Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.

ISAIAH 45:21KJV
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Isaiah 45:21 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 45:21 mean?

Isaiah 45:21 declares that the LORD alone is God, righteous and able to save, and that no other god exists besides Him. The verse challenges others to present their case or counsel, but insists that only the LORD has revealed these truths from ancient times.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Isaiah to people who trust in idols or other gods. The LORD calls on them to come together and consider who has truly foretold the future and revealed truth from the beginning. The verse emphasizes God’s unique role as both a just judge and a savior, highlighting that there is no other deity who can compare or save.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 45:21

  • LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH, H3068): This is the personal name of Israel’s God, underscoring that the speaker is not just any deity but the specific, covenant God of Israel.
  • God (אֱלֹהִים, Elohim, H430 and אֵל, El, H410): Two different Hebrew words for God are used, emphasizing both God’s power (El) and His role as the true God (Elohim) in contrast to idols.
  • Saviour (מוֹשִׁיעַ, moshia‘, H3467): This word means one who delivers or rescues, stressing that the LORD is not only just but also the only one who can truly save.
  • Just (צַדִּיק, tsaddiq, H6662): This word means righteous or morally upright, showing that God’s actions and judgments are always fair and right.

Why Isaiah 45:21 matters

  • Isaiah 45:21 makes it clear that God’s claim to be the only true God is not just about power, but also about justice and the ability to save, which sets Him apart from all idols.
  • The verse connects to the larger theme in Isaiah 45, where God challenges the nations and their idols, showing that only He has revealed the future and acted in history.
  • This verse corrects the misunderstanding that there could be multiple gods or saviors; it insists that the LORD alone has both the authority and the character to save.

Where else these words appear

“beside” Hebrew H1107 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 14:24 Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.
  • 2 Samuel 22:32 For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God?
  • Isaiah 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.

“beside” Hebrew H2108 · used in 16 verses

  • Deuteronomy 1:36 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the LORD.
  • 2 Samuel 7:22 Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
  • Psalms 18:31 For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?

“none” Hebrew H369 · used in 29 verses

  • Genesis 2:5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.
  • 1 Chronicles 22:4 Also cedar trees in abundance: for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar wood to David.
  • Isaiah 40:16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.

“counsel” Hebrew H3289 · used in 74 verses

  • Exodus 18:19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:
  • 2 Chronicles 22:4 Wherefore he did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab: for they were his counsellors after the death of his father to his destruction.
  • Isaiah 1:26 And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.