King James Version

Isaiah 49:6

And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּ֗אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…נָקֵ֨לnaqelmake brightקָלַלverb, niphal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “make bright”, a completed actionH7043to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.)abate, make bright, bring into contempt, (ac-) curse, despise, (be) ease(-y, -ier), (be a, make, make somewhat, move, seem a, set) light(-en, -er, -ly, -ly afflict, -ly esteem, thing), [idiom] slight(-ly), be swift(-er), (be, be more, make…מִֽהְיוֹתְךָ֥mihyotekhafrom beהָיָהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “from be”, the to-form of the verbH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.לִי֙litoלִי֙preposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “to”toעֶ֔בֶדevedservantעֶבֶדnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “servant”, the ordinary formH5650a servant[idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.לְהָקִים֙lehaqimto riseקוּםpreposition, verb, hiphil, infinitive construct — “to rise”, the to-form of the verbH6965to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)abide, accomplish, [idiom] be clearer, confirm, continue, decree, [idiom] be dim, endure, [idiom] enemy, enjoin, get up, make good, help, hold, (help to) lift up (again), make, [idiom] but newly, ordain, perform, pitch, raise (up), rear (u…אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).שִׁבְטֵ֣יshivtedartשֵׁבֶטnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “dart”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7626a scion, i.e. (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan[idiom] correction, dart, rod, sceptre, staff, tribe.יַעֲקֹ֔בyaaqovJacobיַעֲקֹבnoun, proper name — “Jacob”H3290Jaakob, the Israelitish patriarchJacob.ונציריvntsyryand preservedנָצִירconjunction, adjective, adjective, masculine, plural, construct — “and preserved”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5336properly, conservative; but used passively, deliveredpreserved.וּנְצוּרֵ֥יunetsureand besiegedנָצַרconjunction, verb, qal, passive participle, construct — “and besieged”, a verb used as a describing wordH5341to guard, in a good sense (to protect, maintain, obey, etc.) or a bad one (to conceal, etc.)besieged, hidden thing, keep(-er, -ing), monument, observe, preserve(-r), subtil, watcher(-man).יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לyisraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלnoun, proper name — “Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.לְהָשִׁ֑יבlehashivto againשׁוּבpreposition, verb, hiphil, infinitive construct — “to again”, the to-form of the verbH7725to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again,…וּנְתַתִּ֨יךָ֙unetatikhaand giveנָתַןconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 1st person, common, singular, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and give”, a completed action in a sequenceH5414to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] wi…לְא֣וֹרleorto brightאוֹרpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “to bright”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH216illumination or (concrete) luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.)bright, clear, [phrase] day, light (-ning), morning, sun.גּוֹיִ֔םgoyimGentileגּוֹיnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “Gentile”, the ordinary formH1471a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locustsGentile, heathen, nation, people.לִֽהְי֥וֹתlihyotto beהָיָהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to be”, the to-form of the verbH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.יְשׁוּעָתִ֖יyeshuatideliveranceיְשׁוּעָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “deliverance”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3444something saved, i.e. (abstractly) deliverance; hence, aid, victory, prosperitydeliverance, health, help(-ing), salvation, save, saving (health), welfare.עַדadevenעַדpreposition — “even”H5704as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)against, and, as, at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as), (hither-) to, [phrase] how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that, till, toward, until, when, while, ([phrase] as) yet.קְצֵ֥הqetsehborderקָצֶהnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “border”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7097an extremity[idiom] after, border, brim, brink, edge, end, (in-) finite, frontier, outmost coast, quarter, shore, (out-) side, [idiom] some, ut(-ter-) most (part).הָאָֽרֶץhaaretsthe earthאֶרֶץdefinite article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “the earth”, the ordinary formH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Yea, He saith: 'It is too light a thing that thou shouldest be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the offspring of Israel; I will also give thee for a light of the nations, that My salvation may be unto the end of the earth.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

yea, he saith, It is too light a thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Young’s Literal Translation

And He saith, 'It hath been a light thing That thou art to Me for a servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And the preserved of Israel to bring back, And I have given thee for a light of nations, To be My salvation unto the end of the earth.'

World English Bible

Indeed, he says, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel. I will also give you as a light to the nations, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth.”

Darby Translation

— and he saith, It is a small thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel; I have even given thee for a light of the nations, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Douay-Rheims

And he said: It is a small thing that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to convert the dregs of Israel. Behold, I have given thee to be the light of the Gentiles, that thou mayst be my salvation even to the farthest part of the earth.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And he said to me, It is a great thing for thee to be called my servant, to establish the tribes of Jacob, and to recover the dispersion of Israel: behold, I have given thee for the covenant of a race, for a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation to the end of the earth.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπέ μοι, μέγα σοι ἐστὶ τοῦ κληθῆναί σε παῖδά μου, τοῦ στῆσαι τὰς φυλὰς Ἰακὼβ, καὶ τὴν διασπορὰν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἐπιστρέψαι· ἰδοὺ δέδωκά σε εἰς διαθήκην γένους, εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν, τοῦ εἶναί σε εἰς σωτηρίαν ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς.

Quoted in

Acts 13:47 Acts 13:47 · King James VersionFor so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.Acts 13:47 · King James VersionOpen the Source
For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

Alluded to in

Luke 2:32 Luke 2:32 · King James VersionA light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.Luke 2:32 · King James VersionOpen the Source
light to the Gentiles
A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.