TRV
Translation
King James Version
¶ 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.
KJV (with Strong's)
Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068, Where is the bill H5612 of your mother's H517 divorcement H3748, whom I have put away H7971? or which of my creditors H5383 is it to whom I have sold H4376 you? Behold, for your iniquities H5771 have ye sold H4376 yourselves, and for your transgressions H6588 is your mother H517 put away H7971.
Complete Jewish Bible
ADONAI says: "Where is your mother's divorce document which I gave her when I divorced her? Or: to which of my creditors did I sell you? You were sold because of your sins; because of your crimes was your mother divorced.
Berean Standard Bible
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.
American Standard Version
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.
World English Bible Messianic
Thus says the LORD, “Where is the bill of your mother’s divorce, with which I have put her away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities were you sold, and for your transgressions was your mother put away.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Thus sayeth the Lord, Where is that bill of your mothers diuorcement, whome I haue cast off? or who is the creditour to whome I solde you? Beholde, for your iniquities are yee solde, and because of your transgressions is your mother forsaken.
Young's Literal Translation
Thus said Jehovah: `Where is this--the bill of your mother's divorce, Whom I sent away? Or to which of My creditors have I sold you? Lo, for your iniquities ye have been sold, And for your transgressions Hath your mother been sent away.
In the KJVVerse 18,664 of 31,102
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Commentary on Isaiah 50 verses 1–3
1 ¶ 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.
2 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.
3 I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.
Those who have professed to be the people of God, and yet seem to be dealt severely with, are apt to complain of God, and to lay the fault upon him, as if he had been hard with them. But, in answer to their murmurings, we have here,
I. A challenge given them to prove, or produce any evidence, that the quarrel began on God's side, Isa 50:1. They could not say that he had done them any wrong or had acted arbitrarily. 1. He had been a husband to them; and husbands were then allowed a power to put away their wives upon any little disgust: if their wives found not favour in their eyes, they made nothing of giving them a bill of divorce, Deu 24:1; Mat 19:7. But they could not say that God had dealt so with them. It is true they were now separated from him, and had abode many days without ephod, altar, or sacrifice; but whose fault was that? They could not say that God had given their mother a bill of divorce; let them produce it if they can, for a bill of divorce was given into the hand of her that was divorced. 2. He had been a father to them; and fathers had then a power to sell their children for slaves to their creditors, in satisfaction for the debts they were not otherwise able to pay. Now it is true the Jews were sold to the Babylonians then, and afterwards to the Romans; but did God sell them for payment of his debts? No, he was not indebted to any of those to whom they were sold, or, if he had sold them, he did not increase his wealth by their price, Psa 44:12. When God chastens his children, it is neither for his pleasure (Heb 12:10) nor for his profit. All that are saved are saved by a prerogative of grace, but those that perish are cut off by an act of divine holiness and justice, not of absolute sovereignty.
II. A charge exhibited against them, showing them that they were themselves the authors of their own ruin: "Behold, for your iniquities, for the pleasure of them and the gratification of your own base lusts, you have sold yourselves, for your iniquities you are sold; not as children are sold by their parents, to pay their debts, but as malefactors are sold by the judges, to punish them for their crimes. You sold yourselves to work wickedness, and therefore God justly sold you into the hands of your enemies, Ch2 12:5, Ch2 12:8. It is for your transgressions that your mother is put away, for her whoredoms and adulteries," which were always allowed to be a just cause of divorce. The Jews were sent into Babylon for their idolatry, a sin which broke the marriage covenant, and were at last rejected for crucifying the Lord of glory; these were the iniquities for which they were sold and put away.
III. The confirmation of this challenge and this charge. 1. It is plain that it was owing to themselves that they were cast off; for God came and offered them his favour, offered them his helping hand, either to prevent their trouble or to deliver them out of it, but they slighted him and all the tenders of his grace. "Do you lay it upon me?" (says God); "tell me, then, wherefore, when I came, was there no man to meet me, when I called, was there none to answer me?" Isa 50:2. God came to them by his servants the prophets, demanding the fruits of his vineyard (Mat 21:34); he sent them his messengers, rising up betimes and sending them (Jer 35:15); he called to them to leave their sins, and so prevent their own ruin: but was there no man, or next to none, that had any regard to the warnings which the prophets gave them, none that answered the calls of God, or complied with the messages he sent them; and this was it for which they were sold and put away. Because they mocked the messengers of the Lord, therefore, God brought upon them the king of the Chaldeans, Ch2 36:16, Ch2 36:17. Last of all he sent unto them his Son. He came to his own, but his own received him not; he called them to himself, but there were none that answered; he would have gathered Jerusalem's children together, but they would not; they knew not, because they would not know, the things that belonged to their peace, nor the day of their visitation, and for that transgression it was that they were put away and their house was left desolate, Mat 21:41; Mat 23:37, Mat 23:38; Luk 19:41, Luk 19:42. When God calls men to happiness, and they will not answer, they are justly left to be miserable. 2. It is plain that it was not owing to a want of power in God, for he is almighty, and could have recovered them from so great a death; nor was it owing to a want of power in Christ, for he is able to save to the uttermost. The unbelieving Jews in Babylon thought they were not delivered because their God was not able to deliver them; and those in Christ's time were ready to ask, in scorn, Can this man save us? For himself he cannot save. "But" (says God) "is my hand shortened at all, or is it weakened?" Can any limits be set to Omnipotence? Cannot he redeem who is the great Redeemer? Has he no power to deliver whose all power is? To put to silence, and for ever to put to shame, their doubts concerning his power, he here gives unquestionable proofs of it. (1.) He can, when he pleases, dry up the seas, and make the rivers a wilderness. He did so for Israel when he redeemed them out of Egypt, and he can do so again for their redemption out of Babylon. It is done at his rebuke, as easily as with a word's speaking. He can so dry up the rivers as to leave the fish to die for want of water, and to putrefy. When God turned the waters of Egypt into blood he slew the fish, Psa 105:29. The expression our Saviour sometimes used concerning the power of faith, that it will remove mountains and plant sycamores in the sea, is not unlike this; if their faith could do that, no doubt their faith would save them, and therefore they were inexcusable if they perished in unbelief. (2.) He can, when he pleases, eclipse the lights of heaven, clothe then with blackness, and make sackcloth their covering (Isa 50:3) by thick and dark clouds interposing, which he balances, Job 36:32; Job 37:16.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–3. Public domain.
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Origen of AlexandriaAD 253
HOMILIES ON EXODUS 6:9
Hear what the prophet says: “You have been sold for your sins, and for your iniquities I sent your mother away.” You see, therefore, that we are all creatures of God. But each one is sold for his own sins and, for his own iniquities, separates from his Creator. We, therefore, belong to God insofar as we have been created by him. But we have become slaves of the devil insofar as we have been sold for our sins. Christ came, however, and “bought us back” when we were serving that lord to whom we sold ourselves by sinning. And so [Christ] appears to have recovered as his own those whom he created; to have acquired as people belonging to another, indeed, those who had sought another Lord for themselves by sinning.
Ambrose of MilanAD 397
On Joseph the Patriarch, 4.19
But Joseph was sold into Egypt, because Christ was going to come to those to whom it was said: For your sins you have been sold. And therefore, He redeemed them with His own blood, who had sold themselves by their own sins. But Christ, who was sold, is held by the assumption of the condition, not by the price of guilt, because He Himself did not commit sin. Therefore, He contracted our debt, not His own money; He took away the handwriting, removed the lender, stripped off the debtor: He alone paid what was owed by all.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Isaiah
(Chapter 50, Verse 1) Thus says the Lord: Who is this bill of divorce of your mother, whom I have sent away? Or to whom have I sold you? Behold, because of your iniquities you were sold, and because of your sins your mother was sent away. For I came and there was no man; I called, and there was none to answer. LXX: Thus says the Lord: What is this bill of divorce of your mother, whom I have sent away? Or to whom have I sold you, to the creditor and exactor of me? Behold, you have been sold for your sins, and for your iniquities I have dismissed your mother. For I came, and there was no man: I called, and there was none that obeyed. After the calling of the nations, and the kings and princes, the nourishers and the nurses, and the captivity of the strong and the mighty, whose prey was distributed to the Apostles, and after the fury of the demons, who were satiated with their own flesh and intoxicated with their own blood: when all flesh knew that the Redeemer and the strong God of Jacob himself, speaks to the people of Judah concerning Zion, which he had previously said: The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me. Do you think that I, through my stubbornness, have cast down your earthly Jerusalem and that because of my rigid mind, I gave her a bill of divorce, and rather, as is true, you understand that she has departed from me because of her own fault? For when I said to her, 'Stop acting unjustly, learn to do good, listen to me,' she did not want to listen but turned her back on me as she departed. Therefore, I spoke to her children: Woe to them, for they have departed from me. Those who acted wickedly against me have been made evident. And against her, You, your departure and your wickedness will reprove you; and you will know that it is evil for you to leave me. But perhaps you cannot show a certificate of divorce, and one of my creditors demanding money, with me having nothing to give back, do you accept a repayment of debt? It is not so: but I will show you why I have abandoned the mother with her children. Your crimes and sins have sold you to demons, so that, entangled in the pleasures of this present age, you would abandon both your parent and that wife. I could not continue to hold your adulterous mother any longer, but I allowed her to leave willingly. And it is true that each person is sold by their own sins, as we are abandoned by our own free will, either led to goodness or led to evil, and the Apostle Paul teaches: 'But I am carnal, sold under sin' (Rom. VII, 14). For whoever commits sin is a slave to sin (John VIII). And just as misers and plunderers are slaves to money, so every sin dominates sinners. To whom it is said: Let not sin reign in your mortal body (Rom. VI, 12). But so that you may know, I did not reject your mother’s soul; rather, she withdrew of her own accord. After many benefits, I assumed a human body, and I spoke not through the prophets, but in person. I came, and I was not a man, nor a human being. For all men, leaving the image of a man and of a human being, took on the images of beasts and serpents. Therefore, due to her wickedness, it is said to Herod: Go, and tell this fox (Luc. XIII, 32). And to the Pharisees: 'Brood of vipers' (Matthew 23:33). And to the lustful: 'They have become insane horses longing for females' (Jeremiah 5:8). And about the indulgent: 'Do not cast your pearls before swine' (Matthew 7:6). And to the shameless: 'Do not give what is holy to the dogs' (Matthew 7:6). And in general, about everyone: 'The vision of the beasts that were in the wilderness' (Isaiah 30). So the Lord came, but did not find a man. For when man was in honor, he did not understand; he was compared to dumb animals and became like them' (Psalm 49:13). I called, he said, them as if they were rational animals, and I said: Incline your ear to the words of my mouth (Psalm 77), and my people did not hear my voice. I cried out, and said: Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let them drink (John 7:37). And in another place: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden (Matthew 11:28). And there was no one to hear; therefore I spoke to them in the Gospel: You have not seen the form of God, nor have you heard his voice, because you do not have his word abiding in you (John 5:37, 38).
Cyril of AlexandriaAD 444
COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 4:4.50:1-3
God never sends away anyone who makes his home with him, and he rejects none of those who walk uprightly. He allows them to be forever associated and firmly joined to him as a way of obtaining help. However, everyone who opposes or fights against his divine teaching falls completely away from the glory of God and shows that he is a lover of pleasure rather than a lover of God. Therefore, like one who lived with the mother of the Jews God says, “What kind of bill of divorce did your mother have when I sent her away?” For no one could prove that I hated her and despised her. Instead, he would rather have to accuse her of deserting me.… It says, “I came,” that is, I took human form and appeared to those in Israel, and there was no man among them, that is, no one with a heart who was able to recognize the season of redemption. “I called, but no one listened.” … For he was in a form like ours, and yet he was God the Word, having become man by taking on flesh born of a woman. But those who knew this and were not ignorant of the depth of the mystery of his divinity knew that he was able to do all things because he was God by nature and suitable for the redemption of everyone under heaven.
Procopius of GazaAD 528
COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 50:1-11
For he compares himself with a husband who is his wife’s master and householder. For what master is obliged to let you go? But you have been transgressors from the beginning and so cast out, “sold to your iniquities,” enslaved by them, who were before independent and free. And finally, since God did not wait for you but came to you, and coming down to a lowly dignity, he became man. But no one answered him as he was calling for salvation. He adds “there was not one person,” since the mass of those not answering are deemed to be as nothing. Whereas those who answered, a few out of the nations will be exempted from the fate of the nations; as with Lot in the days of Sodom, they will be brought out. For the Lord did not think fit to make the holy land available to many. And the barren fig tree was a sign of that.
Ishodad of MervAD 850
COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 50:2
“Did my hand reap the crop? And did it drop?” that is, Is it tired and weakened? He is inspired by what happens to the harvesters, from whose hands the ears escape. For he teaches, through these words, that it is from them that the cause of their afflictions derives and not from him.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Isaiah 50:1 presents a profound rhetorical challenge from the LORD to the exiled people of Israel, who, in their suffering, may have felt abandoned or "divorced" by God. The verse directly refutes any notion that God's covenant faithfulness has failed or that He is somehow indebted, forcing Him to "sell" His people into bondage. Instead, it unequivocally declares that Israel's predicament—their separation and hardship—is a direct consequence of their own accumulated "iniquities" and "transgressions," emphasizing their self-inflicted spiritual and national plight and affirming God's unwavering justice.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Isaiah 50:1 is rich in Rhetorical Questions, which are central to its persuasive power. By posing questions for which no affirmative answer can be given, the LORD compels His audience to confront their false assumptions and acknowledge the truth of their own culpability. The verse also employs a powerful Metaphor of marriage and divorce, portraying God as the faithful husband and Israel as the unfaithful wife, a common biblical motif (e.g., in Hosea and Jeremiah). This metaphor highlights the covenantal intimacy and the gravity of Israel's spiritual adultery. A related Analogy is that of debt and selling into slavery, which vividly illustrates the consequences of their actions and refutes any blame placed on God's solvency. Furthermore, Personification is used with "your mother," representing the nation of Israel or Jerusalem, allowing for a more intimate and relatable depiction of the national consequences of sin. Finally, the verse exhibits strong Parallelism in its structure, with the two rhetorical questions mirroring each other, and the two explanatory clauses ("for your iniquities... for your transgressions...") reinforcing the singular message of self-inflicted consequences.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 50:1 profoundly articulates the principle of divine justice, demonstrating that God's actions are always righteous and responsive to human choices. It refutes any notion of divine caprice or weakness, firmly establishing that Israel's suffering and perceived abandonment were not due to God's failure or a broken covenant on His part, but rather the inevitable consequence of their own persistent rebellion and spiritual infidelity. This passage underscores that while God is sovereign, human accountability for sin is absolute. Yet, within this declaration of justice, there is a subtle undercurrent of mercy: the absence of a "bill of divorcement" implies that the covenant, though strained by Israel's sin, is not irrevocably broken, leaving room for future restoration and redemption, a theme that permeates the latter half of Isaiah and culminates in the work of the Servant.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Isaiah 50:1 serves as a powerful mirror for self-examination, urging us to consider the true source of our struggles and perceived distance from God. When we face hardship, despair, or a sense of divine abandonment, this verse redirects our gaze from blaming God to scrutinizing our own hearts and actions. It reminds us that our "iniquities" and "transgressions"—our active rebellion and passive neglect of God's ways—often lead to self-inflicted consequences that create a chasm between us and our Creator. This is not to say that all suffering is a direct result of personal sin, but it is a call to acknowledge the profound impact of our moral choices on our spiritual well-being and relationship with God. The absence of a "bill of divorcement" from God's side, however, offers immense hope: despite our unfaithfulness, His covenant love endures, and the path to repentance and restoration remains open. This verse therefore encourages humble confession, genuine repentance, and a renewed commitment to obedience, trusting in God's unwavering faithfulness even when we have strayed. It calls us to take responsibility for our choices and to turn back to the God who has not abandoned us.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who is "your mother" in this verse, and why is she "put away"?
Answer: In this context, "your mother" is a personification of the nation of Israel, or more specifically, Jerusalem, representing the collective covenant community. This imagery is common in prophetic literature, where cities or nations are often depicted as women. She is "put away," or "divorced," not because God arbitrarily abandoned her, but "for your transgressions." This means the nation's exile, destruction, and separation from God's immediate favor were direct consequences of the people's persistent rebellion, idolatry, and breaking of the covenant, rather than a failure on God's part. It underscores the principle that their suffering was a just outcome of their collective sin, a form of disciplinary judgment.
Did God truly "divorce" Israel, or is this a purely rhetorical question?
Answer: The question "Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away?" is indeed a rhetorical question, implying that no such bill exists from God's side for the people addressed. While the prophets, notably Jeremiah 3:8, describe God "putting away" or divorcing the Northern Kingdom (Israel) due to her spiritual adultery, Isaiah 50:1 emphasizes that for the remnant (Judah, the "mother" here), God has not issued a final, irrevocable bill of divorcement. This highlights God's enduring covenant faithfulness and His willingness to maintain a relationship despite Israel's profound unfaithfulness, leaving the door open for repentance and restoration. It distinguishes between temporary judgment and ultimate, permanent abandonment, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the pronouncement of judgment.
What does it mean that "for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves"?
Answer: This phrase means that the people of Israel, through their sinful choices and rebellion against God, effectively brought themselves into a state of spiritual and national bondage. They were not sold by God to a creditor because God was indebted; rather, their own "iniquities" (moral perversity, sin) and "transgressions" (rebellion) led them into a condition of slavery to sin and its consequences, including exile and subjugation by foreign powers. It's a powerful statement of self-inflicted harm, emphasizing their accountability for their predicament. This concept is mirrored in the New Testament, where Jesus states that "everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin" (John 8:34). Their actions led to their enslavement, not God's deficiency.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Isaiah 50:1, while highlighting Israel's self-inflicted spiritual bondage and God's unwavering justice, subtly yet powerfully points forward to the ultimate solution found in Jesus Christ. The rhetorical questions about a "bill of divorcement" and being "sold" to creditors underscore humanity's profound debt of sin and the seemingly irreparable breach between a holy God and a rebellious people. Israel "sold themselves" into slavery to sin, a condition from which they could not redeem themselves. This sets the stage for the true Servant of the LORD, Jesus, who perfectly fulfills the obedience that Israel failed to demonstrate (as seen in Isaiah 50:4-9). Christ becomes the one who pays the insurmountable debt of humanity's sin, not because God was indebted, but because humanity was. He is the divine "ransom" (Mark 10:45) who, through His sacrificial death, "bought us back" from the slavery and curse of sin (Galatians 3:13). His shed blood is the ultimate payment, redeeming us "not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot" (1 Peter 1:18-19). Thus, where Israel's "iniquities" led to being "put away," Christ's perfect obedience and atoning sacrifice provide the means for humanity's reconciliation and eternal restoration, ensuring that no "bill of divorcement" will ever separate believers from God's love in Him (Romans 8:38-39).