Isaiah 45:23

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
By myself I have sworn;truth has gone from my mouth,a word that will not be revoked:Every knee will bow to me,every tongue will swear allegiance.

Hebrew Names Version
By myself have I sworn, the word is gone forth from my mouth [in] righteousness, and shall not return, that to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

King James Version
I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

English Standard Version
By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.'

New American Standard Bible
"I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.

New Century Version
I will make a promise by my own power, and my promise is true; what I say will not be changed. I promise that everyone will bow before me and will promise to follow me.

Amplified Bible
"I have sworn [an oath] by Myself, The word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear [allegiance].

World English Bible
By myself have I sworn, the word is gone forth from my mouth [in] righteousness, and shall not return, that to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

Geneva Bible (1587)
I haue sworne by my selfe: the worde is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse, and shall not returne, That euery knee shall bowe vnto me, and euery tongue shall sweare by me.

Legacy Standard Bible
I have sworn by Myself,The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousnessAnd will not turn back,That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.

Berean Standard Bible
By Myself I have sworn; truth has gone out from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will confess allegiance.

Contemporary English Version
I have made a solemn promise, one that won't be broken: Everyone will bow down and worship me.

Complete Jewish Bible
In the name of myself I have sworn, from my mouth has rightly gone out, a word that will not return — that to me every knee will bow and every tongue will swear

Darby Translation
I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth [in] righteousness and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

Easy-to-Read Version
"When I make a promise, that promise is true. It will happen. And I swear by my own power that everyone will bow before me and will take an oath to obey me.

George Lamsa Translation
I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness and shall not return, that to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

Good News Translation
My promise is true, and it will not be changed. I solemnly promise by all that I am: Everyone will come and kneel before me and vow to be loyal to me.

Lexham English Bible
I have sworn by myself; a word that shall not return has gone forth from my mouth in righteousness: ‘Every knee shall kneel down to me; every tongue shall swear.'

Literal Translation
I have sworn by Myself, the Word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
I sweare by myself: out of my mouth cometh ye worde of rightuousnesse, and that maye no man turne: but all knees shal bowe vnto me, and all tunges shal sweare by me,

American Standard Version
By myself have I sworn, the word is gone forth from my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

Bible in Basic English
By myself have I taken an oath, a true word has gone from my mouth, and will not be changed, that to me every knee will be bent, and every tongue will give honour.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
By Myself have I sworn, the word is gone forth from My mouth in righteousness, and shall not come back, that unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

King James Version (1611)
I haue sworne by my selfe: the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousnes, and shall not returne, that vnto me euery knee shall bowe, euery tongue shall sweare.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
I sweare by my self, out of my mouth commeth the worde of righteousnesse, and that may no man turne: but all knees shall bowe vnto me, and all tongues shall sweare [by my name,]

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
By myself I swear, righteousness shall surely proceed out of my mouth; my words shall not be frustrated; that to me every knee shall bend, and every tongue shall swear by God,

English Revised Version
By myself have I sworn, the word is gone forth from my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Y swoor in my silf, a word of riytfulnesse schal go out of my mouth, and it schal not turne ayen; for ech kne schal be bowid to me, and ech tunge schal swere.

Update Bible Version
By myself I have sworn, the word has gone forth from my mouth [in] righteousness, and will not return, that to me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear.

Webster's Bible Translation
I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth [in] righteousness, and shall not return, That to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

New English Translation
I solemnly make this oath— what I say is true and reliable: ‘Surely every knee will bow to me, every tongue will solemnly affirm;

New King James Version
I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath.

New Living Translation
I have sworn by my own name; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to me."

New Life Bible
By Myself I have sworn. The Word has gone out from My mouth in truth, and will not turn back: ‘Every knee will bow down before Me. And every tongue will say that I am God.'

New Revised Standard
By myself I have sworn, from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness a word that shall not return: "To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
By myself, have I sworn, Gone forth out of my mouth, is righteousness as a decree And shall not turn back, - That, unto myself, Shall bow every knee, Shall swear every tongue:

Douay-Rheims Bible
I have sworn by myself, the word of justice shall go out of my mouth, and shall not return: (45-24) For every knee shall be bowed to me, and every tongue shall swear.

Revised Standard Version
By myself I have sworn, from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness a word that shall not return: 'To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.'

Young's Literal Translation
By Myself I have sworn, Gone out from my mouth in righteousness hath a word, And it turneth not back, That to Me, bow doth every knee, every tongue swear.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.

Contextual Overview

²⁵The God Who Forms Light and Darkness God 's Message to his anointed, to Cyrus, whom he took by the hand To give the task of taming the nations, of terrifying their kings— He gave him free rein, no restrictions: "I'll go ahead of you, clearing and paving the road. I'll break down bronze city gates, smash padlocks, kick down barred entrances. I'll lead you to buried treasures, secret caches of valuables— Confirmations that it is, in fact, I, God , the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. It's because of my dear servant Jacob, Israel my chosen, That I've singled you out, called you by name, and given you this privileged work. And you don't even know me! I am God , the only God there is. Besides me there are no real gods. I'm the one who armed you for this work, though you don't even know me, So that everyone, from east to west, will know that I have no god-rivals. I am God , the only God there is. I form light and create darkness, I make harmonies and create discords. I, God , do all these things. "Open up, heavens, and rain. Clouds, pour out buckets of my goodness! Loosen up, earth, and bloom salvation; sprout right living. I, God , generate all this. But doom to you who fight your Maker— you're a pot at odds with the potter! Does clay talk back to the potter: ‘What are you doing? What clumsy fingers!' Would a sperm say to a father, ‘Who gave you permission to use me to make a baby?' Or a fetus to a mother, ‘Why have you cooped me up in this belly?'" Thus God , The Holy of Israel, Israel's Maker, says: "Do you question who or what I'm making? Are you telling me what I can or cannot do? I made earth, and I created man and woman to live on it. I handcrafted the skies and direct all the constellations in their turnings. And now I've got Cyrus on the move. I've rolled out the red carpet before him. He will build my city. He will bring home my exiles. I didn't hire him to do this. I told him. I, God -of-the-Angel-Armies." God says: "The workers of Egypt, the merchants of Ethiopia, and those statuesque Sabeans Will all come over to you—all yours. Docile in chains, they'll follow you, Hands folded in reverence, praying before you: ‘Amazing! God is with you! There is no other God—none.'" Clearly, you are a God who works behind the scenes, God of Israel, Savior God. Humiliated, all those others will be ashamed to show their faces in public. Out of work and at loose ends, the makers of no-god idols won't know what to do with themselves. The people of Israel, though, are saved by you, God , saved with an eternal salvation. They won't be ashamed, they won't be at loose ends, ever. God , Creator of the heavens— he is, remember, G od. Maker of earth— he put it on its foundations, built it from scratch. He didn't go to all that trouble to just leave it empty, nothing in it. He made it to be lived in. This God says: "I am God , the one and only. I don't just talk to myself or mumble under my breath. I never told Jacob, ‘Seek me in emptiness, in dark nothingness.' I am God . I work out in the open, saying what's right, setting things right. So gather around, come on in, all you refugees and castoffs. They don't seem to know much, do they— those who carry around their no-god blocks of wood, praying for help to a dead stick? So tell me what you think. Look at the evidence. Put your heads together. Make your case. Who told you, and a long time ago, what's going on here? Who made sense of things for you? Wasn't I the one? God ? It had to be me. I'm the only God there is— The only God who does things right and knows how to help. So turn to me and be helped—saved!— everyone, whoever and wherever you are. I am God , the only God there is, the one and only. I promise in my own name: Every word out of my mouth does what it says. I never take back what I say. Everyone is going to end up kneeling before me. Everyone is going to end up saying of me, ‘Yes! Salvation and strength are in God !'" All who have raged against him will be brought before him, disgraced by their unbelief. And all who are connected with Israel will have a robust, praising, good life in God !

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

sworn: Genesis 22:15-18, Jeremiah 22:5, Jeremiah 49:13, Amos 6:8, Hebrews 6:13-18

the word: Isaiah 45:19, Isaiah 55:11, Numbers 23:19

That unto: Romans 11:4, Romans 14:10-12, Philippians 2:10

every tongue: Isaiah 19:18-21, Isaiah 44:3-5, Isaiah 65:16, Genesis 31:53, Deuteronomy 6:13, 2 Chronicles 15:14, 2 Chronicles 15:15, Nehemiah 10:29, Psalms 63:11, Psalms 132:2

Reciprocal: Genesis 22:16 - General Genesis 24:3 - swear Deuteronomy 10:20 - swear Psalms 22:29 - bow Proverbs 8:8 - All Isaiah 48:1 - which swear Isaiah 48:20 - with a voice Isaiah 63:1 - speak Jeremiah 4:2 - shalt swear Jeremiah 12:16 - my name Jeremiah 46:28 - make Ezekiel 21:5 - it shall Hosea 2:19 - in righteousness Zephaniah 1:5 - by the Lord Zechariah 14:17 - that Malachi 1:11 - my name Mark 15:19 - and bowing John 3:26 - and all Ephesians 1:12 - who Ephesians 3:14 - I Revelation 15:4 - for all

Cross-References

Genesis 24:10
The servant took ten of his master's camels and, loaded with gifts from his master, traveled to Aram Naharaim and the city of Nahor. Outside the city, he made the camels kneel at a well. It was evening, the time when the women came to draw water. He prayed, "O God , God of my master Abraham, make things go smoothly this day; treat my master Abraham well! As I stand here by the spring while the young women of the town come out to get water, let the girl to whom I say, ‘Lower your jug and give me a drink,' and who answers, ‘Drink, and let me also water your camels'—let her be the woman you have picked out for your servant Isaac. Then I'll know that you're working graciously behind the scenes for my master."

Genesis 43:11
Their father Israel gave in. "If it has to be, it has to be. But do this: stuff your packs with the finest products from the land you can find and take them to the man as gifts—some balm and honey, some spices and perfumes, some pistachios and almonds. And take plenty of money—pay back double what was returned to your sacks; that might have been a mistake. Take your brother and get going. Go back to the man. And may The Strong God give you grace in that man's eyes so that he'll send back your other brother along with Benjamin. For me, nothing's left; I've lost everything."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I have sworn by myself,.... Christ being the true God, he could swear by no greater, Hebrews 6:13, this shows that what follows, and is here sworn unto, is of great importance, and strictly true, and would certainly be accomplished:

the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness; both what goes before, that such that look unto him shall be saved; and also what follows, concerning the subjection of every creature to him; this was what he had resolved in his mind, and declared in his word, by promise and prophecy, should be; and as it was agreeably to truth and justice, it should certainly, and in faithfulness, be performed, and shall not return void and without effect, but be exactly and punctually accomplished:

that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear; that is, everyone, or at least the generality of mankind, shall be subject to Christ, embrace his Gospel, submit to his ordinances, profess his name, and serve and worship him; this will be when the fulness of the Gentiles is brought in, and the Jews are converted: the apostle quotes this passage, and applies it to the judgment day, when all, whether they will or not, shall confess that Christ is God, which he so often asserts in this context; see Romans 14:10.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I have sworn by myself - This verse contains a fuller statement of the truth intimated in the previous verse, that the benefits of salvation should yet be extended to all the world. It is the expression of God’s solemn purpose that all nations should yet be brought to acknowledge him, and partake of the benefits of the true religion. The expression, ‘I have sworn by myself,’ denotes a purpose formed in the most solemn manner, and ratified in the most sacred form. God could swear by no greater Hebrews 6:13, Hebrews 6:16; and this, therefore, is the most solemn assurance that could be possibly given that the purpose which he had formed should be executed. To swear by himself is the same as to swear by his life, or to affirm solemnly that the event shall as certainly occur as that he exists. The same idea is often expressed by the phrase, ‘as I live.’ See a parallel declaration in Numbers 14:21 : ‘But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord’ (compare Numbers 14:28; Isaiah 49:18; Jeremiah 22:24; Ezekiel 5:11; Ezekiel 14:16, Ezekiel 14:18, Ezekiel 14:20; Zephaniah 2:9; Romans 14:11). This passage is quoted by Paul in Romans 14:11, where the phrase, ‘I have sworn by myself’ is rendered, ‘as I live, saith the Lord,’ showing that they are equivalent expressions.

The word is gone out of my mouth - The Septuagint renders this, ‘Righteousness shall proceed from my mouth, my words shall not return.’ Lowth renders it, ‘Truth is gone forth from my mouth; the word, and it shall not be revoked.’ Jerome, ‘The word of righteousness has gone forth from my mouth, and shall not return.’ Rosenmuller accords with the interpretation a of Lowth. Probably the correct translation is ‘righteousness’ (that is, the righteous sentence, or purpose, where the word צדקה ts^edâqâh is used in the sense of truth, see Isaiah 45:19), has gone out of my mouth, the word (that is, the promise), and it shall not return.’ In this construction the י (y) before לא lo' has the force of a relative pronoun, and is to be referred to דבר dâbâr, ‘the word.’ The sense is, that God had spoken it, and that all which he has spoken shall certainly be fulfilled. The fact that the declaration has once passed his lips, is full proof that the purpose shall be accomplished. This is not to be understood of any promise which he had made before, but it is a solemn declaration which he now makes by the prophet.

That unto me every knee shall bow - To bow or bend the knee, is indicative of homage or adoration; and the idea is, that all should yet acknowledge him to be God (see the note at Romans 14:11). The ancient mode of offering adoration, or of paying homage, was to place the knee on the ground, and then slowly to incline the body until the head touched the earth. This is practiced now in eastern countries (compare Genesis 41:43; 1Ki 19:18; 2 Chronicles 6:13; Matthew 27:29; Romans 11:4; Philippians 2:10; Ephesians 3:14). The obvious and proper signification of this is, that the time would come when God would be everywhere acknowledged as the true God. It refers therefore to the future period of glory on the earth, when all people shall have embraced the true religion, and when idolatry shall have come to an end.

Every tongue shall swear - This expression is evidently taken from the practice of taking an oath of allegiance to a sovereign, and here means that all would solemnly acknowledge him to be the true God, and submit themselves to his government and will. See the phrase explained in the the note at Isaiah 19:18. That this refers to the Messiah and his times, is apparent from the fact that it is twice referred to by the apostle Paul, and applied by him to the Lord Jesus and his religion Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10. It is a glorious promise which remains yet to be fulfilled, and there is no promise in the Bible more certain than that this earth shall yet be filled with the knowledge of the true God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 45:23. I have sworn by myself — במימרי bemeymri, by my WORD: and the word - פתגם pithyam, or saying, to distinguish it from the personal substantial WORD meymra, mentioned before. See the Targum.

The word is gone out of my mouth - "Truth is gone forth from my mouth; the word"] So the Septuagint distinguish the members of the sentence, preserving the elegance of the construction and the clearness of the sense.