Isaiah 26:13 · Bible study
Isaiah 26:13 Commentary: Exclusive Devotion After Dominion
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore Isaiah 26:13: how Israel's confession of other lords' dominion leads to renewed, exclusive worship of Yahweh amid exile and restoration.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God’s people confess that foreign rulers have dominated them, and they vow exclusive, public praise to Yahweh alone.
- Key words: ʾădōnîm (lords, human masters), bāʿal (had dominion, implying ownership), nazkîr (cause to remember, Hiphil of zākar)
- Main debate: Whether “other lords” are strictly historical kings (Babylon) or also include spiritual powers (sin, Satan). Both readings are attested.
- Theological theme: Exclusive covenant loyalty (monotheistic worship) as the proper response to deliverance from oppression.
- Best use: A model confession of past failure and present commitment, useful in times of national or personal restoration.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
O LORD our God, other lords besides You have had dominion, but Your name alone do we confess.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Yahweh our God, other lords besides you have had dominion over us, but we will only acknowledge your name.
KJV King James Version 1769
O Lord our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
O Jehovah our God, other lords besides thee have had dominion over us; but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
O Jehovah our God, lords have ruled us besides Thee, Only, by Thee we make mention of Thy name.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Jehovah our God, other lords than thee have had dominion over us; by thee only will we make mention of thy name.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
O Lord our God, other lords besides thee have had dominion over us, only in thee let us remember thy name.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Jehová Dios nuestro, señores se han enseñoreado de nosotros fuera de ti; mas en ti solamente nos acordaremos de tu nombre.
Ó SENHOR nosso Deus, outros senhores fora de ti nos dominaram; mas somente em ti, em teu nome, mantínhamos nossos pensamentos.
Éternel, notre Dieu, d’ autres maîtres que toi ont dominé sur nous;
HERR, unser Gott, es herrschen wohl andere Herren über uns denn du; aber wir gedenken doch allein dein und deines Namens.
HEERE, onze God! andere heren, behalve Gij, hebben over ons geheerst; doch door U alleen gedenken wij Uws Naams.
O Eterno, Dio nostro, altri signori, fuori di te, han dominato su noi; ma, grazie a te solo, noi possiamo celebrare il tuo nome.
Panie Boże nasz! panowalić nad nami inni panowie oprócz ciebie; ale myśmy tylko, w tobie ufając, wspominali na imię twoje.
Господи Боже наш! другие владыки кроме Тебя господствовали над нами; но чрез Тебя только мы славим имя Твое.
耶和華─我們的 神啊，在你以外 曾有別的主 管轄我們，但我們專 要倚靠你，提 你的名。
O Lord, our God, other lords than you have had rule over us; but in you only is our salvation, and no other name will we take on our lips.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 26:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse contrasts past oppression by foreign powers with a vow of exclusive devotion to Yahweh. Barnes, Calvin, and the Cambridge Bible read “other lords” as human rulers, chiefly Babylon, who dominated Israel during the exile, not false gods. The Hebrew term ʾădōnîm (lords) typically refers to human masters, and the surrounding context (v.14, 15) speaks of their destruction. The people confess that these lords “had dominion,” using a verb (bāʿal) that suggests ownership or marriage, a painful inversion of Yahweh’s rightful rule. The response is a vow: “we will only acknowledge your name.” The Hiphil verb nazkîr (cause to remember) implies public celebration, not silent loyalty but active praise. As Barnes puts it, having been restored, they would “henceforward celebrate only his name.” Wesley and JFB note that affliction itself drove them to this single-minded commitment.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Historical foreign rulers: Barnes, Cambridge, Calvin: context of Babylonian exile; Hebrew <em>ʾădōnîm</em> normally refers to human masters.
- Spiritual powers (sin/Satan): Gill: sin and Satan have dominion in unregeneracy; supported by analogy with Romans 6:16-18.
- Combined temporal and spiritual: JFB (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown): both heathen kings and sinful lusts are intended, as the response is exclusive loyalty to God.
What is clear: The verse confesses past domination by powers other than Yahweh and commits to exclusive, public acknowledgment of God’s name as the proper response.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of “other lords” | The phrase refers to those who ruled Israel against Yahweh’s will, primarily foreign kings (Barnes, Cambridge, Calvin). | Some extend it to include sin, Satan, or internal lusts (Gill; JFB allows both temporal and spiritual readings). |
| Meaning of “acknowledge your name” | It means exclusive praise and public confession of Yahweh as the only true Lord. | Whether it implies a vow to never again mention other gods (Barnes) or a statement that only through God’s help can they praise Him (Cambridge). |
| Temporal setting of the vow | The verse looks back on a period of domination and forward to a renewed worship. | Whether it is post-exilic (Keil & Delitzsch, Barnes) or a general lament during exile (Calvin). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah 26 sits within the “Apocalypse of Isaiah” (chapters 24, 27), a song cycle celebrating God’s victory over chaos and the nations. Verse 13 belongs to a community prayer (vv.7, 19) that moves from longing to confession. The “other lords” point directly to the experience of exile. From 586 BC onward, Judah lived under Babylonian kings who demanded tribute, labor, and allegiance, an explicit violation of the theocratic ideal that Yahweh alone was Israel’s true Sovereign. Calvin observes that the saints complain of being “placed under a different dominion from that of God,” a condition that felt like rejection. The Babylonians had torn down the temple, ended sacrifices, and silenced public worship. To “acknowledge your name” in this setting meant restoring what had been forbidden: gathering to praise Yahweh publicly, using His covenant name (YHWH). The verse also echoes the fear mentioned in Amos 6:10, where people dared not mention Yahweh’s name under oppression. Now the community declares the opposite: they will speak it openly. The grammar of the vow, lĕvad bĕkhā nazkîr shemekhā (“only in you we bring to remembrance your name”), uses lĕvad (alone) as an adverb of exclusivity, reinforced by the preposition bĕ (in/through). This is not merely private resolve; it is a public liturgy.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Isaiah 26:13. The Masoretic Text is stable across traditions. The rare word lĕvad (alone, adverb) appears in the same form in Ecclesiastes 7:29. The verb nazkîr (we bring to remembrance) is the Hiphil of zākar and is well attested; no scribal divergence is reported for this verse.
Reception History
This verse has been treasured across Christian traditions as a confession of exclusive loyalty. Early church fathers read it as Israel’s acknowledgment that no pagan ruler could claim God’s prerogative. During the Reformation, Calvin and others used it to argue that public worship belongs to God alone, no king or pope can command what conscience must give to God. Matthew Henry applied it to the individual Christian: “other lords” include sinful habits that once had dominion, but grace restores single-hearted devotion. In hymnody, the verse has inspired songs of liberation and commitment, often sung in seasons of national repentance or revival. The phrase “by thee only will we make mention of thy name” appears in liturgies affirming thesole authority of God in worship.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Honest Confession of Oppression, The people name the lords who ruled them. This is not shame but truth-telling. Exile was real; sin and foreign domination were not outside God’s sovereignty. (v.13a; cf. 2 Chron. 12:8)
- A Single Lord Restored, The vow “we will only acknowledge your name” marks a turning point. Exclusive devotion is both a gift and a decision. The Hiphil verb means proactive remembrance, not hiding God’s name but proclaiming it. (v.13b; Isa. 12:4)
- The Fruit of Affliction, The pressure that crushed them also purified their worship. Affliction exposed divided loyalties and brought them back to one Lord. (Cf. Ps. 119:67, 71)
Five-point outline
- Context: The exile as a crisis of theocracy, God’s people ruled by men who do not know Him.
- Contrast: “Other lords” (human masters) vs. “Yahweh our God” (covenant Lord).
- Confession: Acknowledging the oppression without blaming God; accepting that it happened by His permission.
- Conversion: The exclusive vow, a change of allegiance, not just words.
- Celebration: The Hiphil verb implies public, ongoing praise, not a one-time statement.
Illustration hooks
- Workplace loyalty: An employee who finally stops trying to please competing bosses and commits to one vision, and then speaks freely about it.
- Post-oppression identity: A community recovering from an abusive leader; part of healing is naming what happened and choosing a new allegiance.
- Silence broken: In places where Christians face restrictions, saying God’s name aloud is a deliberate, costly act of worship.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why would God allow His people to be ruled by wicked kings?
- What does exclusive devotion look like in a world of many competing loyalties?
- How do we move from complaining about oppression to actively praising God?
Leading a Discussion
This verse is a raw confession and a bold vow. The community looks back on a long period of domination by foreign rulers and declares that they will now give God alone the public honor He deserves. The discussion explores how hardships can either weaken or strengthen our exclusive commitment to God.
Discussion questions
- Read Isaiah 26:13 aloud. What words or images stand out to you? What is the emotional tone, shame, relief, defiance?
- The Hebrew word for “lords” (ʾădōnîm) is used for human masters. Why is it significant that they call foreign kings “lords” in the same breath as addressing Yahweh as “our God”?
- What does it mean to have God as your only Lord? Were the people claiming they had never served other gods before the exile? (See Josh. 23:7; Isa. 2:8)
- How does the vow “we will only acknowledge your name” change the way they worship compared to what they did under other lords? (Compare Amos 6:10, where people are afraid to mention God’s name.)
- Calvin saw this verse as the cry of believers who “outwardly seemed rejected by God.” In what situations today might God’s people feel rejected while still trusting Him?
- Some Christians also read “other lords” as internal powers like sin or fear (Gill). Does that interpretation fit the context? What do we gain or lose by spiritualizing the verse?
- What practical steps can your group take this week to “make mention of God’s name” more intentionally, not just in private but in public settings?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Joshua 23:7 | that you not come among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow down yourselves to them; |
| II Chronicles 12:8 | Nevertheless they will be his servants, that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.” |
| Isaiah 2:8 | Their land also is full of idols. They worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made. |
| Isaiah 10:11 | shall I not, as I have done to Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols? |
| Isaiah 12:4 | In that day you will say, “Give thanks to Yahweh! Call on his name! Declare his doings among the peoples! Proclaim that his name is exalted! |
| Isaiah 51:22 | Your Lord Yahweh, your God who pleads the cause of his people, says, “Behold, I have taken out of your hand the cup of staggering, even the bowl of the cup of my wrath. You will not drink it any more. |
| Isaiah 63:7 | I will tell of the loving kindnesses of Yahweh and the praises of Yahweh, according to all that Yahweh has given to us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he has given to them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses. |
| Amos 6:10 | “When a man’s relative carries him, even he who burns him, to bring bodies out of the house, and asks him who is in the innermost parts of the house, ‘Is there yet any with you?’ And he says, ‘No;’ then he will say, ‘Hush! Indeed we must not mention Yahweh’s name.’ |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes reads this as the restored community's declaration of exclusive loyalty after their Babylonian captivity. The other lords are the foreign kings who once ruled them, but now that they are free, they will commemorate only Yahweh's name and acknowledge no other master.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin interprets this verse as the cry of exiled believers suffering under rulers hostile to true worship. Their complaint that other lords have ruled them highlights that God alone was meant to be their sole guardian. The judgment fits the sin: having rejected God's kind rule, they now endure the tyranny of wicked men who oppose His worship.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator argues that "other lords" refers to foreign rulers, not false gods, as their domination over Israel violated God's sovereignty. The phrase "by thee only" means that only through God's help could Israel now celebrate His name, since the era of oppression had ended.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The note contrasts the many human rulers who have dominated Israel with the one true Lord. Even under foreign oppression, the faithful resolve to remember and honor God alone, refusing to let earthly powers replace His rightful place in their worship and devotion.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies the "other lords" as antichristian tyrants and persecuting powers who oppress God's people. He then explains that by God's strength alone believers resolve to obey and worship only Him, giving thanks for deliverance from that bondage.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB points out that the other lords mentioned are both outward, like heathen kings, and inward, like idols and sinful desires. The people acknowledge that it is only by God's work that they are brought back to worship Him alone, with affliction serving a sanctifying purpose.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlight the three escalating addresses to Jehovah, rising finally to "Jehovah our God." The first looks back from before judgment, the other two from within the redemption wrought by judgment. The prophet's complaint echoes Isaiah 53:1: God's hand was exalted but unrecognized, yet they will finally see His zeal for His people and be ashamed.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads the passage as describing the dead in Sheol who still long for deliverance and struggle like a woman in childbirth, but their efforts bring forth only wind. Only God's own resurrection power, not human striving, will bring His dead to life and light out of the dust.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry reads the prophet's words as an acknowledgment that every good work done by God's people is actually God's own work in them. He emphasizes that whatever good thoughts or affections arise in the heart come from God's grace working within, not from human effort alone.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley identifies the "other lords" as foreign and heathen rulers, distinct from both God and the governors He had appointed. He notes that Israel's deliverance from these lords came by God's favor and help, prompting the people to celebrate His praise.