Babylon
18  And his wonderful deliverance of his people
22  He reproves the people as inexcusable

What do the individual words in Isaiah 43:3 mean?

For I [am] Yahweh your God the Holy one of Israel your Savior I gave for your ransom Egypt Ethiopia and Seba in your place
כִּ֗י אֲנִי֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ קְד֥וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מוֹשִׁיעֶ֑ךָ נָתַ֤תִּי כָפְרְךָ֙ מִצְרַ֔יִם כּ֥וּשׁ וּסְבָ֖א תַּחְתֶּֽיךָ

אֲנִי֙  I  [am] 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
קְד֥וֹשׁ  the  Holy  one 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: קָדֹושׁ  
Sense: sacred, holy, Holy One, saint, set apart.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
מוֹשִׁיעֶ֑ךָ  your  Savior 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁע 
Sense: to save, be saved, be delivered.
נָתַ֤תִּי  I  gave 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
כָפְרְךָ֙  for  your  ransom 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: כֹּפֶר 
Sense: price of a life, ransom, bribe.
מִצְרַ֔יִם  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
כּ֥וּשׁ  Ethiopia 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: כּוּשׁ 
Sense: a Benjamite mentioned only in the title of Ps 7.
וּסְבָ֖א  and  Seba 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: סְבָא  
Sense: a son of Cush.
תַּחְתֶּֽיךָ  in  your  place 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.