Isaiah 42:23 — Word Study
WLCמִ֥י בָכֶ֖ם יַאֲזִ֣ין זֹ֑את יַקְשִׁ֥ב וְיִשְׁמַ֖ע לְאָחֽוֹר׃
BSAWhomîy [which one of you, whoever is willing] will pay attentionʼâzan▸ [give ear, listen carefully] to thiszôʼth [these things, this message] [Who] will listenqâshab▸ [hearken, obey] and obeyshâmaʻ▸ [hear and heed, pay attention to] hereafterʼâchôwr [for the time to come, from now on]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| מִ֥י | who? | Pronoun |
| בָכֶ֖ם | among you | Preposition, suffix |
| יַאֲזִ֣ין | will he give ear to | Verb, Hiphil, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| זֹ֑את | this | Particle |
| יַקְשִׁ֥ב | will he pay attention? | Verb, Hiphil, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| וְיִשְׁמַ֖ע | and he may listen? | Conjunction, verb qal third person masculine singular |
| לְאָחֽוֹר׃ | to afterwards | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Who among you will pay attention to this? Who will listen and obey hereafter? |
| KJV | Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear for the time to come? |
| ASV | Who is there among you that will give ear to this? that will hearken and hear for the time to come? |
| YLT | Who among you giveth ear [to] this? Attendeth, and heareth afterwards. |
| WEB | Who is there among you who will give ear to this? Who will listen and hear for the time to come? |
| BBE | Who is there among you who will give ear to this? who will give attention to it for the time to come? |
Where they part company is יַאֲזִ֣ין — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence begins with a question, leading into the actions expected from the audience. The structure emphasizes the urgency of the call to listen.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbאָזַן
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Isaiah 42:23
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Call to Attention and Obediencegenerated
Isaiah 42:23 is a call from God through the prophet Isaiah, urging His people to pay attention and listen to His message. This verse highlights the importance of being attentive to God's words and the consequences of neglecting them, as seen in the surrounding context where the people are described as plundered and looted due to their disobedience.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaiah 1:18–20 | “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool. |
| 2 | Isaiah 48:18 | If only you had paid attention to My commandments, your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like waves of the sea. |
| 3 | Leviticus 26:40–42 | But if they will confess their iniquity and that of their fathers in the unfaithfulness that they practiced against Me, by which they have also walked in hostility toward Me— |
| 4 | Deuteronomy 4:29–31 | But if from there you will seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. |
| 5 | Deuteronomy 32:29 | If only they were wise, they would understand it; they would comprehend their fate. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 11 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יַאֲזִ֣ין, ya.'a.Zingenerated
The verb אָזַן (azan) means to listen or hear, suggesting an active engagement with what is being said. It implies not just hearing, but also understanding and responding, often with an element of obedience. The parsing indicates it is in the Hiphil form, which typically conveys a causative action — here, causing oneself to listen.
This word emphasizes the need for attentiveness, as it is used in contexts where God is calling His people to heed His instructions. The urgency of the call is evident, as it seeks a response from the audience.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses will he give ear to and will he pay attention?
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יַאֲזִ֣ין governs the main clause, asking who will listen and pay attention. The structure is straightforward, with the subject מִי (mi) leading the inquiry, followed by the action of listening and the object of that action.
The phrase structure emphasizes the call for attention, with the verb leading the sentence, indicating the urgency of the request.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates מִי as τίς (tis), which also means 'who?' but carries a broader application in Greek. This choice reflects a direct inquiry into the audience's willingness to listen.
The verb יַאֲזִ֣ין is rendered as ἐνωτιεῖται in the Septuagint, which emphasizes the act of listening attentively. This choice suggests a similar concern for attentiveness as found in the Hebrew.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Isaiah 42:23 asks who among the people will listen to God's message and pay attention to it. The verse emphasizes the need for the people to be attentive and obedient to what God is saying, especially as they face the consequences of their actions.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To pay attention means to actively listen and respond to what God is communicating, which involves understanding and obedience to His will.
God calls for attention because His people have faced consequences for their disobedience, and He desires them to heed His words to avoid further trouble.
We can apply this call by being attentive to God's Word, seeking to understand His messages through Scripture, and being willing to obey His guidance.
Not listening to God can lead to spiritual and physical consequences, as seen in the context of this passage where the people are described as plundered and lost.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I be more attentive to God's messages in my life?
- How do I respond when I feel God is calling me to listen or obey?
- What distractions might prevent me from hearing God's voice?
- How can I encourage others to pay attention to God's Word?
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Isaiah 42:23 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWho among you will give ear to this?.... To this prophecy of your destruction, and to what follows concerning it: who will hearken and hear for the time to come? and receive instruction from hence, and repent and reform?
Read John Gill on Isaiah 42 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWho among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear for the time to come? (Who) will hearken, and hear for the time to come?
Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 42 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleOh that you would learn from your former and dear bought experiences to be wiser for the future, and not to provoke God to your own total and final ruin!
Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 42 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsIsaiah 42:23 Who among you will give ear to this? [who] will hearken and hear for the time to come?Ver. 23. Who among you will give ear to this?] Magna nimirum haec sunt, sed paucis persuasa. We shall have much ado to make you believe these things, though your liberties, lives, and souls lie upon it.
Read John Trapp on Isaiah 42 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges23. The question expresses the prophet’s wish that now at last some of the people should begin to realise the significance of their relation to Jehovah, and prepare themselves for the great deliverance. will give ear to this] i.e. to the substance of the present exhortation,—the contrast between the ideal calling of Israel and its present position, its failure to realise its mission, and (especially) the reason of that failure (Isaiah 42:24 f.). for the time to come] in contrast to past disobedience. It is evident that the prophet expects the mission of Israel to be realised by a conversion of the nation. The process of that conversion is powerfully described in ch. 53.
Read Cambridge on Isaiah 42 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleWho among you will give ear to this? - Who is there in the nation that will be so warned by the judgments of God, that he will attend to the lessons which he designs to teach, and reform his life, and return to him?
Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 42 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the BibleSec. 3. GOD’S WITH ISRAEL, Isaiah 42:17 to Isaiah 44:5.The controversy with heathendom closed. Its period is from Abraham’s call ideally to the last triumph of Messiah. The message is now again to Israel.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Isaiah 42 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Who among you will pay attention to this? Who will listen and obey hereafter?
Who is there among you who will give ear to this? Who will listen and hear for the time to come?
Who among you will pay attention to this? Who will listen and obey hereafter?
Who among you will pay attention to this? Who will listen attentively in the future?
Tyndale line
Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear for the time to come?
Who is there among you that will give ear to this? that will hearken and hear for the time to come?
Who is there among you that will give ear to this? that will hearken and hear for the time to come?
Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken, and hear for the time to come?
Who among you shall hearken to this, and take heede, and heare for afterwardes?
Strictly literal
Who among you will give ear to this, [who] will hearken and hear what is to come?
Who among you giveth ear [to] this? Attendeth, and heareth afterwards.
Who among you gives ear [to] this? Attends, and hears afterward?
Who among you will give ear to this? will hearken and listen, for the time to come?
Who among you will listen to this? Who will listen and hear in the future?
From the Latin
Who is there among you that will give ear to this, that will attend and hearken for times to come?
Simplified
Who of you is going to listen to this, or pay attention later on?
Who is there among you who will give ear to this? who will give attention to it for the time to come?
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads מִ֥י בָכֶ֖ם יַאֲזִ֣ין זֹ֑את יַקְשִׁ֥ב וְיִשְׁמַ֖ע לְאָחֽוֹר׃, while the Septuagint matches five of the seven words. The Dead Sea Scrolls provide similar readings, indicating a strong consistency across the witnesses, with minor variations in the wording.
מִ֥י בָכֶ֖ם יַאֲזִ֣ין זֹ֑את יַקְשִׁ֥ב וְיִשְׁמַ֖ע לְאָחֽוֹר׃
5 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
מיא ב׳כמה ויאזין זואת ויקשב וישמע לאחור
7 words on the leather.
מי ב׳כם יאזין זאת [יקשב] [וישמע] [לאחור]
3 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 3 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Isaiah 42:23
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
מִי (mi) is an interrogative pronoun primarily used to ask about persons, meaning 'who?' or 'whose?'. It can also appear in rhetorical questions and has some idiomatic uses, such as 'who among...?' or 'whosoever'. The word is rarely applied to things, and its forms can vary in emphasis.
מִי 423 pron.interrog. who? of persons
מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied
in the gen. whose
in an indirect qu.
מִי ב׳ who among … ?
strengthened and emph. forms of interrog.
various rhetorical uses whose
מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it
once, following a verb, any one
base
H4310 מִי who? of persons . מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied
. in the gen. whose
. in an indirect qu.
. מִי ב׳ who among … ?
. strengthened and emph. forms of interrog.
. various rhetorical uses whose
. מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it
. once, following a verb, any one
4310 miy me
an interrogative pronoun of persons, as 4100 is of things,
who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also
(indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction
with prefix or suffix:--any (man), X he, X him, + O that!
what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), + would to God.
see HEBREW for 04100
מִי (mi) — who?.
who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever
Part — PronounHPi
כֶם (khem) — you.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person masculine plural
HR/Sp2mp — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp2mp
אָזַן (azan) is a verb meaning to listen or hear, derived as a denominative from a root suggesting the broadening of the ear. It encompasses the act of giving ear, being obedient, and specifically refers to God listening to prayers. The entries do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicons.
[אָזַן] 42 vb. denom. Hiph. give ear, listen, hear
hear, perceive by the ear
of God, listening (with favour) to prayer
base
H238 אָזַן vb. denom. Hiph. give ear, listen, hear
238 'azan aw-zan'
a primitive root; probably to expand; but used only as a
denominative from 241; to broaden out the ear (with the hand),
i.e. (by implication) to listen:--give (perceive by the) ear,
hear(-ken). See 239.
see HEBREW for 0241
see HEBREW for 0239
אָזַן (a.zan) — to listen.
1) to hear, listen
1a) (Hiphil)
1a1) to hear, listen, give ear
1a2) to be obedient, harken
1a3) to hear or listen to prayers (of God)
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect third person masculine singularHVhi3ms
er ('ozen; ous, otion, the latter word (literally, "earlet") in all the Gospels only used of the ear of the high priest's servant, which was cut off by Peter: Mt 26:51; Mr 14:47; Lu 22:51 (not 22:50); Joh 18:10,26):
(1) The physical organ of hearing which was considered of peculiar importance as the chief instrument by which man receives information and commandments. For this reason the ear of the priest had to be specially sanctified, the tip of the right ear being touched with sacrificial blood at the consecration (Le 8:23). Similarly the ear of the cleansed leper had to be rededicated to the service of God by blood…
Ear
Used frequently in a figurative sense (Ps. 34:15). To “uncover the ear” is to show respect to a person (1 Sam. 20:2 marg.). To have the “ear heavy”, or to have “uncircumcised ears” (Isa. 6:10), is to be inattentive and disobedient. To have the ear “bored” through with an awl was a sign of perpetual servitude (Ex. 21:6).
זֹאת (zot) is a demonstrative pronoun and adverb meaning 'this' or 'here.' It can stand alone or be used in apposition to a noun, often serving as a predicate. The word can also attach enclitically to interrogative pronouns to add emphasis. In poetry, it may function as a relative pronoun, though this is rare.
זֶה demonstr.pron. and adv.; fem. זֹאת, once זֹאתָה; this, here
standing alone
In appos. to subst.
More oft. as pred.
It is attached enclitically, almost as an adv., to certain words, esp. interrog. pronouns, to impart, in a manner often not reproducible in Engl. idiom, directness and force, bringing the question or statement made into close relation with the speaker.
In poetry, as a relative pron. (rare)
With prefixes (in special senses)
base
H2063 זֶה demonstr. pron. and adv.; fem. זֹאת, once זֹאתָה; this, here . standing alone
. In appos. to subst.
. More oft. as pred.
. It is attached enclitically, almost as an adv., to certain words, esp. interrog. pronouns, to impart, in a manner often not reproducible in Engl. idiom, directness and force, bringing the question or statement made into close relation with the speaker.
. In poetry, as a relative pron. (rare)
. With prefixes (in special senses)
2063 zo'th zothe'
irregular feminine of 2089; this (often used adverb):--
hereby (-in, -with), it, likewise, the one (other, same), she,
so (much), such (deed), that, therefore, these, this (thing),
thus.
see HEBREW for 02089
זֹאת (zot) — this.
1) this, this one, here, which, this...that, the one...the other, such
1a) (alone)
1a1) this one
1a2) this...that, the one...the other, another
1b) (appos to subst)
1b1) this
1c) (as predicate)
1c1) this, such
1d) (enclitically)
1d1) then
1d2) who, whom
1d3) how now, what now
1d4) what now
1d5) wherefore now
1d6) behold here
1d7) just now
1d8) now, now already
1e) (poetry)
1e1) wherein, which, those who
1f) (with prefixes)
1f1) in this (place) here, then
1f2) on these conditions, herewith, thus provided, by, through this, for this cause, in this matter
1f3) thus and thus
1f4) as follows, things such as these, accordingly, to that effect, in like manner, thus and thus
1f5) from here, hence, on one side...on the other side
1f6) on this account
1f7) in spite of this, which, whence, how
Pron — ParticleHTm
קָשַׁב (qashab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to listen or pay attention, particularly with reference to inclining one's ears. It encompasses actions like hearkening and giving heed. The word appears in contexts such as Isaiah 32:3, where it emphasizes attentiveness. The entries consistently describe its usage in both the Qal and Hiphil forms.
[קָשַׁב] 46 vb. incline, attend, of ears
Qal Is 32:3
Hiph. give attention
base
H7181 קָשַׁב incline, attend, of ears
7181 qashab kaw-shab'
a primitive root; to prick up the ears, i.e.
hearken:--attend, (cause to) hear(-ken), give heed, incline,
mark (well), regard.
קָשַׁב (qa.shav) — to listen.
1) to hear, be attentive, heed, incline (of ears), attend (of ears), hearken, pay attention, listen
1a) (Qal) incline, attend (of ears), hearken, pay attention, listen
1b) (Hiphil) to pay attention, give attention
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect third person masculine singularHVhi3ms
The Hebrew word שָׁמַע (shama`) means 'to hear' and encompasses a range of meanings including listening, obeying, and proclaiming. It is built from a primitive root and can imply attention and understanding. The entries highlight various grammatical forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hiphil, indicating different nuances of hearing and obeying. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.
שָׁמַע 1152 vb. hear
Qal 1052
subj. pers. hum.
י׳ (God) subj.
Niph. 42 be heard, of voice, sound
be heard of
be regarded, obeyed
= (favourable) hearing was granted to their voice.
Pi. he caused the people to hear
Hiph. 63
of man
י׳ subj.
base
H8085 שָׁמַע hear
8085 shama` shaw-mah'
a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with
implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to
tell, etc.):--X attentively, call (gather) together, X
carefully, X certainly, consent, consider, be content,
declare, X diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make
to) hear(-ken, tell), X indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be)
obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish,
regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, X surely, tell,
understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.
שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: hear.
: hear
v
1) to hear, listen to, obey
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to hear (perceive by ear)
1a2) to hear of or concerning
1a3) to hear (have power to hear)
1a4) to hear with attention or interest, listen to
1a5) to understand (language)
1a6) to hear (of judicial cases)
1a7) to listen, give heed
1a7a) to consent, agree
1a7b) to grant request
1a8) to listen to, yield to
1a9) to obey, be obedient
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be heard (of voice or sound)
1b2) to be heard of
1b3) to be regarded, be obeyed
1c) (Piel) to cause to hear, call to hear, summon
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to cause to hear, tell, proclaim, utter a sound
1d2) to sound aloud (musical term)
1d3) to make proclamation, summon
1d4) to cause to be heard
n m
2) sound
שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: obey.
: obey
v
1) to hear, listen to, obey
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to hear (perceive by ear)
1a2) to hear of or concerning
1a3) to hear (have power to hear)
Conj | V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Conjunction · verb qal third person masculine singularHC/Vqu3ms
אָחוֹר (achowr) refers to the hinder side or back part of something. It can also imply a direction, meaning backward or behind, and has temporal uses, indicating a time to come or hereafter. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to be behind' and encompasses various contexts, including physical and temporal references.
אָחוֹר 41 subst. the hinder side, back part
base
H268 אָחוֹר the hinder side, back part
268 'achowr aw-khore'
or (shortened) achor {aw-khore'}; from 299; the hinder part;
hence (adverb) behind, backward; also (as facing north) the
West:--after(-ward), back (part, -side, -ward), hereafter,
(be-)hind(-er part), time to come, without.
see HEBREW for 0299
אָחוֹר (a.chor) — back.
1) the back side, the rear
1a) backwards
1b) hereafter (of time)
1c) behind
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa