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Isaiah 48:20 meaning

God frees His people from captivity and invites them to proclaim His redemption gratefully.

“Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Declare with the sound of joyful shouting, proclaim this, Send it out to the end of the earth; Say, ‘The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob.’” (v.20) This portion of Isaiah highlights God’s stirring call for the Israelites to leave Babylon behind, where they were taken into exile. Ancient Babylon was located in Mesopotamia, near the banks of the Euphrates River, in what is now modern-day Iraq. By telling His people to flee, God urges them to separate themselves from this foreign land, reminding them that they should no longer dwell in the place of their captivity.

“Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans!” (v.20) signifies that the time for freedom is upon God’s people, who historically endured exile under Babylonian rule (ca. 605-539 BC). The reference to “Chaldeans” is another term for the Babylonians, emphasizing the urgency of release from oppression. God’s directive points ahead to a deeper spiritual truth: as God called His people to a physical liberation, so also Christ invites believers to experience redemption from spiritual bondage (John 8:36).

When the prophet proclaims, “Say, ‘The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob.’” (v.20), it reflects God’s covenant faithfulness toward the descendants of Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes of Israel, whose life spanned around 2006-1859 BC. The deliverance announced here also foreshadows the ultimate redemption provided through Jesus, which is proclaimed “to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). This verse thus serves as both a historical call to leave physical captivity and a spiritual illustration of God’s power to deliver from all forms of bondage.

Isaiah 48:20