God & Savior

Isaiah 30:18

Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He rises to show you compassion, for the LORD is a just God. Blessed are all who wait for Him.
Isaiah 30:18
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Study notes

The Lord waits to be gracious and rises to show compassion, because He is a God of justice; blessed are all who wait for Him.

Explanation

Even after Judah's refusal (30:15), God's heart is to be gracious. The verse turns on "wait": God waits to show grace, and blessed are those who wait for Him.

Original language
  • יְחַכֶּ֤ה (ye.cha.Keh): to wait
    Hebrew · Verb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · Strong's H2442 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    He waits, longs.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Isaiah 30:18, word 2

  • לַֽחֲנַנְכֶ֔ם (la.cha.nan.Khem): be gracious
    Hebrew · Preposition + Verb, qal, infinitive construct, common + Suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural · Strong's H2603A · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    To be gracious to you.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Isaiah 30:18, word 4

  • לְרַֽחֶמְכֶ֑ם (le.ra.chem.Khem): to have compassion
    Hebrew · Preposition + Verb, piel, infinitive construct, common + Suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural · Strong's H7355 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    To have compassion on you.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Isaiah 30:18, word 7

  • מִשְׁפָּט֙ (mish.Pat): justice
    Hebrew · Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · Strong's H4941H · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    Justice.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Isaiah 30:18, word 10

Cross-references
  • 2 Peter 3:9 · Same theme

    The Lord is patient, not wanting anyone to perish.

  • Isaiah 40:31 · Same theme

    Those who wait on the LORD.

Sources

Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Original language (Hebrew)

וְלָכֵ֞ן יְחַכֶּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ לַֽחֲנַנְכֶ֔ם וְלָכֵ֥ן יָר֖וּם לְרַֽחֶמְכֶ֑ם כִּֽי־אֱלֹהֵ֤י מִשְׁפָּט֙ יְהוָ֔ה אַשְׁרֵ֖י כָּל־ח֥וֹכֵי לֽוֹ׃ ס

  1. וְלָכֵ֞ןve.la.Khen“and <to> therefore”
    Conjunction + Preposition + Adverb · from כֵּן · “so” · Strong's H3651C
  2. יְחַכֶּ֤הye.cha.Keh“he is waiting”
    Verb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from חָכָה · “to wait” · Strong's H2442
  3. יְהוָה֙Yah.weh“Yahweh”
    Noun, proper name, title · from יהוה · “LORD” · Strong's H3068G
  4. לַֽחֲנַנְכֶ֔םla.cha.nan.Khem“to show favor to you”
    Preposition + Verb, qal, infinitive construct, common + Suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural · from חָנַן · “be gracious” · Strong's H2603A
  5. וְלָכֵ֥ןve.la.Khen“and <to> therefore”
    Conjunction + Preposition + Adverb · from כֵּן · “so” · Strong's H3651C
  6. יָר֖וּםya.Rum“he is rising up”
    Verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from רוּם · “to exalt” · Strong's H7311A
  7. לְרַֽחֶמְכֶ֑םle.ra.chem.Khem“to have compassion on you”
    Preposition + Verb, piel, infinitive construct, common + Suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural · from רָחַם · “to have compassion” · Strong's H7355
  8. כִּֽי־ki-“for”
    Particle · from כִּי · “for” · Strong's H3588A
  9. אֱלֹהֵ֤י'e.lo.Hei“[is] a God of”
    Noun, masculine, plural, construct · from אֱלֹהִים · “God” · Strong's H0430G
  10. מִשְׁפָּט֙mish.Pat“justice”
    Noun, masculine, singular, absolute · from מִשְׁפָּט · “justice” · Strong's H4941H
  11. יְהוָ֔הYah.weh“Yahweh”
    Noun, proper name, title · from יהוה · “LORD” · Strong's H3068G
  12. אַשְׁרֵ֖י'ash.Rei“how blessed!”
    Noun, masculine, plural, construct · from אֶ֫שֶׁר · “blessed” · Strong's H0835
  13. כָּל־kol-“[are] all”
    Noun, masculine, singular, construct · from כֹּל · “all” · Strong's H3605
  14. ח֥וֹכֵיCho.khei“[those who] wait”
    Verb, qal, participle (active), masculine, plural, construct · from חָכָה · “to wait” · Strong's H2442
  15. לֽוֹ׃ סlo“for him”
    Preposition + Suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular · from Os3m · “him” · Strong's H9033
  • Prepared by the God & Savior team. Not yet reviewed by an editor.
  • Hebrew and Aramaic words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)