The Meaning of Isaiah 44:23 Explained

Isaiah 44:23

KJV: Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.

YLT: Sing, O heavens, for Jehovah hath wrought, Shout, O lower parts of earth, Break forth, O mountains, with singing, Forest, and every tree in it, For Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, And in Israel He doth beautify Himself.

Darby: Sing, ye heavens; for Jehovah hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth; break forth into singing, ye mountains, the forest, and every tree therein! For Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.

ASV: Sing, O ye heavens, for Jehovah hath done it; shout, ye lower parts of the earth; break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Sing,  O ye heavens;  for the LORD  hath done  [it]: shout,  ye lower parts  of the earth:  break forth  into singing,  ye mountains,  O forest,  and every tree  therein: for the LORD  hath redeemed  Jacob,  and glorified  himself in Israel. 

What does Isaiah 44:23 Mean?

Study Notes

redeemed
Heb. goel, Redemp. (Kinsman type).
Redeemer
Redemption: Kinsman type, summary. The goel, or Kinsman-Redeemer, is a beautiful type of Christ.
(1) The kinsman redemption was of persons, and an inheritance Leviticus 25:48 ; Leviticus 25:25 ; Galatians 4:5 ; Ephesians 1:7 ; Ephesians 1:11 ; Ephesians 1:14
(2) The Redeemer must be a kinsman Leviticus 25:48 ; Leviticus 25:49 ; Ruth 3:12 ; Ruth 3:13 ; Galatians 4:4 ; Hebrews 2:14 ; Hebrews 2:15 .
(3) The Redeemer must be able to redeem Ruth 4:4-6 ; Jeremiah 50:34 ; John 10:11 ; John 10:18
(4) Redemption is effected by the goel paying the just demand in full Leviticus 25:27 ; 1 Peter 1:18 ; 1 Peter 1:19 ; Galatians 3:13 . (See Scofield " Exodus 14:30 ") See Scofield " Romans 11:23-292 "
come to Zion
The time when the "Redeemer shall come to Zion" is fixed, relatively, by 1713302866_22 as following the completion of the Gentile Church. That is also the order of the great dispensational passage, Acts 15:14-17 .
In both, the return of the Lord to Zion follows the outcalling of the Church.
come to Zion
The time when the "Redeemer shall come to Zion" is fixed, relatively, by Romans 11:23-29 as following the completion of the Gentile Church. That is also the order of the great dispensational passage, Acts 15:14-17 .
In both, the return of the Lord to Zion follows the outcalling of the Church.

Verse Meaning

Isaiah began this section of the book dealing with God"s grace to Israel (chs40-48) by glorifying God as the incomparable Lord of His servant Israel (ch40). Then he explained God"s promises to ( Isaiah 41:1 to Isaiah 42:9) and His purposes for ( Isaiah 42:10 to Isaiah 44:22) His servants. This leads into a more particular revelation of the redemption that God had in store for Israel ( Isaiah 44:23 to Isaiah 47:15).
This verse concludes the thought expressed in the preceding one, thus many translations and commentators regard it as the end of the preceding section. However, it is a hymnic call to praise similar to the one in Isaiah 42:10-13, and it seems to introduce what follows, as that earlier call to praise did. The content of the praise also points ahead to what follows, rather then backward to what has preceded. It provides a very smooth transition.
Isaiah again called on all the elements of the created universe to witness something. Earlier they witnessed Israel"s rebellion (cf. Isaiah 1:2), but now they witness Israel"s salvation. As in the previous verse ( Isaiah 44:22), redemption is spoken of as already complete. This is the translation of the Hebrew prophetic perfect tense verb that speaks of things in the future as though they had already happened in the past-because they are certain to occur. A future redemption is in view that will manifest Yahweh"s glory. This becomes clear in the verses that follow.

Context Summary

Isaiah 44:21-28 - The Promise Of Redemption
What divine comfort there is in these gracious words! Notwithstanding all their wanderings and sins, the Chosen People were Jehovah's elect race. Nothing could make Him forget them; He had redeemed them with the saving strength of His right hand. He could never forget them, but He would forget their sins. Their transgressions had melted into the blue azure of His love. If sought for, they could not be found. Nature was asked to be one great orchestra of praise. And notice that our redemption brings more glory to Jehovah than our undoing would.
In Isaiah 45:1-25 the people are assured that they would return from captivity, to rebuild Jerusalem and reinhabit the cities of Judah. They probably expected that their return would be marked by miracles as marvelous as those through which their fathers emerged from Egyptian bondage. But God never repeats Himself; and His purposes would work out through a heathen monarch, Cyrus, whom God was preparing as the executor of His purpose, Isaiah 44:28. "Deep in unfathomable mines of never-failing skill, He treasures up His bright designs, and works His sovereign will." [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 44

1  God comforts the church with his promises
7  The vanity of idols
9  And folly of idol makers
21  He exhorts to praise God for his redemption and omnipotence

What do the individual words in Isaiah 44:23 mean?

Sing heavens for has done [it] Yahweh Shout you lower parts of the earth Break forth you mountains into singing forest and every tree in it has redeemed Yahweh Jacob and in Israel glorified Himself -
רָנּ֨וּ שָׁמַ֜יִם כִּֽי־ עָשָׂ֣ה יְהוָ֗ה הָרִ֙יעוּ֙ תַּחְתִּיּ֣וֹת אָ֔רֶץ פִּצְח֤וּ הָרִים֙ רִנָּ֔ה יַ֖עַר וְכָל־ עֵ֣ץ בּ֑וֹ גָאַ֤ל יְהוָה֙ יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וּבְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יִתְפָּאָֽר פ

רָנּ֨וּ  Sing 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: רוּן 
Sense: to overcome.
שָׁמַ֜יִם  heavens 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
עָשָׂ֣ה  has  done  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
הָרִ֙יעוּ֙  Shout 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: רוּעַ  
Sense: to shout, raise a sound, cry out, give a blast.
תַּחְתִּיּ֣וֹת  you  lower  parts 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: תַּחְתִּי  
Sense: low, lower, lowest.
אָ֔רֶץ  of  the  earth 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
פִּצְח֤וּ  Break  forth 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: פָּצַח 
Sense: to cause to break or burst forth, break forth with, break out.
הָרִים֙  you  mountains 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
רִנָּ֔ה  into  singing 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: רִנָּה  
Sense: ringing cry.
יַ֖עַר  forest 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעַר 
Sense: forest, wood, thicket, wooded height.
וְכָל־  and  every 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עֵ֣ץ  tree 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
בּ֑וֹ  in  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
גָאַ֤ל  has  redeemed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: גְּאוּלִים 
Sense: to redeem, act as kinsman-redeemer, avenge, revenge, ransom, do the part of a kinsman.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב  Jacob 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעֲקֹב  
Sense: son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and father of the 2 patriarchs of the tribes of Israel.
וּבְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  and  in  Israel 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, 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.
יִתְפָּאָֽר  glorified  Himself 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּאַר 
Sense: to glorify, beautify, adorn.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation