The Meaning of Isaiah 48:20 Explained

Isaiah 48:20

KJV: Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob.

YLT: Go out from Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans, With a voice of singing declare, Cause ye this to be heard, Bring it forth unto the end of the earth, Say, Redeemed hath Jehovah His servant Jacob.

Darby: Go ye forth from Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing; declare, cause this to be heard, utter it to the end of the earth; say ye, Jehovah hath redeemed his servant Jacob.

ASV: Go ye forth from Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans; with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth: say ye, Jehovah hath redeemed his servant Jacob.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Go ye forth  of Babylon,  flee  ye from the Chaldeans,  with a voice  of singing  declare  ye, tell  this, utter  it [even] to the end  of the earth;  say  ye, The LORD  hath redeemed  his servant  Jacob. 

What does Isaiah 48:20 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 3:24 "
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.
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

In view of the new promises concerning Cyrus and return from exile, Isaiah called on the Israelites in captivity to depart from Babylon when they could (cf. Revelation 18:4-5), and to publicize the promise of the second Exodus. It was as good as accomplished. In view of this prophecy, it was wrong for the Israelites to remain in Babylonia after Cyrus permitted them to return to the Promised Land. Yet many did remain.
This verse Isaiah , "A summons beforehand to Jews who would be captives in539 B.C. not to tarry in the pagan soil of Babylon, but to take advantage of Cyrus" permissive edict and return to Judah." [1]
This "missionary challenge" to take good news to the nations fittingly climaxes the message of chapters40-48.

Context Summary

Isaiah 48:17-22 - "a Light To The Gentiles"
The first division of this second part of Isaiah closes at Isaiah 48:22, with the phrase there is no peace to the wicked. The second division of part 2 closes with a similar phrase, Isaiah 57:21. The first division here ends with the proclamation for Israel to leave Babylon. They need never have gone there. If only they have been obedient in every particular theirs would have been the happy lot of Isaiah 48:18, as contrasted with Isaiah 48:22. But even under such circumstances, in captivity and as slaves of the Chaldeans the redeeming grace of God would triumph, Isaiah 48:20; Isaiah 49:5.
The second great division of Part 2 opens with Isaiah 49:1. In their first and immediate reference, these verses evidently apply to our Lord. See Acts 13:47, etc. In the mission of Jesus, the ideal of the Hebrew race was realized. As the white flower on the stalk He revealed the essential beauty and glory of the root, Isaiah 49:6. See Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:1-2; Matthew 2:14-15, etc.
There is a secondary sense, also, in which the Christian worker may appropriate many things in this glowing paragraph. Our mouth must be surrendered to God, that He may use it for His own high purposes. But do not dread the shadow of His hand. It is the quiver case in which He keeps His chosen arrows against the battle! [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 48:20 mean?

Go forth from Babylon Flee from the Chaldeans with a voice of singing Declare proclaim this Utter it to the end of the earth Say has redeemed Yahweh His servant Jacob
צְא֣וּ מִבָּבֶל֮ בִּרְח֣וּ מִכַּשְׂדִּים֒ בְּק֣וֹל רִנָּ֗ה הַגִּ֤ידוּ הַשְׁמִ֙יעוּ֙ זֹ֔את הוֹצִיא֖וּהָ עַד־ קְצֵ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ אִמְר֕וּ גָּאַ֥ל יְהוָ֖ה עַבְדּ֥וֹ יַעֲקֹֽב

צְא֣וּ  Go  forth 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
מִבָּבֶל֮  from  Babylon 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.
בִּרְח֣וּ  Flee 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: בָּרַח 
Sense: to go through, flee, run away, chase, drive away, put to flight, reach, shoot (extend), hurry away.
מִכַּשְׂדִּים֒  from  the  Chaldeans 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: כַּשְׂדִּים  
Sense: a territory in lower Mesopotamia bordering on the Persian Gulf.
בְּק֣וֹל  with  a  voice 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
רִנָּ֗ה  of  singing 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: רִנָּה  
Sense: ringing cry.
הַגִּ֤ידוּ  Declare 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
הַשְׁמִ֙יעוּ֙  proclaim 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
זֹ֔את  this 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
הוֹצִיא֖וּהָ  Utter  it 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural, third person feminine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
קְצֵ֣ה  the  end 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קָצֶה 
Sense: end, extremity.
הָאָ֑רֶץ  of  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
אִמְר֕וּ  Say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
גָּאַ֥ל  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.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
עַבְדּ֥וֹ  His  servant 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
יַעֲקֹֽב  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.