What is the meaning of Isaiah 51:10?

Was it not You...

• The verse opens with a rhetorical question directed to the LORD, urging the people to recall His past acts of power.

• Isaiah is stirring faith by looking back, just as Psalm 77:11–12 calls us to “remember the works of the LORD.”

• This appeal anchors hope in God’s proven character rather than present feelings (cf. Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8).

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who dried up the sea

• A direct reference to the Red Sea miracle (Exodus 14:21–22).

• God’s act was literal, physical, and public—Israel walked “through the midst of the sea on dry ground.”

• The same power is celebrated in Psalm 106:9 and Nehemiah 9:11, underscoring that nations and nature alike must yield to their Creator.

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the waters of the great deep

• “Great deep” evokes the primeval waters subdued at creation (Genesis 1:2; Psalm 104:6–9).

• By mastering those vast depths, the LORD shows supremacy over everything chaotic or threatening, echoing Job 38:8–11.

• This imagery comforts believers facing overwhelming trials, reminding us the One who tamed the deep still reigns (Mark 4:39).

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who made a road in the depths of the sea

• God didn’t merely push water aside; He engineered a “road”—safe, dry, navigable (Isaiah 43:16).

• The path was so firm that Exodus 15:19 notes Pharaoh’s chariots pursued on it, proving its solidity.

• Such intentional design points to God’s meticulous care, a theme echoed in Proverbs 3:6, where He “makes straight your paths.”

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for the redeemed to cross over

• “Redeemed” identifies Israel as those God purchased out of bondage (Exodus 6:6, Isaiah 35:10).

• Crossing over signals decisive deliverance into a new life—foreshadowing the believer’s passage from death to life (John 5:24, Colossians 1:13–14).

• Paul applies this event typologically to the church in 1 Corinthians 10:1–2, illustrating baptism and new covenant identity.

• The same LORD who opened the sea still opens doors no one can shut (Revelation 3:7–8).

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summary

Isaiah 51:10 recalls the literal Red Sea miracle to rekindle trust in God’s unchanging power. He alone dried up the sea, subdued the deep, carved a sturdy roadway, and led His redeemed safely across. Remembering that historic deliverance fuels present confidence: the God who conquered the waters then is fully able to rescue His people now.