Isaiah 43:21 — Word Study
WLCעַם־ זוּ֙ יָצַ֣רְתִּי לִ֔י תְּהִלָּתִ֖י יְסַפֵּֽרוּ׃ ס
BSAThe peopleʻam [a nation, a community] I formedyâtsar■ [shaped, molded like a potter] will declareçâphar▸ [show forth, recount] My praisetᵉhillâh [a song of worship, admiration]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| עַם־ | a people | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| זוּ֙ | which | Particle |
| יָצַ֣רְתִּי | I formed | Verb, Qal, perfect first person common singular |
| לִ֔י | for myself | Preposition, suffix |
| תְּהִלָּתִ֖י | praise my | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| יְסַפֵּֽרוּ׃ ס | they will recount | Verb, Piel, imperfect third person masculine plural |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The people I formed for Myself will declare My praise. |
| KJV | This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise. |
| ASV | the people which I formed for myself, that they might set forth my praise. |
| YLT | This people I have formed for Myself, My praise they recount. |
| WEB | the people which I formed for myself, that they might declare my praise. |
| BBE | Even the people whom I made to be the witnesses of my praise. |
Where they part company is יְסַפֵּֽרוּ — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence consists of a main clause followed by a verb phrase indicating the action of the people.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbיָצַר
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 43:21
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 — God's Declaration of His Peoplegenerated
Isaiah 43:21 speaks of God's chosen people, formed by Him for a specific purpose — to declare His praise. This verse emphasizes the special relationship between God and His people, highlighting their role in worship and acknowledgment of His greatness. The surrounding verses illustrate God's provision and care for His people, as seen in verse 20, where He provides for them in the wilderness.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaiah 50:7 | Because the Lord GOD helps Me, I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set My face like flint, and I know that I will not be put to shame. |
| 2 | Isaiah 60:21 | Then all your people will be righteous; they will possess the land forever; they are the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, so that I may be glorified. |
| 3 | Isaiah 61:3 | to console the mourners in Zion— to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified. |
| 4 | Psalm 4:3 | Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for Himself; the LORD hears when I call to Him. |
| 5 | Psalm 102:18 | Let this be written for the generation to come, so that a people not yet created may praise the LORD. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 15 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יָצַר, ya.Tzar.tigenerated
The verb יָצַר (yatsar) means to form or shape, often likened to a potter molding clay. It reflects God's creative power and intentionality in forming His people, indicating a purposeful act of creation.
In this context, it emphasizes that the people are not merely created, but specifically shaped for God's own purpose, highlighting their significance in His plan.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
Two finite verbs govern the verse: יָצַרְתִּי (I formed) and יְסַפֵּֽרוּ (they will recount). The first verb introduces the subject — the people formed by God — while the second verb describes their action of declaring God's praise.
The structure emphasizes the relationship between God's creative act and the resulting duty of His people to proclaim His greatness.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew יָצַר is rendered as περιεποιησάμην, which conveys a sense of having chosen or acquired. This translation suggests a broader interpretation of God's forming of His people, emphasizing not just creation but also selection and belonging.
The use of διηγεῖσθαι for יְסַפֵּֽרוּ indicates a focus on storytelling or recounting, aligning with the act of declaring God's praise.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Isaiah 43:21 tells us that God formed a people for Himself, who will declare His praise. This emphasizes that God created His people with a purpose — to worship and honor Him. The surrounding verses highlight God's provision and care for His chosen people.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that God intentionally created a community that belongs to Him, with the purpose of declaring His praise and glory.
They declare God's praise through worship, singing, and recounting His deeds and attributes.
Being formed by God signifies a special relationship and purpose; it indicates that the people are set apart for His glory.
The surrounding verses emphasize God's provision for His people and their responsibility to acknowledge and praise Him for His actions.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I declare God's praise in my daily life?
- How does understanding that I am formed for God's purpose change my perspective on my identity?
- What are some specific attributes of God that I can recount in my praise?
- How can I encourage others to join in declaring God's praise?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Irenaeus references this verse to argue that God would establish a new covenant with His people, emphasizing the transformation of their hearts and spirits.
God would make a new covenant with people, not such as that which he made with the ancestors at Mount Horeb, and would give to people a new heart and a new spirit.Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 43 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Isaiah 43:21 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThis people have I formed for myself,.... The Gentiles, compared to a desert and wilderness, wild and uncultivated, distinguished from Jacob and Israel in the next verse, and the same with the chosen
Read John Gill on Isaiah 43 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThis people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise. This people have I formed for myself - `my people, my chosen' (see Isaiah 43:1; Isaiah 43:7; Psalms 102:18).
Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 43 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThis people; my people, as he now called them, : consisting in part of the Jews, but especially of the Gentiles; have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise; I have created as it were out of nothing, I have called them into my church, that I might have glory and praise from them for so stupendous a mercy.
Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 43 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsIsaiah 43:21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.Ver. 21. This people have I formed for myself.] Even the Gentiles now as well as the Jews. They shall show forth my praise.] They shall "preach forth (εξαγγειλητε) the virtues, or praises, of him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light."
Read John Trapp on Isaiah 43 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges21. The verse supplies an apposition to “my people” of Isaiah 43:20. It reads: The people which I have formed for myself, they shall tell forth my praise. As the “streams in the desert” were created for Israel and not for the “beasts of the field,” so it is Israel alone that can fully celebrate the praises of the Lord, Who is its Redeemer (cf. 1 Peter 2:9).
Read Cambridge on Isaiah 43 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThis people have I formed for myself - To preserve the remembrance of my name; to transmit the knowledge of the true God to future times, and to celebrate my praise (see the notes at Isaiah 43:1).
Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 43 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible19-21. A new thing — As the former event was common in invasions, sieges, etc., to the unfortunate conquered, the marvel now to be spoken of is the certainly approaching spiritual restoration, not on
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Isaiah 43 →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
The people I formed for Myself will declare My praise.
the people which I formed for myself, that they might declare my praise.
The people I formed for Myself will declare My praise.
the people whom I formed for myself, so they might praise me.”
Tyndale line
This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.
the people which I formed for myself, that they might set forth my praise.
the people which I formed for myself, that they might set forth my praise.
This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise.
This people haue I formed for my selfe: they shall shewe foorth my praise.
Strictly literal
This people have I formed for myself: they shall shew forth my praise.
This people I have formed for Myself, My praise they recount.
I have formed this people for Myself, || They recount My praise.
This people which I have formed for myself; my praise shall they relate.
this people whom I formed for myself, that they might recount my praises.
From the Latin
This people have I formed for myself, they shall shew forth my praise.
Simplified
I made this people for myself so that through their praise for me they could make me known.
Even the people whom I made to be the witnesses of my praise.
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: עַם־ זוּ֙ יָצַ֣רְתִּי לִ֔י תְּהִלָּתִ֖י יְסַפֵּֽרוּ׃ ס. The Septuagint matches five of the six words, indicating a strong correspondence between the texts. The Dead Sea Scrolls show variations, with some scrolls supplying words that are missing in the leather, but the core message remains consistent across witnesses.
עַם־ זוּ֙ יָצַ֣רְתִּי לִ֔י תְּהִלָּתִ֖י יְסַפֵּֽרוּ׃ ס
5 of the 6 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.
עמ זה יצרתי ל׳י ותהלת׳י יואמרו
6 words on the leather.
[עם] [זו] [יצרתי] [ל׳י] [תהלת׳י] [יספרו]
nothing on the leather here — 6 supplied entire by an editor.
[עם] [זו] [יצרתי] ל׳י תהלת׳י יספרו
2 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 43:21
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.
עַם (am) primarily means 'people' or 'nation,' referring to a collective group, often in the context of tribes such as those of Israel. It can also denote kinsmen or compatriots. The term appears in various contexts, including military and familial references. There is a mention of a specific individual named Ammi in Song of Solomon 6:12.
עַם, עָם 1810 n.m. people
a people, nation
= smaller units
= common people
people in gen., persons
phrases
base
[עַם] n.[m.] kinsman (on father's side)
base
H5971a עַם, עָם people H5971b עַם kinsman (on father's side)
5971 `am am
from 6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a
tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or
attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation,
people.
see HEBREW for 06004
עַם (am) — people.
: people/nation
1) nation, people
1a) people, nation
1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men
עַם (am) — kinsman.
kinsman, kindred
עַם (am) — Ammi.
A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at Sng.6.12
§ kinsman, kindred
עַם (am) — People's (Gate).
§ kinsman, kindred
עַם (am) — (Ibleam)-am.
Combined with yiv.le.am (יִבְלְעָם "Ibleam" H2991)
§ kinsman, kindred
עַם (am) — Amaw.
This name means nation, people
עַם (am) — people: soldiers.
: soldiers/army
1) nation, people
1a) people, nation
1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men
עַם (am) — people: creatures.
: creatures
1) nation, people
1a) people, nation
1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
pe'-p'-l: In English Versions of the Bible represents something over a dozen Hebrew and Greek words. Of these, in the Old Testament, `am, is overwhelmingly the most common (about 2,000 times), with le'om, and goy, next in order; but the various Hebrew words are used with very little or no difference in force (e.g. Pr 14:28; but, on the other hand, in Ps 44 contrast verses 12 and 14). Of the changes introduced by the Revised Version (British and American) the only one of significance (cited explicitly in the Preface to the English Revised Version) is the frequent use of the plural "peoples" (strangely avoided in the King James Version except Re 10:11; 17:15), where other nations than Israel are in question. So, for instance, in Ps…
זוּ (zuw) is a demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this' or 'that,' and can also function as a relative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'whom.' It is indeclinable and primarily found in poetic contexts, as noted in the Brown-Driver-Briggs entry.
זוּ pron. (poet.), indeclinable.
a demonstr. this
a relative which
base
H2098 זוּ pron. (poet.), indeclinable. . a demonstr. this
. a relative which
2098 zuw zoo
for 2088; this or that:--that, this, X wherein, which, whom.
see HEBREW for 02088
זוּ (zu) — this.
demons pron
1) this, such rel pron
2) (of) which, (of) whom
HTr — ParticleHTr
The Hebrew word יָצַר (yatsar) means to form or fashion, often in the context of creation, whether by human or divine activity. It encompasses the act of shaping, as a potter does, and can refer to the formation of individuals or the people of Israel. The word also implies planning or preordaining in a figurative sense.
יָצַר vb. form, fashion
Qal
of human activity
of divine activity
Niph. before me a god was not formed (created)
Pu. days (that) were pre-ordained (in divine purpose)
Hoph. any weapon that is formed against thee will not prosper.
base
H3335 יָצַר form, fashion
3335 yatsar yaw-tsar'
probably identical with 3334 (through the squeezing into
shape); ((compare 3331)); to mould into a form; especially as
a potter; figuratively, to determine (i.e. form a
resolution):--X earthen, fashion, form, frame, make(-r),
potter, purpose.
see HEBREW for 03334
see HEBREW for 03331
יָצַר (ya.tsar) — to form: formed.
: formed
1) to form, fashion, frame
1a) (Qal) to form, fashion
1a1) of human activity
1a2) of divine activity
1a2a) of creation
1a2a1) of original creation
1a2a2) of individuals at conception
1a2a3) of Israel as a people
1a2b) to frame, pre-ordain, plan (fig. of divine) purpose of a situation)
1b) (Niphal) to be formed, be created
1c) (Pual) to be predetermined, be pre-ordained
1d) (Hophal) to be formed
יָצַר (ya.tsar) — to form: potter.
: potter
1) to form, fashion, frame
1a) (Qal) to form, fashion
1a1) of human activity
1a2) of divine activity
1a2a) of creation
1a2a1) of original creation
1a2a2) of individuals at conception
1a2a3) of Israel as a people
1a2b) to frame, pre-ordain, plan (fig. of divine) purpose of a situation)
1b) (Niphal) to be formed, be created
1c) (Pual) to be predetermined, be pre-ordained
1d) (Hophal) to be formed
V-Qal-Perf-1cs — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singularHVqp1cs
נִי (ni) — me.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word תְּהִלָּה (*tehillah*) means praise, specifically in the form of a song or hymn. It encompasses acts of adoration and thanksgiving directed towards God, as well as general public praise and the qualities of God that warrant such praise. The word is derived from a root meaning to laud.
תְּהִלָּה n.f. praise, song of praise
praise, adoration, thanksgiving, paid to י׳
the act of general, public, praise
praise-song, as title
qualities, deeds, etc., of י׳, demanding praise
renown, fame, glory
base
H8416 תְּהִלָּה praise, song of praise . praise, adoration, thanksgiving, paid to י׳
. the act of general, public, praise
. praise-song, as title
. qualities, deeds, etc., of י׳, demanding praise
. renown, fame, glory
8416 thillah teh-hil-law'
from 1984; laudation; specifically (concretely) a
hymn:--praise.
see HEBREW for 01984
תְּהִלָּה (te.hil.lah) — praise.
1) praise, song or hymn of praise
1a) praise, adoration, thanksgiving (paid to God)
1b) act of general or public praise
1c) praise-song (as title)
1d) praise (demanded by qualities or deeds or attributes of God)
1e) renown, fame, glory
1e1) of Damascus, God
1e2) object of praise, possessor of renown (fig)
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp1bs
סָפַר (safar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to count or recount, with various forms indicating actions like declaring or rehearsing. The noun form סֹפֵר (sofer) refers to a scribe or secretary. The entries highlight its use in contexts of enumeration and record-keeping, but do not present significant disagreement among lexicons.
סָפַר 107 vb. count, Pi. recount, relate
Qal 27
count things, to learn their number
number = take account of, carefully observe and consider, reckon
Niph. be counted, numbered
Pi. 67 recount, rehearse, declare
Pu. be recounted, related, rehearsed
base
סֹפֵר, סוֹפֵר n.m. enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe
base
H5608a סָפַר count, Pi. recount, relate .. count things, to learn their number
. number = take account of, carefully observe and consider, reckon
. be counted, numbered
. recount, rehearse, declare
. be recounted, related, rehearsed
H5608b סֹפֵר, סוֹפֵר enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe
5608 caphar saw-far'
a primitive root; properly, to score with a mark as a tally
or record, i.e. (by implication) to inscribe, and also to
enumerate; intensively, to recount, i.e. celebrate:--commune,
(ac-)count; declare, number, + penknife, reckon, scribe, shew
forth, speak, talk, tell (out), writer.
סָפַר (sa.phar) — to recount.
v
1) to count, recount, relate
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to count (things)
1a2) to number, take account of, reckon
1b) (Niphal) to be counted, be numbered
1c) (Piel) to recount, rehearse, declare
1c1) to recount (something), rehearse
1c2) to talk
1c3) to count exactly or accurately
1d) (Pual) to be recounted, be rehearsed, be related
סֹפֵר (so.pher) — secretary.
1) enumerator, muster-officer, secretary, scribe
1a) enumerator, muster-officer, secretary
1b) learned man, scribe
Aramaic equivalent: sa.pher (סָפִר "scribe" H5613)
V-Piel-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Piel · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVpi3mp