Isaiah 49:25

Isaiah 49:25

But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.

a. NLT: But the LORD says, “The captives of warriors will be released, and the plunder of tyrants will be retrieved. For I will fight those who fight you, and I will save your children.

b. NIV: But this is what the LORD says: “Yes, captives will be taken from warriors, and plunder retrieved from the fierce; I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save.

c. For thus says the Lord: Even the captives of the mighty will be taken away, and the prey of the terrible will be delivered; for I will contend with him who contends with you, and I will give safety to your children and ease them.

d. Septuagint: For thus saith the Lord, If one should take a giant captive, he shall take spoils, and he who takes [them] from a mighty [man] shall be delivered: for I will plead thy cause, and I will deliver thy children.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Writings/Prophets: Yet thus saith HASHEM: Even the captives of a warrior can be retrieved, and the booty of fierce men can escape: I myself will take up your cause, and I myself will save your children. 

1. “But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away…”

a. captives [7628 * shebiy] [Strong: exiled; captured; as noun, exile (abstractly or concretely and collectively); by extension, booty:--captive(-ity), prisoners, X take away, that was taken.]

b. mighty [1368 * gibbowr] [Strong: intensive from the same as 1397; powerful; by implication, warrior, tyrant:-- champion, chief, X excel, giant, man, mighty (man, one), strong (man), valiant man.]

c. taken away [3947 * laqach] []Strong: a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications):--accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, in fold, X many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.]

1). Commentary

a). Albert Barnes Notes: Margin, as Hebrew, 'The captivity of the mighty.' That which could not have been rescued by any ordinary means. The language here refers undoubtedly to Babylon, and to the captivity of the Jews there.

2). Don Costello Notes: In light of the context of the verse, I have to say one of the definitions of the Hebrew word lacking here is “rescued”. These captives were rescued from their captivity. The primary meaning refers of course to Israel, but there can also be a spiritual New Covenant application to us. The captives of the mighty have been taken away, have been rescued by Christ Jesus and what he did for us. In each of the following passages, the captives are released and rescued by our Savior Christ Jesus.

a). Psalm 68:18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.

b). Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

4:9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

4:10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

c). Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

2. “…and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered…”

a. prey [4455 * malqowach] [Strong:  transitively (in dual) the jaws (as taking food); intransitively, spoil (and captives) (as taken):--booty, jaws, prey.]

b. terrible [6184 * ‘ariyts] [Strong: from 6206; fearful, i.e. powerful or tyrannical:--mighty, oppressor, in great power, strong, terrible, violent.]

c. delivered [4422 * malat] [Strong: a primitive root; properly, to be smooth, i.e. (by implication) to escape (as if by slipperiness); causatively, to release or rescue; specifically, to bring forth young, emit sparks:--deliver (self), escape, lay, leap out, let alone, let go, preserve, save, X speedily, X surely.]

1). The spiritual New Covenant application: In Christ Jesus we have been delivered from our enemy.

a). Colossians 1:9-14  For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

1:11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

b). 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10  For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

1:9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

3. “…for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee…”

a. contend [7378 * riyb] [Strong: a primitive root; properly, to toss, i.e. grapple; mostly figuratively, to wrangle, i.e. hold a controversy; (by implication) to defend:--adversary, chide, complain, contend, debate, X ever, X lay wait, plead, rebuke, strive, X thoroughly.

1). New Covenant application: In light of what God has done for us through Christ Jesus we must contend in faith for what Christ Jesus has won for us.

a). 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

9:26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

b. with him that contendeth [3401 * yariyb] [Strong: literally, he will contend; properly, adjective, contentious; used as noun, an adversary:--that content(-eth), that strive.

4. “…and I will save thy children.”

a. save [3467 * yasha] [Strong: a primitive root; properly, to be open, wide or free, i.e. (by implication) to be safe; causatively, to free or succor:--X at all, avenging, defend, deliver(-er), help, preserve, rescue, be safe, bring (having) salvation, save(-iour), get victory.]

b. children [1121 * ben] [Strong: from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to, (+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, + kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, + spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.]

c. New Covenant application: The salvation of our children. I want to reflect a little on what he has already said in this verse, he is speaking of the salvation of our children.

1). Those of our children who are “captives of the mighty shall be taken away” or seized and taken away from the mighty. Those of our children who are “the prey of the terrible shall be delivered”, Glory to God! The LORD goes on to say that He, God, will contend with those who contend with us and He, God, will “save our children.” Along those same lines is a passage from Jeremiah 31.

a). Jeremiah 31:16, 17  Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.

31:17 And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy children shall come again to their own border.

2). I don’t care what kind of bondage the children are in. If they are not dead, believe God for their divine protection. Believe and confess these promises concerning your children. It is God’s will that they be saved, He has given us His will concerning it. In light of that we can apply the following words of Jesus to us.

a). Mark 11:22-24  And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

3). God created the family unit, so it is His will that whole families be saved and in relationship with Him.

a). Acts 16:30-34 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

10:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

10:32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

10:33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

16:34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

d. Another New Covenant application: Salvation is open to all, to all in our own houses, our families.

1). Romans 10:9-13 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

2). John 3:16, 17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

            3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world                         through him might be saved.