Isaiah 42:13
ESV
The Lord goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his zeal; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes.
NIV
The Lord will march out like a champion, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies.
NASB
The Lord will go out like a warrior, He will stir His zeal like a man of war. He will shout, indeed, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies.
CSB
The Lord advances like a warrior; he stirs up his zeal like a soldier. He shouts, he roars aloud, he prevails over his enemies.
NLT
The Lord will march forth like a mighty hero; he will come out like a warrior, full of fury. He will shout his battle cry and crush all his enemies.
KJV
The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.
NKJV
The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies.
What does Isaiah 42:13 mean?
Isaiah has called out to the peoples of the earth, telling them to give praise and glory to the God of Israel. Truly, this is the only right response to who God is and what He has done for humanity. He designed His creatures to reflect His glory back to Him and give Him praise (Psalm 148).Here, the prophet describes the Lord using just one aspect of His glory. God is like a mighty warrior going out to battle for His people. Moses also described the Lord as a "man of war" when celebrating Israel's freedom from Egypt (Exodus 15:3).
The point is not merely to develop a mental image of God. It's to become fully aware of the Lord's righteous fury. The prophet uses human imagery to imagine God as a warrior preparing to charge into battle. He yells and shouts, building His intensity before charging into the fray. This should be a terrifying sight to God's enemies: to see the Lord bearing down on them in His glory. That's who Isaiah calls for all the world, including us in the modern world, to praise. This is the Lord who fights for His people.
