Isaiah 51:2

Bible in Basic English (1941)

Let your thoughts be turned to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth: for when he was but one, my voice came to him, and I gave him my blessing, and made him a great people.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

הַבִּ֙יטוּ֙ אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֣ם אֲבִיכֶ֔ם וְאֶל־שָׂרָ֖ה תְּחוֹלֶלְכֶ֑ם כִּי־אֶחָ֣ד קְרָאתִ֔יו וַאֲבָרְכֵ֖הוּ וְאַרְבֵּֽהוּ

Transliteration

habbiṭû to-'abrāhām 'ăbîkem and-to-śārâ təḥôleləkem kî-'eḥād qərā'tîw wa'ăbārəkēhû wə'arbēhû

Grammar Details

• *habbiṭû*: imperative, masculine plural, Hiphil - look at/consider
• *'abrāhām*: proper noun, masculine - Abraham
• *'ăbîkem*: common noun, masculine singular construct with 2nd person masculine plural suffix - your father
• *śārâ*: proper noun, feminine - Sarah
• *təḥôleləkem*: Polel imperfect, 3rd person feminine singular with 2nd person masculine plural suffix - she bore/gave birth to you
• *kî*: conjunction - for/because
• *'eḥād*: numeral/adjective - one/alone
• *qərā'tîw*: Qal perfect, 1st person singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix - I called him
• *wa'ăbārəkēhû*: waw consecutive + Piel imperfect, 1st person singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix - and I blessed him
• *wə'arbēhû*: waw consecutive + Hiphil imperfect, 1st person singular with 3rd person masculine singular suffix - and I multiplied him

Word Meanings

• *təḥôleləkem*: bore you/gave birth to you/brought you forth
• *'eḥād*: one/alone/single

Referenced Verses

• Ezek 33:24 : 24 Son of man, those who are living in these waste places in the land of Israel say, Abraham was but one, and he had land for his heritage: but we are a great number; the land is given to us for our heritage.
• Gal 3:9-9 : 9 So then those who are of faith have a part in the blessing of Abraham who was full of faith. 10 For all who are of the works of the law are under a curse: because it is said in the Writings, A curse is on everyone who does not keep on doing all the things which are ordered in the book of the law. 11 Now that no man gets righteousness by the law in the eyes of God, is clear; because, The upright will be living by faith. 12 And the law is not of faith; but, He who does them will have life by them. 13 Christ has made us free from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us: because it is said in the Writings, A curse on everyone who is put to death by hanging on a tree: 14 So that on the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; in order that we through faith might have the Spirit which God had undertaken to give.
• Heb 11:8-9 : 8 By faith Abraham did as God said when he was ordered to go out into a place which was to be given to him as a heritage, and went out without knowledge of where he was going. 9 By faith he was a wanderer in the land of the agreement, as in a strange land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who had a part with him in the same heritage: 10 For he was looking for the strong town, whose builder and maker is God. 11 And by faith Sarah herself had power to give birth, when she was very old, because she had faith in him who gave his word; 12 So that from one man, who was near to death, came children in number as the stars in heaven, or as the sand by the seaside, which may not be numbered.
• Rom 4:1-5 : 1 What, then, may we say that Abraham, our father after the flesh, has got? 2 For if Abraham got righteousness by works, he has reason for pride; but not before God. 3 But what does it say in the holy Writings? And Abraham had faith in God, and it was put to his account as righteousness. 4 Now, the reward is credited to him who does works, not as of grace but as a debt. 5 But to him who without working has faith in him who gives righteousness to the evil-doer, his faith is put to his account as righteousness.
• Rom 4:16-24 : 16 For this reason it is of faith, so that it may be through grace; and so that the word of God may be certain to all the seed; not only to that which is of the law, but to that which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 (As it is said in the holy Writings, I have made you a father of a number of nations) before him in whom he had faith, that is, God, who gives life to the dead, and to whom the things which are not are as if they were. 18 Who without reason for hope, in faith went on hoping, so that he became the father of a number of nations, as it had been said, So will your seed be. 19 And not being feeble in faith though his body seemed to him little better than dead (he being about a hundred years old) and Sarah was no longer able to have children: 20 Still, he did not give up faith in the undertaking of God, but was made strong by faith, giving glory to God, 21 And being certain that God was able to keep his word. 22 For which reason it was put to his account as righteousness. 23 Now, it was not because of him only that this was said, 24 But for us in addition, to whose account it will be put, if we have faith in him who made Jesus our Lord come back again from the dead,
• Isa 29:22 : 22 For this reason the Lord, the saviour of Abraham, says about the family of Jacob, Jacob will not now be put to shame, or his face be clouded with fear.
• Gen 12:1-3 : 1 Now the Lord said to Abram, Go out from your country and from your family and from your father's house, into the land to which I will be your guide: 2 And I will make of you a great nation, blessing you and making your name great; and you will be a blessing: 3 To them who are good to you will I give blessing, and on him who does you wrong will I put my curse: and you will become a name of blessing to all the families of the earth.
• Gen 13:14-17 : 14 And the Lord had said to Abram, after Lot was parted from him, From this place where you are take a look to the north and to the south, to the east and to the west: 15 For all the land which you see I will give to you and to your seed for ever. 16 And I will make your children like the dust of the earth, so that if the dust of the earth may be numbered, then will your children be numbered. 17 Come, go through all the land from one end to the other for I will give it to you.
• Gen 15:1-2 : 1 After these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Have no fear, Abram: I will keep you safe, and great will be your reward. 2 And Abram said, What will you give me? for I have no child and this Eliezer of Damascus will have all my wealth after me.
• Gen 15:4-5 : 4 Then said the Lord, This man will not get the heritage, but a son of your body will have your property after you. 5 And he took him out into the open air, and said to him, Let your eyes be lifted to heaven, and see if the stars may be numbered; even so will your seed be.
• Gen 18:11-13 : 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were very old, and Sarah was past the time for giving birth. 12 And Sarah, laughing to herself, said, Now that I am used up am I still to have pleasure, my husband himself being old? 13 And the Lord said, Why was Sarah laughing and saying, Is it possible for me, being old, to give birth to a child?
• Gen 22:17 : 17 That I will certainly give you my blessing, and your seed will be increased like the stars of heaven and the sand by the seaside; your seed will take the land of those who are against them;
• Gen 24:1 : 1 Now Abraham was old and far on in years: and the Lord had given him everything in full measure.
• Gen 24:35 : 35 The Lord has given my master every blessing, and he has become great: he has given him flocks and herds and silver and gold, and men-servants and women-servants and camels and asses.
• Josh 24:3 : 3 And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the River, guiding him through all the land of Canaan; I made his offspring great in number, and gave him Isaac.
• Neh 9:7-8 : 7 You are the Lord, the God, who took Abram and made him yours, guiding him from Ur of the Chaldees, and gave him the name of Abraham; 8 You saw that his heart was true to you, and made an agreement with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Jebusite and the Girgashite, even to give it to his seed, and you have done what you said; for righteousness is yours: