The Meaning of Isaiah 48:2 Explained

Isaiah 48:2

KJV: For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name.

YLT: For from the Holy City they have been called, And on the God of Israel been supported, Jehovah of Hosts is His name.

Darby: For they are named after the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel: Jehovah of hosts is his name.

ASV: (for they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; Jehovah of hosts is his name):

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For they call  themselves of the holy  city,  and stay  themselves upon the God  of Israel;  The LORD  of hosts  [is] his name. 

What does Isaiah 48:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 48:1-16 - The Obstinate And Insincere Rebuked
We are meant to be for God's praise and glory; but we may delay the realization of His high purpose. Our neck iron, our brow brass, we trust in idols and refuse to open our ear. It is necessary, therefore, to send us to Babylon, where, as in a furnace for silver, the dross and alloy are purged away. Many of us are in furnaces which have been rendered needful through our evil ways.
Notwithstanding our sins, God comes to the furnace mouth and chooses us there. For His own sake, His own sake, He does it that His name may not be polluted. He cannot give His glory to another. You cannot account for God's grace to you personally. He must have known all, from the first. Then dare to believe that the reason that prompted Him at the first will suffice to the end. He is not "the son of man that He should repent." He who was the first will be the last. Jesus is Omega as well as Alpha; the end as well as the beginning! Fear not! Revelation 1:17. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 48

1  God, to convince the people of their foreknown obstinance, revealed his prophecies
9  He saves them for his own sake
12  He exhorts them to obedience, because of his power and providence
16  He laments their backwardness
20  He powerfully delivers his people out of Babylon

What do the individual words in Isaiah 48:2 mean?

For after city the holy they call themselves and on the God of Israel lean Yahweh of hosts [is] His name -
כִּֽי־ מֵעִ֤יר הַקֹּ֙דֶשׁ֙ נִקְרָ֔אוּ וְעַל־ אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נִסְמָ֑כוּ יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת שְׁמֽוֹ ס

מֵעִ֤יר  after  city 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
הַקֹּ֙דֶשׁ֙  the  holy 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
נִקְרָ֔אוּ  they  call  themselves 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
וְעַל־  and  on 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
אֱלֹהֵ֥י  the  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
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.
נִסְמָ֑כוּ  lean 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: סָמַךְ  
Sense: to lean, lay, rest, support, put, uphold, lean upon.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צְבָא֖וֹת  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
שְׁמֽוֹ  [is]  His  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation