But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.

ISAIAH 49:25KJV
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Isaiah 49:25 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 49:25 mean?

Isaiah 49:25 says that even those held captive by powerful and frightening oppressors will be rescued, because God promises to fight for His people and save their children. The verse emphasizes God’s commitment to defend and deliver those who belong to Him, no matter how strong their enemies seem.

In this verse, God (the LORD) is speaking through the prophet Isaiah to reassure the people of Israel, who faced threats from mighty nations and felt powerless. The verse uses the image of captives and prey to show how hopeless the situation looks, but God declares He will personally intervene, contend with those who oppose His people, and bring deliverance.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 49:25

  • captives (שְׁבִי, shevi): This word refers to those who have been taken prisoner or carried away, highlighting the sense of being powerless and under someone else’s control.
  • mighty (גִּבּוֹר, gibbor): This word means someone strong or a champion, stressing that the captors are not just ordinary people but powerful foes.
  • prey (מַלְקוֹחַ, malqoach): This word describes something seized or plundered, emphasizing the vulnerability of those taken.
  • contend (רִיב, riv): This verb means to plead a case or fight on someone’s behalf, showing that God is taking up Israel’s cause as a defender in a legal or physical struggle.

Why Isaiah 49:25 matters

  • Isaiah 49:25 clarifies that God’s power to save is not limited by the strength of Israel’s enemies; even the most powerful captors cannot keep what God decides to reclaim.
  • The verse reassures readers that God is personally involved in defending His people, not distant or indifferent to their suffering.
  • This promise fits into the wider chapter, where God comforts Israel with the assurance of restoration and future hope, even after times of exile and oppression.

Where else these words appear

“contendeth” Hebrew H3401 · used in 3 verses

  • Psalms 35:1 A Psalm of David. Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.
  • Jeremiah 18:19 Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.

“prey” Hebrew H4455 · used in 8 verses

  • Numbers 31:11 And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts.
  • Numbers 31:26 Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation:
  • Numbers 31:32 And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught, was six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand sheep,

“terrible” Hebrew H6184 · used in 20 verses

  • Job 6:23 Or, Deliver me from the enemy's hand? or, Redeem me from the hand of the mighty?
  • Proverbs 11:16 A gracious woman retaineth honour: and strong men retain riches.
  • Isaiah 29:20 For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:

“captives” Hebrew H7628 · used in 47 verses

  • Exodus 12:29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.
  • Ezra 8:35 Also the children of those that had been carried away, which were come out of the captivity, offered burnt offerings unto the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he goats for a sin offering: all this was a burnt offering unto the LORD.
  • Jeremiah 30:10 Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.