When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

ISAIAH 41:17KJV
Know the Bible

Isaiah 41:17 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 41:17 mean?

Isaiah 41:17 describes how God promises to respond when poor and needy people are desperate for water and have nothing to drink; God assures them that He hears their cries and will not abandon them. The verse highlights God's attentiveness and faithfulness to those in distress.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Isaiah to the people of Israel, who are facing hardship and feel abandoned. The imagery of thirst and failing tongues paints a vivid picture of extreme need, emphasizing just how desperate the situation is. God’s response is personal and direct, assuring the people that He, as the LORD and the God of Israel, will not leave them alone in their suffering.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 41:17

  • The word for "poor" is עָנִי (ʿani), which often refers to someone who is afflicted or oppressed, not just lacking money. This highlights the depth of their need.
  • "Needy" is אֶבְיוֹן (evyon), a word that emphasizes someone who is destitute or lacking basic necessities, sharpening the sense of desperation in the verse.
  • "Forsake" is עָזַב (ʿazav), meaning to leave or abandon. God’s promise not to forsake them stresses His ongoing commitment and presence, even when hope seems lost.

Why Isaiah 41:17 matters

  • Isaiah 41:17 clears up the idea that God is distant or indifferent to suffering; the verse shows that God is attentive and responsive to the most vulnerable.
  • The verse emphasizes that God’s help is not just spiritual but also practical, addressing real, physical needs like thirst.
  • In the wider context, Isaiah 41 reassures Israel of God’s faithfulness during times of exile and hardship, reinforcing the message that God remains present and caring even when circumstances are dire.

Where else these words appear

“faileth” Hebrew H5405 · used in 3 verses

  • Isaiah 19:5 And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up.
  • Jeremiah 51:30 The mighty men of Babylon have forborn to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwellingplaces; her bars are broken.

“thirst” Hebrew H6772 · used in 17 verses

  • Exodus 17:3 And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?
  • Nehemiah 9:20 Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.
  • Jeremiah 48:18 Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon thee, and he shall destroy thy strong holds.

“needy” Hebrew H34 · used in 58 verses

  • Exodus 23:6 Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.
  • Psalms 40:17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.
  • Proverbs 30:14 There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

“poor” Hebrew H6041 · used in 78 verses

  • Exodus 22:25 If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.
  • Psalms 34:6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
  • Proverbs 31:20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.