"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation."
— Isaiah 12:2 (NIV)
Isaiah 12:2 is the "surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid" verse. This page gives the verse, where it sits in Isaiah 12, and a plain reading. For more on the theme, see Bible verses about trust, Bible verses about salvation, and Bible verses about strength.
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The verse
The King James reads: "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation."
"Salvation" is yeshuw'ah (H3444), deliverance or rescue. "Trust" is batach (H982), to feel safe or rely on, and "be afraid" is pachad (H6342), to dread. "Strength" is 'oz (H5797). "Song" (NIV "defense") is zimrath (H2176). "The LORD JEHOVAH" doubles the divine name, Yah (H3050) and Yehovah (H3068).
Where it sits in Isaiah 12
Isaiah 12 is a short song of praise, only six verses. It follows Isaiah 11's promise of "a shoot... from the stump of Jesse" (Isaiah 11:1) and of God gathering his scattered people. The song begins, "In that day you will say: 'I will praise you, Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me'" (Isaiah 12:1).
Right after this verse comes "With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation" (Isaiah 12:3). The second half of verse 2 repeats the song Moses and Israel sang after crossing the sea: "The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation" (Exodus 15:2). Psalm 118:14 uses the same words.
What the verse is saying
The first word, "surely" or "behold," points away from the speaker to God. Salvation is not something the singer pulled off; it is who God is for them. Trust follows from that, and so does the absence of dread.
The verse puts trust and fear side by side and lets trust win. It does not say there is nothing to fear. It says, because God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid. And by borrowing the words of the Red Sea song, Isaiah tells his readers that the God who rescued once will do it again.
Questions people ask
What does Isaiah 12:2 say?
In the NIV it says, "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation." The KJV says, "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation."
What does Isaiah 12:2 mean?
Because God himself is the singer's salvation, they choose to trust him instead of living in dread. It is a song of thanks after God's anger has turned to comfort (Isaiah 12:1).
Why does the KJV say "my song" and the NIV say "my defense"?
The Hebrew word zimrath is usually read as "song." Some translators read it as "might" or "defense." Both versions keep the link to Exodus 15:2.
What is the context of Isaiah 12:2?
Isaiah 12 is a six-verse song of praise that follows the promise of a king from Jesse's line in Isaiah 11. It echoes the song Israel sang after crossing the sea in Exodus 15.
What other verses are like Isaiah 12:2?
Exodus 15:2 (the Lord is my strength and my song), Psalm 118:14 (he has become my salvation), and Psalm 56:3 (when I am afraid, I put my trust in you) are close companions.
