King James Version

Isaiah 41:10

Isaiah 41:10 is God telling his people not to fear, because he is with them and is their God, and promising to strengthen them, help them, and uphold them with the right hand of his righteousness. It was spoken to Israel, whom God calls his servant, the seed of Abraham his friend.

Take the quiz

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Isaiah 41:10 · KJV

Isaiah 41:10 in context

⁷So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.

⁸But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.

⁹Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.

¹⁰Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

¹¹Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.

¹²Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.

¹³For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

Isaiah 41:7-13, King James Version.

What Isaiah 41:10 means

The verse is built as two commands, each followed by its reason. Fear thou not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. Then come three promises, each one stronger: I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee. The Hebrew word behind dismayed is often explained as looking anxiously about, so the comfort answers both the fear inside and the anxious looking around.

The right hand in the Bible is the hand of strength and action. To be upheld with the right hand of God's righteousness is to be held up by his strength, and by his faithfulness to do what is right by his people. Three verses later the picture turns tender: "I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand" (Isaiah 41:13).

The verse is addressed to Israel by name in verse 8: "my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend." God reminds them he chose them and has not cast them away.

The setting sharpens the comfort. Just before, the nations are afraid and try to steady themselves by making idols: the carpenter encourages the goldsmith, and they fasten the idol with nails so it will not move (Isaiah 41:5-7). Israel is not told to build something to hold on to. They are told that God holds on to them.

Background and context

Before: Isaiah 41:1-9. God calls the islands and nations to court and asks who raised up the righteous man from the east and gave nations before him. The far places of the earth are afraid, and people try to steady each other by making idols. Then God turns to Israel: you are my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend; I have chosen you and not cast you away.

After: Isaiah 41:11-20. Those who are angry with Israel and strive against them will come to nothing. God says he will hold their right hand and help them, calls them thou worm Jacob, and promises to make them a new sharp threshing instrument. He will open rivers in high places and make the wilderness a pool of water for the poor and needy.

Chapter 41 belongs to the part of Isaiah that begins with Comfort ye, comfort ye my people (Isaiah 40:1). Later in this section God names Cyrus as the one who will say of Jerusalem that it shall be built (Isaiah 44:28).

Key verses

But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.
Isaiah 41:8 · KJV

For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
Isaiah 41:13 · KJV

Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 41:14 · KJV

Cross references

Deuteronomy 31:6 Moses tells Israel to be strong and not afraid, for God will not fail them nor forsake them.Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Joshua 1:9 God tells Joshua not to be afraid or dismayed, for he is with him.Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Isaiah 43:1-2 Fear not, I have redeemed thee; through waters and fire, I will be with thee.But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Hebrews 13:5-6 The New Testament repeats the promise never to leave nor forsake.Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
James 2:23 Abraham was called the Friend of God, the title used in Isaiah 41:8.And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

Quick quiz

How well do you know Isaiah 41:10?

7 questions, every answer checked against the King James text. Play it here, then try a full book quiz.

Want more? Play the full Isaiah Bible quiz.

Common questions

What does Isaiah 41:10 mean?

It means God's people do not need to be afraid or dismayed, because God is with them and is their God. He promises three things: to strengthen them, to help them, and to hold them up by his righteous right hand.

Who was Isaiah 41:10 spoken to?

To Israel, called in verse 8 my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. Christians have long also read it as a promise of God's presence to his people today.

Who wrote Isaiah 41:10?

The book is traditionally attributed to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, who prophesied in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Many scholars think chapters 40-55 were written later, during or near the Babylonian exile; others hold that Isaiah wrote the whole book.

What does dismayed mean in the KJV?

To be dismayed is to lose heart in alarm; the Hebrew word is often explained as looking anxiously about. The verse pairs it with fear and answers both with the same promise: God is present.

What is the verse after Isaiah 41:10?

Isaiah 41:11, which says that all who were incensed against Israel would be ashamed and confounded, and those who strive with them would perish.