The Meaning of Isaiah 49:22 Explained

Isaiah 49:22

KJV: Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

YLT: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: 'Lo, I lift up unto nations My hand, And unto peoples I raise up Mine ensign, And they have brought thy sons in the bosom, And thy daughters on the shoulder are carried.

Darby: Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and set up my banner to the peoples; and they shall bring thy sons in their bosom, and thy daughters shall be carried upon the shoulder.

ASV: Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and set up my ensign to the peoples; and they shall bring thy sons in their bosom, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thus saith  the Lord  GOD,  Behold, I will lift up  mine hand  to the Gentiles,  and set up  my standard  to the people:  and they shall bring  thy sons  in [their] arms,  and thy daughters  shall be carried  upon [their] shoulders. 

What does Isaiah 49:22 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 49:14-26 - The Lord Cannot Forget His Own
These assurances were given to the chosen race on the eve of their return from Babylon. They were timid and reluctant to quit the familiar scenes of their captivity; they dreaded the dangers and privations of their way home, and questioned whether the great empire of their captors would ever let them go or allow their city to rise from its ruins. Therefore the Lord's voice takes on a tone of unusual persuasiveness. Let us ponder His assurances of compassion and comfort, Isaiah 49:13; Isaiah 49:15-16.
He will lead us with a shepherd's care, Isaiah 49:10. He will make obstacles subserve His purpose, Isaiah 49:11. His love is more than motherhood, Isaiah 49:15. He treasures the remembrance of His own, Isaiah 49:16. Zion thinks herself cast away as a derelict, Isaiah 49:14, but such is not the case. Even her broken walls are ever before God, with a view to their rebuilding, Isaiah 49:19, etc. God's love is stronger than our strongest enemies, Isaiah 49:25, etc. Let us hide in it, standing above the fears that compose the cloudland of our soul, in the upper peaks of a strong faith. [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 49:22 mean?

Thus says the Lord GOD behold I will lift in an oath to the nations My hand and for the peoples set up My standard and they shall bring your sons in [their] arms and your daughters on [their] shoulders shall be carried
כֹּֽה־ אָמַ֞ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה הִנֵּ֨ה אֶשָּׂ֤א אֶל־ גּוֹיִם֙ יָדִ֔י וְאֶל־ עַמִּ֖ים אָרִ֣ים נִסִּ֑י וְהֵבִ֤יאוּ בָנַ֙יִךְ֙ בְּחֹ֔צֶן וּבְנֹתַ֖יִךְ עַל־ כָּתֵ֥ף תִּנָּשֶֽׂאנָה

כֹּֽה־  Thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֞ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲדֹנָ֣י  the  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
יְהוִ֗ה  GOD 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
הִנֵּ֨ה  behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
אֶשָּׂ֤א  I  will  lift  in  an  oath 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
גּוֹיִם֙  the  nations 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
יָדִ֔י  My  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
וְאֶל־  and  for 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
עַמִּ֖ים  the  peoples 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
אָרִ֣ים  set  up 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יָרוּם 
Sense: to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted.
נִסִּ֑י  My  standard 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: נֵס  
Sense: something lifted up, standard, signal, signal pole, ensign, banner, sign, sail.
וְהֵבִ֤יאוּ  and  they  shall  bring 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בָנַ֙יִךְ֙  your  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
בְּחֹ֔צֶן  in  [their]  arms 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹצֶן  
Sense: bosom, lap.
וּבְנֹתַ֖יִךְ  and  your  daughters 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
כָּתֵ֥ף  [their]  shoulders 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: כָּתֵף  
Sense: shoulder, shoulder-blade, side, slope.
תִּנָּשֶֽׂאנָה  shall  be  carried 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.