Isaiah 42:14
New International Version
“For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant.

New Living Translation
He will say, “I have long been silent; yes, I have restrained myself. But now, like a woman in labor, I will cry and groan and pant.

English Standard Version
For a long time I have held my peace; I have kept still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor; I will gasp and pant.

Berean Standard Bible
“I have kept silent from ages past; I have remained quiet and restrained. But now I will groan like a woman in labor; I will at once gasp and pant.

King James Bible
I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.

New King James Version
“I have held My peace a long time, I have been still and restrained Myself. Now I will cry like a woman in labor, I will pant and gasp at once.

New American Standard Bible
“I have kept silent for a long time, I have kept still and restrained Myself. Now like a woman in labor I will groan, I will both gasp and pant.

NASB 1995
“I have kept silent for a long time, I have kept still and restrained Myself. Now like a woman in labor I will groan, I will both gasp and pant.

NASB 1977
“I have kept silent for a long time, I have kept still and restrained Myself. Now like a woman in labor I will groan, I will both gasp and pant.

Legacy Standard Bible
“I have kept silent for a long time; I have kept still and restrained Myself. Now like a woman in labor I will groan; I will both gasp and pant.

Amplified Bible
“I [the LORD] have been silent for a long time, I have been still and restrained Myself. Now I will moan like a woman in labor, I will both gasp and pant.

Christian Standard Bible
“I have kept silent from ages past; I have been quiet and restrained myself. But now, I will groan like a woman in labor, gasping breathlessly.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I have kept silent from ages past; I have been quiet and restrained Myself. But now, I will groan like a woman in labor, gasping breathlessly.

American Standard Version
I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry out like a travailing woman; I will gasp and pant together.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
I have been silent from eternity. I shall be silent. I endured as a woman in labor. I shall be speechless and I shall in shock as one

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I have been silent: shall I also always be silent and forbear: I have endured like a travailing woman: I will now amaze and wither at once.

Contemporary English Version
For a long time, I, the LORD, have held my temper; now I will cry out and groan like a woman giving birth.

Douay-Rheims Bible
I have always held my peace, I have I kept silence, I have been patient, I will speak now as a woman in labour: I will destroy, and swallow up at once.

English Revised Version
I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry out like a travailing woman; I will gasp and pant together.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I have been silent for a long time. I kept quiet and held myself back. But like a woman in childbirth I will cry out. I will gasp and pant.

Good News Translation
God says, "For a long time I kept silent; I did not answer my people. But now the time to act has come; I cry out like a woman in labor.

International Standard Version
"I have certainly stayed silent for a long time; I've kept still and held myself back. Now, like a woman giving birth, I'll cry out. All of a sudden I'll gasp and pant.

JPS Tanakh 1917
I have long time held My peace, I have been still, and refrained Myself; Now will I cry like a travailing woman, Gasping and panting at once.

Literal Standard Version
I have kept silent from of old, | I keep silent, I refrain Myself, | I cry out as a travailing woman, | I desolate and swallow up together.

Majority Standard Bible
“I have kept silent from ages past; I have remained quiet and restrained. But now I will groan like a woman in labor; I will at once gasp and pant.

New American Bible
For a long time I have kept silent, I have said nothing, holding myself back; Now I cry out like a woman in labor, gasping and panting.

NET Bible
"I have been inactive for a long time; I kept quiet and held back. Like a woman in labor I groan; I pant and gasp.

New Revised Standard Version
For a long time I have held my peace, I have kept still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor, I will gasp and pant.

New Heart English Bible
"I have been silent a long time. I have been quiet and restrained myself. Now I will cry out like a travailing woman. I will both gasp and pant.

Webster's Bible Translation
I have long time held my peace; I have been still, and restrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.

World English Bible
“I have been silent a long time. I have been quiet and restrained myself. Now I will cry out like a travailing woman. I will both gasp and pant.

Young's Literal Translation
I have kept silent from of old, I keep silent, I refrain myself, As a travailing woman I cry out, I desolate and swallow up together.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A New Song of Praise
13The LORD goes forth like a mighty one; He stirs up His zeal like a warrior. He shouts; yes, He roars in triumph over His enemies: 14“I have kept silent from ages past; I have remained quiet and restrained. But now I will groan like a woman in labor; I will at once gasp and pant. 15I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation. I will turn the rivers into dry land and drain the marshes.…

Cross References
Psalm 50:21
You have done these things, and I kept silent; you thought I was just like you. But now I rebuke you and accuse you to your face.

Isaiah 30:18
Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He rises to show you compassion, for the LORD is a just God. Blessed are all who wait for Him.

Isaiah 57:11
Whom have you dreaded and feared, so that you lied and failed to remember Me or take this to heart? Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear Me?

Isaiah 64:12
After all this, O LORD, will You restrain Yourself? Will You keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?

Isaiah 65:6
Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will pay it back into their laps,

Jeremiah 4:31
For I hear a cry like a woman in labor, a cry of anguish like one bearing her first child--the cry of the Daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands to say, "Woe is me, for my soul faints before the murderers!"


Treasury of Scripture

I have long time held my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.

long time

Job 32:18,20
For I am full of matter, the spirit within me constraineth me…

Psalm 50:2
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.

Psalm 83:1,2
A Song or Psalm of Asaph. Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God…

devour.

Jump to Previous
Blow Breathing Cry Desolate Destroy Devour Gasp Groan Hard Held Holden Kept Labor Once Pain Pant Panting Peace Quickly Quiet Refrained Restrained Silent Sounds Swallow Time Together Travail Travaileth Travailing
Jump to Next
Blow Breathing Cry Desolate Destroy Devour Gasp Groan Hard Held Holden Kept Labor Once Pain Pant Panting Peace Quickly Quiet Refrained Restrained Silent Sounds Swallow Time Together Travail Travaileth Travailing
Isaiah 42
1. The office of Christ, graced with meekness and constancy.
5. God's promise unto him.
10. An exhortation to praise God for his Gospel
13. God will manifest himself, and check idolatry
18. He reproves the people of incredulity.














(14) I have long time holden my peace . . .--The change of person indicates that Jehovah is the speaker. "Long time," literally, for an age, or an eternity. What is actually meant is the period of the exile, during which, till the advent of the deliverer, there had been no interposition on behalf of Israel. To the exiles this had seemed endless in its weariness. Now there were the travail-pangs of a new birth for the nation. (Comp. Matthew 24:8.) Was it strange that there should be the convulsions and catastrophes which are as the thunder-roaring of the voice of Jehovah?

I will destroy and devour.--Better, I pant and gasp. The verbs express strong emotion, the cries of the travailing woman rather than destructive acts.

Verse 14. - I have long time holden my peace; literally, for an eternity. God's love for his people is forcibly expressed by his saying that he has felt it "an eternity" - though it was but some five or six decades - while he was waiting for his chastisement to have such due effect as would allow of his bringing it to an end, and showing them mercy. He has chafed, as it were, under the necessity of inaction, and has with difficulty refrained himself. Now he will refrain no longer. A travailing woman. A woman in her travail, after long endurance, at last gives free vent to her natural feelings, and utters loud cries (compare the preceding verse). I will destroy and devour at once (so Gesenius, Kay, and the ancient versions). But the bulk of modern commentators render, "I will pant and gasp," as does a travailing woman.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I have kept silent
הֶחֱשֵׁ֙יתִי֙ (he·ḥĕ·šê·ṯî)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2814: To be silent, inactive, or still

from ages past;
מֵֽעוֹלָ֔ם (mê·‘ō·w·lām)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5769: Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, always

I have kept quiet
אַחֲרִ֖ישׁ (’a·ḥă·rîš)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2790: To cut in, engrave, plow, devise

and restrained.
אֶתְאַפָּ֑ק (’eṯ·’ap·pāq)
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 662: To contain, abstain

But now I will groan
אֶפְעֶ֔ה (’ep̄·‘eh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6463: To scream

like a woman in labor;
כַּיּוֹלֵדָ֣ה (kay·yō·w·lê·ḏāh)
Preposition-k, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage

I will at once
יָֽחַד׃ (yā·ḥaḏ)
Adverb
Strong's 3162: A unit, unitedly

gasp
אֶשֹּׁ֥ם (’eš·šōm)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5395: To blow away, destroy

and pant.
וְאֶשְׁאַ֖ף (wə·’eš·’ap̄)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7602: To inhale eagerly, to cover, to be angry, to hasten


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 42:14 I have been silent a long time (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 42:13
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