The Meaning of Isaiah 51:10 Explained

Isaiah 51:10

KJV: Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?

YLT: Art not Thou it that is drying up a sea, Waters of a great deep? That hath made deep places of a sea A way for the passing of the redeemed?

Darby: Is it not thou that dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep; that made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?

ASV: Is it not thou that driedst up the sea, the waters of the great deep; that madest the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[Art] thou not it which hath dried  the sea,  the waters  of the great  deep;  that hath made  the depths  of the sea  a way  for the ransomed  to pass over? 

What does Isaiah 51:10 Mean?

Study Notes

ransomed
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

The pagans credited their gods with drying up a sea of material chaos and creating the world in prehistory. Isaiah pointed to God drying up the Red Sea in the historical Exodus as evidence that He could redeem His people again.
". . . the Old Testament insists on setting the rock of history (actual event, actual testimony) under its theology." [1]
Isaiah frequently used the image of God making a way, pathway, or highway for His people so they could enter into the blessings that He had planned for them (cf. Isaiah 9:1; Isaiah 11:16; Isaiah 19:23; Isaiah 30:11; Isaiah 30:21; Isaiah 35:8; Isaiah 40:3; Isaiah 42:16; Isaiah 43:16; Isaiah 43:19; Isaiah 48:17; Isaiah 49:11; Isaiah 57:14; Isaiah 62:10). I wonder if this is the origin of the early Christian use of "the way" as a title for Christianity.

Context Summary

Isaiah 51:1-11 - "awake, O Arm Of Jehovah!"
This chapter is extremely dramatic. We are conscious that we are nearing a revelation of unparalleled sublimity. As we hear the thrice Hearken in Isaiah 1:1-8, and the thrice Awake, Isaiah 51:9, which follows, we realize that we are traversing the entrance portico of a noble temple. When God says, Hearken, it is for us to ask Him to fulfill-Awake!
Recall the loneliness of Abraham. "He was but one!" Terah died, Lot dropped away, Hagar was thrust out, Isaac was laid on the altar, but the fire that burned in his heart only grew brighter. Do not despair if you are alone in your stand for God. One acorn, when the life of Nature touches it, may become parent to a forest. These exiled Jews hardly dared to hope that they could escape from their foes. The air was heavy with their revilings, but compare Isaiah 51:8 with Isaiah 50:9. With such assurances we may face a world in arms. The forces of evil are strong, but God is stronger. The clouds threaten, but the sun is shining. Don't forget the Lord thy Maker, thy Redeemer, thy Father! He cannot fail or forsake! [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 51

1  An exhortation after the pattern of Abraham, to trust in Christ
3  By reason of his comfortable promises,
4  Of his righteous salvation
7  And man's mortality
9  Christ by his sanctified arm defends his from the fear of man
17  He bewails the afflictions of Jerusalem
21  And promises deliverance

What do the individual words in Isaiah 51:10 mean?

not You Are [the One] who dried up the sea the waters of the deep great that made the depths of the sea a road for to cross over the redeemed
הֲל֤וֹא אַתְּ־ הִיא֙ הַמַּחֲרֶ֣בֶת יָ֔ם מֵ֖י תְּה֣וֹם רַבָּ֑ה הַשָּׂ֙מָה֙ מַֽעֲמַקֵּי־ יָ֔ם דֶּ֖רֶךְ לַעֲבֹ֥ר ؟ גְּאוּלִֽים

הַמַּחֲרֶ֣בֶת  [the  One]  who  dried  up 
Parse: Article, Verb, Hifil, Participle, feminine singular
Root: חָרֵב 
Sense: to be waste, lay waste, make desolate, be desolate, be in ruins.
יָ֔ם  the  sea 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
מֵ֖י  the  waters 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
תְּה֣וֹם  of  the  deep 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: תְּהֹום  
Sense: deep, depths, deep places, abyss, the deep, sea.
רַבָּ֑ה  great 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
הַשָּׂ֙מָה֙  that  made 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
מַֽעֲמַקֵּי־  the  depths 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מַעֲמַקִּים  
Sense: depths.
יָ֔ם  of  the  sea 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
דֶּ֖רֶךְ  a  road 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
לַעֲבֹ֥ר  for  to  cross  over 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
؟ גְּאוּלִֽים  the  redeemed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural
Root: גְּאוּלִים 
Sense: to redeem, act as kinsman-redeemer, avenge, revenge, ransom, do the part of a kinsman.