Isaiah 43:18 (WEB)

Passage

“Don’t remember the former things, and don’t consider the things of old.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 43:16 Yahweh, who makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters says:

Isaiah 43:17 who brings out the chariot and horse, the army and the mighty man (they lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched like a wick):

Isaiah 43:18 “Don’t remember the former things, and don’t consider the things of old.

Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing. It springs out now. Don’t you know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43:20 The animals of the field shall honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; because I give water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "remember", "former", "things", and "consider". 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 "who brings out the chariot and horse..." into verse 19's "Behold I will do a new thing...", 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.