The big picture
Isaiah 48 opens in verse 1 with “Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 11 with “For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be…”, and closes in verse 22 with “There is no peace, saith the LORD , unto the wicked.” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, Israel, name, beginning, declared. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Isaiah · King James Version · 22Isaiah 48:1-8
1–8: Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel…
Isaiah 48:1–8 opens with “Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out…” and reaches “Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Isaiah 48 develops its own movement around LORD, Israel, name, beginning, declared, with particular weight carried by beginning, Israel, knew.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.
“I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did…” The line’s distinctive content terms include beginning, declared, former. Its relationship to verses 2 and 4 shows what work it does in this passage.
“I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Isaiah 48:1-8
King James Version1Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD , and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.
2For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name.
3I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.
4Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;
5I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.
6Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.
7They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.
8Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.
Isaiah 48:9-16
9–16: For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I…
Isaiah 48:9–16 opens with “For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I…” and reaches “Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Isaiah 48 develops its own movement around LORD, Israel, name, beginning, declared, with particular weight carried by sake, hand, hear.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
“For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
Isaiah 48:9-16
King James Version9For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.
10Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
11For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.
12Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.
13Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.
14All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The LORD hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.
15I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
16Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD , and his Spirit, hath sent me.
Isaiah 48:17-22
17–22: Thus saith the LORD , thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the…
Isaiah 48:17–22 opens with “Thus saith the LORD , thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth…” and reaches “There is no peace, saith the LORD , unto the wicked.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Isaiah 48 develops its own movement around LORD, Israel, name, beginning, declared, with particular weight carried by LORD, peace, rock.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Thus saith the LORD , thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which…” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
“O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves…” The line’s distinctive content terms include commandments, hadst, hearkened. Its relationship to verses 17 and 19 shows what work it does in this passage.
Isaiah 48:17-22
King James Version17Thus saith the LORD , thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.
18O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
19Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.
20Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob.
21And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
22There is no peace, saith the LORD , unto the wicked.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Isaiah 48:1 begins with “Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD…”
Where the chapter turns
Isaiah 48:11 forms a natural hinge: “For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.”
The final note
Isaiah 48:22 leaves the reader with “There is no peace, saith the LORD , unto the wicked.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, Israel, name, beginning, declared, hear help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What experiences shape Jacob's blessing?
God's lifelong shepherding, deliverance, the promise of land and the enduring memory of Rachel.
What earlier pattern do the crossed hands recall?
The promise repeatedly moves outside expected birth-order privilege, as with Isaac and Jacob.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.