Verse 3 identified the servant as Israel, but verses 4-7 can be understood more easily if the servant is seen as an individual, perhaps the prophet himself. In verse 4 the prophet confesses that his work has been a failure, but he is confident that the LORD will reward and support him. In verses 5-7 the LORD confirms his mission and explains it further.

But I said …: Despite the assurance that God would protect him and support him in his mission, the prophet now confesses that he has failed, or at least, he thinks he has failed. But I said is literally “But I, I said.” This introduces an emphatic contrast with God’s words in the previous verse. It also serves to draw attention to the prophet’s personal situation. The verb said is better rendered “said to myself” (Contemporary English Version) or “thought” (Bible en français courant), since the prophet’s words do not appear to be an actual spoken response to the LORD’s speech. They reflect on the whole of verses 1-3. Modern versions do not agree on where the prophet’s thoughts end in this verse. Good News Translation closes them at the end of the second line, but Revised Standard Version includes the whole verse as his thoughts, which we prefer. Translators may use an indirect quote (see the first example below).

I have labored in vain: The Hebrew verb rendered labored refers to growing very tired from hard work (see the comments on 40.28, where the same verb is translated “grow weary”). However, all the prophet’s effort has been in vain. This adverbial phrase means that what he labored at for so long provided nothing; it was a useless effort. For this whole clause Good News Translation has “I have worked, but how hopeless it is!” However, there are simpler ways of rendering the Hebrew; for example, “I have labored to no purpose” (New International Version) and “I have toiled in vain” (Revised English Bible). Another possibility is “I have worked very hard, but for nothing.”

I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity: This line emphasizes dramatically the uselessness of the prophet’s effort. I have spent my strength means he has consumed or used up all his energy. The noun strength here refers not just to physical strength but to mental and spiritual strength as well. It speaks of the prophet’s total commitment to his commission, an effort that he believes came to nothing in the end. It is a rather pitiful confession. The Hebrew word rendered nothing is one of the terms used in Gen 1.2 (where it is translated “without form”) to refer to the state of the world before God brought order to it in creation (see the comments on 24.10). Here it points to the emptiness of the prophet’s effort. The Hebrew word rendered vanity reinforces this idea. It can refer to something that offers no reward and for which there is no explanation. This whole line may be rendered “I have used up all my strength, but it was for nothing [or, it was useless/empty, without purpose/result].”

Yet surely my right is with the LORD: Despite his perceived failure, the prophet retains his faith in God who called him. The Hebrew adverb rendered yet surely stresses his confidence. The Hebrew word for right refers to just treatment. My right is with the LORD means the recognition due to the prophet lies with God; it is entirely dependent upon him. God would see the prophet’s honest labor as worthy, so he could expect that God would honor that effort. The prophet trusts that God will duly reward him. Modern versions have a variety of renderings for this line. Bible en français courant says “However, the Lord guarantees my right,” and New International Version has “Yet what is due me is in the LORD’s hand.” New Revised Standard Version translates “yet surely my cause is with the LORD” (similarly Revised English Bible). New Jerusalem Bible is similar with “Yet all the while my cause was with Yahweh,” and so is Good News Translation with “Yet I can trust the LORD to defend my cause.”

And my recompense with my God is parallel to the previous line. The Hebrew noun rendered recompense refers to the reward or payment for work done (see the comments on 40.10). Like my right in the previous line, my recompense can only come from God also. The prophet expresses confidence that despite his apparent failure, God will recognize his effort and reward him appropriately. The specific nature of the reward is not mentioned, but it could be that God, in his own time, will allow the prophet to see the result of his hard labor. Recompense should not be understood only in a materialistic sense. In those languages where the word “reward/recompense” naturally points to some kind of material compensation or money payment, an alternative rendering for this line is “My God will honor me for the work I did” or “My God will look at my work and praise me for it.”

Translation examples for this verse are:

• But I myself thought that I had labored for no result,
that I had given all my energy for nothing, for emptiness.
However, for certain, my justification lies with the LORD,
my reward [lies with] with my God.

• Yet as for me, I said to myself, “I have wasted my time,
I have slaved for nothing, and in vain.
But for sure, my just cause depends on Yahweh,
and with God is my reward.”

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .