Isaiah 66:9

Christian Standard Bible ®

“Will I bring a baby to the point of birthand not deliver it?”says the Lord;“or will I who deliver, close the womb?”says your God.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? says the LORD: shall I who cause to bring forth shut [the womb]? says your God.

King James Version
Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord : shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.

English Standard Version
Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?" says the Lord ; "shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?" says your God.

New American Standard Bible
"Shall I bring to the point of birth but not give delivery?" says the LORD. "Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?" says your God.

New Century Version
In the same way I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born," says the Lord . "If I cause you the pain, I will not stop you from giving birth to your new nation," says your God.

Amplified Bible
"Shall I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?" says the LORD. "Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?" says your God.

World English Bible
Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? says Yahweh: shall I who cause to bring forth shut [the womb]? says your God.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Shall I cause to trauaile, and not bring forth? shall I cause to bring forth, and shall be baren, saith thy God?

Legacy Standard Bible
Shall I bring to the point of breaking forth and not cause birth?" says Yahweh."Or shall I who causes birth shut the womb?" says your God.

Berean Standard Bible
Shall I bring a baby to the point of birth and not deliver it?" says the LORD. "Or will I who deliver close the womb?" says your God.

Contemporary English Version
The Lord is the one who makes birth possible. And he will see that Zion has many more children. The Lord has spoken.

Complete Jewish Bible
"Would I let the baby break through and not be born?" asks Adonai . "Would I, who cause the birth, shut the womb?" asks your God.

Darby Translation
Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith Jehovah; I who cause to bring forth, shall I shut [the womb]? saith thy God.

Easy-to-Read Version
In the same way, I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born." The Lord says this: "I promise that if I cause you the pain of birth, I will not stop you from having your new nation." Your God said this.

George Lamsa Translation
Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? says the LORD; perhaps it is not I who causes to bring forth and who shuts the womb? says the LORD your God.

Good News Translation
Do not think that I will bring my people to the point of birth and not let them be born." The Lord has spoken.

Lexham English Bible
Shall I myself I break open and not deliver?" says Yahweh, "or I who delivers lock up the womb?" says your God.

Literal Translation
Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? says Jehovah. Surely I cause birth, and hold back, says your God.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For thus sayeth the LORDE: Am I he that maketh other to beare, and beare not my self? Am not I he that beareth, and maketh baren? saieth thy God.

American Standard Version
Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith Jehovah: shall I that cause to bring forth shut the womb? saith thy God.

Bible in Basic English
Will I by whom the birth was started, not make it complete? says the Lord. Will I who make children come to birth, let them be kept back? says your God.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD; Shall I that cause to bring forth shut the womb? saith thy God.

King James Version (1611)
Shall I bring to the birth, & not cause to bring forth, saith the Lord ? shall I cause to bring foorth, and shut the wombe, sayth thy God?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For thus saith the Lorde: Am I he that maketh other to beare, and beare not my selfe? Am not I he that beareth and maketh barren, saith thy God?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
But I have raised this expectation, yet thou hast not remembered me, saith the Lord: behold, have not I made the bearing and barren woman? saith thy God.

English Revised Version
Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I that cause to bring forth shut the womb? saith thy God.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whether that Y `my silf that make othere to bere child, schal not ber child? seith the Lord. Whether Y that yyue generacioun to othere men, schal be bareyn? seith thi Lord God.

Update Bible Version
Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? says Yahweh: shall I that cause to bring forth shut [the womb]? says your God.

Webster's Bible Translation
Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut [the womb]? saith thy God.

New English Translation
"Do I bring a baby to the birth opening and then not deliver it?" asks the Lord . "Or do I bring a baby to the point of delivery and then hold it back?" asks your God.

New King James Version
Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?" says the LORD. "Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?" says your God.

New Living Translation
Would I ever bring this nation to the point of birth and then not deliver it?" asks the Lord . "No! I would never keep this nation from being born," says your God.

New Life Bible
Will I bring a child to birth, and not let him be born?" says the Lord. "Will I, Who gives birth, stop it?" says your God.

New Revised Standard
Shall I open the womb and not deliver? says the Lord ; shall I, the one who delivers, shut the womb? says your God.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Could, I, bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth? saith Yahweh. Or, I, be causing to bring forth and then prevent? Saith thy God.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Shall not I that make others to bring forth children, myself bring forth, saith the Lord? shall I, that give generation to others, be barren, saith the Lord thy God?

Revised Standard Version
Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth? says the LORD; shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb? says your God.

Young's Literal Translation
`Do I bring to the birth, And not cause to bring forth?' saith Jehovah, `Am not I He who is causing to beget? I have also restrained,' said thy God.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Shall I bring to the point of birth and not give delivery?" says the LORD. "Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?" says your God.

Contextual Overview

⁵You who tremble at his word,hear the word of the Lord:“Your brothers who hate and exclude youfor my name’s sake have said,‘Let the Lord be glorifiedso that we can see your joy!’But they will be put to shame.” ⁶A sound of uproar from the city!A voice from the temple—the voice of the Lord,paying back his enemies what they deserve! ⁷Before Zion was in labor, she gave birth;before she was in pain, she delivered a boy. ⁸Who has heard of such a thing?Who has seen such things?Can a land be born in one dayor a nation be delivered in an instant?Yet as soon as Zion was in labor,she gave birth to her sons. ⁹“Will I bring a baby to the point of birthand not deliver it?”says the Lord;“or will I who deliver, close the womb?”says your God.¹⁰Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her,all who love her.Rejoice greatly with her,all who mourn over her— ¹¹so that you may nurse and be satisfiedfrom her comforting breastand drink deeply and delight yourselvesfrom her glorious breasts. ¹²For this is what the Lord says: ¹³As a mother comforts her son,so I will comfort you,and you will be comforted in Jerusalem. ¹⁴You will see, you will rejoice,and you will flourish like grass;then the Lord’s power will be revealed to his servants,but he will show his wrath against his enemies.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

bring to: Isaiah 37:3, Genesis 18:14

cause to bring forth: or, beget

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 19:3 - for the children Isaiah 40:28 - fainteth Luke 1:58 - they John 16:22 - But Acts 21:20 - they glorified Romans 11:9 - a recompense 2 Thessalonians 1:11 - fulfil

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth, saith the Lord?.... Or, "to the place of breaking" forth of children, as in

Hosea 13:13, the womb, and the mouth of it: or, "shall I break or open" that, so some s render it; lest too much should or seem to be attributed to the Church, she being said to travail in birth, and bring forth children, this is said by the Lord. The church may pray, and her ministers preach, and both be said to travail in birth, but it is the Lord that brings to it; regeneration is not the work of man, but of God; it is he that beget, again, quickens, renews, and sanctifies; it is he that begins the work of grace in regeneration, in real and thorough convictions of sin; which are right when men are convinced of the impurity of their nature, the exceeding sinfulness of sin, have a godly sorrow for it, and forsake it: the work is begun when souls feel the burden of sin; the inward struggling, of grace and corruption; a want of spiritual food, and hunger after it; desires after spiritual things, and a glowing love and affection for them; and when light is infused, faith, fear, and love produced, and every other grace implanted; and he that has begun the good work will perform it; as Jarchi rightly gives the sense of the clause,

"shall I begin a thing, and not be able to finish it?''

no, he is a rock, and his work is perfect, as in creation and redemption, so in regeneration and conversion; as may be concluded, from his power to effect it, and his promise to do it; the grace of Christ, and the indwelling of the Spirit; the impotency of everything to hinder it, and the glory of the three divine Persons concerned in it. As in the natural birth it is he that gives strength to conceive, forms the embryo in the womb, ripens it for the birth, and takes the child out of its mother's womb; so he does all that answers hereunto in the spiritual birth.

Shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb, saith thy God? no, I will not. As God has regenerated many souls in the first times of the Gospel, and many more since, in various nations, in each of the ages and periods of time; so he has not ceased, nor will he cease from this work, until all his elect are born again; for everyone that is chosen of the Father, given to the Son, taken into covenant, and redeemed by his blood, shall be begotten again to a lively hope of a glorious inheritance; God will not shut the womb of conversion until they are all brought to faith in Christ, and repentance towards God. He will beget many more sons and daughters; and he will cause the fulness of the Gentiles to be brought forth and brought in, and convert his ancient people the Jews; all his promises shall be performed, and all prophecies relating to these things shall be accomplished.

s האני אשביר "matricem frangam?" Montanus; "an ego aperirem os matricis?" Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Shall I bring to the birth? - The sense of this verse is plain. It is, that God would certainly accomplish what he had here predicted, and for which he had made ample arrangements and preparations. He would not commence the work, and then abandon it. The figure which is used here is obvious; but one which does not render very ample illustration proper. Jarchi has well expressed it: ‘Num ego adducerem uxorem meam ad sellam partus, sc. ad partitudinem, et non aperirem uterum ejus, ut foetum suum in lucem produceret? Quasi diceret; an ego incipiam rem nec possim eam perficere?’

Shall I cause to bring forth? - Lowth and Noyes render this, ‘Shall I, who begat, restrain the birth?’ This accurately expresses the idea. The meaning of the whole is, that God designed the great and sudden increase of his church; that the plan was long laid; and that, having done this, he would not abandon it, but would certainly effect his designs.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 66:9. Shall I bring to the birth — האני אשביר haani ashbir, num ego matricem frangam; MONTANUS. The word means that which immediately precedes the appearance of the fetus - the breaking forth of the liquor amnii. This also is an expression that should be studiously avoided in prayers and sermons.