Isaiah 49:25

Isa 49:25 But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.

Ver. 25. But thus saith the Lord.] Here is a full answer to the former objection, as God doth usually in the Scripture frame answers to men’s thoughts; the law is spiritual and heart reaching.

And I will contend with him that contendeth with thee.] I will overpower the devil and thy most headstrong lusts, bringing thee out of his slavery, so that thou shalt be able to do all things through Christ who strengtheneth thee. {Php 4:13} Thy temporal enemies also, thy persecutors, shall feel my power, as did Pharaoh, Nero, Diocletian, Julian, &c. See on Gen 12:2.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

49:25 The Lord is like a warrior who will fight to protect his children, as promised to Abraham (Gen 12:3; see also Isa 54:15).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

This is the answer to their objection, that none is stronger than the Lord, neither hath a more just title unto them.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(Isa 53:12; Psa 68:18; Col 2:15).

contend with him, &c.-- (Isa 54:17).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(25) I will contend . . .—The pronoun is specially emphatic. The question of Isa_49:24 is answered in the affirmative, because Jehovah is the deliverer.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

25. Read For instead of But, and later in the verse but instead of for.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But thus saith the Lord,.... In answer to the above objection, being mightier than the mighty, and stronger than he by whom his people are detained, being the Almighty:

even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered; or, "the prey of the violent ones" (u); which is an answer both as to might and right; as to might, though they are the captives of the mighty, yet they shall be taken away from them by him that is mightier than they, even the mighty God; and as to right, they are the prey of persons that have by force and violence usurped a power over them, and therefore shall be delivered; as the Lord's people are out of the hands of Satan; both in redemption by Christ out of the hands of him that is stronger than they; and in conversion by him who is stronger than the strong man armed; and enters into their hearts, the palace of the devil, spoils his goods, takes his armour from him, overcomes and binds him, and delivers them from his power; so that he shall not have dominion over them, and much less destroy them, though he may sometimes be terrible to them by his temptations, Jer 31:11. This will have a further accomplishment, in the deliverance of the Lord's people from the mighty and terrible beast of Rome:

for I will contend with them that contend with thee; the Babylonians literally; Satan and his principalities figuratively; and also antichrist, and the antichristian kings and states, that quarrel with, fight against, and oppress the Lord's people:

and I will save thy children; regenerate persons, the members of the church, be they where they will; these the Lord will save with a temporal, spiritual, and eternal salvation, Deliverance from the Romish yoke and oppression seems to be here chiefly designed, when Jezebel's children will be killed with death, as follows; see Rev 2:23.

(u) "captura violenti", Moutanus Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "turba captiva violenti", Vitringa.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

But thus saith the Lord - The meaning of this verse is, that however difficult or impracticable this might seem to be, yet it should be done. The captives taken by the terrible and the mighty should be rescued, and should be restored to their own land.

Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away - Margin, as Hebrew, ‘The captivity of the mighty.’ That which could not have been rescued by any ordinary means. The language here refers undoubtedly to Babylon, and to the captivity of the Jews there.

The prey of the terrible - Of a nation formidable, cruel, and not inclined to compassion; in the previous verse described as ‘just,’ that is, indisposed to mercy.

For I will contend with him - I will punish the nation that has inflicted these wrongs on thee, and will thus rescue thee from bondage.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The prey of the terrible; or, of the violent; which is opposed to the lawful captive in the foregoing verse; and it is hereby intimated, that although God was just in delivering them into captivity, yet their oppressors were guilty of injustice and violence, both in desiring and endeavouring to keep them in perpetual bondage beyond the seventy years which God had fixed, and in their cruel usage of them.

I will contend; I the Almighty God will undertake thy quarrel and this work, and therefore it must necessarily be accomplished.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The captives of the mighty shall be taken away. The answer to the questions of ver. 24 is that, if Babylon is mighty, God is mightier. God will "take away" the captives, and "save" his "children."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For I - I the almighty God will undertake this work.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

“For thus saith Jehovah, also (or even) the captivity (or captives) of the mighty shall be taken, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered, and with thy strivers will I strive, and thy sons will I save.” Shall the captives of the righteous be delivered? Yes, and more; for thus saith Jehovah, not only this but also the captives of the tyrant or oppressor. The logical connection between this verse and the one before it has been already stated. Its general sense is clear, as a solemn declaration that the power of the captor can oppose no real obstacle to the fulfillment of the promise of deliverance. The same idea is expressed in the last clause in more general and literal terms.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Prophecies of Isaiah (1846–1847; New York: Scribner, 1870–1878) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

and with your contender Heb. יְרִיבֵךְ. And with your contender I will contend.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

The captive of the mighty. The captive which the mighty man has taken, will be taken away from him.

עריץ The terrible. It is an adjective with transitive meaning: causing terror; comp. אימים (Gen. 14:5).

Moreover, I will contend with him that contendeth with thee. I shall make war against those that attack thee. יריבך that contendeth with thee. Some derive it from ירב; others by metathesis from ריב; according to the Jerusalemite the relative אשר who must be supplied before יריבך, which he explains to be the third person singular masculine future of ריב; he overlooked, however, the parallel instance of יריבי that strive with me (Ps. 35:1). In short it is an irregular form.

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.