Isaiah 49:25

Indeed, this is what the LORD says: “Even the captives of the mighty will be taken away, and the plunder of the tyrant will be retrieved; I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Yahweh speaks directly to the remnant, answering the rhetorical question of verse 24 that recovery from the mighty seems impossible. He commits himself to the fight on their behalf.

The words — גִבּוֹר (gi.bOr, "warrior, mighty one") is the same noun that makes verse 24's question sound hopeless; here it is the object of יֻקָּח (yu.Kach, "he will be taken," passive), so the mighty one is the one removed. The inversion is the point.

The thread — The same logic of God contending with the contending appears in Isaiah 41:11 ("those who contend with you will be reduced to nothing") and Isaiah 54:15 ("whoever assails you will fall before you"); Isaiah 35:4 pairs the call to strength with God's coming vengeance.

Why it lands — It asks the reader to accept that God's rescue operates against the arithmetic of power, not within it, and to hold that promise without requiring a visible political reversal first.

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

כִּי־ki-for כֹ֣ה׀khohthus אָמַ֣ר'a.Marhe says יְהוָ֗הYah.wehYahweh גַּם־gam-also שְׁבִ֤יshe.Via captive of גִבּוֹר֙gi.bOra warrior יֻקָּ֔חyu.Kachhe will be taken וּמַלְק֥וֹחַu./mal.Ko.achand/ [the] booty of עָרִ֖יץ'a.Ritza ruthless [person]יִמָּלֵ֑טyi.ma.Letit will be delivered וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>יְרִיבֵךְ֙ye.ri.ve/Khopponent/ your אָנֹכִ֣י'a.no.KhiI אָרִ֔יב'a.RivI will oppose וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>בָּנַ֖יִךְba.Na.yi/khchildren/ your אָנֹכִ֥י'a.no.KhiI אוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃'o.Shi.a'I will save

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Isaiah 54:15 If anyone attacks you, it is not from Me; whoever assails you will fall before you.
Isaiah 35:4 Say to those with anxious hearts: “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance. With divine retribution He will come to save you.”
Isaiah 41:11 Behold, all who rage against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will be reduced to nothing and will perish.
Jeremiah 50:33 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “The sons of Israel are oppressed, and the sons of Judah as well. All their captors hold them fast, refusing to release them.
Isaiah 54:13 Then all your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their prosperity.
Romans 8:31 What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Zechariah 14:12 And this will be the plague with which the LORD strikes all the peoples who have warred against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.
Isaiah 10:27 On that day the burden will be lifted from your shoulders, and the yoke from your neck. The yoke will be broken because your neck will be too large.
Genesis 12:3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”
Isaiah 14:2 The nations will escort Israel and bring it to its homeland. Then the house of Israel will possess the nations as menservants and maidservants in the LORD’s land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors.