49:5 So now the Lord says,
the one who formed me from birth 1 to be his servant –
he did this 2 to restore Jacob to himself,
so that Israel might be gathered to him;
and I will be honored 3 in the Lord’s sight,
for my God is my source of strength 4 –
49:6 he says, “Is it too insignificant a task for you to be my servant,
to reestablish the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the remnant 5 of Israel? 6
I will make you a light to the nations, 7
so you can bring 8 my deliverance to the remote regions of the earth.”
1 tn Heb “from the womb” (so KJV, NASB).
2 tn The words “he did this” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the infinitive construct of purpose is subordinated to the previous statement.
3 tn The vav (ו) + imperfect is translated here as a result clause; one might interpret it as indicating purpose, “and so I might be honored.”
4 tn Heb “and my God is [perhaps, “having been”] my strength.” The disjunctive structure (vav [ו] + subject + verb) is interpreted here as indicating a causal circumstantial clause.
5 tn Heb “the protected [or “preserved”] ones.”
6 sn The question is purely rhetorical; it does not imply that the servant was dissatisfied with his commission or that he minimized the restoration of Israel.
7 tn See the note at 42:6.
8 tn Heb “be” (so KJV, ASV); CEV “you must take.”