The Meaning of Isaiah 48:3 Explained

Isaiah 48:3

KJV: I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.

YLT: The former things from that time I declared, And from my mouth they have gone forth, And I proclaim them, Suddenly I have done, and it cometh.

Darby: I have declared the former things long ago; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I caused them to be heard: I wrought suddenly, and they came to pass.

ASV: I have declared the former things from of old; yea, they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them: suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I have declared  the former things  from the beginning;  and they went forth  out of my mouth,  and I shewed  them; I did  [them] suddenly,  and they came to pass. 

What does Isaiah 48:3 Mean?

Verse Meaning

God had frequently in Israel"s past predicted what He would do, and then He did it. Sometimes the fulfillments were not what His people had expected, illustrating His sovereign creativity. Nevertheless, He had remained true to His Word.

Context Summary

Isaiah 48:1-16 - The Obstinate And Insincere Rebuked
We are meant to be for God's praise and glory; but we may delay the realization of His high purpose. Our neck iron, our brow brass, we trust in idols and refuse to open our ear. It is necessary, therefore, to send us to Babylon, where, as in a furnace for silver, the dross and alloy are purged away. Many of us are in furnaces which have been rendered needful through our evil ways.
Notwithstanding our sins, God comes to the furnace mouth and chooses us there. For His own sake, His own sake, He does it that His name may not be polluted. He cannot give His glory to another. You cannot account for God's grace to you personally. He must have known all, from the first. Then dare to believe that the reason that prompted Him at the first will suffice to the end. He is not "the son of man that He should repent." He who was the first will be the last. Jesus is Omega as well as Alpha; the end as well as the beginning! Fear not! Revelation 1:17. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 48

1  God, to convince the people of their foreknown obstinance, revealed his prophecies
9  He saves them for his own sake
12  He exhorts them to obedience, because of his power and providence
16  He laments their backwardness
20  He powerfully delivers his people out of Babylon

What do the individual words in Isaiah 48:3 mean?

The former things from then I have declared and from My mouth they went forth and I caused them to hear it suddenly I did [them] and they came to pass
הָרִֽאשֹׁנוֹת֙ מֵאָ֣ז הִגַּ֔דְתִּי וּמִפִּ֥י יָצְא֖וּ וְאַשְׁמִיעֵ֑ם פִּתְאֹ֥ם עָשִׂ֖יתִי וַתָּבֹֽאנָה

הָרִֽאשֹׁנוֹת֙  The  former  things 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine plural
Root: רִאשֹׁון  
Sense: first, primary, former.
מֵאָ֣ז  from  then 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: אָז  
Sense: then, at that time.
הִגַּ֔דְתִּי  I  have  declared 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
וּמִפִּ֥י  and  from  My  mouth 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
יָצְא֖וּ  they  went  forth 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
וְאַשְׁמִיעֵ֑ם  and  I  caused  them  to  hear  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
פִּתְאֹ֥ם  suddenly 
Parse: Adverb
Root: פִּתְאֹם  
Sense: suddenly, surprisingly subst.
עָשִׂ֖יתִי  I  did  [them] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
וַתָּבֹֽאנָה  and  they  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.