“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.
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.
- KJV 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.
- 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.
- 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, God of our salvation, for the glory of your name. Deliver us, and forgive our sins, for your name’s sake.
- Ps 106:8Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power known.
- Ps 78:38But he, being merciful, forgave iniquity, and didn’t destroy them. Yes, many times he turned his anger away, and didn’t stir up all his wrath.
- Isa 37:35‘For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.’”
- Ps 143:11Revive me, Yahweh, for your name’s sake. In your righteousness, bring my soul out of trouble.
- Ezek 20:44You shall know that I am Yahweh, when I have dealt with you for my name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, you house of Israel,” says the Lord Yahweh.’”
- Ezek 20:22Nevertheless I withdrew my hand, and worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out.
- Isa 48:11For my own sake, for my own sake, I will do it; for how would my name be profaned? I will not give my glory to another.
- Isa 30:18Therefore Yahweh will wait, that he may be gracious to you; and therefore he will be exalted, that he may have mercy on you, for Yahweh is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait for him.
- Ezek 20:14But I worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out.
- Jer 14:7Though our iniquities testify against us, work for your name’s sake, Yahweh; for our rebellions are many. We have sinned against you.
- Ps 103:8–10Yahweh is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.
- Isa 43:25I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; and I will not remember your sins.
- Dan 9:17–19Now therefore, our God, listen to the prayer of your servant, and to his petitions, and cause your face to shine on your sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake.
- 1 Sam 12:22For Yahweh will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased Yahweh to make you a people for himself.
- Ps 25:11For your name’s sake, Yahweh, pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
- Ezek 20:9But I worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, among which they were, in whose sight I made myself known to them, in bringing them out of the land of Egypt.
- Josh 7:9For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. What will you do for your great name?”
- Neh 9:30–31Yet many years you put up with them, and testified against them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet would they not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
- Prov 19:11The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger. It is his glory to overlook an offense.
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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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