The Meaning of Isaiah 49:10 Explained

Isaiah 49:10

KJV: They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.

YLT: They do not hunger, nor thirst, Nor smite them doth mirage and sun, For He who is pitying them doth lead them, And by fountains of waters doth tend them.

Darby: They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor sun smite them; for he that hath mercy on them will lead them, and by the springs of water will he guide them.

ASV: They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them will lead them, even by springs of water will he guide them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

They shall not hunger  nor thirst;  neither shall the heat  nor sun  smite  them: for he that hath mercy  on them shall lead  them, even by the springs  of water  shall he guide  them. 

What does Isaiah 49:10 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The picture continues along the lines of the Good Shepherd providing for and protecting His flock, compassionately leading them and supplying all their needs (cf. Exodus 12:21; Exodus 17:6; Psalm 23; Revelation 7:16-17).

Context Summary

Isaiah 49:1-13 - "a Light To The Gentiles"
The first division of this second part of Isaiah closes at Isaiah 48:22, with the phrase there is no peace to the wicked. The second division of part 2 closes with a similar phrase, Isaiah 57:21. The first division here ends with the proclamation for Israel to leave Babylon. They need never have gone there. If only they have been obedient in every particular theirs would have been the happy lot of Isaiah 48:18, as contrasted with Isaiah 48:22. But even under such circumstances, in captivity and as slaves of the Chaldeans the redeeming grace of God would triumph, Isaiah 48:20; Isaiah 49:5.
The second great division of Part 2 opens with Isaiah 49:1. In their first and immediate reference, these verses evidently apply to our Lord. See Acts 13:47, etc. In the mission of Jesus, the ideal of the Hebrew race was realized. As the white flower on the stalk He revealed the essential beauty and glory of the root, Isaiah 49:6. See Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:1-2; Matthew 2:14-15, etc.
There is a secondary sense, also, in which the Christian worker may appropriate many things in this glowing paragraph. Our mouth must be surrendered to God, that He may use it for His own high purposes. But do not dread the shadow of His hand. It is the quiver case in which He keeps His chosen arrows against the battle! [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 49

1  Christ being sent to the Jews, complains of them
5  He is sent to the Gentiles with gracious promises
13  God's love is perpetual to his church
18  The ample restoration of the church
24  The powerful deliverance out of captivity

What do the individual words in Isaiah 49:10 mean?

Neither they shall hunger nor thirst and neither shall strike them heat nor sun for He who has mercy on them will lead them and Even by the springs of water He will guide them
לֹ֤א יִרְעָ֙בוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א יִצְמָ֔אוּ וְלֹא־ יַכֵּ֥ם שָׁרָ֖ב וָשָׁ֑מֶשׁ כִּי־ מְרַחֲמָ֣ם יְנַהֲגֵ֔ם וְעַל־ מַבּ֥וּעֵי מַ֖יִם יְנַהֲלֵֽם

לֹ֤א  Neither 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִרְעָ֙בוּ֙  they  shall  hunger 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רָעֵב 
Sense: to be hungry, be voracious.
וְלֹ֣א  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִצְמָ֔אוּ  thirst 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: צָמֵא  
Sense: (Qal) to be thirsty.
וְלֹא־  and  neither 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יַכֵּ֥ם  shall  strike  them 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
שָׁרָ֖ב  heat 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁרָב  
Sense: burning or scorching heat, parched ground.
וָשָׁ֑מֶשׁ  nor  sun 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, common singular
Root: שֶׁמֶשׁ  
Sense: sun.
מְרַחֲמָ֣ם  He  who  has  mercy  on  them 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: רָחַם  
Sense: to love, love deeply, have mercy, be compassionate, have tender affection, have compassion.
יְנַהֲגֵ֔ם  will  lead  them 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: נָהַג 
Sense: to drive, lead, guide, conduct.
וְעַל־  and  Even  by 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
מַבּ֥וּעֵי  the  springs 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מַבּוּעַ  
Sense: spring of water.
מַ֖יִם  of  water 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
יְנַהֲלֵֽם  He  will  guide  them 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: נָהַל  
Sense: to lead, give rest, lead with care, guide to a watering place or station, cause to rest, bring to a station or place of rest, guide, refresh.