King James Version

Isaiah 50:2

Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.

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Hebrew

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מַדּ֨וּעַmaduawhyמַדּוּעַparticle, interrogative — “why”H4069what (is) known?; i.e. (by implication) (adverbially) why?how, wherefore, why.בָּ֜אתִיbatito comeבּוֹאverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “to come”, a completed actionH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…וְאֵ֣יןveeynand elseאַיִןconjunction, particle, negative — “and else”H369a non-entity; generally used as a negative particleelse, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare H370 (אַיִן).אִ֗ישׁisha certainאִישׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “a certain”, the ordinary formH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…קָרָֽאתִי֮qaraticallקָרָאverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “call”, a completed actionH7121to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)bewray (self), that are bidden, call (for, forth, self, upon), cry (unto), (be) famous, guest, invite, mention, (give) name, preach, (make) proclaim(-ation), pronounce, publish, read, renowned, say.וְאֵ֣יןveeynand elseאַיִןconjunction, particle, negative — “and else”H369a non-entity; generally used as a negative particleelse, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare H370 (אַיִן).עוֹנֶה֒onehshoutעָנָהverb, qal, participle, absolute — “shout”, a verb used as a describing wordH6030properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extension to begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify, announcegive account, afflict (by mistake for H6031 (עָנָה)), (cause to, give) answer, bring low (by mistake for H6031 (עָנָה)), cry, hear, Leannoth, lift up, say, [idiom] scholar, (give a) shout, sing (together by course), speak, testify, utter,…הֲקָצ֨וֹרhaqatsormuch discouragedקָצַרparticle, interrogative, verb, qal, infinitive absolute — “much discouraged”, the verb used for emphasisH7114to dock off, i.e. curtail (transitive or intransitive, literal or figurative); especially to harvest (grass or grain)[idiom] at all, cut down, much discouraged, grieve, harvestman, lothe, mourn, reap(-er), (be, wax) short(-en, -er), straiten, trouble, vex.קָצְרָ֤הqatserahmuch discouragedקָצַרverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “much discouraged”, a completed actionH7114to dock off, i.e. curtail (transitive or intransitive, literal or figurative); especially to harvest (grass or grain)[idiom] at all, cut down, much discouraged, grieve, harvestman, lothe, mourn, reap(-er), (be, wax) short(-en, -er), straiten, trouble, vex.יָדִי֙yadihandיָדnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “hand”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3027a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, […מִפְּד֔וּתmipdutfrom divisionפְּדוּתpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “from division”, the ordinary formH6304distinction; also deliverancedivision, redeem, redemption.וְאִםveimand oh thatאִםconjunction, conjunction — “and oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…אֵֽיןeynelseאַיִןparticle, negative — “else”H369a non-entity; generally used as a negative particleelse, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare H370 (אַיִן).בִּ֥יbiinבִּ֥יpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “in”inכֹ֖חַkhochaforceכֹּחַnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “force”, the ordinary formH3581vigor, literally (force, in a good or a bad sense) or figuratively (capacity, means, produce); also (from its hardiness) a large lizardability, able, chameleon, force, fruits, might, power(-ful), strength, substance, wealth.לְהַצִּ֑ילlehatsilto defendנָצַלpreposition, verb, hiphil, infinitive construct — “to defend”, the to-form of the verbH5337to snatch away, whether in a good or a bad sense[idiom] at all, defend, deliver (self), escape, [idiom] without fail, part, pluck, preserve, recover, rescue, rid, save, spoil, strip, [idiom] surely, take (out).הֵ֣ןhenifהֵןparticle, demonstrative — “if”H2005lo!; also (as expressing surprise) ifbehold, if, lo, though.בְּגַעֲרָתִ֞יbegaaratiin rebukeגְּעָרָהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “in rebuke”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1606a chidingrebuke(-ing), reproof.אַחֲרִ֣יבacharivdesolateחָרַבverb, hiphil, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular — “desolate”, an unfinished actionH2717to parch (through drought) i.e. (by analogy,) to desolate, destroy, killdecay, (be) desolate, destroy(-er), (be) dry (up), slay, [idiom] surely, (lay, lie, make) waste.יָ֗םyamseaיָםnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “sea”, the ordinary formH3220a sea (as breaking in noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the article), the Mediterranean Sea; sometimes a large river, or an artifical basin; locally, the west, or (rarely) the southsea ([idiom] -faring man, (-shore)), south, west (-ern, side, -ward).אָשִׂ֤יםasimputשׂוּםverb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular — “put”, an unfinished actionH7760to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)[idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase]…נְהָרוֹת֙neharotfloodנָהָרnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “flood”, the ordinary formH5104a stream (including the sea; expectation the Nile, Euphrates, etc.); figuratively, prosperityflood, river.מִדְבָּ֔רmidbardesertמִדְבָּרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “desert”, the ordinary formH4057a pasture (i.e. open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert; also speech (including its organs)desert, south, speech, wilderness.תִּבְאַ֤שׁtivashbe abhorredבָּאַשׁverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “be abhorred”, an unfinished actionH887to smell bad; figuratively, to be offensive morally(make to) be abhorred (had in abomination, loathsome, odious), (cause a, make to) stink(-ing savour), [idiom] utterly.דְּגָתָם֙degatamfishדָּגָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “fish”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1710{a fish (often used collectively)}fish.מֵאֵ֣יןmeeynfrom elseאַיִןpreposition, particle, negative — “from else”H369a non-entity; generally used as a negative particleelse, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare H370 (אַיִן).מַ֔יִםmayimwaterמַיִםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “water”, the ordinary formH4325water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen[phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).וְתָמֹ֖תvetamotand dieמוּתconjunction, verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and die”, an unfinished actionH4191to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill[idiom] at all, [idiom] crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), [idiom] must needs, slay, [idiom] surely, [idiom] very suddenly, [idiom] in (no) w…בַּצָּמָֽאbatsamain thirstצָמָאpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in thirst”, the ordinary formH6772thirst (literally or figuratively)thirst(-y).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is My hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, at My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; their fish become foul, because there is no water, and die for thirst.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stink, because there is no water, and die for thirst.

Young’s Literal Translation

Wherefore have I come, and there is no one? I called, and there is none answering, Hath My hand been at all short of redemption? And is there not in me power to deliver? Lo, by My rebuke I dry up a sea, I make rivers a wilderness, Their fish stinketh, for there is no water, And dieth with thirst.

World English Bible

Why, when I came, was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it can’t redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea. I make the rivers a wilderness. Their fish stink because there is no water, and die of thirst.

Darby Translation

Wherefore did I come, and there was no man? I called, and there was none to answer? Is my hand at all shortened that I cannot redeem, or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make rivers a wilderness; their fish stink because there is no water, and die for thirst.

Douay-Rheims

Because I came, and there was not a man: I called, and there was none that would hear. Is my hand shortened and become little, that I cannot redeem? or is there no strength in me to deliver? Behold at my rebuke I will make the sea a desert, I will turn the rivers into dry land: the fishes shall rot for want of water, and shall die for thirst.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Why did I come, and there was no man? why did I call, and there was none to hearken? Is not my hand strong to redeem? or can I not deliver? behold, by my rebuke I will dry up the sea, and make rivers a wilderness; and their fish shall be dried up because there is no water, and shall die for thirst.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Τί ὅτι ἦλθον, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ἄνθρωπος; ἐκάλεσα, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ὑπακούων; μὴ οὐκ ἰσχύει ἡ χείρ μου τοῦ ῥύσασθαι; ἢ οὐκ ἰσχύω τοῦ ἐξελέσθαι; ἰδοὺ τῷ ἐλεγμῷ μου ἐξερημώσω τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ θήσω ποταμοὺς ἐρήμους, καὶ ξηρανθήσονται οἱ ἰχθύες αὐτῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ μὴ εἶναι ὕδωρ, καὶ ἀποθανοῦνται ἐν δίψει.