Isaiah 51:13 · Bible study
Isaiah 51:13 Commentary: Forgetting the Maker, Fearing the Oppressor
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Isaiah 51:13 examines the link between forgetting God as Creator and living in constant fear of human oppressors, and the ultimate vanishing of that fury.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Forgetting the Creator leads to constant fear of oppressors, but the oppressor’s fury will vanish because God is greater.
- Key words: Forget (shakach, willful neglect); fear/dread (pachad, trembling); oppressor (metsiq, one who presses); fury (chemah, burning anger).
- Main debate: Minor textual issue about the preposition “as if” (caph) possibly having shifted; the sense is unaffected.
- Theological theme: The Creator-creation relationship as the ground of confidence; human threats are temporary, God’s power is eternal.
- Best use: Comfort for believers facing persecution or intense fear; a pastoral rebuke against anxiety that forgets God’s sovereignty.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
But you have forgotten the LORD, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth. You live in terror all day long because of the fury of the oppressor who is bent on destruction. But where is the fury of the oppressor?
WEB World English Bible 2000
Have you forgotten Yahweh your Maker, who stretched out the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth? Do you live in fear continually all day because of the fury of the oppressor, when he prepares to destroy? Where is the fury of the oppressor?
KJV King James Version 1769
And forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?
ASV American Standard Version 1901
and hast forgotten Jehovah thy Maker, that stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and fearest continually all the day because of the fury of the oppressor, when he maketh ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And thou dost forget Jehovah thy maker, Who is stretching out the heavens, and founding earth, And thou dost fear continually all the day, Because of the fury of the oppressor, As he hath prepared to destroy. And where is the fury of the oppressor?
Darby Darby Bible 1890
and forgettest Jehovah thy Maker, who hath stretched out the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and thou art afraid continually all the day because of the fury of the oppressor, when he prepareth to destroy? And where is the fury of the oppressor?
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And thou hast forgotten the Lord thy maker, who stretched out the heavens, and founded the earth: and thou hast been afraid continually all the day at the presence of his fury who afflicted thee, and had prepared himself to destroy thee: where is now the fury of the oppressor?
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y haste ya olvidado de Jehová tu Hacedor, que extendió los cielos y fundó la tierra; y todo el día temiste continuamente del furor del que aflige, cuando se disponía para destruir: mas ¿ en dónde está el furor del que aflige?
E te esqueças do SENHOR, aquele que te fez, que estendeu os céus e fundou a terra, e temes continuamente o dia todo à fúria do opressor, como se ele estivesse pronto para destruir? Onde está essa fúria do opressor?
Et tu oublierais l’ Éternel, qui t’ a fait,
und vergissest des HERRN, der dich gemacht hat, der den Himmel ausbreitet und die Erde gründet? Du aber fürchtest dich den ganzen Tag vor dem Grimm des Wüterichs, wenn er sich vornimmt zu verderben. Wo bleibt nun der Grimm des Wüterichs?
En vergeet den HEERE, Die u gemaakt heeft, Die de hemelen heeft uitgebreid, en de aarde gegrond heeft, en vreest geduriglijk den gansen dag, vanwege de grimmigheid des benauwers, wanneer hij zich bereidt om te verderven? Waar is dan de grimmigheid des benauwers?
che tu dimentichi l’Eterno, che t’ha fatto, che ha disteso i cieli e fondata la terra; che tu tremi continuamente, tutto il giorno, dinanzi al furore dell’oppressore, quando s’appresta a distruggere? E dov’è dunque il furore dell’oppressore?
Że zapominasz na Pana stworzyciela swego, który rozciągnął niebiosa, i założył ziemię? a że się lękasz ustawicznie każdego dnia popędliwości trapiącego, gdy się gotuje, aby zatracał? Ale gdzież jest ta popędliwość trapiącego?
и забываешь Господа, Творца своего, распростершего небеса и основавшего землю; и непрестанно, всякий день страшишься ярости притеснителя, как бы он готов был истребить? Но где ярость притеснителя?
卻忘記 鋪張 諸天、立定 地基、創造你 的耶和華？又因 欺壓者 圖謀 毀滅 要發的暴怒，整 天 害怕，其實那欺壓者 的暴怒 在哪裡呢？
And you have given no thought to the Lord your Maker, by whom the heavens were stretched out, and the earth placed on its base; and you went all day in fear of the wrath of the cruel one, when he was making ready for your destruction. And where is the wrath of the cruel one?
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 51:13
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 this verse rebukes God’s people for a fundamental lapse: they have forgotten their Creator. Matthew Henry calls it forgetting that God “will plead thy cause.” Adam Clarke notes a possible scribal shift in the Hebrew preposition, but the sense remains unchanged. Albert Barnes argues that the verse rebukes believers who are “intimidated by the number and strength of their foes” and forget God’s promises. John Gill writes that when fear of man prevails, “God is forgotten, his power, his providence, his promises, and past instances of divine favour and goodness.” Keil and Delitzsch place the verse within God’s comforting speech: “I am your comforter” (v.12), so the people have no cause to fear. The rhetorical question “Where is the fury of the oppressor?” is universally understood as a declaration that such fury is transient, as Wesley says, “because it should certainly and suddenly be done.” The shared conviction is clear: remembering the Creator who stretched out the heavens is the antidote to terror of human oppressors.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Forgetting the Creator leads to fear of human oppressors, but God’s power as Maker ensures that the oppressor’s fury will not last.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The identity of the oppressor | Historically Babylon, but all traditions agree it applies to any oppressor of God’s people. | Some (e.g., Gill) also apply it to antichrist in a New Testament context; most keep the primary reference to Babylon. |
| The textual variant of the preposition (“as if”) | The sense is unchanged regardless of the reading. | Clarke suggests the Hebrew caph may have shifted from the end of the previous word, giving “of him that oppressed thee” rather than “as if he were ready.” |
| The role of creation language | It grounds comfort in God’s power. | Matthew Henry and Barnes emphasize it as a rebuke for forgetfulness; Keil and Delitzsch emphasize it as part of God’s comforting speech. |
| The force of “where is the fury?” | It declares the oppressor’s fury has come to nothing. | Wesley says it is as if already done because certain; others see it as a future hope. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah 51:13 belongs to a series of oracles in chapters 40, 55 addressed to Israelites in exile in Babylon. The immediate context (51:12, 16) is God’s direct speech following a prayer for deliverance (v.9, 11). The prophet had been encouraging the faithful (“Hearken to me,” v.1,4,7) but now God himself speaks: “I, even I, am he who comforts you” (v.12). The verse then contrasts the people’s fear of a mortal oppressor with the power of the Creator.
The “oppressor” is almost certainly Babylon, or, more specifically, the king of Babylon and his agents. Babylon was known for its fury and brutality in exile, a reality the exiles faced daily. The Hebrew verb translated “prepares to destroy” (kōnēn) is used elsewhere of bending a bow or pointing an arrow (Psalm 11:2; Psalm 7:13). The oppressor is pictured as a marksman ready to shoot, yet the verse mocks his preparation by asking where his fury has gone.
The creation language, “stretched out the heavens” and “laid the foundations of the earth”, echoes Isaiah 40:22,28 and Job 9:8. This language appears repeatedly in Second Isaiah as a ground for hope: the same God who made the universe can redeem his people. The rhetorical question “Where is the fury?” recalls earlier deliverances: Pharaoh’s fury at the Red Sea (Exodus 14, 15) and Sennacherib’s threat against Jerusalem (2 Kings 19). Each time God overthrew the oppressor. The exiles are invited to see their own story in that pattern.
The verse uses the perfect tense for both “forgotten” and “feared,” indicating completed actions that have become habitual. The word for “continually” (tāmîd) underscores the relentless nature of their anxiety. They are trapped in a cycle of forgetting that feeds fear.
Textual Notes
The supplied excerpts note one textual observation from Adam Clarke. He suggests that in the Hebrew the preposition “as” (caph) in “as if he were ready to destroy” may have originally been attached to the preceding word, giving the reading “of him that oppressed thee” rather than “as if he were ready.” He cites the Septuagint and Vulgate as supporting this. However, he concludes that “it makes little difference in the sense.” Other major critical editions do not adopt this change, and the meaning is unaffected in all major translations. The consulted sources note no other significant variants.
Reception History
Isaiah 51:13 has been used throughout church history to comfort believers facing persecution. Early Christian writers saw in it a call to trust the Creator rather than fear human rulers, especially during Roman persecution. During the Reformation, figures like John Calvin cited it in sermons on the fear of man and God’s sovereignty. In Puritan tradition, it was preached to encourage believers to “remember the Maker” when tempted to despair under oppressive governments. In modern times, it has been a source of hope for persecuted Christians worldwide, reminding them that the fury of oppressors is temporary. The verse also appears in hymns that celebrate God as the Creator who alone deserves our trust.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Root: Forgetting the Creator. The verse begins with an accusation: “Have you forgotten Yahweh your Maker?” The Hebrew verb shakach implies a willful neglect, turning attention away from God’s character and works. As Gill notes, when fear of man prevails, “God is forgotten, his power, his providence, his promises.” The root of constant fear is a failure to remember who God is.
- The Result: Living in Fear. Forgetting leads to continual dread of the oppressor’s fury. The word pachad suggests trembling and terror. This is not a passing worry but a daily, constant fear: “continually all the day.” The oppressor’s fury is real, burning anger (chemah) aimed at destruction. But the threat has eclipsed the greater reality of God’s power.
- The Resolution: The Fury That Vanishes. The rhetorical question exposes the lie: “Where is the fury of the oppressor?” The answer is that it has no lasting substance. As Wesley says, it “is it not all gone?” because it will “certainly and suddenly be done.” Every oppressor who rose against God’s people, Pharaoh, Sennacherib, Haman, saw his fury consumed.
Five-point outline
- Forgetfulness is the mother of fear. When we stop rehearsing God’s greatness, our anxieties grow.
- The Creator’s power is the foundation of courage. The God who stretched the heavens can handle any threat.
- The oppressor may prepare to destroy, but his preparation is futile against the Creator.
- God’s comfort is immediate and personal: “I, even I, am he who comforts you” (v.12). The same voice that made the universe speaks directly to your fear.
- The oppressor’s fury has an expiration date; God’s salvation does not. Oppressors burn out; the Creator endures forever.
Illustration hooks
- A parent trying to calm a child afraid of the dark: the child has forgotten the parent is right there, stronger than any imagined threat. The fear disappears when the child remembers.
- A driver stopped by police who has forgotten their license is in the glove box; the panic evaporates the moment they remember. Many fears are based on forgetting what we already have.
- The fear of public opinion: we dread speaking up, only to find the consequences were far smaller than imagined. The “oppressor” often turns out to be a paper tiger.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why do I fear other people’s opinions more than God’s?
- How can I make God’s power as Creator feel real in my everyday fears?
- What has happened to the enemies of the church in history? Can that encourage us today?
Leading a Discussion
This discussion guide focuses on Isaiah 51:13, exploring how forgetting God as Creator fuels fear of human threats, and how remembering him calms that fear.
Discussion questions
- Read Isaiah 51:12, 13 together. What two things does God accuse his people of doing in these verses?
- The Hebrew verb for “forgot” (shakach) implies a willful neglect. In what ways might we actively “forget” God’s power today, even without realizing it?
- Why do you think the prophet uses creation language, stretching out the heavens, founding the earth, to address fear? What does creation have to do with oppression?
- The word for “fear” in v.13 (pachad) suggests trembling and dread. What kinds of “oppressors” cause that kind of fear in your life? (They may not be people but situations, illnesses, financial threats.)
- The verse ends with the question: “Where is the fury of the oppressor?” How does that question function as a promise? Think of a time when a feared threat did not materialize or proved less powerful than you thought.
- Cross-reference: Exodus 14:10, 13 and Exodus 15:9, 10. How does the pattern at the Red Sea illustrate the truth of Isaiah 51:13?
- What practical steps can your group take this week to “remember the Maker” when fear rises?
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)
| Exodus 14:10 | When Pharaoh came near, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them; and they were very afraid. The children of Israel cried out to Yahweh. |
| Exodus 14:13 | Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh, which he will work for you today; for you will never again see the Egyptians whom you have seen today. |
| Exodus 15:9 | The enemy said, ‘I will pursue. I will overtake. I will divide the plunder. My desire will be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword. My hand will destroy them.’ |
| Exodus 15:10 | You blew with your wind. The sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. |
| Deuteronomy 32:18 | Of the Rock who became your father, you are unmindful, and have forgotten God who gave you birth. |
| Esther 5:14 | Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows be made fifty cubits high, and in the morning speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on it. Then go in merrily with the king to the banquet.” This pleased Haman, so he had the gallows made. |
| Esther 7:10 | So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s wrath was pacified. |
| Job 9:8 | He alone stretches out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea. |
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
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes a proposed textual correction: the Hebrew letter caph may have shifted from the end of the preceding word to the beginning of this one, a reading the Septuagint and Vulgate support. He considers the emendation credible but did not adopt it in his translation, since it does not change the meaning significantly.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes targets the common failure among God's own people to be intimidated by the number and strength of their enemies, forgetting their dependence on Him. God reproves this lack of confidence by calling them to remember that He stretched out the heavens and has all power to save. The oppressor's fury is like a marksman readying his bow, yet God asks what there is to dread.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights how the people’s constant fear of their oppressor’s rage stems from forgetting that the Lord himself made the heavens and laid the earth’s foundations. The rhetorical question asks where that rage now is, implying the oppressor’s threats are powerless before the Creator.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill points out the irony in fearing human oppressors while forgetting that the Lord is the Maker who stretched out the heavens and laid earth's foundations. He cites Pharaoh, Sennacherib, and Babylon as examples of oppressors whose fury proved temporary. Remembering God's power and past deliverance should dispel such fear.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws comfort from the Creator’s omnipotence, linking this verse to Isaiah’s declarations of God’s power. He interprets "as if ready" literally as "when he directs his arrow" to destroy, showing that even God’s judgment is a deliberate, controlled act.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch ground the promise in a logical argument: since Jehovah Himself is the church's comforter, His people have no reason to fear any mortal. They stress the absurdity of forgetting the almighty Creator out of terror for a man who will die like grass. The tormentor's fury will vanish, and the captive will be swiftly freed, sustained by Jehovah who stirs the sea.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads Isaiah 51 as a dramatic dialogue among the veiled Servant, Israel, Jehovah, and the prophet. His distinctive point is that the Servant himself addresses Israel in verses 1-8, already hinting at his unity with Jehovah while still appearing in servant form.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry identifies the "arm of the Lord" in this prayer as either Christ himself or God acting directly. He clarifies that God never actually sleeps, so the call for him to "awake" is a plea for him to show visibly that he is watching over his people and ready to rescue them.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley draws attention to the rhetorical question "Where is the fury?" as an emphatic assertion that the fury is already gone. The prophet speaks of the future event as though already accomplished, since its certainty and suddenness make it as good as done.