The Bible — World English Bible

Isaiah 46

In brief

Isaiah 46 contrasts two ways of being carried. The idols of Babylon, Bel and Nebo, are loaded onto beasts of burden and cannot save. The God of Israel carries his people from birth to old age. He presents himself as the only God, the one who declares from the beginning what is to come and whose purpose will stand. The chapter calls the rebellious to remember and to listen, because his deliverance is near.

The chapter in 5 parts

  1. v. 1-2Bel and Nebo fall: the idols have to be carried
  2. v. 3-4God carries his people into old age
  3. v. 5-7A manufactured idol can neither answer nor save
  4. v. 8-11God alone declares the future and fulfils his purpose
  5. v. 12-13A call to listen: his deliverance is near

1Bel bows down. Nebo stoops. Their idols are carried by animals, and on the livestock. The things that you carried around are heavy loads, a burden for the weary.

2They stoop and they bow down together. They could not deliver the burden, but they have gone into captivity.

3“Listen to me, house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, that have been carried from their birth, that have been carried from the womb.

4Even to old age I am he, and even to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear. Yes, I will carry, and will deliver.

5“To whom will you compare me, and consider my equal, and compare me, as if we were the same?

6Some pour out gold from the bag, and weigh silver in the balance. They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god. They fall down— yes, they worship.

7They bear it on their shoulder. They carry it, and set it in its place, and it stands there. It cannot move from its place. Yes, one may cry to it, yet it can not answer. It cannot save him out of his trouble.

8“Remember this, and show yourselves men. Bring it to mind again, you transgressors.

9Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is no other. I am God, and there is none like me.

10I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done. I say: My counsel will stand, and I will do all that I please.

11I call a ravenous bird from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. Yes, I have spoken. I will also bring it to pass. I have planned. I will also do it.

12Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, who are far from righteousness!

13I bring my righteousness near. It is not far off, and my salvation will not wait. I will grant salvation to Zion, my glory to Israel.

Key verses

Verse 4
Even to old age I am he, and even to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear. Yes, I will carry, and will deliver.

God promises to stay the same into the old age of his people: he has carried, and he will carry still. It is a verse of comfort for those who fear growing old or the end.

Verse 9-10
Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is no other. I am God, and there is none like me. I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done. I say: My counsel will stand, and I will do all that I please.

God presents himself as the only God, the one who declares the end from the beginning. His plan does not depend on circumstances, which invites us to entrust our future to him.

Verse 11
I call a ravenous bird from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. Yes, I have spoken. I will also bring it to pass. I have planned. I will also do it.

God calls a man from far away to carry out his purpose: he has spoken, and he will do it. His decisions come to pass even when the world seems to be going the other way.

Verse 12-13
Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, who are far from righteousness! I bring my righteousness near. It is not far off, and my salvation will not wait. I will grant salvation to Zion, my glory to Israel.

God speaks to stubborn hearts and announces that his righteousness is near. Even those who resist are invited to listen.

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What the sermons say

Trust Jesus With Your Future: Faithful and SovereignPastor John draws on Isaiah 46:9-10 to show that Jesus is sovereign: his purpose is fulfilled even when yours collapses, so you can entrust your future to him.Read the summary →Psalm 90: Comfort When You Think About Your Own DeathFacing old age, which can be a shipwreck without God, the sermon holds on to Isaiah 46:4: God promises to be the same into old age and to sustain still.Read the summary →Your Past Is Not Your ProphecyJabin Chavez reminds us, from the widow of Zarephath, that the past does not dictate the future. The message quotes Isaiah 46:10: God declares from the beginning what is to come.Read the summary →

Frequently asked questions about Isaiah 46

What does Isaiah 46:4 mean?

God promises his people that he will be the same into their old age and keep carrying them, as he has since their birth. The verse does not deny that old age is hard. It affirms that God's faithfulness does not wear out with the years.

Who are Bel and Nebo in Isaiah 46?

Bel (Marduk) and Nebo were gods of Babylon. The prophet describes their statues loaded onto animals as the city falls: gods that have to be carried cannot carry their worshippers. The contrast with the God of Israel, who carries his people, is deliberate.

What is the message of Isaiah 46?

Only the God of Israel can save, because he alone knows the end from the beginning and fulfils his purpose. Idols, whether made of wood or anything else, weigh down those who serve them, while God carries those who trust in him.

Articles quoting Isaiah 46

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World English Bible translation — public domain.