The Meaning of Isaiah 48:14 Explained

Isaiah 48:14

KJV: All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The LORD hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.

YLT: Be gathered all of you, and hear, Who among them did declare these things? Jehovah hath loved him, He doth His pleasure on Babylon, And His arm is on the Chaldeans.

Darby: All ye, gather yourselves together, and hear: which among them hath declared these things? He whom Jehovah hath loved shall execute his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.

ASV: Assemble yourselves, all ye, and hear; who among them hath declared these things? He whom Jehovah loveth shall perform his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm'shall be on the Chaldeans.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

All ye, assemble  yourselves, and hear;  which among them hath declared  these [things]? The LORD  hath loved  him: he will do  his pleasure  on Babylon,  and his arm  [shall be on] the Chaldeans. 

What does Isaiah 48:14 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Israelites needed to listen because only the Lord could reveal what He would do. Specifically, Yahweh revealed His love (choice, cf. Deuteronomy 4:37; Malachi 1:2-3) of Cyrus, who would fulfill God"s will on Babylon by defeating the Chaldeans (cf. Isaiah 44:28). The Israelites, in view of who their God Isaiah , should not resist His choice of Cyrus or reject the revelation about him. The idols, "them," could not reveal this.

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 48:14 mean?

Assemble yourselves all of you and hear who among them has declared - these [things] Yahweh loves him He shall do His pleasure on Babylon and His arm [shall be] [against] the Chaldeans
הִקָּבְצ֤וּ כֻלְּכֶם֙ וּֽשֲׁמָ֔עוּ מִ֥י בָהֶ֖ם הִגִּ֣יד אֶת־ אֵ֑לֶּה יְהוָ֣ה אֲהֵב֔וֹ יַעֲשֶׂ֤ה חֶפְצוֹ֙ בְּבָבֶ֔ל וּזְרֹע֖וֹ כַּשְׂדִּֽים

הִקָּבְצ֤וּ  Assemble  yourselves 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: קָבַץ  
Sense: to gather, assemble.
כֻלְּכֶם֙  all  of  you 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
וּֽשֲׁמָ֔עוּ  and  hear 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
בָהֶ֖ם  among  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
הִגִּ֣יד  has  declared 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֵ֑לֶּה  these  [things] 
Parse: Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
אֲהֵב֔וֹ  loves  him 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: אָהַב  
Sense: to love.
יַעֲשֶׂ֤ה  He  shall  do 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
חֶפְצוֹ֙  His  pleasure 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֵפֶץ  
Sense: delight, pleasure.
בְּבָבֶ֔ל  on  Babylon 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.
וּזְרֹע֖וֹ  and  His  arm  [shall  be] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: זְרֹועַ  
Sense: arm, forearm, shoulder, strength.
כַּשְׂדִּֽים  [against]  the  Chaldeans 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: כַּשְׂדִּים  
Sense: a territory in lower Mesopotamia bordering on the Persian Gulf.