Isaiah 49:23
New International Version
Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground; they will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”

New Living Translation
Kings and queens will serve you and care for all your needs. They will bow to the earth before you and lick the dust from your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD. Those who trust in me will never be put to shame.”

English Standard Version
Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you, and lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.”

Berean Standard Bible
Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in Me will never be put to shame.”

King James Bible
And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

New King James Version
Kings shall be your foster fathers, And their queens your nursing mothers; They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, And lick up the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD, For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me.”

New American Standard Bible
“Kings will be your guardians, And their princesses your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the ground And lick the dust from your feet; And you will know that I am the LORD; Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame.

NASB 1995
“Kings will be your guardians, And their princesses your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth And lick the dust of your feet; And you will know that I am the LORD; Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame.

NASB 1977
“And kings will be your guardians, And their princesses your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth, And lick the dust of your feet; And you will know that I am the LORD; Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame.

Legacy Standard Bible
Kings will be your guardians, And their princesses your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth And lick the dust of your feet; And you will know that I am Yahweh; Those who hope in Me will not be put to shame.

Amplified Bible
“Kings will be your attendants, And their princesses your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth And lick the dust of your feet; And you shall know [with an understanding based on personal experience] that I am the LORD; For they shall not be put to shame who wait and hope expectantly for Me.

Christian Standard Bible
Kings will be your guardians and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down to you with their faces to the ground and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who put their hope in me will not be put to shame.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down to you with their faces to the ground, and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am Yahweh; those who put their hope in Me will not be put to shame.

American Standard Version
And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah; and they that wait for me shall not be put to shame.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Kings shall be your foster fathers and their Princesses your wet nurses, and upon their faces on the ground they shall worship you, and the dust of your feet they shall lick. And you shall know that I AM LORD JEHOVAH, that those who wait for me are not ashamed

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their princesses thy nurses, they shall bow down to thee on the face of the earth, and shall lick the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord, and they that wait on me shall not be ashamed.

Contemporary English Version
The kings and queens of those nations where they were raised will come and bow down. They will take care of you just like a slave taking care of a child. Then you will know that I am the LORD. You won't be disappointed if you trust me."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and queens thy nurses: they shall worship thee with their face toward the earth, and they shall lick up the dust of thy feet. And thou shalt know that I am the Lord, for they shall not be confounded that wait for him.

English Revised Version
And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD, and they that wait for me shall not be ashamed.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens will nurse you. They will bow in front of you with their faces touching the ground. They will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD. Those who wait with hope for me will not be put to shame.

Good News Translation
Kings will be like fathers to you; queens will be like mothers. They will bow low before you and honor you; they will humbly show their respect for you. Then you will know that I am the LORD; no one who waits for my help will be disappointed."

International Standard Version
"Oh, yes! Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens will be your nursing mothers. They will bow to you with their faces to the ground, and lick the dust from your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And kings shall be thy foster-fathers, And their queens thy nursing mothers; They shall bow down to thee with their face to the earth, And lick the dust of thy feet; And thou shalt know that I am the LORD, For they shall not be ashamed that wait for Me.

Literal Standard Version
And kings have been your nursing fathers, | And their princesses—your nursing mothers; Face to the earth—they bow down to you, | And they lick up the dust of your feet, | And you have known that I [am] YHWH, | That those expecting Me are not ashamed.”

Majority Standard Bible
Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in Me will never be put to shame.”

New American Bible
Kings shall be your guardians, their princesses your nursemaids; Face to the ground, they shall bow down before you and lick the dust at your feet. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, none who hope in me shall be ashamed.

NET Bible
Kings will be your children's guardians; their princesses will nurse your children. With their faces to the ground they will bow down to you and they will lick the dirt on your feet. Then you will recognize that I am the LORD; those who wait patiently for me are not put to shame.

New Revised Standard Version
Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you, and lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.

New Heart English Bible
Kings shall be your nursing fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers: they shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of your feet; and you shall know that I am the LORD; and those who wait for me shall not be disappointed."

Webster's Bible Translation
And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow to thee with their face towards the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

World English Bible
Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am Yahweh; and those who wait for me won’t be disappointed.”

Young's Literal Translation
And kings have been thy nursing fathers, And their princesses thy nursing mothers; Face to the earth -- they bow down to thee, And the dust of thy feet they lick up, And thou hast known that I am Jehovah, That those expecting Me are not ashamed.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
You are My Servant
22This is what the Lord GOD says: “Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations, and raise My banner to the peoples. They will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders. 23Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in Me will never be put to shame.” 24Can the plunder be snatched from the mighty, or the captives of a tyrant be delivered?…

Cross References
Revelation 3:9
Look at those who belong to the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews but are liars instead. I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know that I love you.

Revelation 21:24
By its light the nations will walk, and into it the kings of the earth will bring their glory.

Revelation 21:26
And into the city will be brought the glory and honor of the nations.

Genesis 27:29
May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. May you be the master of your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed, and those who bless you be blessed."

Exodus 6:7
I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.

Isaiah 14:1
For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob; once again He will choose Israel and settle them in their own land. The foreigner will join them and unite with the house of Jacob.

Isaiah 14:2
The nations will escort Israel and bring it to its homeland. Then the house of Israel will possess the nations as menservants and maidservants in the LORD's land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors.


Treasury of Scripture

And kings shall be your nursing fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers: they shall bow down to you with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of your feet; and you shall know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

king.

Isaiah 49:7
Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.

Isaiah 52:15
So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

Isaiah 60:3,10,11,16
And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising…

nursing fathers.

Hebrews 11:12
Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

queens.

Isaiah 45:14
Thus saith the LORD, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.

Isaiah 60:14
The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

Genesis 43:26
And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.

lick up

Micah 7:17
They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of thee.

for they

Isaiah 25:9
And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Isaiah 64:4
For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

Psalm 25:3
Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.

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Ashamed Bow Disappointed Dust Earth Face Faces Fathers Feet Guardians Hopefully Kings Lick Mothers Nurses Nursing Princesses Queens Wait
Isaiah 49
1. Christ being sent to the Jews, complains of them
5. He is sent to the Gentiles with gracious promises
13. God's love is perpetual to his church
18. The ample restoration of the church
24. The powerful deliverance out of captivity














(23) Kings shall be thy nursing fathers . . .--As a rule kings gave their children to be brought up by their nobles (2Kings 10:5). Zion should have kings themselves and their queens to rear her children. They shall bow down to her, the true Israel, the true Ecclesia, as the dwelling-place of Jehovah.

Verse 23. - Kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers; or, thy foster-fathers... thy foster-mothers. Kings and queens (sultanas) shall put themselves at the disposal of the Church, to nourish and cherish such of the Church's children as may be entrusted to their care. They shall bow down. They shall not seek to lord it over the Church, but shall acknowledge in the officers of the Church a spiritual authority superior to their own, before which they shall "bow down," as Theodosius did. They shall even be willing, when they are conscious of guilt, to "lick the dust" under the Church's feet, or subject themselves to deep humiliation, that they may be restored. They shall not be ashamed that wait for me. Such as wait patiently and trust in the fulfilment of all these gracious promises shall escape shame, for the promises will assuredly be fulfilled.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Kings
מְלָכִ֜ים (mə·lā·ḵîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4428: A king

will be
וְהָי֨וּ (wə·hā·yū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

your foster fathers,
אֹֽמְנַ֗יִךְ (’ō·mə·na·yiḵ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 539: To confirm, support

and their queens
וְשָׂרֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙ (wə·śā·rō·w·ṯê·hem)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8282: A mistress, female noble

your nursing mothers.
מֵינִ֣יקֹתַ֔יִךְ (mê·nî·qō·ṯa·yiḵ)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - feminine plural construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 3243: To suck, to give milk

They will bow to you
יִשְׁתַּ֣חֲווּ (yiš·ta·ḥă·wū)
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7812: To depress, prostrate

facedown
אַפַּ֗יִם (’ap·pa·yim)
Noun - md
Strong's 639: The nose, nostril, the face, a person, ire

and lick
יְלַחֵ֑כוּ (yə·la·ḥê·ḵū)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3897: To lick

the dust
וַעֲפַ֥ר (wa·‘ă·p̄ar)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6083: Dust, clay, earth, mud

at your feet.
רַגְלַ֖יִךְ (raḡ·la·yiḵ)
Noun - fdc | second person feminine singular
Strong's 7272: A foot, a step, the pudenda

Then you will know
וְיָדַ֙עַתְּ֙ (wə·yā·ḏa·‘at)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person feminine singular
Strong's 3045: To know

that
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

I
אֲנִ֣י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

am the LORD;
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

those who
אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

hope in Me
קוָֹֽי׃ (qō·wāy)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6960: To bind together, collect, to expect

will never
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

be put to shame.”
יֵבֹ֖שׁוּ (yê·ḇō·šū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 954: To pale, to be ashamed, to be disappointed, delayed


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 49:23 Kings shall be your nursing fathers (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 49:22
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