And now the LORD says: These opening words are essentially the same as in 43.1. And now marks the start of a new unit in the discourse. Good News Translation does not render The LORD says until the beginning of verse 6, where God’s speech actually begins. The remainder of verse 5 after this quote frame is a parenthetical remark by the prophet, describing himself and the mission the LORD has given him. It delays the citation of God’s speech.

Who formed me from the womb to be his servant; This line and the next two describe Yahweh’s appointment of his servant and the task he gives him. Here the speaker acknowledges that God created him and appointed him to be his servant even before he was born. The repetition of the phrase from the womb (verse 1) along with the title servant (verse 3) links this subsection with the previous one.

To bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him: These parallel lines give God’s purpose in calling his servant. The servant’s mission is to bring about the return of God’s people. In Hebrew these lines have the following chiastic structure: bring … back > Jacob > < Israel < gathered. For the parallel names Jacob and Israel, see the comments on 9.8 and 40.27. The Hebrew verb translated bring … back refers to actively returning something to its original place. The Hebrew verb for gathered simply refers to bringing together things or people that are scattered, but in the context of the first verb it can be interpreted in the sense of “return” as well. What is the nature of this “return”? Is it the physical return of the Israelites from the Babylonian Exile? Is it a change of their hearts toward Yahweh? It probably refers to both. The Hebrew verb rendered gathered would hint at a physical return, but the verb for bring … back is frequently associated with repentance, so there is also the sense of inner change. Translators should try to match this double sense in their choice of verbs. For these two lines New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “To bring back Jacob to Himself That Israel may be restored,” and New Jerusalem Bible uses “to bring Jacob back to him and to re-unite to him.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch presents this model with a logical sequence of events: “in order to assemble the descendants of Jacob, the people of Israel, and to lead them back to him.” Contemporary English Version combines the two lines, saying “to lead back the people of Israel.”

For I am honored in the eyes of the LORD …: The relationship between the first part of verse 5 and its last two lines is ambiguous. In Hebrew the link is made by the common conjunction, which is literally “and.” Revised Standard Version renders it for (also New Revised Standard Version, New International Version), which would mean that these two lines give the reason for the LORD using his servant to bring Israel back to him. Revised English Bible uses the connector “so that,” which introduces these lines as a purpose. Contemporary English Version views them as a result by using the connector “So.” Another possible conjunction expressing result is “Then.” Good News Translation and Bible en français courant simply give the last two lines as independent statements. By doing so, they allow these lines to be linked logically to the first part of the verse as result clauses.

Most translations render the Hebrew imperfect verb translated am honored with a past tense or a timeless present. However, New Jerusalem Bible uses the future tense by rendering the whole line as “I shall be honoured in Yahweh’s eyes.” Revised English Bible is similar with “so that I might rise to honour in the LORD’s sight.” Though translations do not generally adopt a future sense here, it is a valid way to read the Hebrew imperfect with the conjunction. It would indicate that when the servant’s mission of returning the Israelites to Yahweh is completed, the servant will be honored. We prefer this understanding. In the eyes of the LORD is another way of saying “from God’s perspective.” As far as God is concerned, the servant will receive honor. For this whole line Good News Translation says simply “The LORD gives me honor.” Bible en français courant also uses an active expression by saying “The Lord recognizes the value of my service.”

And my God has become my strength: The servant sensed failure in his mission in verse 4, but here is a reversal of that feeling. Confident that Yahweh will reward him, he can now say that God is his source of strength (so Good News Translation). The perfect form of the Hebrew verb rendered has become suggests a current state. For this line New International Version and New Jerusalem Bible have “and my God has been my strength” (similarly New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Another possibility is “and from my God I draw/receive my strength/power.”

Translation examples for this verse are:

• But now, Yahweh speaks.
(It was Yahweh who created me in the womb to be his servant,
to lead Jacob back to him,
to gather Israel to him.
I will be honored in his sight.
My God is my strength!)

By moving the quote frame at the beginning of the verse to the end, it is possible to establish a clearer link with verse 6, where the LORD’s words are quoted:

• Yahweh fashioned me before birth to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
to gather Israel about him.
Now in his eyes I will be honored.
My God gives me my strength!
Now then, listen to Yahweh’s words.

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 .