Ésaïe 41:14

Louis Segond

Ne crains rien, vermisseau de Jacob, Faible reste d'Israël; Je viens à ton secours, dit l'Eternel, Et le Saint d'Israël est ton sauveur.

Parallel Translations

La Bible David Martin (1744)
Ne crains point, vermisseau de Jacob, hommes [mortels] d'Isra�l; je t'aiderai dit l'Eternel, et ton d�fenseur c'est le Saint d'Isra�l.

La Bible Ostervald (1996)
Ne crains point, vermisseau de Jacob, faible reste d'Isra�l: Je suis ton aide, dit l'�ternel; le Saint d'Isra�l est ton R�dempteur.

Darby's French Translation
Ne crains point, toi Jacob, vermisseau! et vous, hommes d'Isra�l! Moi je t'aiderai, dit l'�ternel, et ton r�dempteur, le Saint d'Isra�l.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

thou worm: Job 25:6, Psalms 22:6

men: or, few men, Deuteronomy 7:7, Matthew 7:14, Luke 12:32, Romans 9:27

saith: Isaiah 43:14, Isaiah 44:6, Isaiah 44:24, Isaiah 47:4, Isaiah 48:17, Isaiah 49:7, Isaiah 49:26, Isaiah 54:5, Isaiah 54:8, Isaiah 59:20, Isaiah 60:16, Isaiah 63:16, Job 19:25, Psalms 19:14, Jeremiah 50:34, Galatians 3:13, Titus 2:14, Revelation 5:9

Reciprocal: Genesis 15:1 - Fear Genesis 21:17 - fear Genesis 32:25 - that he Genesis 42:36 - all these things are against me Numbers 14:9 - fear them not Judges 1:19 - the Lord Judges 6:16 - General Judges 7:7 - General Judges 7:13 - a cake 1 Samuel 23:17 - Fear not 1 Chronicles 11:9 - for Ezra 3:12 - when the foundation Psalms 44:5 - Through thee Psalms 78:35 - their redeemer Psalms 105:6 - ye seed Isaiah 1:4 - the Holy Isaiah 7:4 - fear not Isaiah 12:6 - great Isaiah 29:22 - who redeemed Isaiah 37:23 - the Holy One Isaiah 41:10 - Fear Isaiah 43:2 - I will be Isaiah 43:3 - the Holy One Isaiah 43:5 - Fear not Isaiah 43:15 - the Lord Isaiah 54:4 - Fear not Jeremiah 20:11 - the Lord Jeremiah 46:27 - fear Lamentations 3:57 - thou saidst Ezekiel 3:9 - fear Daniel 10:12 - Fear not Daniel 10:19 - fear not Hosea 7:13 - though Zephaniah 3:16 - be said Zechariah 10:4 - of him came forth Matthew 10:26 - Fear Matthew 14:27 - it Matthew 28:5 - Fear Luke 1:30 - General John 6:20 - It is John 12:15 - Fear John 14:27 - afraid Acts 2:22 - men Acts 23:11 - the Lord 2 Corinthians 10:4 - mighty 2 Timothy 3:11 - but 2 Timothy 4:17 - strengthened Hebrews 11:23 - and they Hebrews 13:6 - The Lord Revelation 3:7 - he that is holy

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Fear not, thou worm Jacob,.... Being like a worm, exposed to danger, and liable to be trampled upon and crushed, mean and despicable in their own eyes, and in the esteem of others; and it may be Jacob, or the true Israelites, are so called, because of their impurity in themselves, of which they are sensible; and chiefly because of their weakness and impotence to defend themselves, and resist their enemies. It is an observation of Jarchi, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, that the strength of a worm lies in its mouth, which, though tender, can strike the strongest cedar, and penetrate into it; and the latter observes, that the strength of Israel lies in their prayers, as Jacob's did, when, wrestling with the angel, and making supplication, he had power with God, and prevailed. Now, though the saints are such poor, weak, and contemptible things, yet the Lord bids them not fear any of their enemies, he would take their part, and protect them:

and ye men of Israel; the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "ye dead men of Israel" s; such as were accounted as dead men, and had no more respect shown them than the dead, that are remembered no more; or were exposed to death daily, for the sake of Christ and his Gospel; or that reckoned themselves dead to sin, and did die daily to it, and lived unto righteousness: or, "ye few men of Israel", as others t render it; Christ's flock is a little flock, his church is a little city, and few men in it, in comparison of the men of the world:

I will help thee, saith, the Lord, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; which is repeated for the confirmation of it, and is the more strongly assured by these characters of a Redeemer of his people out of the hands of all their enemies, and the holy and just God, and sanctifier of them, which he here takes to himself, and makes himself known by.

s מתי ישראל "mortales Israeliae", Castalio. t ολιγοστος ισραηλ, Sept. "viri pauci Israel", Munster, Montanus; "Israel, qui pauco es numero", Tigurine version.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Fear not - (See the note at Isaiah 41:10).

Thou worm - This word is properly applied as it is with us, to denote a worm, such as is generated in putrid substances Exodus 16:20; Isaiah 14:11; Isaiah 66:24; or such as destroy plants Jonah 4:7; Deuteronomy 28:39. It is used also to describe a person that is poor, afflicted, and an object of insignificance Job 25:5-6 :

Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not;

Yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.

How much less man, that is a worm;

And the son of man which is a worm?

And in Psalms 22:6 :

But I am a worm, and no man;

A reproach of men, and despised of the people.

In the passage before us, it is applied to the Jews in Babylon as poor and afflicted, and as objects of contempt in view of their enemies. It implies that in themselves they were unable to defend or deliver themselves, and in this state of helplessness, God offers to aid them and assures them that they have nothing to fear.

And ye men of Israel - (מתי ישׂראל yı̂s'erâ'ēl methēy). Margin, ‘Few men.’ There has been a great variety in the explanation of this phrase. Aquila renders it, Τεθνεῶτες Tethneōtes, and Theodotion, Νεκροὶ Nekroi, ‘dead.’ So the Vulgate, Qui mortui estis ex Israel. The Septuagint renders it, ‘Fear not, Jacob, O diminutive Israel’ (ὀλιγοστὸς Ἰσραὴλ oligostos Israēl). Chaldee, ‘Fear not, O tribe of the house of Jacob, ye seed of Israel.’ Lowth renders it, ‘Ye mortals of Israel.’ The Hebrew denotes properly, as in our translation, ‘men of Israel;’ but there is evidently included the idea of fewness or feebleness. The parallelism requires us so to understand it; and the word men, or mortal men, may well express the idea of feebleness.

And thy Redeemer - On the meaning of this word, see the notes at Isaiah 35:9; Isaiah 43:1, Isaiah 43:3. It is applied here to the rescue from the captivity of Babylon, and is used in the general sense of deliverer. God would deliver, or rescue them as be had done in times past. He had done it so often, that this might be regarded as his appropriate appellation, that he was the redeemer of his people.

The Holy One of Israel - The Holy Being whom the Israelites adored, and who was their protector, and their friend (see the note at Isaiah 2:4). This appellation is often given to God (see Isaiah 5:19, Isaiah 5:24; Isaiah 10:20; Isaiah 12:6; Isaiah 17:7; Isaiah 29:19; Isaiah 30:11-12). We may remark in view of these verses:

1. That the people of God are in themselves feeble and defenseless. They have no strength on which they can rely. They are often so encompassed with difficulties which they feel they have no strength to overcome, that they are disposed to apply to themselves the appellation of ‘worm,’ and by ethers they are looked on as objects of contempt, and are despised.

2. They have nothing to fear. Though they are feeble, their God and Redeemer is strong. He is their Redeemer, and their friend, and they may put their trust in him. Their enemies cannot ultimately triumph over them, but they will be scattered and become as nothing.

3. In times of trial, want, and persecution, the friends of God should put their trust alone in him. It is often the plan of God so to afflict and humble his people, that they shall feel their utter helplessness and dependence, and be led to him as the only source of strength.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 41:14. Fear not, thou worm Jacob — In the rabbinical commentary on the five books of Moses, Yelamedenu, it is asked, Why are the Israelites called a worm? To signify, that as the worm does not smite, that is, gnaw the cedars, but with its mouth, which is very tender, yet it nevertheless destroys the hard wood; so all the strength of the Israelites is in prayer, by which they smite the wicked of this world, though strong like the cedars, to which they are compared, Ezekiel 31:3.