For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.
Parallel translations
- WEB For my name’s sake, I will defer my anger, and for my praise I hold it back for you, so that I don’t cut you off.
- BSB For the sake of My name I will delay My wrath; for the sake of My praise I will restrain it, so that you will not be cut off.
- NKJV “ForMy name’s sake I will defer My anger, And for My praise I will restrain it from you, So that I do not cut you off.
- NASB “For the sake of My name I delay My wrath, And for My praise I restrain it for you, In order not to cut you off.
- NLT Yet for my own sake and for the honor of my name, I will hold back my anger and not wipe you out.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
For his own name's sake God restrains his anger and does not cut off his people. He spares them by grace, not their merit.
Overview
God defers his deserved wrath 'for my name's sake' and 'for my praise,' refusing to destroy a people who deserve it. Their preservation rests on his commitment to his own glory and covenant, not their worthiness. This grace anticipates the gospel, where God saves the undeserving to the praise of his glory in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 20
- Ps 79:9Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake.
- Ps 106:8Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.
- Ps 78:38But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.
- Isa 37:35For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.
- Ps 143:11Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
- Ezek 20:44And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for my name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.
- Ezek 20:22Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name’s sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth.
- Isa 48:11For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.
- Isa 30:18And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.
- Ezek 20:14But I wrought for my name’s sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out.
- Jer 14:7O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name’s sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee.
- Ps 103:8–10The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
- Isa 43:25I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
- Dan 9:17–19Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake.
- 1 Sam 12:22For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.
- Ps 25:11For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.
- Ezek 20:9But I wrought for my name’s sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.
- Josh 7:9For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?
- Neh 9:30–31Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands.
- Prov 19:11The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.
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Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 48:9 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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