The Meaning of Isaiah 50:9 Explained

Isaiah 50:9

KJV: Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.

YLT: Lo, the Lord Jehovah giveth help to me, Who is he that declareth me wicked? Lo, all of them as a garment wear out, A moth doth eat them.

Darby: Behold, the Lord Jehovah will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? Behold, they all shall grow old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.

ASV: Behold, the Lord Jehovah will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? behold, all they shall wax old as a garment, the moth shall eat them up.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Behold, the Lord  GOD  will help  me; who [is] he [that] shall condemn  me? lo, they all shall wax old  as a garment;  the moth  shall eat them up. 

What does Isaiah 50:9 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 50:1-11 - Help For Those Who Trust In Him
It is impossible for God to put away the soul that clings to Him in penitence and faith. Heaven and earth may be searched, but no bill of divorce can be found. See Deuteronomy 24:1. And He sends His great servant, our Lord, of whom this chapter is full, to deliver and assure our trembling faith.
Notice the difference in Isaiah 50:4, between the Authorized Version and the Revised Version which reads, Jehovah hath given me the tongue of them that are taught, that I may know how to sustain with words him that is weary"¦. He wakeneth mine ear to hear as they that are taught. This quality of teachableness was primarily true of Jesus. It was the habit of His human life to listen to the secret teaching of the Father, breathed into His heart. See John 8:28; John 8:40. So also must we allow ourselves to be wakened by Him, each morning, that we also may know how to help men more efficiently and tenderly.
From the first, Jesus knew that He must die. See Mark 10:34. But He did not turn back. See Hebrews 10:5, etc. Was not His choice abundantly vindicated? The Father who justified Him was always near, John 8:29. See John 16:22. Let us who may be walking in darkness learn from our King to stay ourselves on God. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 50

1  Christ shows Israel's Sin is not to be imputed to him,
2  by his ability to save
5  By his obedience in that work
7  And by his confidence in that assistance
10  An exhortation to trust in God, and not in ourselves

What do the individual words in Isaiah 50:9 mean?

Surely the Lord GOD will help Me who [is] he [who] will condemn Me indeed they all like a garment will grow old the moth will eat up them
הֵ֣ן אֲדֹנָ֤י יְהוִה֙ יַֽעֲזָר־ לִ֔י מִי־ ה֖וּא יַרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי הֵ֤ן כֻּלָּם֙ כַּבֶּ֣גֶד יִבְל֔וּ עָ֖שׁ יֹאכְלֵֽם

הֵ֣ן  Surely 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
אֲדֹנָ֤י  the  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
יְהוִה֙  GOD 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
יַֽעֲזָר־  will  help 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָזַר  
Sense: to help, succour, support.
לִ֔י  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
מִי־  who  [is] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
יַרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי  [who]  will  condemn  Me 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: רָשַׁע  
Sense: to be wicked, act wickedly.
הֵ֤ן  indeed 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
כֻּלָּם֙  they  all 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
כַּבֶּ֣גֶד  like  a  garment 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֶּגֶד 
Sense: treachery, deceit.
יִבְל֔וּ  will  grow  old 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בָּלָה  
Sense: to wear out, become old.
עָ֖שׁ  the  moth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָשׁ 
Sense: moth.
יֹאכְלֵֽם  will  eat  up  them 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.