King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
¶ Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. [Art] thou not it that hath cut Rahab, [and] wounded the dragon?
Complete Jewish Bible:
Awake! Awake! Arm of ADONAI, clothe yourself with strength! Awake, as in days of old, as in ancient generations! Wasn't it you who hacked Rahav to pieces, you who pierced the sea monster?
Berean Standard Bible:
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD. Wake up as in days past, as in generations of old. Was it not You who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced through the dragon?
American Standard Version:
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of Jehovah; awake, as in the days of old, the generations of ancient times. Is it not thou that didst cut Rahab in pieces, that didst pierce the monster?
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
Awake{H5782}, awake{H5782}, put on{H3847} strength{H5797}, O arm{H2220} of the LORD{H3068}; awake{H5782}, as in the ancient{H6924} days{H3117}, in the generations{H1755} of old{H5769}. Art thou not it that hath cut{H2672} Rahab{H7294}, and wounded{H2490} the dragon{H8577}?
Cross-References (KJV):
Psalms 74:13
- Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.
Psalms 74:14
- Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, [and] gavest him [to be] meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
Isaiah 52:1
- ¶ Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
Psalms 89:10
- Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm.
Isaiah 27:1
- ¶ In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that [is] in the sea.
Isaiah 30:7
- For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength [is] to sit still.
Ezekiel 29:3
- Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I [am] against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river [is] mine own, and I have made [it] for myself.
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Commentary for Isaiah 51:9
Isaiah 51:9 is part of a larger prophetic text found in the book of Isaiah, which is attributed to the prophet Isaiah who lived in the 8th century BCE. This verse is set within a section of the book that speaks to the hope and restoration of Israel, encouraging the people during a time of exile and distress.
In this verse, the prophet calls upon the "arm of the LORD," a metaphor for God's power and salvific action, to awaken and display might as in the days of old. The "ancient days" and "generations of old" refer to the foundational stories of the Israelites, particularly the Exodus, where God demonstrated divine power by delivering Israel from bondage in Egypt. The verse evokes the memory of God's past interventions to reassure the people that God is still capable of mighty acts.
The verse also references the cutting of "Rahab" and the wounding of the "dragon." Rahab is a symbolic name for Egypt, often depicted as a monster of chaos in ancient Near Eastern mythology. The dragon, or sea serpent, is another symbol of chaos and evil, frequently associated with the forces opposed to God's order. These images would have resonated with the original audience, conveying that just as God had vanquished the powers of chaos at the time of creation and during the Exodus, so too could God overcome the current adversities facing Israel.
The historical context of this verse likely reflects the period after the Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the looming threat of Babylonian exile for the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The call for God's mighty arm to awake is a plea for divine intervention and deliverance from these national threats, as well as a reassurance that God's power has not diminished with time.
In summary, Isaiah 51:9 is a powerful invocation of God's past acts of salvation, calling upon the Lord to once again display divine strength and rescue Israel from their present troubles. It is a message of hope grounded in the historical faithfulness of God, urging the people to trust in God's continued protection and sovereignty.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H5782
There are 65 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עוּר
Transliteration: ʻûwr
Pronunciation: oor
Description: a primitive root (rather identical with through the idea of opening the eyes); to wake (literally or figuratively); (a-) wake(-n, up), lift up (self), [idiom] master, raise (up), stir up (self). - Strong's Number: H3847
There are 103 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לָבַשׁ
Transliteration: lâbash
Pronunciation: law-bash'
Description: or לָבֵשׁ; a primitive root; properly, wrap around, i.e. (by implication) to put on agarment or clothe (oneself, or another), literally or figuratively; (in) apparel, arm, array (self), clothe (self), come upon, put (on, upon), wear. - Strong's Number: H5797
There are 92 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עֹז
Transliteration: ʻôz
Pronunciation: oze
Description: or (fully) עוֹז; from עָזַז; strength in various applications (force, security, majesty, praise); boldness, loud, might, power, strength, strong. - Strong's Number: H2220
There are 84 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: זְרוֹעַ
Transliteration: zᵉrôwaʻ
Pronunciation: zer-o'-ah
Description: or (shortened) זְרֹעַ; and (feminine) זְרוֹעָה; or זְרֹעָה; from זָרַע; the arm (as stretched out), or (of animals) the foreleg; figuratively, force; arm, [phrase] help, mighty, power, shoulder, strength. - Strong's Number: H3068
There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהֹוָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה. - Strong's Number: H6924
There are 83 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קֶדֶם
Transliteration: qedem
Pronunciation: keh'-dem
Description: or קֵדְמָה; from קָדַם; the front, of place (absolutely, the fore part, relatively the East) or time (antiquity); often used adverbially (before, anciently, eastward); aforetime, ancient (time), before, east (end, part, side, -ward), eternal, [idiom] ever(-lasting), forward, old, past. Compare קִדְמָה. - Strong's Number: H3117
There are 1931 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יוֹם
Transliteration: yôwm
Pronunciation: yome
Description: from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb); age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, [phrase] old, [phrase] outlived, [phrase] perpetually, presently, [phrase] remaineth, [idiom] required, season, [idiom] since, space, then, (process of) time, [phrase] as at other times, [phrase] in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), [idiom] whole ([phrase] age), (full) year(-ly), [phrase] younger. - Strong's Number: H1755
There are 127 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: דּוֹר
Transliteration: dôwr
Pronunciation: dore
Description: or (shortened) דֹּר; from דּוּר; properly, a revolution of time, i.e. an age or generation; also a dwelling; age, [idiom] evermore, generation, (n-) ever, posterity. - Strong's Number: H5769
There are 414 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עוֹלָם
Transliteration: ʻôwlâm
Pronunciation: o-lawm'
Description: or עֹלָם; from עָלַם; properly, concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) always; alway(-s), ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for, (n-)) ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of) old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world ([phrase] without end). Compare נֶצַח, עַד. - Strong's Number: H2672
There are 22 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חָצַב
Transliteration: châtsab
Pronunciation: khaw-tsab'
Description: or חָצֵב; a primitive root; to cut or carve (wood, stone or other material); by implication, to hew, split, square, quarry, engrave; cut, dig, divide, grave, hew (out, -er), made, mason. - Strong's Number: H7294
There are 3 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רַהַב
Transliteration: Rahab
Pronunciation: rah'-hab
Description: the same as רַהַב; Rahab (i.e. boaster), an epithet of Egypt; Rahab. - Strong's Number: H2490
There are 131 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חָלַל
Transliteration: châlal
Pronunciation: khaw-lal'
Description: a primitive root (compare חָלָה); also denominative (from חָלִיל); properly, to bore, i.e. (by implication) to wound, to dissolve; figuratively, to profane (a person, place or thing), to break (one's word), to begin (as if by an 'opening wedge'); to play (the flute); begin ([idiom] men began), defile, [idiom] break, defile, [idiom] eat (as common things), [idiom] first, [idiom] gather the grape thereof, [idiom] take inheritance, pipe, player on instruments, pollute, (cast as) profane (self), prostitute, slay (slain), sorrow, stain, wound. - Strong's Number: H8577
There are 28 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: תַּנִּין
Transliteration: tannîyn
Pronunciation: tan-neen'
Description: or תַּנִּים; (Ezekiel 29:3), intensive from the same as תַּן; a marine or land monster, i.e. sea-serpent or jackal; dragon, sea-monster, serpent, whale.