The Meaning of Isaiah 51:9 Explained

Isaiah 51:9

KJV: Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?

YLT: Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of Jehovah, Awake, as in days of old, generations of the ages, Art not Thou it that is hewing down Rahab, Piercing a dragon!

Darby: Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of Jehovah; awake, as in the days of old, as in the generations of passed ages. Is it not thou that hath hewn Rahab in pieces, and pierced the monster?

ASV: Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of Jehovah; awake, as in the days of old, the generations of ancient times. Is it not thou that didst cut Rahab in pieces, that didst pierce the monster?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Awake,  awake,  put on  strength,  O arm  of the LORD;  awake,  as in the ancient  days,  in the generations  of old.  [Art] thou not it that hath cut  Rahab,  [and] wounded  the dragon? 

What does Isaiah 51:9 Mean?

Study Notes

Art thou not
The ref. is to Egypt Isaiah 30:7 at the Exodus:

Verse Meaning

Israel"s call for God to awake assumes that He had not been active in helping His people recently. Isaiah , speaking for the Israelites, described the Lord"s delivering power in action for His people as His "arm" (cf. Isaiah 51:5; Isaiah 53:1). His arm had defeated the Egyptians and Pharaoh in the Exodus in the past, here described respectively as Rahab (lit. proud one, cf. Isaiah 30:7; Psalm 87:4) and the dragon (cf. Ezekiel 29:3). Rahab and the dragon were also part of the mythological lore of the ancient Near East. By using these names, Isaiah was undoubtedly stressing Yahweh"s ability to overcome all the pagan gods and every other power opposing Israel"s salvation.

Context Summary

Isaiah 51:1-11 - "awake, O Arm Of Jehovah!"
This chapter is extremely dramatic. We are conscious that we are nearing a revelation of unparalleled sublimity. As we hear the thrice Hearken in Isaiah 1:1-8, and the thrice Awake, Isaiah 51:9, which follows, we realize that we are traversing the entrance portico of a noble temple. When God says, Hearken, it is for us to ask Him to fulfill-Awake!
Recall the loneliness of Abraham. "He was but one!" Terah died, Lot dropped away, Hagar was thrust out, Isaac was laid on the altar, but the fire that burned in his heart only grew brighter. Do not despair if you are alone in your stand for God. One acorn, when the life of Nature touches it, may become parent to a forest. These exiled Jews hardly dared to hope that they could escape from their foes. The air was heavy with their revilings, but compare Isaiah 51:8 with Isaiah 50:9. With such assurances we may face a world in arms. The forces of evil are strong, but God is stronger. The clouds threaten, but the sun is shining. Don't forget the Lord thy Maker, thy Redeemer, thy Father! He cannot fail or forsake! [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 51:9 mean?

Awake awake put on strength arm of Yahweh Awake as in the days ancient in the generations of old Not You Are [the arm] that cut apart Rahab [And] wounded the serpent
עוּרִ֨י עוּרִ֤י לִבְשִׁי־ עֹז֙ זְר֣וֹעַ יְהוָ֔ה ע֚וּרִי כִּ֣ימֵי קֶ֔דֶם דֹּר֖וֹת עוֹלָמִ֑ים הֲל֥וֹא אַתְּ־ הִ֛יא הַמַּחְצֶ֥בֶת רַ֖הַב מְחוֹלֶ֥לֶת ؟ תַּנִּֽין

עוּרִ֨י  Awake 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: עוּר 
Sense: to rouse oneself, awake, awaken, incite.
עוּרִ֤י  awake 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: עוּר 
Sense: to rouse oneself, awake, awaken, incite.
לִבְשִׁי־  put  on 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: לָבַשׁ  
Sense: to dress, wear, clothe, put on clothing, be clothed.
עֹז֙  strength 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹז  
Sense: might, strength.
זְר֣וֹעַ  arm 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: זְרֹועַ  
Sense: arm, forearm, shoulder, strength.
יְהוָ֔ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
ע֚וּרִי  Awake 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: עוּר 
Sense: to rouse oneself, awake, awaken, incite.
כִּ֣ימֵי  as  in  the  days 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
קֶ֔דֶם  ancient 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֶדֶם 
Sense: east, antiquity, front, that which is before, aforetime.
דֹּר֖וֹת  in  the  generations 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דֹּור 
Sense: period, generation, habitation, dwelling.
עוֹלָמִ֑ים  of  old 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.
הַמַּחְצֶ֥בֶת  [the  arm]  that  cut  apart 
Parse: Article, Verb, Hifil, Participle, feminine singular
Root: חָצֵב 
Sense: to dig, cleave, divide, hew, make, cut out, dig out, cut down, quarry, hewer, mason.
רַ֖הַב  Rahab 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רַהַב  
Sense: storm, arrogance (but only as names).
מְחוֹלֶ֥לֶת  [And]  wounded 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, feminine singular construct
Root: חָלַל 
Sense: to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, begin.
؟ תַּנִּֽין  the  serpent 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: תַּנִּין  
Sense: dragon, serpent, sea monster.