The Meaning of Isaiah 49:5 Explained

Isaiah 49:5

KJV: 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.

YLT: And now, said Jehovah, who is forming me from the belly for a servant to Him, To bring back Jacob unto Him, (Though Israel is not gathered, Yet I am honoured in the eyes of Jehovah, And my God hath been my strength.)

Darby: And now, saith Jehovah, that formed me from the womb to be his servant, that I should bring Jacob again to him; (though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorified in the eyes of Jehovah, and my God shall be my strength;)

ASV: And now saith Jehovah that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, and that Israel be gathered unto him (for I am honorable in the eyes of Jehovah, and my God is become my strength);

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Isaiah 49:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 49:1-13 - "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 49

1  Christ being sent to the Jews, complains of them
5  He is sent to the Gentiles with gracious promises
13  God's love is perpetual to his church
18  The ample restoration of the church
24  The powerful deliverance out of captivity

What do the individual words in Isaiah 49:5 mean?

Now says Yahweh who formed Me from the womb [to be] Servant His to bring back Jacob to Him so that Israel - to Him is gathered for I shall be glorious in the eyes of Yahweh and My God shall be My strength
וְעַתָּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה יֹצְרִ֤י מִבֶּ֙טֶן֙ לְעֶ֣בֶד ל֔וֹ לְשׁוֹבֵ֤ב יַֽעֲקֹב֙ אֵלָ֔יו וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל [לא] (ל֣וֹ) יֵאָסֵ֑ף וְאֶכָּבֵד֙ בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וֵאלֹהַ֖י הָיָ֥ה עֻזִּֽי

וְעַתָּ֣ה ׀  Now 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
אָמַ֣ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
יֹצְרִ֤י  who  formed  Me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: יׄוצֵר 
Sense: to form, fashion, frame.
מִבֶּ֙טֶן֙  from  the  womb 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בֶּטֶן  
Sense: belly, womb, body.
לְעֶ֣בֶד  [to  be]  Servant 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
ל֔וֹ  His 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
לְשׁוֹבֵ֤ב  to  bring  back 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
יַֽעֲקֹב֙  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.
אֵלָ֔יו  to  Him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  so  that  Israel 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, 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.
[לא]  - 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
(ל֣וֹ)  to  Him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יֵאָסֵ֑ף  is  gathered 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָסַף 
Sense: to gather, receive, remove, gather in.
וְאֶכָּבֵד֙  for  I  shall  be  glorious 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: כָּבֵד  
Sense: to be heavy, be weighty, be grievous, be hard, be rich, be honourable, be glorious, be burdensome, be honoured.
בְּעֵינֵ֣י  in  the  eyes 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
יְהוָ֔ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
וֵאלֹהַ֖י  and  My  God 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הָיָ֥ה  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
עֻזִּֽי  My  strength 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עֹז  
Sense: might, strength.