“Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?”
My Notes
What Does Isaiah 51:9 Mean?
Isaiah cries out for God to act — awake, awake, put on strength. The repetition is desperate. The plea is for God's arm — his power, his intervention — to move as it did in ancient days.
The ancient days referenced are the Exodus: cutting Rahab (Egypt) to pieces, piercing the dragon (Pharaoh), drying the sea for the redeemed to pass through. Isaiah appeals to God's track record — you did this before. Do it again.
The boldness of the prayer is striking. Isaiah is essentially telling God to wake up and act. This is not irreverent — it is the anguished prayer of someone who believes God can intervene and is desperate for him to do so.
The arm of the LORD is a recurring Old Testament image for divine power in action. Isaiah asks for the arm to be bared again — for the same power that parted the Red Sea to move in his generation.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Is it appropriate to pray with the boldness Isaiah uses — essentially telling God to wake up?
- 2.What 'ancient days' deliverance can you appeal to in your own history with God?
- 3.Where do you need the arm of the LORD to intervene right now?
- 4.How does appealing to God's track record strengthen your prayers?
Devotional
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD. Isaiah is not praying quietly. He is shouting at God. Wake up. Act. Do what you did before.
As in the ancient days. The appeal is to history — to the parting of the sea, the destruction of Pharaoh, the impossible rescue that defined Israel's identity. Isaiah says: you have done this before. The arm that split the sea is the same arm I am calling on now.
The prayer is bold to the point of audacity. Telling God to wake up? To put on strength? Isaiah prays as someone who believes God's power is real and is desperate for it to move.
That kind of prayer is not disrespectful. It is the opposite — it is the prayer of someone who takes God so seriously that passivity in crisis feels wrong. If you believe God can act, then begging him to act is faith, not presumption.
Where do you need the arm of the LORD to awake? What ancient deliverance do you need him to repeat? The arm that parted the sea has not atrophied. It is waiting to be called upon.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord,.... The Septuagint and Arabic versions take the words to be an address…
Awake, awake - This verse commences a new subject (see the analysis of the chapter). It is the solemn and impassioned…
In these verses we have,
I. A prayer that God would, in his providence, appear and act for the deliverance of his people…
These verses are addressed to Jehovah, either by the prophet himself, or by the community of true Israelites. It is…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture