The Meaning of Isaiah 50:5 Explained

Isaiah 50:5

KJV: The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.

YLT: The Lord Jehovah opened for me the ear, And I rebelled not -- backward I moved not.

Darby: The Lord Jehovah hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not away back.

ASV: The Lord Jehovah hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away backward.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The Lord  GOD  hath opened  mine ear,  and I was not rebellious,  neither turned away  back. 

What does Isaiah 50:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Servant claimed to have always responded obediently to whatever God had spoken (cf. John 8:29). Clearly, the Servant could not be Israel or any mere human person or group of people. Opening the ear is something that God had done for Him; He had given the Servant the ability and the desire to hear and respond obediently to the Word of God. On the other hand, the Servant had not turned back from it once He had heard it (cf. Exodus 4:13; Jonah 1:3; Jeremiah 20:9; Jeremiah 20:14).

Context Summary

Isaiah 50:1-11 - Help For Those Who Trust In Him
It is impossible for God to put away the soul that clings to Him in penitence and faith. Heaven and earth may be searched, but no bill of divorce can be found. See Deuteronomy 24:1. And He sends His great servant, our Lord, of whom this chapter is full, to deliver and assure our trembling faith.
Notice the difference in Isaiah 50:4, between the Authorized Version and the Revised Version which reads, Jehovah hath given me the tongue of them that are taught, that I may know how to sustain with words him that is weary"¦. He wakeneth mine ear to hear as they that are taught. This quality of teachableness was primarily true of Jesus. It was the habit of His human life to listen to the secret teaching of the Father, breathed into His heart. See John 8:28; John 8:40. So also must we allow ourselves to be wakened by Him, each morning, that we also may know how to help men more efficiently and tenderly.
From the first, Jesus knew that He must die. See Mark 10:34. But He did not turn back. See Hebrews 10:5, etc. Was not His choice abundantly vindicated? The Father who justified Him was always near, John 8:29. See John 16:22. Let us who may be walking in darkness learn from our King to stay ourselves on God. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 50

1  Christ shows Israel's Sin is not to be imputed to him,
2  by his ability to save
5  By his obedience in that work
7  And by his confidence in that assistance
10  An exhortation to trust in God, and not in ourselves

What do the individual words in Isaiah 50:5 mean?

The Lord GOD has opened My ear and I not was rebellious away nor did I turn
אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ פָּתַֽח־ לִ֣י אֹ֔זֶן וְאָנֹכִ֖י לֹ֣א מָרִ֑יתִי אָח֖וֹר לֹ֥א נְסוּגֹֽתִי

אֲדֹנָ֤י  The  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
יְהוִה֙  GOD 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
פָּתַֽח־  has  opened 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּתַח 
Sense: to open.
לִ֣י  My 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
אֹ֔זֶן  ear 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.
וְאָנֹכִ֖י  and  I 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אָנׄכִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
מָרִ֑יתִי  was  rebellious 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: מָרָה  
Sense: to be contentious, be rebellious, be refractory, be disobedient towards, be rebellious against.
אָח֖וֹר  away 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָחֹור  
Sense: the back side, the rear.
לֹ֥א  nor 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
נְסוּגֹֽתִי  did  I  turn 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: סוּג  
Sense: to move, go, turn back, move away, backslide.