I have kept silent from ages past;This phrase indicates a period of divine patience and restraint. Historically, God often allowed nations to follow their own paths, giving them time to repent. This silence can be seen in the intertestamental period, where prophetic voices were rare. Theologically, it reflects God's long-suffering nature, as seen in
2 Peter 3:9, where God is patient, not wanting anyone to perish.
I have remained quiet and restrained.
God's restraint suggests His control over judgment and mercy. In the context of Israel, God often withheld immediate judgment to allow for repentance. This restraint is evident in the history of Israel's repeated cycles of sin and redemption. It also points to God's sovereignty, as He chooses the timing and manner of His interventions.
But now I will groan like a woman in labor;
The imagery of a woman in labor signifies an intense, unavoidable, and transformative event. This metaphor is used elsewhere in scripture, such as inJeremiah 30:6-7, to describe the coming of God's judgment and the birth of a new era. It suggests that God's intervention will be both painful and productive, leading to a new creation or order.
I will at once gasp and pant.
This phrase conveys urgency and intensity. It indicates that God's action will be swift and powerful, leaving no room for delay. The imagery of gasping and panting suggests a release of pent-up energy, similar to the suddenness of God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt. It also foreshadows the coming of Christ, who fulfills God's promises with decisive action, as seen in the New Testament.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
God (Yahweh)The speaker in this verse, expressing His long-held silence and the impending action He is about to take.
2.
IsaiahThe prophet through whom God delivers this message, addressing the people of Israel.
3.
IsraelThe primary audience of Isaiah's prophecy, often in need of correction and encouragement.
4.
Woman in LaborA metaphor used to describe the intensity and inevitability of God's forthcoming actions.
Teaching Points
God's Patience and TimingGod's silence is not indicative of inaction or indifference. His timing is perfect, and His plans unfold according to His divine wisdom.
The Intensity of God's ActionsThe metaphor of a woman in labor highlights the intensity and inevitability of God's intervention. When God decides to act, it is both powerful and transformative.
The Certainty of God's PromisesJust as labor leads to birth, God's promises lead to fulfillment. Believers can trust that what God has spoken will come to pass.
Preparation for God's MovementJust as labor requires preparation, believers should be spiritually prepared for God's movements in their lives, staying vigilant and faithful.
God's Compassionate NatureThe imagery of labor also suggests compassion and care, as God is deeply involved in the process of bringing about His purposes.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Isaiah 42:14?
2.How does Isaiah 42:14 illustrate God's patience and eventual decisive action?
3.What can we learn about God's character from "I have kept silent"?
4.How does Isaiah 42:14 connect to God's deliverance in Exodus?
5.How should we respond when God seems silent in our lives?
6.What actions can we take to align with God's timing and plans?
7.What does Isaiah 42:14 reveal about God's patience and eventual action?
8.How does Isaiah 42:14 fit into the broader context of Isaiah's prophecies?
9.What historical events might Isaiah 42:14 be referencing?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Isaiah 42?
11.What is the purpose of prayer?
12.Is the concept of a heavenly mother biblical?
13.If Isaiah 64:12 questions why God remains silent amidst destruction, why does this seem to contradict other passages where God intervenes miraculously?
14.Does Job 14:14's question 'If someone dies, will they live again?' indicate uncertainty about resurrection, challenging other parts of the Bible that teach it?What Does Isaiah 42:14 Mean
I have kept silent from ages past• God’s silence does not mean indifference; it signals patient mercy.Psalm 50:21 says, “You have done these things, and I kept silent; you thought that I was just like you. But now I rebuke you.”
• For generations He allowed nations to go their own way, asActs 17:30 reminds us: “Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.”
• His restraint flows from steadfast love, not weakness. Second Peter 3:9 underscores this: “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise… but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish.”
I have remained quiet and restrained• Isaiah pictures the Lord holding back righteous anger, much like a parent giving repeated warnings.
•Isaiah 30:18 assures us, “Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you… the LORD is a just God,” pairing His justice with grace.
•Lamentations 3:25-26 urges waiting quietly for His salvation. Even Rome-2:4 reminds us not to “disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience,” for continued sin invites eventual judgment.
But now I will groan like a woman in labor• The image shifts from stillness to the unavoidable anguish of childbirth. Pain signals imminent delivery; so God’s groan announces decisive action.
•Jeremiah 4:31 echoes the sound: “I hear a cry like a woman in labor… her hands stretched out.”
• Jesus used the same picture inJohn 16:21—pain precedes joy. Here, however, the “birth” is God’s sweeping work of justice and redemption.
•Romans 8:22 broadens the concept: all creation groans, awaiting the moment God will set things right.
I will at once gasp and pant• Labor contractions come suddenly and intensely; God’s pent-up power will break forth in swift judgments and mighty deliverance.
•Isaiah 13:8 describes nations seized with “terror, pain, and anguish… like a woman in labor,” showing how divine intervention shakes the world order.
•Hosea 13:13 pictures birth pains that can’t be stopped. When the Lord inhales and exhales in judgment, no force can restrain Him. What seemed delay turns into a rapid, unstoppable work—toppling idols, gathering His people, leveling proud empires.
summaryFor ages God waited, silent and self-restrained, extending mercy and space for repentance.Isaiah 42:14 reveals the turning point: the long-suffering Lord will no longer hold back. Like a woman’s labor pains that signal a new birth, His groan, gasp, and pant announce decisive intervention—both judgment against persistent rebellion and salvation for those who trust Him. What once appeared inactivity is actually purposeful patience; when His appointed moment arrives, His power bursts forth without hesitation, accomplishing all He has promised.
(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 silentהֶחֱשֵׁ֙יתִי֙(he·ḥĕ·šê·ṯî)Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2814:To be silent, inactive, or stillfrom ages past;מֵֽעוֹלָ֔ם(mê·‘ō·w·lām)Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5769:Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, alwaysI have kept quietאַחֲרִ֖ישׁ(’a·ḥă·rîš)Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2790:To cut in, engrave, plow, deviseand restrained.אֶתְאַפָּ֑ק(’eṯ·’ap·pāq)Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 662:To contain, abstainBut now I will groanאֶפְעֶ֔ה(’ep̄·‘eh)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6463:To screamlike 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 lineageI will at onceיָֽחַד׃(yā·ḥaḏ)Adverb
Strong's 3162:A unit, unitedlygaspאֶשֹּׁ֥ם(’eš·šōm)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5395:To blow away, destroyand 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) 
