Isaiah 43:18 (GNV)

Passage

Remember yee not the former things, neither regard the things of olde.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 43:16 Thus sayeth the Lord which maketh a way in the Sea, and a path in the mighty waters.

Isaiah 43:17 When hee bringeth out the charet and horse, the armie and the power lie together, and shall not rise: they are extinct, and quenched as towe.

Isaiah 43:18 Remember yee not the former things, neither regard the things of olde.

Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I do a new thing: now shall it come foorth: shall you not knowe it? I wil euen make a way in the desert, and floods in the wildernesse.

Isaiah 43:20 The wilde beastes shall honour mee, the dragons and the ostriches, because I gaue water in the desert, and floods in the wildernesse to giue drinke to my people, euen to mine elect.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "remember", "former", "things", "neither", "regard", and "olde". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "remember" and "former", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "When hee bringeth out the charet and..." into verse 19's "Behold I do a new thing now...", so "remember" and "former" belong inside that flow. In Isaiah context, the local focus is the Holy One of Israel, judgment and restoration, the servant of the LORD, and Zion's hope.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "remember" and "former" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.