Isaiah 43:20 means that God himself provides for his chosen people in a barren, dry place, so that they can live and praise him. Even wild creatures will recognize his care and honor him for it. The verse was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, writing in God’s own voice, to the people of Israel who were in exile and felt far from home and from God.
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…
Isaiah 43:20 (WEB)
What Isaiah 43:20 Means
The verse begins with an unusual picture: “the animals of the field” will “honor” God. Jackals and ostriches are animals that live in deserts and dry lands, places where people do not expect to find much life. The image says that even creatures far from human settlement will come to recognize God’s goodness. The honor described is the kind that comes from seeing a provision that cannot be explained any other way.
The reason given is simple: God gives water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The water is not something the people earned or produced. God makes it appear where it would not otherwise exist. The purpose stated is “to give drink to my people, my chosen.” The water is for them, and it is a sign that they belong to God.
The verse does not promise a life free of hardship, nor does it guarantee comfort in every season. What it promises is that God will not leave his people without what they need in the dry places. It describes his faithfulness in terms a reader can picture: a stream where none should flow, a spring that refreshes a thirsty traveler.
The Context of Isaiah 43:20
Isaiah is traditionally understood as the author of this book, which was written to the people of Judah and Israel, many of whom faced the prospect or the reality of exile in Babylon. In the verses just before this one, God speaks of breaking the power of Egypt and Babylon, the chariots and armies that seemed unbeatable. Then in verse 19 he announces, “I will do a new thing,” which sets up the promise of verse 20.
Read in that setting, the water in the wilderness is not only a physical image. It points to a fresh act of deliverance, a new way forward when the old way has collapsed. The verses that follow, 21 through 23, show that God formed this people for himself and that they have often neglected him. The provision is a gift of grace, not a reward for their faithfulness, and that changes how the promise sounds.
Key Phrases in Isaiah 43:20
Psalm 23:1-2
1 The LORD is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
(WEB)
This psalm pictures God as a shepherd who leads his sheep to green pastures and still waters. Like Isaiah 43:20, it shows God meeting the basic needs of his people with a care that feels personal and dependable.
John 4:14
But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
(WEB)
Jesus speaks of a water that satisfies thirst permanently. This verse deepens the idea in Isaiah by pointing to a spiritual refreshment that the wilderness streams in the Old Testament were pointing toward.
A Short Prayer From Isaiah 43:20
Lord, you have promised to make a way in the wilderness and to bring rivers into the desert. I bring you the dry places in my life today, the areas where I feel empty or worn out. Help me trust that you can provide what I cannot produce on my own. Open my eyes to see your water when it comes, and let my heart honor you for your faithfulness. Amen.
