Isaiah 46:3-4

46:3 “Listen to me, O family of Jacob, ¹ 

all you who are left from the family of Israel, ² 

you who have been carried from birth, ³ 

you who have been supported from the time you left the womb. ⁴ 

46:4 Even when you are old, I will take care of you, ⁵ 

even when you have gray hair, I will carry you.

I made you and I will support you;

I will carry you and rescue you. ⁶ 

Isaiah 49:1

Ideal Israel Delivers the Exiles

49:1 Listen to me, you coastlands! ⁷ 

Pay attention, you people who live far away!

The Lord summoned me from birth; ⁸ 

he commissioned me when my mother brought me into the world. ⁹ 

Luke 2:40

2:40 And the child grew and became strong, ¹⁰  filled with wisdom, ¹¹  and the favor ¹²  of God ¹³  was upon him.

Luke 2:52

2:52 And Jesus increased ¹⁴  in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and with people.

¹ tn Heb “house of Jacob”; TEV “descendants of Jacob.”

² tn Heb “and all the remnant of the house of Israel.”

³ tn Heb “from the womb” (so NRSV); KJV “from the belly”; NAB “from your infancy.”

⁴ tn Heb “who have been lifted up from the womb.”

⁵ tn Heb “until old age, I am he” (NRSV similar); NLT “I will be your God throughout your lifetime.”

⁶ sn Unlike the weary idol gods, whose images must be carried by animals, the Lord carries his weary people.

⁷ tn Or “islands” (NASB, NIV); NLT “in far-off lands.”

⁸ tn Heb “called me from the womb.”

⁹ tn Heb “from the inner parts of my mother he mentioned my name.”

¹⁰ tc Most mss (A Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï) read πνεύματι (pneumati, “in spirit”) after “became strong,” but this looks like an assimilation to Luke 1:80. The better witnesses (א B D L N W pc lat co) lack the word.

¹¹ sn With the description grew and became strong, filled with wisdom Luke emphasizes the humanity of Jesus and his growth toward maturity.

¹² tn Or “grace.”

¹³ sn On the phrase the favor of God see Luke 1:66.

¹⁴ tn Or “kept increasing.” The imperfect tense suggests something of a progressive force to the verb.