Isaiah 50:2 · Bible study
Isaiah 50:2 Commentary: God's Power and the Unanswered Call
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
God laments unanswered calls and displays power over creation to prove His ability to redeem. A study on divine initiative and human response.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God defends His faithfulness: Israel has no excuse for ignoring His call, for His power to redeem remains undiminished.
- Key words: 'hand shortened' (symbol of lost power); 'rebuke' (divine command that controls creation); 'redeem/deliver' (Exodus language of salvation).
- Main debate: Whether 'I came' refers to God sending prophets or to the incarnation of the Servant/Messiah, a debate between Barnes (prophets) and Gill/JFB/Keil (Messiah).
- Theological theme: The sovereignty of God over creation and history guarantees His ability to save; human sin (not divine weakness) is the barrier to deliverance.
- Best use: Teaching on God's character, human responsibility, and the reassurance of God's power in times of doubt.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Why was no one there when I arrived? Why did no one answer when I called? Is My hand too short to redeem you? Or do I lack the strength to deliver you? Behold, My rebuke dries up the sea; I turn the rivers into a desert; the fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst.
WEB World English Bible 2000
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.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV 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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
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.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
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 Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
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.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Porque vine, y nadie|strong="H0369, H0376" pareció; llamé, y nadie|strong="H0369, H0376" respondió. ¿ Ha llegado á acortarse|strong="H7114, H7114" mi mano, para no redimir? ¿ no hay en mí poder para librar? He aquí que con mi reprensión hago secar la mar; torno los ríos en desierto, hasta pudrirse sus peces, y morirse de sed por falta de agua.
Por que razão quando eu vim ninguém apareceu? Chamei, e ninguém respondeu. Por acaso minha mão se encurtou tanto, que já não posso resgatar? Ou não há mais poder em mim para livrar? Eis que com minha repreensão faço secar o mar, torno os rios em deserto, até federem seus peixes por não haver água, e morrem de sede.
Je suis venu: pourquoi n’ y avait-il personne?
Warum kam ich, und war niemand da? ich rief, und niemand antwortete. Ist meine Hand nun so kurz geworden, daß ich sie nicht erlösen kann? oder ist bei mir keine Kraft, zu erretten? Siehe, mit meinem Schelten mache ich das Meer trocken und mache die Wasserströme zur Wüste, daß ihre Fische vor Wassermangel stinken und Durstes sterben.
Waarom kwam Ik, en er was niemand, waarom riep Ik, en niemand antwoordde? Is Mijn hand dus gans kort geworden, dat zij niet verlossen kan, of is er in Mij geen kracht om uit te redden? Ziet, door Mijn schelding maak Ik de zee droog, Ik stel de rivieren tot een woestijn, dat haar vis stinkt, omdat er geen water is, en sterft van dorst.
Perché, quand’io son venuto, non s’è trovato alcuno? Perché, quand’ho chiamato, nessuno ha risposto? La mia mano è ella davvero troppo corta per redimere? o no ho io forza da liberare? Ecco, con la mia minaccia io prosciugo il mare, riduco i fiumi in deserto; il loro pesce diventa fetido per mancanza d’acqua, e muore di sete.
Przeczże, gdy przychodzę, niemasz nikogo? a gdy wołam, nikt się nie ozywa? Izali tak jest ukrócona ręka moja, aby nie mogła odkupić? Izali niemasz we mnie mocy ku wybawieniu? Oto fukiem moim osuszam morze, obracam rzeki w pustynie, tak iż zaśmier dną ryby ich dla niedostatku wody, i zdychają od pragnienia.
Почему, когда Я приходил, никого не было, и когда Я звал, никто не отвечал? Разве рука Моя коротка стала для того, чтобы избавлять, или нет силы во Мне, чтобы спасать? Вот, прещением Моим Я иссушаю море, превращаю реки в пустыню; рыбы в них гниют от недостатка воды и умирают от жажды.
我來的時候，為何 無 人等候呢？我呼喚的時候，為何無人 答應呢？我的膀臂 豈是 縮短、不能救贖嗎？我 豈 無 拯救 之力嗎？看哪，我一斥責，海 就乾了；我使 江河 變為曠野；其中的魚 因無 水 腥臭，乾渴 而死。
Why, then, when I came, was there no man? and no one to give answer to my voice? has my hand become feeble, so that it is unable to take up your cause? or have I no power to make you free? See, at my word the sea becomes dry, I make the rivers a waste land: their fish are dead for need of water, and make an evil smell.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 50:2
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that God is not the cause of Israel's separation from Him. The verse answers the people's complaint that God has forsaken them (Isaiah 49:14). Barnes notes that the question is rhetorical: it was not because God was unable to save, but because they refused to respond. Gill and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown observe that the image of a 'shortened hand' is an Oriental symbol of weakness, borrowed from Numbers 11:23, and that God rejects any charge of impotence. The display of power over the sea and rivers recalls the Exodus miracles (Exodus 14:21, Exodus 7:18). Keil and Delitzsch stress that the root sin is disobedience to God's word. Matthew Henry sums it up: they could not say the quarrel began on God's side. Whether the speaker is Yahweh or the coming Servant (a debated point), the core claim stands: God has both the power and the will to redeem, but His people have not answered His call.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Prophetic mission view: God came through prophets; Israel refused to hear (2 Chronicles 36:15-16). Supported by Barnes and Wesley.
- Incarnational view: God came in the person of the Servant/Messiah; Israel rejected Him (John 1:11). Supported by Gill, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Keil and Delitzsch.
What is clear: God's power to redeem is not diminished; the obstacle to Israel's deliverance is human unresponsiveness and sin, not divine weakness.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Who is the speaker of verse 2? | All traditions agree the speaker is God speaking through the prophet, defending His own faithfulness. | Some commentators (Barnes, Wesley) see the speaker as Yahweh sending prophets. Others (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Gill, Keil and Delitzsch) argue the speaker is the Servant of the Lord, i.e., the Messiah in his coming. Both groups agree the verse prefigures Christ's rejection, but differ on whether the immediate reference is the prophetic ministry or the incarnation. |
| What does 'I came' refer to? | God's 'coming' is an initiative to call His people back to Himself. | Conservatives divide: some (Barnes, Wesley) say 'came' refers to the sending of prophets throughout Israel's history. Others (Gill, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Keil) refer it directly to the coming of Christ in the flesh. Both are seen in the New Testament's use of similar language. |
| The meaning of drying up the sea and rivers | This is a reference to God's power displayed at the Exodus, especially the crossing of the Red Sea and the plagues on Egypt's Nile. | No debate on the reference; but some (Cambridge Bible) emphasize it as proof that God can reverse judgment and create a new exodus, while others (Barnes) focus on its rhetorical function: if God can do these things, He surely can deliver His people. |
| The spiritual condition implied by 'no one to answer' | Israel's failure to respond was a sin of disobedience and hardness of heart. | Some (Calvinist tradition, e.g., Gill) see this as evidence of total depravity, no one can answer without grace. Others (Wesleyan tradition, e.g., Wesley) stress moral responsibility to respond to God's call. The text does not resolve the theological tension. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse opens an oracle in Isaiah 50, part of the larger collection of chapters 40, 55 written to Israelites exiled in Babylon. The people have been lamenting, 'The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me' (Isaiah 49:14). Verses 1, 3 respond by defending God's faithfulness. The previous verse (50:1) uses two legal images, a bill of divorce and a sale to creditors, to argue that the separation was not arbitrary. God did not formally divorce Israel or sell them for a debt; rather, their own sins caused the rupture.
The question 'When I came, was there no one?' echoes the repeated sending of prophets throughout Israel's history. Barnes explains that God 'came' by speaking through the prophets; the people refused to listen (2 Chronicles 36:15, 16). Keil and Delitzsch see a more specific reference: God came 'in His Servant', the figure who speaks in verses 4, 9, a prophecy Christians identify with Christ. The 'hand shortened' motif appears in Numbers 11:23, where God rebukes Moses for doubting His power. The image of drying up the sea and rivers draws directly from the Exodus: the Red Sea crossing (Exodus 14:21, 29) and the plague on the Nile (Exodus 7:18, 21). By invoking these mighty acts, God establishes that His power is not diminished. The rotting fish and dying of thirst paint a vivid picture of judgment, a warning to any nation that opposes His redemption. This cosmic power underscores that the obstacle is not divine weakness but human hardness of heart.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note one main textual variant in verse 2d. The Masoretic Text reads tibaosh (תִּבְאַשׁ), 'stinketh' or 'will stink.' Adam Clarke observes that the Bodleian manuscript and the Septuagint support tibash (תִּיבַשׁ), 'is dried up.' The difference changes the image from putrefying fish to parched fish, but both point to the same effect: the water is gone, and the fish die. Most English versions (including WEB, KJV, ASV, BSB, YLT, Darby) follow the MT reading 'stink.' The broader meaning that God's power over nature is absolute remains unaffected.
Reception History
Isaiah 50:2 has been read as part of the Servant Songs (Isaiah 50:4, 9) in Christian tradition. Early church fathers such as Justin Martyr and Irenaeus saw the power over the sea as a type of Christ's authority over chaos and evil, later enacted when Jesus rebuked the storm (Matthew 8:26). Medieval exegetes read the unanswered call as Israel's rejection of Christ. Reformation commentators like Calvin emphasized God's sovereign power and human responsibility: the hand is not shortened, but the people are without excuse. Jewish tradition, especially in the Targum, interprets the 'coming' as the sending of prophets and calls Israel to repentance, reading the drying of the sea as a promise of future redemption. Matthew Henry applied the verse to the preacher's lament over an unresponsive congregation, a pastoral use that continues today.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God's initiative is met with silence. The verse opens with God coming and calling, yet finding no one to answer (v.2a). Matthew Henry notes that God had sent prophets repeatedly, but the people were 'dull and stupid.' The interrogation 'Why?' is not for information but to awaken conscience.
- God's power is not diminished. The rhetorical question 'Is my hand shortened?' echoes Numbers 11:23. Barnes points out that the hand, an emblem of strength, is not cut short. God's ability to redeem is as great as ever, demonstrated by His command over sea and rivers (Exodus 14:21). The rebuke that dries up the sea is the same power that can deliver from any bondage.
- Human response determines the experience of redemption. The contrast is stark: God's hand is long enough to save, but the people did not answer. Gill connects this to Christ's coming: 'He called, but there was no answer given; for there was no internal principle in them, no grace to answer to the call.' The fault lies with the listener, not the Caller.
Five-point outline
- The lament: God's coming and calling produces no response (v.2a).
- The clarification: it is not a lack of power, God's hand is not short (v.2b).
- The evidence: God's power over the sea and rivers proves His ability to save (v.2c).
- The consequence: the fish rot and die, showing judgment on those who reject Him (v.2d).
- The implication: the barrier to deliverance is purely human rebellion, not divine inability.
Illustration hooks
- A telephone rings in an empty room. The one who called is ready to speak, but there is no one to pick up. The silence is not the caller's fault.
- A lifeguard with full strength stands at the edge of a pool. A swimmer is drowning but refuses to reach out. The guard's ability is not the issue; the refusal to accept help is.
- A farmer sends workers to harvest a field, but the workers ignore the call and stay idle. The farmer has the tools and power to bring in the crop, but the workers' inaction causes the loss.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God is so powerful, why does He seem distant or silent when I need Him?
- Is my suffering because God is angry with me, or because I am not responding to Him?
- How can I know that God still has the power to change my situation when it feels hopeless?
Leading a Discussion
This passage addresses a common human complaint: when we feel distant from God, whose fault is it? God argues that He has come and called, yet the people did not answer. He then points to His power over creation as proof that He is not weak. Read Isaiah 50:2 slowly together, paying attention to the questions. Let this passage search your hearts: have you been ignoring God's call, or do you doubt His ability to help?
Discussion questions
- In verse 2a, God asks why no one was there when He came and why no one answered when He called. What are the different ways God 'comes' and 'calls' to His people? (Consider the sending of prophets, Scripture, the Holy Spirit, circumstances.)
- What does the question 'Is my hand shortened at all?' tell us about what the people might have been thinking? (See Numbers 11:23 for a parallel.)
- God answers His own question by describing His power over the sea and rivers. Why does He specifically mention drying up the sea and making rivers a wilderness? What events from Israel's history would these words call to mind? (Exodus 14:21, Exodus 7:18, 21.)
- The fish stink and die for lack of water (v.2d). How does this image function alongside the promise of redemption? Is it a warning, a proof of God's power over nature, or both?
- God's power is clearly not the problem. So what does God identify as the real reason for Israel's captivity and distance? (Compare with Isaiah 50:1, 'for your iniquities have you sold yourselves.')
- In what ways might people today 'answer' God's call or fail to answer? What keeps us from responding when we sense God speaking?
- How does knowing that God has power over creation assure you that He can also deliver you from personal struggles? Share a time when you doubted God's power and what helped you trust again.
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)
| Genesis 18:14 | Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes around, and Sarah will have a son.” |
| Exodus 7:18 | The fish that are in the river will die and the river will become foul. The Egyptians will loathe to drink water from the river.”’” |
| Exodus 7:21 | The fish that were in the river died. The river became foul. The Egyptians couldn’t drink water from the river. The blood was throughout all the land of Egypt. |
| Exodus 14:21 | Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and Yahweh caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. |
| Exodus 14:29 | But the children of Israel walked on dry land in the middle of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. |
| Numbers 11:23 | Yahweh said to Moses, “Has Yahweh’s hand grown short? Now you will see whether my word will happen to you or not.” |
| Joshua 3:16 | the waters which came down from above stood, and rose up in one heap a great way off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those that went down toward the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people passed over near Jericho. |
| II Chronicles 32:15 | Now therefore don’t let Hezekiah deceive you nor persuade you in this way. Don’t believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of my hand, and out of the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand?” |
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.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes a textual variant where a Hebrew word often translated as "stinketh" should instead be read as "dried up," citing a manuscript and the Septuagint as support. His point is that the condition of the fish is not about odor but about drought.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that Israel's exile was not God's fault: He had called them to repentance, but no one answered. Nor was it from lack of power, since the same God who dried up rivers and rebuked the sea could certainly deliver them. Their suffering came from their own refusal to listen.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible Schools addresses the exiles' fear that God's covenant with Israel has been permanently broken. Using two everyday legal analogies—a bill of divorce and selling children for debt—it shows God has not taken such final steps. Their iniquities caused the separation, and God's offer of forgiveness removes that cause.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights God's rhetorical question to underscore that His power is not diminished. He proves His ability to save by pointing to His control over the sea, which He dries up at His rebuke. The fault lies not with God's strength but with the people's unresponsive hearts.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill interprets the verse as referring to Christ’s coming in the flesh, not merely the sending of prophets. The people rejected him personally, would not come to him, and refused his call. Their failure to answer showed no inner grace, but Christ’s power to redeem is proven by his control over the sea and rivers.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB emphasizes that the same Divine Person—Messiah—who appealed through the prophets in vain now comes in person. The "shortened hand" is not weakness: God's power to redeem remains undiminished, and the second exodus will surpass the first in wonders while bringing judgment on Israel's enemies.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch identifies Israel's persistent sin as disobedience to God's word, which caused and prolonged the exile. They stress that God came not merely through prophets but in His servant, the Messiah, with a message of deliverance, yet Israel refused to respond in faith.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes that Israel's exile is not a permanent divorce but a temporary punishment because the people rejected their Lord when He came. The Servant willingly takes this suffering upon Himself, confident in God's support, so that Israel can be freed from guilt by turning back in faith. Those who stubbornly persist in their own ways will be consumed by the fire they themselves kindled.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry insists that Israel cannot blame God for their separation; no bill of divorce was ever issued, and God did not sell them like debt slaves. Their own iniquities caused the breach. The fault lies entirely with Israel, not with any harshness or injustice on God's side.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley exposes the real reason people ignored God's call to repentance: they doubted whether He was either willing or able to save them. He compares their contempt to thinking God's arm is as dried up and useless as a wilderness, unfit for any journey.