Isaiah 50:1
This is what the LORD says: “Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce with which I sent her away? Or to which of My creditors did I sell you? Look, you were sold for your iniquities, and for your transgressions your mother was sent away.
2 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.
3 I clothe the heavens in black and make sackcloth their covering.”
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- This is what the LORD says: “Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce with which I sent her away? Or to which of My creditors did I sell you? Look, you were sold for your iniquities, and for your transgressions your mother was sent away.
- KJV
- Thus saith the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.
- WEB
- The LORD says, “Where is the bill of your mother’s divorce, with which I have put her away? Or to which of my creditors have I sold you? Behold, you were sold for your iniquities, and your mother was put away for your transgressions.
- ASV
- Thus saith Jehovah, Where is the bill of your mother`s divorcement, wherewith I have put her away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities were ye sold, and for your transgressions was your mother put away.
- DARBY
- Thus saith Jehovah: Where is the bill of your mother's divorce, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, through your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.
- BLB
- Thus says YHWH: “Where [is] this certificate of divorce of your⁺ mother, whom I have sent away? Or which of My creditors—whom did I sell you⁺ to him? Behold, by your⁺ iniquities you⁺ have sold yourselves, and by your⁺ transgressions your⁺ mother has been sent away.
- ÅB
- Så sier Herren: Hvor er deres mors skilsmissebrev, som jeg har jaget henne bort med? Eller hvem av dem som har noe å kreve av meg, har jeg solgt dere til? Nei, for deres misgjerningers skyld er dere blitt solgt, og for deres overtredelsers skyld er deres mor blitt jaget bort.
- OTB
- Så sier Herren: «Hvor er din mors skilsmissebrev som jeg sendte henne bort med? Eller til hvilken av mine kreditorer solgte jeg dere? Se, dere ble solgt på grunn av deres synder, og på grunn av deres overtredelser ble deres mor sendt bort.
- B1930
- Så sier Herren: Hvor er eders mors skilsmissebrev, som jeg har jaget henne bort med? Eller hvem av dem som har noget å kreve av mig, har jeg solgt eder til? Nei, for eders misgjerningers skyld er I blitt solgt, og for eders overtredelsers skyld er eders mor blitt jaget bort.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Deuteronomy 32:30
How could one man pursue a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up?
Read in contextJeremiah 3:8
She saw that because faithless Israel had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet that unfaithful sister Judah had no fear and prostituted herself as well.
Read in contextMatthew 18:25
Since the man was unable to pay, the master ordered that he be sold to pay his debt, along with his wife and children and everything he owned.
Read in context2 Kings 4:1
Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!”
Read in contextNehemiah 5:5
We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless to redeem them because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”
Read in contextIsaiah 52:3
For this is what the LORD says: “You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.”
Read in contextDeuteronomy 24:1–4
If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds some indecency in her, he may write her a certificate of divorce, hand it to her, and send her away from his house.
Read in contextHosea 2:2–4
Rebuke your mother, rebuke her, for she is not My wife, and I am not her husband. Let her remove the adultery from her face and the unfaithfulness from between her breasts.
Read in context