Bible Strands
Isaiah 49:10
They will not hunger or thirst, nor will scorching heat or sun beat down on them. For He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — God addresses the exiled population He previously commanded to emerge from captivity and darkness. He speaks this assurance as they prepare to move toward a restored homeland.
The words — The Hebrew יִרְעָ֙בוּ (yir.'A.vu) and יִצְמָ֔אוּ (yitz.Ma.'u) literally mean “they will hunger” and “they will thirst,” each negated by לֹא (lo') to declare their complete removal. These terms establish the baseline deprivation that the promise explicitly eliminates.
The thread — The identical denial of hunger, thirst, and scorching sun appears in Revelation 7:16. Matthew 5:6 contrasts this physical relief with the spiritual longing for righteousness. Ezekiel 34:23 introduces a shepherd appointed to feed the flock, establishing a parallel provision motif.
Why it lands — The text states that divine compassion will actively guide the people to water sources rather than leaving them to find them. It requires the reader to recognize that sustenance and direction are granted by God’s initiative, not earned by the journey.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.
Cross-references
- Revelation 7:16 ‘Never again will they hunger, and never will they thirst; nor will the sun beat down upon them, nor any scorching heat.’
- Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
- Ezekiel 34:23 I will appoint over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them. He will feed them and be their shepherd.
- Isaiah 33:16 he will dwell on the heights; the mountain fortress will be his refuge; his food will be provided and his water assured.
- Psalms 121:5 The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is the shade on your right hand.
- Isaiah 40:11 He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads the nursing ewes.
- Jeremiah 31:9 They will come with weeping, and by their supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk beside streams of waters, on a level path where they will not stumble. For I am Israel’s Father, and Ephraim is My firstborn.”
- John 10:3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen for his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
- Isaiah 4:6 a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and the rain.
- Isaiah 25:4 For You have been a refuge for the poor, a stronghold for the needy in distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like rain against a wall,