Listen to me, O coastlands, and hearken, you peoples from afar: In these synonymous parallel lines Yahweh’s servant tells distant nations to listen to what he has to say. The imperative verb Listen once again begins a unit (compare 41.1; 42.18; 44.1; 46.12; 47.8; 48.1, 12). For the Hebrew word rendered coastlands, see the comments on 41.1. Here it refers to people who live in areas scattered around the Mediterranean Sea, far from Israel. Good News Translation translates “distant nations.” For languages that cannot personify coastlands, the first line may be rendered “Listen [you] people of the coastlands” or “… people of the lands along the coast of the sea.” Hearken emphasizes the call to Listen. You peoples from afar refers to foreign nations and their people, rather than Israelites who happen to live in foreign areas. Good News Translation has “you people who live far away.”

This kind of speech addressing foreign nations is often an indirect way of speaking to the people of Israel. It is a rhetorical device commonly used by the prophets (see the introductory comments on chapters 13–23). But since the speaker here is Israel, the foreign nations are the real addressee.

The LORD called me from the womb: The announcement to the distant nations begins with this claim. Even before its birth as a nation, Yahweh called Israel (or the prophet) for a specific ministry (compare the call of Jeremiah to be a prophet in Jer 1.5). In this context the verb called does not mean shouting something in order to get attention, but it is a technical term for being appointed to a task. Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version say “chose.” For from the womb, see the comments on 44.2. New Revised Standard Version and Revised English Bible render this phrase as “before I was born.” For this whole line Bible en français courant has “From before my birth, the Lord has called me.”

From the body of my mother he named my name is parallel to the previous line. Yahweh appointed Israel (or the prophet) to be his servant during the earliest moments of its existence. From the body of my mother has the same sense as from the womb. Good News Translation combines these two phrases, saying “Before I was born.” He named my name involves more than just giving a certain name. It also means the LORD appointed Israel (or the prophet) as his servant (see the comments on 43.1; 45.3-4). Good News Translation says “and [he] appointed me to be his servant,” which anticipates verse 3. Bible en français courant (1997) expresses this line more literally by saying “I was still in the womb of my mother when he pronounced my name.” For the last two lines Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “When I was still in my mother’s body, already the LORD called me to his service and made my name known.”

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• Listen to me, you coastlands,
pay attention, you who live far away!
Yahweh appointed me before I was born,
before I came forth from my mother he named me.

• You people in the coastlands, listen to me!
You people living far away, pay attention!
The LORD chose me before I was born,
he gave me a name even before I came from my mother.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .