The Meaning of Isaiah 51:12 Explained

Isaiah 51:12

KJV: I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;

YLT: I -- I am He -- your comforter, Who art thou -- and thou art afraid of man? he dieth! And of the son of man -- grass he is made!

Darby: I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou fearest a man that shall die, and the son of man that shall become as grass;

ASV: I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou art afraid of man that shall die, and of the son of man that shall be made as grass;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I, [even] I, [am] he that comforteth  you: who [art] thou, that thou shouldest be afraid  of a man  [that] shall die,  and of the son  of man  [which] shall be made  [as] grass; 

What does Isaiah 51:12 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord described Himself again as the only true, self-existent God. Such a one as He would indeed comfort His people (cf. Isaiah 40:1). Who were the Israelites that they should fear the Babylonians, or any other human enemy? They were only mortals. The immortal God would defend them.

Context Summary

Isaiah 51:12-23 - "the Captive Exile Shall Be Loosed"
During the Sepoy mutiny in India, when a number of English men and women were shut up in a quarter of Cawnpore, expecting a terrible death by assault or slow starvation, a torn page of the Bible, containing this passage, was found on the street pavement and was of unspeakable comfort. Oh, the blessedness of appropriating Isaiah 51:16! See Isaiah 49:7.
We are too apt to forget that God pleads the cause of His people, even when they have sinned and have reduced themselves to sore straits, Isaiah 51:17 and Isaiah 51:22. We think more of the earth than of the over-arching skies; of the fading grass than of the tree of Life; of man than of God. The near obscures the distant, and the flaring earth lights, the shine of the stars! Root yourself in God! Think of Him who sits at the right hand of the throne, the seat of resistless, ceaseless energy! Believe that God has placed Himself between you and all enemies and circumstances which threaten. To fear all day is impossible in face of these paragraphs. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 51

1  An exhortation after the pattern of Abraham, to trust in Christ
3  By reason of his comfortable promises,
4  Of his righteous salvation
7  And man's mortality
9  Christ by his sanctified arm defends his from the fear of man
17  He bewails the afflictions of Jerusalem
21  And promises deliverance

What do the individual words in Isaiah 51:12 mean?

I [even] I [am] He who comforts you who [are] you that you should be afraid of a man [who] will die and of the son of a man like grass [who] will be made
אָנֹכִ֧י אָנֹכִ֛י ה֖וּא מְנַחֶמְכֶ֑ם מִֽי־ אַ֤תְּ וַתִּֽירְאִי֙ מֵאֱנ֣וֹשׁ יָמ֔וּת וּמִבֶּן־ אָדָ֖ם חָצִ֥יר יִנָּתֵֽן

אָנֹכִ֛י  [even]  I  [am] 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אָנׄכִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
מְנַחֶמְכֶ֑ם  who  comforts  you 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: נָחַם  
Sense: to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted.
מִֽי־  who  [are] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
וַתִּֽירְאִי֙  that  you  should  be  afraid 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
מֵאֱנ֣וֹשׁ  of  a  man 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱנׄושׁ 
Sense: man, mortal man, person, mankind.
יָמ֔וּת  [who]  will  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
וּמִבֶּן־  and  of  the  son  of  a 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אָדָ֖ם  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
חָצִ֥יר  like  grass 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חָצִיר 
Sense: grass, leek, green grass, herbage.
יִנָּתֵֽן  [who]  will  be  made 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.