Isaiah 5
Chapter 5 Resources
Overview
Isaiah 5 is a climactic chapter that encapsulates the covenant failure of God’s people and sets the stage for judgment. It opens with the poetic "Song of the Vineyard," where God is portrayed as a loving caretaker who did everything to establish His vineyard — a symbol for Israel — yet it yielded only wild grapes. This parable sets the tone for the rest of the chapter, where Isaiah delivers a series of pointed “woes” condemning the social and spiritual corruption of the people.
The chapter targets specific sins: greed that consumes land and displaces the poor, indulgence in pleasure and drunkenness, mockery of divine judgment, moral relativism, and arrogance that places human wisdom above God's. These indictments show how deeply God’s people had departed from righteousness, and they explain why judgment is both just and necessary. The chapter closes with a vision of coming invasion — swift, terrifying, and unstoppable — a clear allusion to the rise of Assyria. Isaiah 5 ends not just with a warning, but with a sense of inevitability, as the vineyard that once had every advantage is now left to ruin, and the light of the nation is darkened.
Historical Context
Isaiah 5 presents one of the most vivid and structured indictments in the book, delivered likely during the reigns of Jotham or Ahaz (circa 740–725 BCE), before the Assyrian invasion. The chapter begins with a parable — a poetic “song of the vineyard” — which captures the entire covenant story in miniature. God had done everything to plant, protect, and cultivate His people, yet they yielded wild grapes, representing injustice, bloodshed, and unrighteousness. The image of the vineyard would have been especially familiar in a society dependent on agriculture, and it drew directly from Israel's identity as a people chosen, planted, and nurtured by God.
During this period, Judah enjoyed relative political peace under Jotham but was morally deteriorating. Under Ahaz, the nation entered a rapid spiritual decline, embracing idolatry and making foreign alliances that compromised its covenantal integrity. The social fabric of Judah had begun to unravel, with the rich exploiting the poor, justice being perverted, and revelry replacing reverence. Isaiah 5 includes a series of woes that expose these patterns, targeting greed, drunkenness, arrogance, and the inversion of moral values. The chapter closes with a vision of impending invasion, pointing forward to the Assyrian military campaigns that would begin just a few years later. In this context, the vineyard song becomes a divine lawsuit — a formal testimony that Judah had broken the covenant, and that judgment was not only deserved but imminent.
Breakdown
Chapter 5 Breakdown
(v1–2) The Parable of the Vineyard
(v3–7) God’s Verdict: What More Could Be Done?
(v8–10) Woe to the Greedy Landowners
(v11–17) Woe to the Pleasure-Seekers and the Blind
(v18–23) Woes upon Moral Decay and Corruption
(v24–25) God’s Wrath and the Consumption of the People
(v26–30) The Summoning of a Foreign Army
Breakdown
(Isaiah 5:1–2) The Parable of the Vineyard
(v1) A poetic song for God’s beloved — His vineyard on a fertile hill.
(v2) The vineyard is carefully cultivated, but instead of good grapes, it yields wild ones — signaling covenant failure despite divine investment.
(Isaiah 5:3–7) God’s Verdict: What More Could Be Done?
(v3–4) God calls His people to judge between Him and His vineyard: What more could He have done?
(v5–6) The vineyard will be laid waste — no protection, no pruning, only desolation.
(v7) Interpretation: The vineyard is the house of Israel; God looked for justice, but found bloodshed.
(Isaiah 5:8–10) Woe to the Greedy Landowners
(v8) Woe to those who join house to house and field to field, eliminating communal space
(v9–10) Their gain will result in ruin — large estates will be empty, and fruitful lands will yield little.
(Isaiah 5:11–17) Woe to the Pleasure-Seekers and the Blind
(v11–12) Woe to those who rise early to drink and spend their days in revelry, ignoring the works of the Lord.
(v13) Result: exile for lack of knowledge.
(v14–15) Sheol enlarges itself; the proud and the careless will be brought low.
(v16–17) The Lord will be exalted in judgment, and His righteousness will be revealed — the land will be reclaimed by the humble.
(Isaiah 5:18–23) Woes upon Moral Decay and Corruption
(v18–19) Woe to those who drag sin along and mock divine timing.
(v20) Woe to moral inversion — calling evil good and good evil.
(v21) Woe to the wise in their own eyes — self-reliance and pride.
(v22–23) Woe to the corrupt — mighty in drinking, but perverting justice for a bribe.
(Isaiah 5:24–25) God’s Wrath and the Consumption of the People
(v24) Like fire consuming stubble, so will the people's root rot and blossom fade — because they have rejected the law of the Lord.
(v25) God’s anger is kindled; the mountains quake and the people are struck down.
(Isaiah 5:26–30) The Summoning of a Foreign Army
(v26) God raises a signal to far nations, summoning them swiftly for judgment.
(v27–28) The army is strong, disciplined, and fully equipped — untiring and precise.
(v29–30) Their roar is like a lion; they will seize the prey and no one will rescue. The day will end in darkness and distress.
Themes
1. Covenant Accountability and the Parable of the Vineyard
God’s Expectations: The chapter opens with a poetic parable describing God’s covenant relationship with His people as a carefully tended vineyard (Isaiah 5:1–2).
Justice vs. Injustice: God looked for justice (mishpat) and righteousness (tsedaqah) but found bloodshed and cries of distress (Isaiah 5:7).
Failed Stewardship: Despite divine investment, God’s people yield corruption instead of covenant fruitfulness.
2. Social Injustice and Economic Oppression
Woe to Greedy Landowners: The first woe targets those who accumulate property at the expense of others, destroying community life (Isaiah 5:8–10).
Economic Vanity: Lavish gain will lead to emptiness — many houses will lie desolate, and large vineyards will produce little.
3. Moral Decay and Pleasure-Seeking
Woe to the Hedonistic: Those who chase wine, music, and entertainment while ignoring the works of the Lord are condemned (Isaiah 5:11–12).
Blindness to God’s Hand: The people do not regard or discern the judgment and providence of God in their midst.
4. Exile and Reversal
Captivity Prophesied: Because of ignorance and pride, God’s people will go into exile (Isaiah 5:13).
The Great Reversal: The proud are humbled, and Sheol opens its mouth to swallow the elite, the revelers, and the masses (Isaiah 5:14–17).
God Exalted in Judgment: His holiness is revealed not just in mercy, but in justice.
5. Woes upon Corruption and Deception
Woe to the Cynical: Those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity and mock God’s timing are condemned (Isaiah 5:18–19).
Woe to Moral Inversion: Condemnation falls on those who call evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20).
Woe to Human Pride: Those wise in their own eyes and mighty at drinking are exposed as corrupt, unjust, and self-serving (Isaiah 5:21–23).
6. The Lord’s Anger and the Coming Invasion
Divine Response: The anger of the Lord burns against His people — their land is struck, and the hills tremble (Isaiah 5:24–25).
A Signal to Foreign Nations: God lifts an ensign to distant nations to come and execute judgment swiftly (Isaiah 5:26–30).
Imminent Desolation: The terrifying army is described as tireless, sharp, and unstoppable, signaling that judgment will not be delayed.
Literary Structure
[1] The Song of the Unfruitful Vineyard (Isaiah 5:1–7)
A (5:1–2) – The Lord plants a vineyard with choicest vines
→ "He dug it, cleared it, planted it..." — divine preparation
B (5:3) – God calls His people to judge between Him and His vineyard
→ Hebrew: שפטו (judge)
A' (5:4–6) – God will remove the vineyard’s hedge; it will become desolate
→ "I will break down its wall..." — divine reversal
B' (5:7) – The Lord looked for judgment but saw bloodshed
→ Hebrew wordplay: למשפט (for justice) vs. למשפח (bloodshed)
Theme Pairing:
A/A' – Vineyard planted → Vineyard destroyed
B/B' – Call for judgment → Miscarriage of justice
[2] Six Woes and Their Consequences (Isaiah 5:8–25)
A (5:8–12) – Woe to greedy landowners and pleasure-seekers
→ Repeated term: הוי (woe)
B (5:13–17) – Therefore, My people go into exile for lack of knowledge
→ Hebrew: לכן (therefore)
A' (5:18–23) – Woe to moral inversion, pride, and injustice
→ Repeated term: הוי (woe)
B' (5:24–25) – Therefore, the anger of the Lord is kindled
→ Hebrew: לכן (therefore)
Theme Pairing:
A/A' – Woes: external greed and internal corruption
B/B' – Consequences: exile and divine wrath
[3] Foreign Invasion Announced (Isaiah 5:26–30)
A (5:26) – The Lord lifts a banner and whistles for a distant nation
→ A divine summons
B (5:27) – None among them stumbles or tires
→ Hebrew: אין (none)
C (5:28) – Their weapons are sharp, and chariots like whirlwinds
→ Descriptive climax
B' (5:29) – They seize prey, and none will deliver
→ Hebrew: ואין (and none)
A' (5:30) – They roar like the sea; behold, darkness and distress
→ Echoes back to divine orchestration and cosmic upheaval
Theme Pairing:
A/A' – Divine action begins and ends the unit
B/B' – Total inability to resist the invaders
C – Center: overwhelming power and readiness of the foreign army
Composite Structure of Isaiah 5
-
Parable of the Vineyard – What God expected vs. what He received (vv. 1–7)
-
Six Woes with Paired Consequences – Social sin and divine response (vv. 8–25)
-
The Summoning of a Distant Army – Judgment executed through foreign invasion (vv. 26–30)
Unit
Chapter Units Macro and Micro
Isaiah 1–39: Trouble at Home (Macro Unit)
Isaiah 5 concludes the opening segment of the "Book of Judgment" by summarizing the covenant failures of God’s people and transitioning into a call for divine intervention. Within the broader macro unit of chapters 1–39, Isaiah 5 functions as a climactic indictment — using parable, poetry, and woe oracles to expose the total moral and societal breakdown among God’s covenant people.
This chapter marks a critical turning point: after chapters 1–4 alternate between judgment and hope, chapter 5 is almost entirely judgment-focused. The vineyard parable makes clear that God has done all that could be done for His people; the failure is entirely theirs. Six “woes” follow, detailing the sins of greed, hedonism, pride, moral confusion, and corruption. The chapter ends with a vision of a summoned foreign army — signaling that external judgment is now inevitable due to internal rebellion. In the macro arc of Isaiah, this chapter sets the stage for the personal commissioning of Isaiah in chapter 6 and the unfolding of national judgment through Assyria in chapters 7–39.
Isaiah 1–5: Judgment and Promise (Micro Unit)
As the closing chapter of the introductory unit (Isaiah 1–5), chapter 5 serves as the culmination and synthesis of the prophetic themes introduced so far. Where chapter 1 laid out the charge of rebellion, and chapter 2–4 alternated between warning and hope, chapter 5 ties it all together in a structured covenantal indictment.
The vineyard song (5:1–7) recalls the Lord’s gracious efforts and highlights the tragedy of His people’s unfruitfulness. The six woes (5:8–23) build a layered portrait of societal collapse — from economic injustice to moral inversion. The chapter ends with an unstoppable foreign army (5:26–30), signaling that the Day of the Lord is no longer just a warning — it is being set into motion. Isaiah 5 ends the opening micro unit not with a promise, but with a sobering realization: unless there is divine intervention, judgment will fall fully. This prepares the reader for Isaiah’s personal call in chapter 6, where the prophet enters the heavenly courtroom on behalf of a fallen people.
Chapter 5
Verse by Verse
Isaiah 5:1
1 Let me sing, please, for my beloved—
a song of my beloved concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
on a horn, son of oil.
Hebrew
Hebrew (MT)
אָשִׁירָה נָּא לִידִידִי שִׁירַת דּוֹדִי לְכַרְמוֹ כֶּרֶם הָיָה לִידִידִי בְּקֶרֶן בֶּן־שָׁמֶן
Transliteration
äshiyrähLet me singאָשִׁירָה = let me sing. Root: שִׁיר (shir), to sing—often a poetic or prophetic expression. NäNowנָא = now or please. A softening particle or plea for attention. liy’diydiyFor my belovedלִידִידִי = for my beloved. Root: יָדִיד (yadid), friend or dear one—can symbolize God or covenant partner. shiyrat DôdiyA song of my belovedשִׁירַת דּוֹדִי = a song of my beloved. דּוֹד (dod) can also mean beloved, close kinsman, or lover—intimate language of covenant. l'khar'môConcerning his vineyardלְכַרְמוֹ = concerning his vineyard. Root: כֶּרֶם (kerem), a vineyard—symbol of Israel or covenant people. KeremA vineyardכֶּרֶם = vineyard. Often symbolizes God’s covenant people in prophetic literature. häyäh liy’diydiyWas to my belovedהָיָה לִידִידִי = was to my beloved. הָיָה (hayah) = to be, to exist. B'qeren Ben-shämenIn a very fertile hillבְּקֶרֶן בֶּן-שָׁמֶן = in a very fertile hill. בֶּן-שָׁמֶן (ben-shamen) = lit. 'son of fatness'—a poetic way to describe richness or abundance.
Strong's Concordance
I will sing
אָשִׁ֤ירָה (’ā·šî·rāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular
Strong's 7891: To sing
for my beloved,
לִֽידִידִ֔י (lî·ḏî·ḏî)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3039: Beloved
a song
שִׁירַ֥ת (šî·raṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 7892: A song, singing
of [his]
דּוֹדִ֖י (dō·w·ḏî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1730: To love, a love-token, lover, friend, an uncle
vineyard:
לְכַרְמ֑וֹ (lə·ḵar·mōw)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3754: A garden, vineyard
My beloved
לִֽידִידִ֖י (lî·ḏî·ḏî)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3039: Beloved
had
הָיָ֥ה (hā·yāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be
a vineyard
כֶּ֛רֶם (ke·rem)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3754: A garden, vineyard
on a very fertile
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son
hill.
בְּקֶ֥רֶן (bə·qe·ren)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 7161: A horn, a flask, cornet, an elephant's tooth, a corner, a peak, a ray, power
Translations
KJV – Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill.
2 Nephi 15 – And then will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved, touching his vineyard. My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill.
NRSVUE – Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.
JPS – Let me sing for my beloved My lover’s song about his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard On a fertile hill.
BSB – I will sing for my beloved a song of his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.
ESV – Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.
NIV – I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.
NASB – Let me sing now for my beloved A song of my beloved about His vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill.
YLT – Let me sing, I pray you, for my beloved, A song of my beloved as to his vineyard: My beloved hath a vineyard in a fruitful hill,
BST – Now I will sing to my beloved a song of my beloved concerning my vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a high and fruitful place.
Chabad – I will now sing for my beloved the song of my beloved about his vineyard; my beloved had a vineyard in a fertile corner.
Alter – Let me sing to My beloved the song of my lover for his vineyard. A vineyard my beloved had on a hillside rich in soil.
Parallism
Parallelism
A. Let me sing – a song
B. My beloved – his vineyard – my beloved had a vineyard
C. Horn – son of oil
2 couplets. The first introduces a prophetic love song using lyrical repetition. The second establishes the subject (vineyard) and its setting through metaphor-rich geography.
Synonymous & Emblematic Parallelism
A. Let me sing – a song:
These phrases reinforce one another. The verb “sing” paired with “a song” creates poetic symmetry and signals a lyrical or lament genre. The doubling adds emotion and draws the audience into the intimacy of the message.
B. My beloved – his vineyard – my beloved had a vineyard:
The repetition of “my beloved” establishes a tone of affection. The vineyard represents a relationship of cultivation and expectation. It’s not just any vineyard—it belongs to the beloved, implying intimacy, care, and investment.
C. Horn – son of oil:
A poetic description of fertile land. “Horn” (hill or high ground) and “son of oil” (rich in olives, a symbol of abundance and blessing) elevate the location’s status. The metaphor intensifies the anticipation of fruitfulness.
Literary Devices
Inclusio:
“My beloved” frames the verse, creating a lyrical enclosure that focuses the reader on love and possession.
Metaphor:
The vineyard is an emblem of Israel (cf. v. 7), but here introduced subtly—giving the passage emotional weight before the prophetic rebuke unfolds.
Wordplay:
“Horn” (qeren) and “oil” (shemen) suggest elevation and anointing—terms often tied to kingship and blessing. This elevates the significance of the vineyard.
Thematic Analysis
Divine Affection and Expectation:
The prophet adopts a tone of love and tenderness before unveiling the judgment. This underscores that the coming condemnation is not cold or arbitrary but rooted in broken relationship.
Covenantal Landscape:
The vineyard placed in a “horn, son of oil” evokes not only physical fertility but also spiritual privilege—Israel’s covenantal position in the land of promise.
Tone of Tragedy Foreshadowed by Beauty:
The lush introduction creates an emotional contrast with what follows. The poetic beginning builds sympathy before disillusionment, a common prophetic technique to heighten moral awareness.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:1 (MT):
אָשִׁירָה נָּא לִידִידִי שִׁירַת דֹּודִי לְכַרְמוֹ כֶּרֶם הָיָה לִידִידִי בְּקֶרֶן בֶּן־שָׁמֶן
Let me sing (אָשִׁירָה – ʾāshîrâ)
Root: שיר – to sing, express joy or praise in song
Isaiah 5:1 – Let me sing (אָשִׁירָה) for my beloved…
Isaiah 12:5 – Sing (זַמְּרוּ) to the LORD, for He has done glorious things… (same praise intent)
Isaiah 26:1 – In that day this song (שִׁיר) will be sung in the land of Judah…
Isaiah 42:10 – Sing (שִׁירוּ) to the LORD a new song…
Isaiah 44:23 – Sing (רָנּוּ), O heavens… (another singing verb in same praise field)
Isaiah 52:9 – …Break forth together into singing (רַנְּנוּ)…
Isaiah 54:1 – Sing (רָנִּי), O barren one…
Beloved (יְדִידִי – yedîdî)
Root: ידד – to love dearly, be fond of, special affection
Isaiah 5:1 – Let me sing for my beloved (יְדִידִי)…
Psalm 127:2 – …for so He gives His beloved (לִידִידוֹ) sleep.
Jeremiah 11:15 – What has My beloved (יְדוּדִי) to do in My house…
Song of Songs 1:14 – My beloved is to me…
Song (שִׁירַת – shîrat)
Root: שיר – song, poetic praise
Isaiah 5:1 – …a song (שִׁירַת) of my beloved…
Isaiah 23:15 – …as in the song (כְּשִׁירַת) of the harlot…
Isaiah 26:1 – In that day this song (שִׁיר) will be sung…
Isaiah 42:10 – Sing to the LORD a new song (שִׁיר)…
Isaiah 44:23 – Sing (רָנּוּ)…
Vineyard (כֶּרֶם – kerem)
Root: כרם – vineyard, cultivated plot
Isaiah 5:1 – …a vineyard (כֶּרֶם) belonged to my beloved…
Isaiah 3:14 – …to devour the vineyard (הַכֶּרֶם)…
Isaiah 5:5 – I will remove its hedge, and it shall be consumed…
Isaiah 27:2 – In that day: “A vineyard (כֶּרֶם) of delight—sing of it!”
Psalm 80:8–9 – You brought a vine out of Egypt…
Jeremiah 12:10 – Many shepherds have ruined My vineyard…
Horn (קֶרֶן – qeren)
Root: קרן – horn, peak, strength or prominence
Isaiah 5:1 – …in a horn (קֶרֶן) of a son of oil…
Isaiah 16:1 – …to the mount of the daughter of Zion (mount = high place)
Psalm 132:17 – There I will cause the horn (קֶרֶן) of David to spring up…
1 Samuel 2:10 – …and exalt the horn (קֶרֶן) of His anointed…
Son of oil (בֶּן־שָׁמֶן – ben-shāmen)
Root: שמן – oil, fat, richness
Isaiah 5:1 – …in a horn of a son of oil (בֶּן־שָׁמֶן)
Isaiah 10:27 – …the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing (שָׁמֶן)
Deuteronomy 32:15 – Jeshurun grew fat (שָׁמַן) and kicked…
Psalm 23:5 – You anoint my head with oil (שֶׁמֶן)…
Hosea 12:1 – …and oil (שֶׁמֶן) is carried to Egypt
Isaiah 5:2
2 And He dug it and cleared it of stones
and planted it with a choice vine
and built a tower in its midst
and also hewed out a winepress in it
And He looked for it to yield grapes
but it yielded wild grapes
Hebrew
Hebrew MT
וַיְעַזְּקֵהוּ וַיְסַקְּלֵהוּ וַיִּטָּעֵהוּ שֹׂרֵק וַיִּבֶן מִגְדָּל בְּתוֹכוֹ וְגַם־יֶקֶב חָצֵב בּוֹ וַיְקַו לַעֲשׂוֹת עֲנָבִים וַיַּעַשׂ בְּאֻשִׁים
Transliteration
way'aZ'qëhûAnd he fenced itוַיְעַזְּקֵהוּ = and he fenced it. Root: עָזַק (ʿazaq), to dig around or enclose—indicates intentional protection or care. way'šaQ'lëhûAnd cleared it of stonesוַיְסַקְּלֵהוּ = and cleared it of stones. Root: סָקַל (saqal), to remove stones—preparation for planting. waYiŢäëhûAnd planted itוַיִּטָּעֵהוּ = and he planted it. Root: נָטַע (nataʿ), to plant—symbol of establishing something intentionally. sorëqWith choice vinesשׂוֹרֵק = choice vine. A select or noble variety—used to represent a cultivated people. waYiven mig'DälAnd he built a towerוַיִּבֶן מִגְדָּל = and he built a tower. Root: בָּנָה (banah), to build. מִגְדָּל (migdal) often implies oversight or watchfulness. B'tôkhôIn its midstבְּתוֹכוֹ = in its midst. Indicates centrality—God places divine protection within His people. w'gam-yeqev chätzëvAnd also hewed outוְגַם-יֶקֶב חָצֵב = and also hewed out a winepress. Root: חָצַב (chatsav), to carve or dig—represents anticipation of fruit. BôIn itבּוֹ = in it. Refers to the vineyard—indicating completeness of preparation. way'qawAnd he looked for itוַיְקַו = and he looked for it. Root: קָוָה (qavah), to expect or hope for—denotes divine expectation. laásôt ánäviymTo bring forth grapesלַעֲשׂוֹת עֲנָבִים = to produce grapes. עֲנָבִים (ʿanavim), grapes—symbol of righteous fruit or spiritual yield. waYaas B'ushiymBut it brought forth wild grapesוַיַּעַשׂ בְּאֻשִׁים = but it produced wild grapes. Root: בָּאַשׁ (ba'ash), to stink or spoil—symbol of corruption or apostasy.
Strong's Concordance
He dug it up
וַֽיְעַזְּקֵ֣הוּ (way·‘az·zə·qê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5823: To grub over
and cleared the stones
וַֽיְסַקְּלֵ֗הוּ (way·saq·qə·lê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5619: To stone, put to death by stoning
and planted
וַיִּטָּעֵ֙הוּ֙ (way·yiṭ·ṭā·‘ê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5193: To strike in, fix, to plant
the finest vines.
שֹׂרֵ֔ק (śō·rêq)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8321: (choice species of) the vine
He built
וַיִּ֤בֶן (way·yi·ḇen)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1129: To build
a watchtower
מִגְדָּל֙ (miḡ·dāl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4026: A tower, a rostrum, a, bed of flowers
in the middle
בְּתוֹכ֔וֹ (bə·ṯō·w·ḵōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8432: A bisection, the centre
and
וְגַם־ (wə·ḡam-)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and
dug out
חָצֵ֣ב (ḥā·ṣêḇ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2672: To cut, carve, to hew, split, square, quarry, engrave
a winepress {as well}.
יֶ֖קֶב (ye·qeḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3342: A trough, a wine-vat
He waited for [the vineyard]
וַיְקַ֛ו (way·qaw)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6960: To bind together, collect, to expect
to yield
לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת (la·‘ă·śō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6213: To do, make
good grapes,
עֲנָבִ֖ים (‘ă·nā·ḇîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6025: A grape
but the fruit it produced
וַיַּ֥עַשׂ (way·ya·‘aś)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make
was sour!
בְּאֻשִֽׁים׃ (bə·’u·šîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 891: Stinking or worthless (things), wild grapes
Translations
KJV – And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.
2 Nephi 15 – And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein; and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.
NRSVUE – He dug it and cleared it of stones and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it and hewed out a wine vat in it; he expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded rotten grapes.
JPS – He digged it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines. He built a watchtower in it, And hewed out a wine vat in it. He expected it to yield grapes, But it brought forth wild grapes.
BSB – He dug it up and cleared the stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in the middle of it and cut out a winepress as well. Then He looked for it to yield good grapes, but it produced only worthless ones.
ESV – He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.
NIV – He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.
NASB – He dug it all around, cleared it of stones, and planted it with the choicest vine. And he built a tower in the middle of it, and also carved out a wine vat in it; Then he expected it to produce good grapes, but it produced only worthless ones.
YLT – And he fenceth it, and casteth out its stones, And planteth it with a choice vine, And buildeth a tower in the midst of it, And also a wine-fat hath he hewn out in it, And he looketh for it to bring forth grapes, And it bringeth forth bad ones.
BST – And I made a trench about it, and I dug out its stones, and planted it with the choicest vines, and built a tower in the midst of it, and dug a place also for the winepress in it: and I waited for it to bring forth grapes, and it brought forth thorns.
Chabad – And he fenced it in, and he cleared it of stones, and he planted it with the choicest vines, and he built a tower in its midst, and also a vat he hewed therein; and he hoped to produce grapes, but it produced wild berries.
Alter – And he hoed it and took off its stones, and planted it with choice vines. And he built a tower in its midst, and a winepress, too, he hewed in it. And he hoped to get grapes but it put forth rotten fruit.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Dug – cleared – planted – built – hewed
B. Tower – winepress
C. Looked for grapes – yielded wild grapes
3 couplets. The first four lines form a synthetic progression showing increasing investment. The final two lines form an antithetical contrast between divine expectation and tragic outcome.
Synthetic & Antithetic Parallelism
A. Dug – cleared – planted – built – hewed:
This escalating list describes the beloved’s intentional labor. It moves from soil preparation to planting, protection (tower), and provision (winepress), reflecting a complete covenant effort to cultivate righteousness.
B. Tower – winepress:
These paired structures symbolize both oversight and expectation. The tower represents watchfulness and protection; the winepress signifies anticipated fruit and joy. Together they complete the agricultural metaphor—total investment and readiness for harvest.
C. Looked for grapes – yielded wild grapes:
This is the hinge of the verse. It highlights divine disappointment. The beloved’s efforts were directed toward cultivated grapes (good works, covenant faithfulness), but the yield was wild (rebellion, injustice).
Literary Devices
Imagery:
The verse is rich with agrarian imagery—digging, stones, vine, tower, winepress—evoking a sensory and visual narrative of cultivation.
Irony:
The final line delivers a painful reversal. Despite perfect conditions and care, the vineyard produced exactly what was not intended—wild, sour, unfit fruit.
Climax and Contrast:
The buildup of effort (five verbs) crescendos toward a sharp reversal. The structure reinforces the emotional weight of unmet expectation.
Thematic Analysis
Covenantal Faithfulness and Apostasy:
This verse embodies the covenantal pattern: divine provision followed by human failure. Despite everything done for Israel, the result is spiritual wildness.
Divine Disappointment:
The beloved (God) has every right to expect fruit. This is not an unreasonable hope—it follows love, labor, and law. The failure is not on the provider’s side.
Prophetic Tragedy:
The vineyard motif is a slow-building lament. This verse captures the heartbreak of a broken covenant, not just a breach of law but a betrayal of love.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:2 (MT):
וַיְעַזְּקֵהוּ וַיְסַקְלֵהוּ וַיִּטָּעֵהוּ שׂרֵק וַיִּבֶן מִגְדָּל בְּתוֹכוֹ וְגַם־יֶקֶב חָצֵב בּוֹ וַיְקַו לַעֲשׂוֹת עֲנָבִים וַיַּעַשׂ בְּאֻשִׁים
He dug it (וַיְעַזְּקֵהוּ – vayʿazzĕqēhû)
Root: עזק – to dig about, prepare soil, enclose
Isaiah 5:2 – He dug it (וַיְעַזְּקֵהוּ)…
Job 3:23 – Whom God has hedged in (שַׂכְּעִיתָ)… (different root, similar imagery of enclosure)
Psalm 80:12–13 – Why have You broken down its hedges… the boar out of the forest ravages it (contextual match of vineyard protection)
Proverbs 24:31 – …and lo, it was all overgrown with thorns; and its stone wall was broken down (opposite condition)
Cleared it of stones (וַיְסַקְלֵהוּ – vaysaqlēhû)
Root: סקל – to remove stones, stone
Isaiah 5:2 – …and cleared it of stones (וַיְסַקְלֵהוּ)…
Isaiah 62:10 – …build up the highway, clear it of stones (סַקְּלוּ מֵאֶבֶן)…
Jeremiah 4:3 – …break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns (related image of land preparation)
Ezekiel 36:26 – …I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh… (figurative “removal” of stones for renewal)
Planted it (וַיִּטָּעֵהוּ – vayyiṭṭāʿēhû)
Root: נטע – to plant
Isaiah 5:2 – …and planted it (וַיִּטָּעֵהוּ) with choice vine…
Isaiah 60:21 – …the work of My hands, that I may be glorified… (context of planting righteousness)
Jeremiah 2:21 – I planted you (וָאֶטַּע) a choice vine, wholly a pure seed…
Psalm 80:8 – You brought a vine out of Egypt… You drove out the nations and planted it (תִּטָּעֵהוּ)
Choice vine (שׂרֵק – soreq)
Root: שׂרק – choice grapevine, noble variety
Isaiah 5:2 – …planted it with choice vine (שׂרֵק)…
Jeremiah 2:21 – I planted you a noble vine (שׂרֵק), wholly a pure seed…
Genesis 49:11 – …he washed his garments in wine, and his robe in the blood of grapes (imagery of rich vines and wine)
Isaiah 27:2 – In that day: “A vineyard of delight—sing of it!” (links to cultivated vine imagery)
Tower (מִגְדָּל – migdāl)
Root: גדל – tower, watchtower; from "to grow, magnify, exalt"
Isaiah 5:2 – He built a tower (מִגְדָּל) in the midst of it…
Isaiah 21:8 – …and he cried, ‘A lion, my lord! I stand continually on the watchtower…’
Proverbs 18:10 – The name of the LORD is a strong tower (מִגְדַּל עֹז)…
Matthew 21:33 – …He planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower… (direct parallel parable)
Winepress (יֶקֶב – yeqev)
Root: יקב – winepress
Isaiah 5:2 – …and also hewed a winepress (יֶקֶב) in it…
Isaiah 63:3 – I have trodden the winepress (גַּת) alone… (different word, same imagery)
Proverbs 3:10 – …your vats (יְקָבֶיךָ) will overflow with new wine…
Joel 3:13 – …for the winepress (יֶקֶב) is full, the vats overflow…
Matthew 21:33 – …dug a winepress in it… (NT parallel)
He looked (וַיְקַו – vayqav)
Root: קוה – to hope, wait for, look with expectation
Isaiah 5:2 – …He looked (וַיְקַו) for it to produce grapes…
Isaiah 5:4 – When I looked (וָאֲקַוֶּה) for it to yield grapes…
Isaiah 59:9 – Therefore justice is far from us… we hope (נְקַוֶּה) for light, but behold, darkness…
Jeremiah 14:19 – …we looked (קִוִּינוּ) for peace, and there was no good…
Grapes (עֲנָבִים – ʿănāvîm)
Root: ענב – grape
Isaiah 5:2 – …to produce grapes (עֲנָבִים)…
Isaiah 5:4 – When I looked for grapes (עֲנָבִים)…
Deuteronomy 32:14 – …and the blood of the grape (עֵין עָנָב)…
Judges 9:13 – Should I leave my wine, which cheers God and men… (product of grapes)
Wild grapes (בְּאֻשִׁים – bəʾûshîm)
Root: באש – stink, rot, go bad
Isaiah 5:2 – …but it produced wild grapes (בְּאֻשִׁים)…
Isaiah 5:4 – …but it brought forth wild grapes (בְּאֻשִׁים)?
Jeremiah 2:21 – …how then have you turned degenerate (וַתִּסְרִי לִי), a strange vine? (degeneration of noble planting)
Psalm 80:16 – It is burned with fire, it is cut down; they perish at the rebuke of your face (judgment on unfruitful vine)
Matthew 7:17–19 – Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit… (spiritual parallel)
Isaiah 5:3
3 And now, O inhabitant of Jerusalem,
and man of Judah,
please judge between Me
and My vineyard.
Hebrew
Hebrew MT
וְעַתָּה יוֹשֵׁב יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְאִישׁ יְהוּדָה שִׁפְטוּ־נָא בֵּינִי וּבֵין כַּרְמִי
Transliteration
w'aTähAnd nowוְעַתָּה = and now. Root: עַתָּה (ʿattah), indicating a shift or turning point in address or action. yôshëv y'rûshälaimO inhabitants of Jerusalemיֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלַ͏יִם = dwellers of Jerusalem. Often symbolic of the covenant people centered at the holy city. w'iysh y'hûdähAnd men of Judahוְאִישׁ יְהוּדָה = and man of Judah. Refers to the southern kingdom—symbolic of God's covenant tribe. shif'ţû-näJudge, pleaseשִׁפְטוּ-נָא = judge, please. Root: שָׁפַט (shafat), to judge—inviting discernment or legal decision. Bëyniy ûvëyn Kar'miyBetween me and my vineyardבֵּינִי וּבֵין כַּרְמִי = between me and my vineyard. A covenantal metaphor—God appealing for judgment of His relationship with His people.
Strong's Concordance
And now,
וְעַתָּ֛ה (wə·‘at·tāh)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 6258: At this time
O dwellers
יוֹשֵׁ֥ב (yō·wō·šêḇ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry
of Jerusalem
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם (yə·rū·šā·lim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel
and men
וְאִ֣ישׁ (wə·’îš)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person
of Judah,
יְהוּדָ֑ה (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites
I exhort
נָ֕א (nā)
Interjection
Strong's 4994: I pray', 'now', 'then'
you to judge
שִׁפְטוּ־ (šip̄·ṭū-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 8199: To judge, pronounce sentence, to vindicate, punish, to govern, to litigate
between Me
בֵּינִ֖י (bê·nî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 996: An interval, space between
and My vineyard.
כַּרְמִֽי׃ (kar·mî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3754: A garden, vineyard
Translations
KJV – And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.
2 Nephi 15 – And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.
NRSVUE – And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.
JPS – Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem And men of Judah, Judge between Me And My vineyard.
BSB – So now, O dwellers of Jerusalem and men of Judah, I ask you to judge between Me and My vineyard.
ESV – And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.
NIV – “Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.
NASB – “And now, you inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between Me and My vineyard.
YLT – And now, O inhabitant of Jerusalem, and man of Judah, Judge, I pray you, between Me and My vineyard.
BST – And now, ye dwellers in Jerusalem, and every man of Juda, judge between me and my vineyard.
Chabad – And now, dwellers of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge now between me and between my vineyard.
Alter – And, now, O dweller of Jerusalem and man of Judah, judge, pray, between Me and My vineyard.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Inhabitants of Jerusalem – men of Judah
B. Judge, please – between Me and My vineyard
Synonymous & Synthetic Parallelism
-
Inhabitants of Jerusalem / men of Judah:
These paired terms emphasize the same collective identity—God’s covenant people. The repetition serves to fully engage all who are being addressed. -
Judge, please / between Me and My vineyard:
The imperative “judge” initiates a legal summons. The clause “between Me and My vineyard” adds context, creating a synthetic expansion—God invites the people to assess His care and Israel’s response.
Literary Devices
Legal Imagery – Covenant Lawsuit (rîb):
This verse initiates a prophetic trial scene. God appeals to His people to judge the relationship between Himself and His vineyard (Israel). It mimics courtroom language, where the audience becomes both witness and defendant.
Irony – The Accused Become Judges:
God ironically asks those at fault to serve as jurors in their own trial. This self-incrimination invites reflection and strips away excuses.
Pivot Verse – From Allegory to Accusation:
This line marks the turning point from the poetic vineyard allegory (vv.1–2) to direct prophetic indictment (vv.4–7), preparing the reader to confront the moral of the metaphor.
Symbolism
-
Jerusalem and Judah:
These stand for the collective body of God’s chosen people. By addressing both city and tribe, Isaiah underscores national responsibility. -
The Vineyard:
A cultivated, protected, and beloved project—symbolizing Israel as the recipient of divine blessing and expectation. God has done all that was needed for fruitfulness. -
Judge Between Me and My Vineyard:
A loaded phrase: invites the audience to admit that any failure lies with them, not God. It also emphasizes divine transparency—God welcomes scrutiny of His actions.
Thematic Significance
Justice and Accountability:
God initiates judgment not by decree, but by dialogue. This upholds His righteousness—He is not arbitrary but deliberate, appealing even to the conscience of the guilty.
Covenant Ethics:
The expectation is not just agricultural fruit, but covenantal fruit—righteousness, justice, mercy (cf. v.7). Their absence indicts the people.
Invitation Before Condemnation:
God provides space for introspection before sentencing. This pattern—calling, questioning, exposing—will repeat in later Isaiah passages.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:3 (MT):
וְעַתָּה יוֹשֵׁב יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְאִישׁ יְהוּדָה שִׁפְטוּ נָא בֵּינִי וּבֵין כַּרְמִי
Now (וְעַתָּה – veʿattāh)
Root: עתה – now, at this time, immediacy
Isaiah 5:3 – Now (וְעַתָּה), O inhabitants of Jerusalem…
Isaiah 1:18 – Come now (לְכוּ־נָא)…
Isaiah 18:4 – For thus the LORD said to me: “I will quietly look from My dwelling place…” (context shift, divine action beginning now)
Genesis 11:7 – Come now, let Us go down and confuse their language… (same urgency in initiating action)
Inhabitants (יוֹשֵׁב – yôshēv)
Root: ישב – to dwell, inhabit, sit
Isaiah 5:3 – O inhabitant of Jerusalem (יוֹשֵׁב יְרוּשָׁלִַם)…
Isaiah 8:14 – …He shall be a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap to the inhabitants (לְיוֹשֵׁב) of Jerusalem…
Isaiah 12:6 – …O inhabitant (יֹשֶׁבֶת) of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!
Isaiah 24:5 – The earth is defiled under its inhabitants (יֹשְׁבֶיהָ)…
Psalm 9:11 – Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion; declare among the people His deeds (dwelling and presence in a city)
Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלִַם – Yerûshālaim)
Root: Possibly from ירא (to fear/revere) + שלם (peace/wholeness) – “foundation of peace”
Isaiah 5:3 – O inhabitant of Jerusalem…
Isaiah 1:1 – …concerning Judah and Jerusalem…
Isaiah 2:3 – …For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem…
Isaiah 62:1 – For Zion’s sake I will not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest…
Psalm 122:6 – Pray for the peace of Jerusalem…
Matthew 23:37 – “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets…”
Man (אִישׁ – ʾîsh)
Root: איש – man, individual, each one
Isaiah 5:3 – …and man (וְאִישׁ) of Judah…
Isaiah 3:5 – The child will behave insolently against the elder, and the base against the honorable… (each man against another)
Isaiah 3:25 – Your men (אַנְשַׁיִךְ) shall fall by the sword…
Isaiah 66:2 – …but to this man (אֶל־זֶה הַאִישׁ) will I look…
Genesis 2:24 – Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother…
Judah (יְהוּדָה – Yehûdāh)
Root: ידה – to praise, give thanks; name meaning “praised”
Isaiah 5:3 – …and man of Judah (יְהוּדָה)…
Isaiah 1:1 – …concerning Judah and Jerusalem…
Isaiah 11:13 – Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not harass Ephraim…
Isaiah 36:13 – Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria… “Speak now to Judah”…
Genesis 49:8 – Judah, your brothers shall praise you… (tribal blessing origin)
Judge (שִׁפְטוּ – shifṭû)
Root: שפט – to judge, decide, bring justice
Isaiah 5:3 – Judge (שִׁפְטוּ) between Me and My vineyard…
Isaiah 1:17 – Learn to do good; seek justice (שִׁפְטוּ)…
Isaiah 1:23 – They do not bring justice (שִׁפְטוּ) to the fatherless…
Isaiah 33:22 – For the LORD is our judge (שֹׁפְטֵנוּ)…
Genesis 18:25 – Shall not the Judge (שֹׁפֵט) of all the earth do right?
Between Me and My vineyard (בֵּינִי וּבֵין כַּרְמִי – bēnî ûvēn karmî)
Root: בין – between, discern; כרם – vineyard
Isaiah 5:3 – …judge between Me and My vineyard (כַּרְמִי)…
Isaiah 5:1 – A vineyard (כֶּרֶם) was for my beloved…
Isaiah 5:4 – What more could be done to My vineyard…
Isaiah 27:2–3 – A vineyard of delight, sing of it…
Ezekiel 15:2 – What is the vine tree more than any tree… (evaluating worth of a vine)
Matthew 21:40 – When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants? *(direct NT reference to judgment on the vineyard)
Isaiah 5:4
4 What more could be done to My vineyard
that I have not done in it?
Why did I look for it to yield grapes,
but it yielded wild grapes?
Hebrew
Hebrew MT
מַה־לַּעֲשׂוֹת עוֹד לְכַרְמִי וְלֹא עָשִׂיתִי בּוֹ מַדּוּעַ קִוֵּיתִי לַעֲשׂוֹת עֲנָבִים וַיַּעַשׂ בְּאֻשִׁים
Transliteration
mah-LaásôtWhat moreמַה־לַעֲשׂוֹת = what more to do. Expresses rhetorical questioning or frustration—often divine in tone. ôd l'khar'miyCould have been doneעוֹד לְכַרְמִי = still for my vineyard. Emphasizes the completeness of previous care—nothing more was neglected. w'lo äsiytiyThat I have not done in itוְלֹא עָשִׂיתִי = and I have not done. Personal involvement—God as the vinedresser. maDûªWhy thenמַדּוּעַ = why. Expresses the divine questioning of disappointing results. qiûëytiyWhen I expected itקִוִּיתִי = I hoped, expected. Root: קָוָה (qavah)—denotes longing, waiting, or expecting a harvest. laásôt ánäviymTo produce good grapesלַעֲשׂוֹת עֲנָבִים = to bring forth grapes. Good fruit as symbolic of righteous works or obedience. waYaas B'ushiymIt brought forth wild grapesוַיַּעַשׂ בְּאֻשִׁים = it produced stinkfruit or wild grapes. Symbol of apostasy or rebellion.
Strong's Concordance
What
מַה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what
more
עוֹד֙ (‘ō·wḏ)
Adverb
Strong's 5750: Iteration, continuance, again, repeatedly, still, more
could have been done
לַּעֲשׂ֥וֹת (la·‘ă·śō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6213: To do, make
for My vineyard
לְכַרְמִ֔י (lə·ḵar·mî)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3754: A garden, vineyard
that I did not
וְלֹ֥א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no
already do
עָשִׂ֖יתִי (‘ā·śî·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make
in it?
בּ֑וֹ (bōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew
Why,
מַדּ֧וּעַ (mad·dū·a‘)
Interrogative
Strong's 4069: Why? for what reason?
when I waited
קִוֵּ֛יתִי (qiw·wê·ṯî)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6960: To bind together, collect, to expect
for it to yield
לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת (la·‘ă·śō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6213: To do, make
good grapes,
עֲנָבִ֖ים (‘ă·nā·ḇîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6025: A grape
did it bring forth
וַיַּ֥עַשׂ (way·ya·‘aś)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make
sour fruit?
בְּאֻשִֽׁים׃ (bə·’u·šîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 891: Stinking or worthless (things), wild grapes
Translations
KJV – What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?
2 Nephi 15 – What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? Wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, it brought forth wild grapes.
NRSVUE – What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield rotten grapes?
JPS – What more could have been done for My vineyard That I did not do in it? Why, when I hoped for a yield of grapes, Did it yield wild grapes?
BSB – What more could have been done for My vineyard than I have done for it? Why, when I expected sweet grapes, did it bring forth sour fruit?
ESV – What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?
NIV – What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?
NASB – What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones?
YLT – What—to do still to My vineyard—I have not done in it? Wherefore, I expected to make the grapes, And it maketh bad ones!
BST – What shall I yet do to my vineyard, that I did not do to it? Because I expected it to produce grapes, but it produced thorns.
Chabad – What more could I have done for my vineyard that I did not do in it? Why did I hope to produce grapes and it produced wild berries?
Alter – What more could be done for My vineyard that I did not do? Why did I hope to get grapes and it put forth rotten fruit?
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. What more could be done – that I have not done
B. Looked for grapes – yielded wild grapes
2 couplets. The first is rhetorical and synthetic—questioning what remains undone. The second is antithetic—divine expectation met with contradiction.
Synthetic & Antithetic Parallelism
A. What more could be done – that I have not done:
This rhetorical question builds on the exhaustive list from verse 2. The pair highlights the completeness of God's efforts and implies there’s no excuse for failure. It is a lament saturated with divine sorrow and finality.
B. Looked for grapes – yielded wild grapes:
An exact echo of verse 2, now in the mouth of God Himself. This antithesis drives the emotional climax: all labor was aimed toward fruitfulness, but the outcome was a betrayal of nature and purpose.
Literary Devices
Rhetorical Questions:
The verse employs two piercing questions that don’t seek answers but compel confession. They frame God’s indictment in moral and emotional terms.
Repetition:
The phrase “yielded wild grapes” is repeated from verse 2, deepening the sense of disappointment and reinforcing the key charge.
Pathos:
The personal tone (“My vineyard,” “I looked”) intensifies the emotional weight. God isn’t a detached judge but a wounded caregiver.
Thematic Analysis
Divine Exhaustion and Moral Clarity:
This verse draws the case to its conclusion—God has left nothing undone. The failure lies entirely with the vineyard (Israel). The question "What more?" emphasizes there are no grounds for complaint or confusion.
Moral Inversion:
Wild grapes are a metaphor for injustice, bloodshed, and unrighteousness (cf. verse 7). They symbolize the reversal of covenant expectations.
Invitation to Repentance Through Grief:
Rather than immediate judgment, the verse pauses in lament. It opens space for reflection, a last appeal to conscience before divine action.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:4 (MT):
מָה לַעֲשׂוֹת עוֹד לְכַרְמִי וְלֹא עָשִׂיתִי בּוֹ מַדּוּעַ קִוִּיתִי לַעֲשׂוֹת עֲנָבִים וַיַּעַשׂ בְּאֻשִׁים
What (מָה – māh)
Root: מה – what, interrogative pronoun expressing inquiry or challenge
Isaiah 5:4 – What (מָה) more was there to do for My vineyard…
Isaiah 1:5 – Why (עַל־מֶה) will you still be struck down? (similar challenge question)
Micah 6:3 – O My people, what (מֶה) have I done to you?
Genesis 4:10 – What (מֶה) have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood… (moral accountability)
To do (לַעֲשׂוֹת – laʿăśōt)
Root: עשׂה – to do, make, accomplish
Isaiah 5:4 – What more was there to do (לַעֲשׂוֹת)…
Isaiah 1:16 – Cease to do evil…
Isaiah 41:4 – Who has performed and done (וְפָעַל וְעָשָׂה) it?
Genesis 18:17 – Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?
Deuteronomy 10:12 – …what does the LORD your God ask of you, but to do justice…
Still/more (עוֹד – ʿôd)
Root: עוד – again, still, more, yet
Isaiah 5:4 – What more (עוֹד) was there to do…
Isaiah 10:20 – …will no more (לֹא יֹסִיף עוֹד) lean on him who struck them…
Isaiah 14:2 – …and they shall take captive those who were their captors, and still (עוֹד) rule over their oppressors (ongoing result)
Genesis 8:12 – He waited another seven days and sent forth the dove again (עוֹד)
My vineyard (לְכַרְמִי – lekharmî)
Root: כרם – vineyard
Isaiah 5:4 – What more was there to do for My vineyard (לְכַרְמִי)…
Isaiah 5:3 – …between Me and My vineyard (כַּרְמִי)
Isaiah 5:1 – …a vineyard (כֶּרֶם) belonged to My beloved
Isaiah 27:3 – I, the LORD, am its keeper (same metaphor of divine ownership)
Jeremiah 12:10 – Many shepherds have ruined My vineyard…
I have not done (לֹא עָשִׂיתִי – lōʾ ʿāsîtî)
Root: עשׂה – to do
Isaiah 5:4 – …that I have not done (לֹא עָשִׂיתִי) in it?
Isaiah 46:11 – …I have spoken, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it (אֲשֶׂנָּה)
Jeremiah 32:17 – …nothing is too hard for You to do (לַעֲשׂוֹת)
Psalm 115:3 – …He does (עָשָׂה) whatever He pleases
Why (מַדּוּעַ – maddûaʿ)
Root: ידע (possibly related) – why, for what reason
Isaiah 5:4 – Why (מַדּוּעַ), when I looked for it to produce grapes…
Isaiah 1:5 – Why (עַל־מֶה) will you be struck again?
Jeremiah 2:14 – Why (מַדּוּעַ) has he become a prey?
Genesis 4:6 – Why (לָמָה) are you angry, and why has your face fallen?
I looked/hoped (קִוִּיתִי – qivvîtî)
Root: קוה – to hope, wait, expect
Isaiah 5:4 – When I looked/hoped (קִוִּיתִי) for it to produce grapes…
Isaiah 5:2 – He looked (וַיְקַו) for it to produce grapes…
Isaiah 59:9 – We hope (נְקַוֶּה) for light, but behold, darkness
Lamentations 3:26 – It is good that one should hope (וְיָחִיל) and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD
Job 30:26 – When I hoped for good, evil came
To produce grapes (לַעֲשׂוֹת עֲנָבִים – laʿăśōt ʿănāvîm)
Root: עשׂה – to do/make; ענב – grape
Isaiah 5:4 – …for it to produce grapes (לַעֲשׂוֹת עֲנָבִים)
Isaiah 5:2 – …He looked for it to produce grapes (עֲנָבִים)
Deuteronomy 32:14 – …and the blood of the grape (עֵין עָנָב)
Judges 9:13 – Should I leave my wine… (grape product metaphor)
Matthew 7:16 – Do men gather grapes of thorns?
But it produced (וַיַּעַשׂ – vayyaʿaś)
Root: עשׂה – to do, produce
Isaiah 5:4 – …but it produced (וַיַּעַשׂ) wild grapes
Genesis 1:12 – The earth brought forth (וַיַּעַשׂ) vegetation…
Isaiah 17:8 – …the work that his fingers have made (עָשָׂה)
Psalm 92:4 – For You, O LORD, have made me glad by Your work
Wild grapes (בְּאֻשִׁים – bəʾûshîm)
Root: באש – to stink, go bad, rot
Isaiah 5:4 – …but it produced wild grapes (בְּאֻשִׁים)
Isaiah 5:2 – …and it brought forth wild grapes (בְּאֻשִׁים)
Jeremiah 2:21 – How then have you turned into a degenerate (וַתִּסְרִי) strange vine?
Psalm 80:16 – It is burned with fire… they perish at the rebuke of Your face (judgment on unfruitful vine)
Matthew 21:19 – …He found nothing on it but leaves only. And He said… “May no fruit ever come from you again”
Isaiah 5:5
5 And now, let me make known to you
what I am about to do to My vineyard:
remove its hedge, and it shall be consumed
break down its wall, and it shall be trampled
Hebrew
Hebrew (MT)
וְעַתָּה אוֹדִיעָה־נָּא אֶתְכֶם אֵת אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה לְכַרְמִי הָסֵר מְשׂוּכָּתוֹ וְהָיָה לְבָעֵר פָּרֹץ גְּדֵרוֹ וְהָיָה לְמִרְמָס
Transliteration
w'aTähAnd nowוְעַתָּה = and now. Marks a decisive turning point—God’s action in response to disappointment. ôdiyäh-NäLet me make knownאוֹדִיעָה־נָּא = let me please make known. From יָדַע (yada‘), to reveal, announce, disclose. et'khemTo youאֶתְכֶם = to you (plural). Direct address to the audience—covenant people. ët ásher-ániy osehWhat I will doאֵת אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה = what I am doing. Indicates determined judgment or correction. l'khar'miyTo my vineyardלְכַרְמִי = to my vineyard. Represents God’s covenant people—Israel as cultivated but unfruitful. häšër m'sûKätôI will remove its hedgeהַסֵּר מְשֻׂכָּתוֹ = remove its hedge. Removing divine protection, exposing to judgment. w'häyäh l'väërAnd it will be consumedוְהָיָה לְבָעֵר = and it will be for burning. Symbol of destruction, refining fire. Pärotz G'dërôBreak down its wallפָּרֹץ גְּדֵרוֹ = break its wall. Opens up to trampling—desolation by enemies. w'häyäh l'mir'mäšAnd it will be trampledוְהָיָה לְמִרְמָשׂ = and it will become a trampled place. Symbol of humiliation and defeat.
Strong's Concordance
Now
וְעַתָּה֙ (wə·‘at·tāh)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 6258: At this time
I will tell you
אוֹדִֽיעָה־ (’ō·w·ḏî·‘āh-)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular
Strong's 3045: To know
what
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that
I
אֲנִ֥י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I
am about to do
עֹשֶׂ֖ה (‘ō·śeh)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make
to My vineyard:
לְכַרְמִ֑י (lə·ḵar·mî)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3754: A garden, vineyard
I will take away
הָסֵ֤ר (hā·sêr)
Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 5493: To turn aside
its hedge,
מְשׂוּכָּתוֹ֙ (mə·śū·kā·ṯōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4881: A hedge
and it will be
וְהָיָ֣ה (wə·hā·yāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be
consumed;
לְבָעֵ֔ר (lə·ḇā·‘êr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1197: To kindle, consume, to be, brutish
I will tear down
פָּרֹ֥ץ (pā·rōṣ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 6555: To break through
its wall,
גְּדֵר֖וֹ (gə·ḏê·rōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1447: A circumvallation, an inclosure
and it will be
וְהָיָ֥ה (wə·hā·yāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be
trampled.
לְמִרְמָֽס׃ (lə·mir·mās)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4823: Trampling place, trampling
Translations
KJV – And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down.
2 Nephi 15 – And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard—I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and I will break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down.
NRSVUE – And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.
JPS – Now then, let Me inform you What I will do to My vineyard: Remove its hedge, That it may be ravaged; Break down its fence, That it may be trampled.
BSB – Now I will tell you what I am about to do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be consumed; I will tear down its wall, and it will be trampled.
ESV – And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.
NIV – Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled.
NASB – So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed; I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground.
YLT – And now, let me tell, I pray you, That which I do to My vineyard, To turn its hedge to consumption, Its wall to destruction make.
BST – And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will remove its hedge, and it shall be for a spoil; I will pull down its walls, and it shall be trampled down.
Chabad – And now, I will inform you what I am going to do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be eaten up; breach its walls, and it shall be trampled.
Alter – And now, let Me inform you, pray, what I am about to do to My vineyard: take away its hedge, and it shall turn to waste, break down its fence, and it shall be trampled.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Let me make known – what I am about to do
B. Remove hedge – break wall
C. Consumed – trampled
2 couplets following the declaration. Both are synthetic and predictive, describing judgment in parallel acts and outcomes.
Synthetic & Emblematic Parallelism
A. Let me make known – what I am about to do:
These parallel phrases introduce a divine decree. God is not acting in secret; the prophet’s song becomes an oracle. Revelation precedes judgment.
B. Remove its hedge – break down its wall:
The two actions mirror each other. Both describe the removal of protective boundaries—first the hedge (natural defense), then the wall (man-made security). The vineyard’s exposure is deliberate and symbolic.
C. It shall be consumed – it shall be trampled:
The consequences match the removals. To be “consumed” implies devouring by fire or animals; “trampled” suggests invasion and desecration. Both portray the vineyard as helpless prey to chaos.
Literary Devices
Prolepsis (Foreshadowing):
The phrase “what I am about to do” anticipates judgment. It frames the next lines as the execution of justice already declared.
Imagery of Destruction:
The verse uses concrete images (hedge, wall, consumption, trampling) to signal divine withdrawal. The once-protected vineyard is now exposed to judgment.
Parallel Syntax:
“Remove… and it shall be…” and “Break… and it shall be…” creates a measured, almost liturgical cadence—God’s judgment unfolds with inevitability and structure.
Thematic Analysis
Loss of Divine Protection:
The hedge and wall are symbols of God’s covenantal safeguarding. Their removal signifies that God is no longer shielding His people—judgment is not merely active punishment but the lifting of mercy.
Transition from Grace to Judgment:
The tone shifts from lament to declaration. The vineyard was cultivated with love, judged with grief, and now exposed with justice.
Covenantal Consequences:
This is the turning point of the vineyard allegory. The covenantal blessings (Deut. 28) are reversed—the hedge and wall once guaranteed flourishing; now, they are removed as covenant curses unfold.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:5 (MT):
וְעַתָּה אוֹדִיעָה נָּא אֶתְכֶם אֵת אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה לְכַרְמִי הָסֵר מְשֻׂכָּתוֹ וְהָיָה לְבָעֵר פָּרֹץ גְּדֵרוֹ וְהָיָה לְמִרְמָס
Now (וְעַתָּה – veʿattāh)
Root: עתה – now, at this time, immediacy
Isaiah 5:5 – Now (וְעַתָּה), let Me make known to you…
Isaiah 5:3 – Now (וְעַתָּה), O inhabitant of Jerusalem…
Isaiah 1:18 – Come now, let us reason together…
Genesis 11:7 – Come now, let Us go down and confuse their language…
Let Me make known (אוֹדִיעָה – ʾôdîʿāh)
Root: ידע – to know, declare, make known
Isaiah 5:5 – Let Me make known (אוֹדִיעָה) to you what I will do…
Isaiah 41:22 – Let them bring them forth and declare to us what shall happen…
Amos 3:7 – Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing (גָּלָה) His secret to His servants the prophets (different root, same intent)
Exodus 33:13 – Please show me now Your ways, that I may know You…
Psalm 25:4 – Make me know (הוֹדִיעֵנִי) Your ways, O LORD…
You (אֶתְכֶם – ʾetkhem)
Root: אתם – you (plural); direct object marker with pronoun
Isaiah 5:5 – Let Me make known to you (אֶתְכֶם)…
Isaiah 1:18 – Come now, and let us reason together (נָּוָה)… (second person plural context)
Isaiah 43:10 – You are My witnesses, says the LORD… (audience addressed directly)
Exodus 19:4 – You have seen what I did to Egypt and how I bore you on eagles' wings…
What I will do (אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה – ʾăsher ʾănî ʿōśeh)
Root: עשׂה – to do, make
Isaiah 5:5 – …what I will do to My vineyard
Isaiah 10:23 – For the Lord GOD of hosts will do (עֹשֶׂה) a destruction, even determined…
Isaiah 46:11 – I have purposed it; I will also do it (אֲשֶׂנָּה)
Genesis 18:17 – Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing?
Amos 3:6 – Shall evil befall a city and the LORD has not done it?
My vineyard (לְכַרְמִי – lekharmî)
Root: כרם – vineyard
Isaiah 5:5 – …what I will do to My vineyard (לְכַרְמִי)
Isaiah 5:1 – A vineyard belonged to my beloved
Isaiah 5:4 – What more was there to do for My vineyard
Isaiah 27:3 – I, the LORD, am its keeper (same possessive relationship)
Jeremiah 12:10 – Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard…
Remove (הָסֵר – hāsēr)
Root: סור – to remove, turn aside, take away
Isaiah 5:5 – I will remove (הָסֵר) its hedge…
Isaiah 1:16 – Remove (הָסִירוּ) the evil of your deeds from before My eyes…
Isaiah 22:25 – The peg that was fastened in a secure place will be removed (תָּמוּשׁ) (same concept of displacement)
Psalm 119:29 – Remove from me the way of lying…
2 Kings 23:4 – And the king commanded to remove from the temple of the LORD…
Hedge (מְשֻׂכָּתוֹ – məsukkātô)
Root: שוך – hedge, fence, protective enclosure
Isaiah 5:5 – I will remove its hedge (מְשֻׂכָּתוֹ)…
Job 1:10 – Have You not put a hedge (שַׂכְתָּ) around him…
Psalm 80:12 – Why have You broken down her hedges (גְּדֵרֶיהָ)…
Hosea 2:6 – I will hedge up her way with thorns… (protective barrier removed for judgment)
And it shall be consumed (וְהָיָה לְבָעֵר – vehāyāh lebāʿēr)
Root: בער – to burn, devour, consume
Isaiah 5:5 – …and it shall be for burning (לְבָעֵר)
Isaiah 9:18 – Wickedness burns like a fire… it devours (תֹּאכַל) briers and thorns
Isaiah 10:17 – The Light of Israel will become a fire… and it will burn and devour His thorns in one day
Deuteronomy 32:22 – A fire is kindled in My anger, and burns to the depths of Sheol…
Break down (פָּרֹץ – pārōṣ)
Root: פרץ – to break through, break down, breach
Isaiah 5:5 – …I will break down (פָּרֹץ) its wall
Isaiah 58:12 – …you shall be called the repairer of the breach (פֶּרֶץ)
2 Chronicles 32:5 – He built up all the wall that was broken (פָּרֹץ)
Nehemiah 2:13 – …and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down (הֵם פְּרוּצִים)
Its wall (גְּדֵרוֹ – gədērô)
Root: גדר – wall, fence, border
Isaiah 5:5 – …its wall (גְּדֵרוֹ)
Isaiah 7:6 – Let us go up against Judah and terrorize it, and let us conquer it for ourselves and set up a king… (intent to breach walls)
Psalm 62:3 – …like a leaning wall, a tottering fence (גָּדֵר)
Psalm 80:12 – Why have You broken down her walls (גְּדֵרֶיהָ)…
Ezekiel 13:5 – …you have not gone up into the breaches, nor repaired the wall…
And it shall be trampled (וְהָיָה לְמִרְמָס – vehāyāh lemirmās)
Root: רמס – to trample, tread underfoot
Isaiah 5:5 – …and it shall be trampled (לְמִרְמָס)
Isaiah 10:6 – …to tread them down (לְבִזָּה וּלְמִרְמָס)…
Isaiah 28:3 – The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trampled underfoot (תֵּרָמֵס)
Lamentations 1:15 – …the Lord has trampled all my mighty men
Matthew 5:13 – …it is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet
Isaiah 5:6
6 And I will make it a waste
it shall not be pruned nor hoed
and briers and thorns shall grow up
and I will command the clouds
that they not rain upon it
Hebrew
Hebrew (MT)
כִּי כֶרֶם יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאִישׁ יְהוּדָה נְטַע שַׁעֲשׁוּעָיו וַיְקַו לְמִשְׁפָּט וְהִנֵּה מִשְׂפָּח לִצְדָקָה וְהִנֵּה צְעָקָה ס
Transliteration
waáshiytëhûAnd I will make itוַאֲשִׁיתֵהוּ = and I will make it. From שִׁית (shiyt), to set, place, or turn into—marks intentional transformation. vätähA wastelandבָּתָה = a wasteland, devastation. Indicates removal of purpose or productivity. lo yiZämërIt shall not be prunedלֹא יִזָּמֵר = it shall not be pruned. From זָמַר (zamar), to trim or care for—symbol of neglect. w'lo yëädërNor hoedוְלֹא יֵעָדֵר = nor shall it be hoed. From עָדַר (adar), to dig or cultivate. w'älähBut there shall come upוְעָלָה = but there shall come up. Indicates unchecked growth. shämiyrBriersשָׁמִיר = briers, thornbushes—symbol of curse, desolation. wäshäyitAnd thornsוָשַׁיִת = and thorns. Associated with wastelands or judgment. w'al heäviym átzaûehAnd I will also commandוְעַל הֶעָבִים אֲצַוֶּה = and upon the clouds I will command. Shows divine restraint. mëham'ţiyr äläyw mäţärThat they rain no rain upon itמֵהַמְטִיר עָלָיו מָטָר = from raining rain upon it. Symbol of divine withholding of blessing or revelation.
Strong's Concordance
I will make
וַאֲשִׁיתֵ֣הוּ (wa·’ă·šî·ṯê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7896: To put, set
it a wasteland,
בָתָ֗ה (ḇā·ṯāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1326: End, destruction
neither
לֹ֤א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no
pruned
יִזָּמֵר֙ (yiz·zā·mêr)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2168: To trim, prune
nor
וְלֹ֣א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no
cultivated,
יֵעָדֵ֔ר (yê·‘ā·ḏêr)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5737: To arrange as a battle, a vineyard, to muster, to miss
and thorns
וָשָׁ֑יִת (wā·šā·yiṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7898: Scrub, trash, wild growth of weeds, briers
and briers
שָׁמִ֖יר (šā·mîr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8068: A thorn, a gem, the diamond
will grow up.
וְעָלָ֥ה (wə·‘ā·lāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively
I will command
אֲצַוֶּ֔ה (’ă·ṣaw·weh)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order
the clouds
הֶעָבִים֙ (he·‘ā·ḇîm)
Article | Noun - common plural
Strong's 5645: An envelope, darkness, a, cloud, a copse
that rain
מָטָֽר׃ (mā·ṭār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4306: Rain
shall not fall
מֵהַמְטִ֥יר (mê·ham·ṭîr)
Preposition-m | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 4305: To rain
on it.
עָלָ֖יו (‘ā·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against
Translations
KJV – And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
2 Nephi 15 – And I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
NRSVUE – I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
JPS – I will make it a desolation; It shall not be pruned or hoed, But it shall be overgrown with briers and thistles; And I will command the clouds to drop no rain on it.
BSB – I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow up. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it.
ESV – I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
NIV – I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.
NASB – I will turn it into a wasteland; It will not be pruned or hoed, But briars and thorns will come up. I will also command the clouds not to rain on it.
YLT – And I make it a waste, It is not pruned, nor hoed, And go up have brier and thorn, And the clouds I command not to rain upon it rain!
BST – And I will make it a desolation: it shall not be pruned, and it shall not be hoed; and there shall come up on it thorns as a desert: and I will command the clouds not to rain on it.
Chabad – And I will make it a desolation; it shall neither be pruned nor hoed, and the shamir and desolation will come up [over it]; and I will command the clouds not to rain upon it.
Alter – And I will make it a wild field, and it shall not be pruned nor raked, and thorn and thistle shall spring up. And I will charge the clouds not to rain on it.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Make it a waste – not pruned – not hoed
B. Briers and thorns – grow up
C. Command the clouds – not rain
3 couplets. The first is synthetic—neglect leads to desolation. The second is emblematic—natural overgrowth replaces cultivated order. The third is climactic—divine authority halts blessing.
Synthetic & Emblematic Parallelism
A. Make it a waste – not pruned – not hoed:
These lines depict judgment by neglect. Rather than direct destruction, the vineyard is abandoned. Without pruning or hoeing—symbols of spiritual care—it descends into chaos.
B. Briers and thorns shall grow up:
This image evokes Genesis 3:18 and covenantal curses (cf. Hosea 10:8). Thorns are the antithesis of fruitful vines, symbolizing sin, judgment, and divine absence.
C. I will command the clouds – that they not rain upon it:
God exerts cosmic authority. Withholding rain is the final blow—without divine blessing, no fruit can come. This recalls Deuteronomy 11:17, reinforcing covenantal cause-and-effect.
Literary Devices
Symbolism:
Pruning and hoeing represent ongoing divine correction and care. Their absence signals abandonment. Thorns represent sin and suffering. Lack of rain signifies the withdrawal of revelation and grace.
Intertextual Allusion:
The thorns recall Eden’s curse, and the withholding of rain echoes prophetic warnings throughout Torah and prophets. Isaiah compresses Torah theology into poetic justice.
Climactic Inversion:
Rain—normally a blessing—is actively prevented. The command to the clouds inverts the usual imagery of Yahweh opening the heavens in mercy.
Thematic Analysis
Desolation by Divine Withdrawal:
This is not chaos by accident, but by decree. God’s refusal to tend the vineyard or bless it signals that judgment can mean simply letting consequences unfold without divine intervention.
Spiritual Barrenness:
With no pruning or rain, the vineyard (Israel) cannot grow. The tools of spiritual cultivation—prophecy, correction, covenant care—are withdrawn.
Fulfilled Warnings:
This verse demonstrates the fruition of covenantal warnings in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. When the people turn from God, He withholds the rain, the crops fail, and the land becomes desolate.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:6 (MT):
וַאֲשִׁיתֵהוּ בָּתָה לֹא יִזָּמֵר וְלֹא יֵעָדֵר וְעָלָה שָׁמִיר וָשַׁיִת וְעַל הֶעָבִים אֲצַוֶּה מֵהַמְטִיר עָלָיו מָטָר
I will make it (וַאֲשִׁיתֵהוּ – vaʾăšîtēhû)
Root: שית – to set, place, appoint
Isaiah 5:6 – I will make it (וַאֲשִׁיתֵהוּ) a waste…
Isaiah 7:17 – The LORD will bring upon (יָבִיא) you days… (different verb, same intent of divine action)
Psalm 89:25 – I will set his hand on the sea… (אָשִׁית)
Exodus 21:13 – …but God let him fall into his hand (וְהָאֱלֹהִים אִנָּה לְיָדוֹ)
Desolation (בָּתָה – bātāh)
Root: בתה – waste, desolation, ruin
Isaiah 5:6 – …I will make it a waste (בָּתָה)
Isaiah 7:19 – …in the desolate valleys (הַבְּתֻרוֹת) (variant form)
Isaiah 6:11 – Until cities lie waste without inhabitant (שְׁמָמָה) (synonym in same semantic field)
Jeremiah 4:26 – …and all its cities were broken down before the LORD, before His fierce anger
It shall not be pruned (לֹא יִזָּמֵר – lōʾ yizzāmēr)
Root: זמר – to prune, trim
Isaiah 5:6 – …it shall not be pruned (לֹא יִזָּמֵר)
Leviticus 25:4 – You shall not prune (לֹא תִזְמֹר) your vineyard
Isaiah 18:5 – …He cuts off the shoots with pruning hooks (בַּזְּמֹרוֹת)
John 15:2 – …every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit (spiritual metaphor)
Nor hoed (וְלֹא יֵעָדֵר – vĕlōʾ yēʿādēr)
Root: עדר – to hoe, weed, dig around
Isaiah 5:6 – …nor shall it be hoed (יֵעָדֵר)
Isaiah 7:25 – …you will not go there, lest it be hoed (עֵדֶר)
Proverbs 24:30–31 – …it was all overgrown with thorns… and its ground was covered with nettles (neglect of weeding/hoeing)
Luke 13:8 – Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure (intent to cultivate)
Briars and thorns (שָׁמִיר וָשַׁיִת – shāmîr vāshāyit)
Root: שמיר – brier; שית – thorn or wild growth
Isaiah 5:6 – …but briars and thorns shall come up (שָׁמִיר וָשַׁיִת)
Isaiah 7:23–25 – …it shall be for briars and thorns (שָׁמִיר וָשַׁיִת)
Isaiah 9:18 – For wickedness burns as the fire; it shall devour the briars and thorns
Genesis 3:18 – Thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you… (curse motif)
Hebrews 6:8 – But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless…
Clouds (הֶעָבִים – heʿāvîm)
Root: עב – cloud, thick darkness
Isaiah 5:6 – …and concerning the clouds (הֶעָבִים) I will command…
Isaiah 14:14 – I will ascend above the heights of the clouds (עָבִים)
Isaiah 60:8 – Who are these that fly like a cloud…
Job 36:29 – Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds…
Psalm 147:8 – Who covers the heavens with clouds…
I will command (אֲצַוֶּה – ʾăṣawweh)
Root: צוה – to command, appoint, order
Isaiah 5:6 – I will command (אֲצַוֶּה) the clouds…
Isaiah 45:12 – My hands have stretched out the heavens, and I have commanded (צִוִּיתִי) all their host
Genesis 1:11 – Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation…” (divine command for productivity)
Job 36:32 – He covers His hands with the lightning and commands it to strike the mark
Rain (מֵהַמְטִיר מָטָר – mēhamṭîr māṭār)
Root: מטר – rain, to cause to rain
Isaiah 5:6 – …that they should not rain (מֵהַמְטִיר) upon it
Deuteronomy 11:17 – …then the LORD’s anger will be kindled against you… and He will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain (מָטָר)
Amos 4:7 – I also withheld the rain (גֶּשֶׁם) from you…
Zechariah 14:17 – …upon them there shall be no rain (מָטָר)
Isaiah 5:7
7 For the vineyard of YHWH of Hosts is the house of Israel
and the man of Judah is His delightful planting
and He looked for justice, but behold bloodshed
for righteousness, but behold a cry of distress
Hebrew
Hebrew (MT)
הוֹי מַגִּיעֵי בַיִת בְּבַיִת שָׂדֶה בְשָׂדֶה יַקְרִיבוּ עַד אֶפֶס מָקוֹם וְהוּשַׁבְתֶּם לְבַדְּכֶם בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ
Transliteration
Kiy kheremFor the vineyardכִּי כֶרֶם = For the vineyard. Symbol of Israel as God’s cultivated people. y'hwäh tz'väôtof Yahweh of Hostsיְהוָה צְבָאוֹת = Yahweh of Hosts. Divine title emphasizing command over heavenly armies. Bëyt yis'räëlis the house of Israelבֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל = the house of Israel. Represents God’s covenant people. w'iysh y'hûdähand the men of Judahוְאִישׁ יְהוּדָה = and the men of Judah. Parallel group to Israel, emphasizing responsibility. n'ţa shaáshûäywHis pleasant plantנְטַע שַׁעֲשֻׁעָיו = His pleasant plant. Root: נָטַע (nataʿ), to plant. Represents divine investment or delight. way'qaw l'mish'PäţAnd He looked for justiceוַיְקַו לְמִשְׁפָּט = and He hoped for justice. Mishpat implies righteous judgment or just order. w'hiNëh mis'PächBut behold, bloodshedוְהִנֵּה מִשְׂפָּח = but behold, mispach (bloodshed or outcry). A play on words contrasting mishpat (justice). litz'däqähFor righteousnessלִצְדָקָה = for righteousness. From צֶדֶק (tsedeq), right relationships, equity. w'hiNëh tz'äqähBut behold, a cryוְהִנֵּה צְעָקָה = but behold, a cry. Often of distress or injustice—pun on tsedaqah (righteousness).
Strong's Concordance
For
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction
the vineyard
כֶ֜רֶם (ḵe·rem)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3754: A garden, vineyard
of the LORD
יְהוָ֤ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel
of Hosts
צְבָאוֹת֙ (ṣə·ḇā·’ō·wṯ)
Noun - common plural
Strong's 6635: A mass of persons, reg, organized for, war, a campaign
is the house
בֵּ֣ית (bêṯ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house
of Israel,
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc
and the men
וְאִ֣ישׁ (wə·’îš)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person
of Judah
יְהוּדָ֔ה (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites
are the plant
נְטַ֖ע (nə·ṭa‘)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5194: A plant, a plantation, a planting
of His delight.
שַׁעֲשׁוּעָ֑יו (ša·‘ă·šū·‘āw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8191: Enjoyment
He looked
וַיְקַ֤ו (way·qaw)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6960: To bind together, collect, to expect
for justice
לְמִשְׁפָּט֙ (lə·miš·pāṭ)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style
but saw
וְהִנֵּ֣ה (wə·hin·nêh)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!
injustice;
מִשְׂפָּ֔ח (miś·pāḥ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4939: Probably outpouring, bloodshed
for righteousness,
לִצְדָקָ֖ה (liṣ·ḏā·qāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6666: Rightness, subjectively, objectively
but heard
וְהִנֵּ֥ה (wə·hin·nêh)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!
a cry of distress.
צְעָקָֽה׃ (ṣə·‘ā·qāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6818: A cry, outcry
Translations
KJV – For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.
2 Nephi 15 – For the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant; and he looked for judgment, and behold, oppression; for righteousness, but behold, a cry.
NRSVUE – For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his cherished garden; he expected justice but saw bloodshed; righteousness but heard a cry!
JPS – For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts Is the House of Israel, And the seedlings He lovingly tended Are the men of Judah. And He hoped for justice, But behold, injustice; For equity, But behold, iniquity!
BSB – For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are His pleasant planting. He waited for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress.
ESV – For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!
NIV – The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.
NASB – For the vineyard of the LORD of armies is the house of Israel, And the people of Judah are His delightful plant. So He waited for justice, but behold, there was bloodshed; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.
YLT – Because the vineyard of Jehovah of Hosts is the house of Israel, And the man of Judah His pleasant plant, And He looketh for judgment, and lo, blood-shedding, For righteousness, and lo, a cry.
BST – For the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Juda his beloved plant: and I looked for judgment, and behold a cry: and for righteousness, and behold a tumult.
Chabad – For the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the House of Israel, and the people of Judah are the plant of His joy; and He hoped for justice, and, behold, there was injustice; for righteousness, and behold, an outcry.
Alter – For the house of Israel is the vineyard of the LORD of Armies and the men of Judah are His delightful planting. He hoped for justice, and, look, jaundice, for righteousness, and, look, wretchedness.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Vineyard – house of Israel
B. Man of Judah – delightful planting
C. Looked for justice – behold bloodshed
D. Looked for righteousness – behold a cry
2 couplets. The first is synonymous—clarifying the allegory. The second is antithetic—expectation versus tragic inversion.
Synonymous & Antithetic Parallelism
A. Vineyard – house of Israel:
The metaphor is unveiled. The vineyard, lovingly tended in prior verses, is Israel. The poetic veil is lifted, transforming a pastoral scene into a covenantal indictment.
B. Man of Judah – His delightful planting:
Again, poetic parallelism identifies Judah as the beloved planting. The term “delightful” intensifies the pathos—it was a relationship of joy and hope, not just duty.
C. He looked for justice – behold bloodshed:
This is a sharp reversal. The Hebrew includes a play on words: mišpāṭ (justice) vs. miśpāḥ (bloodshed). The sounds echo, but the meanings invert. The expected moral fruit becomes violent corruption.
D. For righteousness – behold a cry:
Another wordplay: ṣĕdāqāh (righteousness) vs. ṣĕʿāqāh (cry of distress). Righteousness should result in peace; instead, it produces suffering. The imagery links to injustice and social breakdown.
Literary Devices
Parable Reveal:
This verse functions as the “aha” moment of the parable, converting metaphor into moral reality. The audience must now face its own reflection in the vineyard.
Paronomasia (Wordplay):
Justice vs. bloodshed (mišpāṭ / miśpāḥ), righteousness vs. cry (ṣĕdāqāh / ṣĕʿāqāh)—Isaiah uses sound to highlight how close Israel came to true fruit, yet utterly missed it.
Pathos and Shock:
The structure sets up expectation—then violently disrupts it. The poetic cadence lures the listener into thinking blessing will follow, but instead reveals horror.
Thematic Analysis
Covenant Betrayal Named:
After six verses of poetic metaphor, Isaiah declares plainly: this is about Israel and Judah. All the divine effort was real. All the failure is real.
Moral Perversion:
What God expected was entirely reasonable: justice and righteousness. What He received was bloodshed and suffering. This inversion is more than disappointment—it’s moral distortion.
Prophetic Judgement as Lament:
This final verse of the vineyard song is both a verdict and a lament. It blends legal accusation with personal grief, emphasizing the depth of the broken covenant.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:7 (MT):
כִּי כֶרֶם יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאִישׁ יְהוּדָה נְטַע שַׁעֲשֻׁעָיו וַיְקַו לְמִשְׁפָּט וְהִנֵּה מִשְׂפָּח לִצְדָקָה וְהִנֵּה צְעָקָה
Vineyard (כֶּרֶם – kerem)
Root: כרם – vineyard, cultivated field
Isaiah 5:7 – For the vineyard (כֶּרֶם) of the LORD of Hosts is the house of Israel…
Isaiah 5:1–6 – multiple uses of vineyard as a metaphor for Israel
Isaiah 27:2 – In that day, “A vineyard of delight—sing of it!”
Jeremiah 12:10 – Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard
LORD of Hosts (יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת – YHWH tsevāʾôt)
Root: צבא – host, army, multitudes
Isaiah 5:7 – The LORD of Hosts (יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת)…
Isaiah 1:9 – Unless the LORD of Hosts had left to us a small remnant…
Isaiah 6:3 – Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts…
Psalm 24:10 – Who is this King of glory? The LORD of Hosts—He is the King of glory!
House of Israel (בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל – bêt-yisrāʾēl)
Root: בית – house, family; ישראל – Israel (he struggles with God)
Isaiah 5:7 – …is the house of Israel (בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל)…
Isaiah 46:3 – Listen to Me, O house of Israel…
Ezekiel 37:11 – Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel…
Amos 3:1 – Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O people of Israel…
Man of Judah (אִישׁ יְהוּדָה – ʾîsh yehûdāh)
Root: איש – man; יהודה – Judah
Isaiah 5:7 – …and the man of Judah was His delightful planting
Isaiah 5:3 – O inhabitant of Jerusalem and man of Judah…
Isaiah 3:25 – Your men shall fall by the sword…
Genesis 49:8 – Judah, your brothers shall praise you…
Delightful planting (נְטַע שַׁעֲשֻׁעָיו – netaʿ shaʿăshuʿāw)
Root: נטע – to plant; שעשׁע – delight, joy, pleasure
Isaiah 5:7 – …His delightful planting (נְטַע שַׁעֲשֻׁעָיו)
Isaiah 61:3 – …that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD…
Isaiah 62:4 – …but you shall be called “My Delight is in Her” (root שעשׁע)
Jeremiah 31:20 – Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a delightful child?
He looked for (וַיְקַו – vayqav)
Root: קוה – to hope, expect, wait
Isaiah 5:7 – …He looked for justice…
Isaiah 5:2 – He looked for (וַיְקַו) it to produce grapes…
Isaiah 5:4 – When I looked (קִוִּיתִי) for it to yield grapes…
Isaiah 59:9 – We hope (נְקַוֶּה) for light, but behold, darkness
Justice (לְמִשְׁפָּט – lemishpāṭ)
Root: שפט – to judge, justice
Isaiah 5:7 – …He looked for justice (לְמִשְׁפָּט) but behold, bloodshed
Isaiah 1:17 – Seek justice (מִשְׁפָּט), correct oppression…
Isaiah 1:27 – Zion shall be redeemed by justice (בְּמִשְׁפָּט)
Micah 6:8 – …what does the LORD require of you but to do justice…
But behold (וְהִנֵּה – vehinnēh)
Root: הנה – behold, look
Isaiah 5:7 – …but behold (וְהִנֵּה) bloodshed…
Isaiah 3:1 – Behold (הִנֵּה), the Lord removes from Jerusalem and Judah…
Isaiah 7:14 – Behold, a virgin shall conceive…
Genesis 6:13 – Behold, I will destroy them with the earth…
Bloodshed (מִשְׂפָּח – mispāḥ)
Root: ספח or a wordplay from שפט – possibly a paronomasia
Isaiah 5:7 – …He looked for justice but behold bloodshed (מִשְׂפָּח)
Note: This is a pun on מִשְׁפָּט – sounding similar to “justice” but meaning “bloodshed” (from שפך – to spill)
Isaiah 59:3 – …your fingers with iniquity, your lips have spoken lies
Jeremiah 19:4–5 – …filled this place with the blood of innocents
Matthew 23:35 – …that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth…
Righteousness (לִצְדָקָה – litsədāqāh)
Root: צדק – righteousness, justice, rightness
Isaiah 5:7 – …He looked for righteousness (לִצְדָקָה)…
Isaiah 1:21 – Righteousness (צֶדֶק) lodged in her, but now murderers
Isaiah 32:17 – The work of righteousness will be peace…
Amos 5:24 – Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream
But behold (וְהִנֵּה – vehinnēh)
Root: הנה – behold, look
Isaiah 5:7 – …but behold (וְהִנֵּה) a cry…
(Same as above; repeated for poetic emphasis)
A cry (צְעָקָה – tseʿāqāh)
Root: צעק – to cry out, scream, lament
Isaiah 5:7 – …behold a cry (צְעָקָה)
Isaiah 15:4 – Heshbon and Elealeh cry out (צָעֲקוּ), their voice is heard as far as Jahaz…
Isaiah 65:19 – …no more shall be heard in her the sound of weeping and the cry (צְעָקָה) of distress
Exodus 3:7 – I have surely seen the affliction of My people… and have heard their cry
Isaiah 5:8
8 Woe to those who join house to house
field to field they bring near
until there is no more space
and you dwell alone
in the midst of the land
Hebrew
Hebrew (MT)
הוֹי מַגִּיעֵי בַיִת בְּבַיִת שָׂדֶה בְשָׂדֶה יַקְרִיבוּ עַד אֶפֶס מָקוֹם וְהוּשַׁבְתֶּם לְבַדְּכֶם בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ
Transliteration
hôyWoeהוֹי = Woe. A prophetic lament or judgment formula signaling doom. maGiyëyto those who joinמַגִּיעֵי = joiners, or those who connect. Root: נָגַע (nagaʿ), to touch or reach—here, extending property boundaries. vayit B'vayithouse to houseבַּיִת בְּבַיִת = house to house. Indicates greedy accumulation or consolidation of dwellings. sädeh v'sädehfield to fieldשָׂדֶה וְשָׂדֶה = field to field. Expansion of land holdings at others’ expense. yaq'riyvûthey approachיַקְרִיבוּ = they bring near. Root: קָרַב (qarav), to draw near—here, merging lands together. ad efeš mäqômuntil there is no spaceעַד אֶפֶס מָקוֹם = until no place is left. A warning about monopolizing space and crowding others out. w'hûshav'Temand you will dwellוְהוּשַׁבְתֶּם = and you will dwell. Passive form implies settled consequence or divine judgment. l'vaD'khemaloneלְבַדְּכֶם = alone, by yourselves. Reflects isolation as a result of greedy accumulation. B'qerev hääretzin the midst of the landבְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ = in the midst of the land. Geographic and spiritual setting—dwelling alone as a judgment.
Strong's Concordance
Woe
ה֗וֹי (hō·w)
Interjection
Strong's 1945: Ah! alas! ha!
to those who add
מַגִּיעֵ֥י (mag·gî·‘ê)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 5060: To touch, lay the hand upon, to reach, violently, to strike
house
בַ֙יִת֙ (ḇa·yiṯ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house
to house
בְּבַ֔יִת (bə·ḇa·yiṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house
and join
יַקְרִ֑יבוּ (yaq·rî·ḇū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7126: To come near, approach
field
שָׂדֶ֥ה (śā·ḏeh)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7704: Field, land
to field
בְשָׂדֶ֖ה (ḇə·śā·ḏeh)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7704: Field, land
until
עַ֚ד (‘aḏ)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while
there is no
אֶ֣פֶס (’e·p̄es)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 657: Cessation, an end, no further, the ankle, foot
room
מָק֔וֹם (mā·qō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition
and you dwell
וְהֽוּשַׁבְתֶּ֥ם (wə·hū·šaḇ·tem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hofal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry
alone
לְבַדְּכֶ֖ם (lə·ḇad·də·ḵem)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 905: Separation, a part of the body, branch of a, tree, bar for, carrying, chief of
in
בְּקֶ֥רֶב (bə·qe·reḇ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7130: The nearest part, the center
the land.
הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land
Translations
KJV – Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth.
2 Nephi 15 – Woe unto them that join house to house, till there can be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!
NRSVUE – Ah, you who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is room for no one but you and you are left to live alone in the midst of the land!
JPS – Ah, Those who add house to house And join field to field, Till there is room for none but you To dwell in the land!
BSB – Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till not even space is left, and you alone dwell in the land.
ESV – Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room, and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land.
NIV – Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land.
NASB – Woe to those who attach house to house, and join field to field, Until there is no more room, so that you live alone in the midst of the land!
YLT – Wo [to] those joining house to house, Field to field they bring near, Till place hath not been left, And ye have been caused to dwell alone in the midst of the land!
BST – Woe to you that join house to house, and lay field to field, even to the end of the place. Shall ye dwell alone upon the land?
Chabad – Woe to those who join a house to a house; a field to a field they draw near; until there is no place, and you will be settled alone in the midst of the land.
Alter – Woe, who add house to house, who put field together with field till there is no space left and you alone are settled, in the heart of the land.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Join house to house – field to field they bring near
B. No more space – dwell alone
C. You dwell – in the midst of the land
2.5 couplets. The first is synthetic expansion. The second is ironic—abundance leads to isolation. The final phrase adds spatial emphasis, not a full couplet but a geographic punchline.
Synthetic & Ironic Parallelism
A. Join house to house – field to field they bring near:
This is a synthetic pair. The wealthy extend their property endlessly—houses and fields annexed into private empires. It critiques greedy expansion and social injustice.
B. Until there is no more space – and you dwell alone:
This ironic reversal condemns the hoarder. In taking everything, he isolates himself. The one who tried to own the land ends up with no community to share it.
C. You dwell – in the midst of the land:
This final line offers a chilling twist. “In the midst of the land” should imply blessing (cf. Deut. 11:12), but here it emphasizes desolation—land possessed but empty of people.
Literary Devices
Woe Oracle:
Introduced with “Woe,” this is a judgment speech, common in prophetic literature. It signals divine grief and impending consequence.
Irony:
The desire to accumulate leads to loneliness. This is not success, but a perversion of inheritance law and covenant ideals.
Ellipsis and Compression:
The language is tight. The omission of conjunctions adds urgency. This makes the escalation of greed feel breathless, relentless.
Thematic Analysis
Economic Injustice and Land Abuse:
The Torah allotted land as inheritance for each tribe and family (cf. Lev. 25:23). To join house to house and field to field is to violate this principle and undermine community equity.
Loss of Covenant Community:
God’s ideal was mutual stewardship and shared prosperity. Here, individual accumulation destroys collective blessing, leaving the land hollow.
Perverse Dominion:
Dominion, once a blessing (Gen. 1:28), becomes corrupted when untethered from justice. This verse exposes how power, when hoarded, isolates rather than empowers.
Wordlinks
Daughter of Zion (בַּת־צִיּוֹן – bat tziyyon)
Isaiah 1:8 – The Daughter of Zion (בַּת־צִיּוֹן) is abandoned…
Isaiah 10:32 – He will shake his fist at the mount of the Daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
Isaiah 16:1 – Send the lamb to the ruler of the land… to the mount of the Daughter of Zion.
Isaiah 37:22 – This is the word the LORD has spoken concerning him: “The Daughter of Zion despises you and laughs you to scorn…”
Isaiah 62:11 – Say to the Daughter of Zion, “Behold, your salvation comes…”
Abandoned / Left (נֹותְרָה – notərāh)
Root: נָתַר / שָׁאַר – to be left, remain, survive
Isaiah 1:8 – And the Daughter of Zion is abandoned (נֹותְרָה)…
Isaiah 4:3 – He who is left (הַנִּשְׁאָר) in Zion and remains in Jerusalem shall be called holy…
Isaiah 6:13 – …the holy seed shall be the stump (שָׁרֶשׁ) in it (conceptually “what is left”)
Isaiah 7:22 – …everyone who is left (נִשְׁאָר) in the land will eat curds and honey
Isaiah 10:19–22 – A remnant will return; the remnant (שְׁאָר) of Jacob will return to the Mighty God
Isaiah 37:31 – …and the surviving remnant (הַפְּלֵיטָה) of the house of Judah shall again take root…
The idea of what remains — Zion’s survival through desolation — is a key remnant theme in Isaiah.
Shelter / Hut (סֻכָּה – sukkāh)
Root: סכך – to cover, shelter
Isaiah 1:8 – Like a shelter (סֻכָּה) in a vineyard…
Isaiah 4:6 – There will be a shelter (סֻכָּה) for shade by day from the heat, and for refuge and cover from storm and rain.
Isaiah 22:8 – …you looked to the armor in the House of the Forest (not same word, but concept of protection)
Shack / Hut (מְלוּנָה – melunāh)
Root: לוּן – to lodge, dwell temporarily
Isaiah 1:8 – …like a shack (מְלוּנָה) in a cucumber field
This form is unique in Isaiah, but it contributes to the theme of fragile, temporary shelters — contrasting with God’s intended permanent dwelling in Zion (see Isaiah 4:5–6, 33:20)
Vineyard (כֶּרֶם – kerem)
Isaiah 1:8 – A shelter in a vineyard (כֶּרֶם)
Isaiah 3:14 – The LORD enters into judgment… it is you who have devoured the vineyard (כֶּרֶם)
Isaiah 5:1 – My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill…
Isaiah 5:5 – I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down… (on the vineyard)
Isaiah 5:7 – For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts is the house of Israel…
Isaiah 27:2–3 – In that day: “A pleasant vineyard, sing of it! I, the LORD, am its keeper…”
City (עִיר – ʿîr)
Isaiah 1:8 – …like a city (עִיר) besieged
Isaiah 1:21 – How the faithful city has become a harlot…
Isaiah 14:31 – Wail, O gate; cry, O city…
Isaiah 24:10 – The city of confusion is broken down…
Isaiah 25:2 – For You have made a city a heap…
Isaiah 26:1 – We have a strong city…
Isaiah 33:20 – Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts…
Isaiah 60:14 – …they shall call you the City of the LORD, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel
Besieged (נְצוּרָה – netzurāh)
Root: נָצַר – to guard, watch, enclose (in this form: to be besieged)
Isaiah 1:8 – …like a city besieged (כְּעִיר נְצוּרָה)
Isaiah 29:3 – I will encamp against you all around, I will lay siege against you with a mound, and I will raise siegeworks against you (siege context)
Isaiah 36:1 – Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities (עָרֵי מִבְצָר) of Judah and took them (besieged in action)
Isaiah 37:26 – …have you not heard that I determined it long ago? I planned from days of old what now I bring to pass: that you should make fortified cities crash into heaps of ruins (siege as fulfillment of prophecy)
Notes
Isaiah 5:8 (MT):
הוֹי מַגִּיעֵי בַיִת בְּבַיִת שָׂדֶה בְשָׂדֶה יַקְרִיבוּ עַד אֵין מָקוֹם וְהוּשַׁבְתֶּם לְבַדְּכֶם בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ
Woe (הוֹי – hōy)
Root: interjection – woe, alas, prophetic denunciation
Isaiah 5:8 – Woe (הוֹי) to those who join house to house…
Isaiah 5:11 – Woe (הוֹי) to those who rise early to run after strong drink…
Isaiah 10:1 – Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees…
Habakkuk 2:9–12 – Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness…
Matthew 23:13 – Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees…
Join (מַגִּיעֵי – maggiʿê)
Root: נגע – to reach, touch, join
Isaiah 5:8 – …who join (מַגִּיעֵי) house to house…
Deuteronomy 25:11 – …if she reaches out (וְהִקְרִיבָה)… (close contact/connection)
Amos 3:12 – …corner of a couch and part of a bed (hints at closeness of living spaces)
Genesis 32:32 – …the socket of Jacob’s thigh was touched (נָגַע)
House to house (בַיִת בְּבַיִת – bayit bevayit)
Root: בית – house, dwelling
Isaiah 5:8 – …house to house (בַיִת בְּבַיִת)…
Isaiah 3:24 – Instead of a robe, baldness… (judgment affecting domestic and social status)
Micah 2:2 – They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them away…
Deuteronomy 19:14 – You shall not move your neighbor’s boundary (property ethics)
Luke 12:18 – I will tear down my barns and build larger ones… (greed for property expansion)
Field to field (שָׂדֶה בְשָׂדֶה – śādeh veśādeh)
Root: שדה – field, land
Isaiah 5:8 – …field to field (שָׂדֶה בְשָׂדֶה) they bring near
Micah 2:2 – They covet fields (שָׂדֹות) and seize them…
Jeremiah 32:15 – Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought…
Ruth 2:3 – She happened to come to the field (שָׂדֶה) of Boaz…
They bring near (יַקְרִיבוּ – yaq’rîvû)
Root: קרב – to draw near, bring close
Isaiah 5:8 – …they bring near (יַקְרִיבוּ) until there is no place
Isaiah 41:1 – Let them draw near (יִגְּשׁוּ) then speak…
Leviticus 1:2 – When any man brings an offering (יַקְרִיב)… (same root used for offering or encroaching)
Exodus 19:15 – Do not go near a woman (limits on proximity)
No place (עַד אֵין מָקוֹם – ʿad ʾên māqôm)
Root: מקום – place, space, location
Isaiah 5:8 – …until there is no place (אֵין מָקוֹם)…
Isaiah 14:20 – …because you have destroyed your land and slain your people; the seed of evildoers shall never be named again (erasure from place)
Jeremiah 7:3–7 – …then I will cause you to dwell in this place
Luke 14:9 – …you begin with shame to take the lowest place
You dwell (וְהוּשַׁבְתֶּם – vehûshavtem)
Root: ישב – to dwell, sit, inhabit
Isaiah 5:8 – …and you shall dwell (וְהוּשַׁבְתֶּם) alone in the midst of the land
Isaiah 1:7 – Your cities are burned with fire; your land—strangers devour it in your presence
Isaiah 3:8 – For Jerusalem has stumbled…
Isaiah 65:9–10 – …My chosen shall possess it, and My servants shall dwell there
Alone (לְבַדְּכֶם – lebaddekem)
Root: לבד – alone, by oneself, separated
Isaiah 5:8 – …you dwell alone (לְבַדְּכֶם) in the midst of the land
Deuteronomy 33:28 – So Israel dwelt in safety, alone (בָּדָד)
Numbers 23:9 – A people dwelling alone, not reckoning itself among the nations
Micah 7:14 – …let them dwell alone in the forest, in the midst of Carmel…
Midst of the land (בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ – bəqerev hāʾāreṣ)
Root: קרב – midst, center; ארץ – land, earth
Isaiah 5:8 – …in the midst of the land (בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ)
Isaiah 6:12 – And the LORD removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land
Isaiah 7:22 – …and everyone left in the land will eat curds and honey
Ezekiel 5:5 – This is Jerusalem. I have set her in the midst of the nations
Isaiah 5:9
9 In my ears—YHWH of Hosts [has declared]
Surely many houses shall become desolate
great and good ones, without inhabitant
Hebrew
Hebrew (MT)
כִּי עֲשֶׂרֶת צִמְדֵּי־כֶרֶם יַעֲשׂוּ בַּת אֶחָת וְזֶרַע חֹמֶר יַעֲשֶׂה אֵיפָה פ
Transliteration
B'äz'näyIn my earsבְּאָזְנַי = In my ears. Indicates a direct, prophetic message heard by the prophet. y'hwäh tz'väôtYahweh of Hostsיְהוָה צְבָאוֹת = Yahweh of Hosts. A divine title emphasizing God's command over heavenly armies. im-loIf notאִם-לֹא = if not. Strong oath formula implying certainty of the following consequence. BäTiym raBiymMany housesבָּתִּים רַבִּים = many houses. Refers to grand dwellings acquired through unjust means. l'shaMähShall be desolateלְשַׁמָּה = for desolation. A prophetic term of judgment, indicating ruin or abandonment. yih'yûThey shall beיִהְיוּ = they shall be. Future tense, indicating a prophetic outcome. G'doliym w'ţôviymGreat and goodגְּדוֹלִים וְטוֹבִים = great and good. Refers to luxurious, desirable homes. mëëyn yôshëvWithout inhabitantמֵאֵין יוֹשֵׁב = without inhabitant. No one will dwell in them—judgment of emptiness.
Strong's Concordance
I heard
בְּאָזְנָ֖י (bə·’ā·zə·nāy)
Preposition-b | Noun - fdc | first person common singular
Strong's 241: Broadness, the ear
the LORD
יְהוָ֣ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel
of Hosts {declare}:
צְבָא֑וֹת (ṣə·ḇā·’ō·wṯ)
Noun - common plural
Strong's 6635: A mass of persons, reg, organized for, war, a campaign
“Surely
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not
many
רַבִּים֙ (rab·bîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 7227: Much, many, great
houses
בָּתִּ֤ים (bāt·tîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1004: A house
will become
יִֽהְי֔וּ (yih·yū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be
desolate,
לְשַׁמָּ֣ה (lə·šam·māh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8047: Ruin, consternation
great mansions
גְּדֹלִ֥ים (gə·ḏō·lîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent
left unoccupied.
יוֹשֵֽׁב׃ (yō·wō·šêḇ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry
Translations
KJV – In mine ears said the Lord of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant.
2 Nephi 15 – In mine ears, saith the Lord of Hosts, of a truth many houses shall be desolate, and great and fair cities without inhabitant.
NRSVUE – The Lord of hosts has sworn in my hearing: Surely many houses shall be desolate, large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant.
JPS – In my hearing said the Lord of Hosts: Surely, great houses shall lie forlorn, Spacious and splendid ones without occupants.
BSB – I heard the LORD of Hosts declare: “Surely many houses will become desolate, great mansions left without occupants.
ESV – The Lord of hosts has sworn in my hearing: “Surely many houses shall be desolate, large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant.”
NIV – The Lord Almighty has declared in my hearing: “Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants.”
NASB – The Lord of armies has sworn in my ears, “Certainly many houses shall become desolate, even great and fine ones, without occupants.
YLT – By the ear of Jehovah of Hosts He said: ‘Surely, many houses are a desolation, Great and good without inhabitant.
BST – These things have come to mine ears from the Lord of hosts: Surely many houses shall be desolate, great and fair, without inhabitant.
Chabad – In my ears [spoke] the Lord of Hosts, "Truly, great houses shall become desolate, yea, large ones and good ones, without inhabitants.
Alter – In the hearing of the LORD of Armies: I swear, many houses shall turn to ruin, great and good ones with none living in them.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. In my ears – YHWH of Hosts has declared
B. Many houses – great and good ones
C. Desolate – without inhabitant
2 couplets. The first introduces a divine oracle with prophetic authority. The second is synonymous and intensifying—abundant and beautiful houses will be emptied.
Synonymous & Emphatic Parallelism
A. In my ears – YHWH of Hosts has declared:
This phrase heightens prophetic immediacy. Isaiah hears directly from YHWH of Hosts, emphasizing the divine origin and certainty of the pronouncement.
B. Many houses – great and good ones:
The parallel expands scope and quality. Not just “many,” but “great and good” houses—lavish, desirable estates—will fall. The more extravagant, the more tragic their desolation.
C. Desolate – without inhabitant:
These terms reinforce one another. “Desolate” evokes ruin and abandonment; “without inhabitant” clarifies the nature of the judgment—not necessarily physical destruction, but total emptiness.
Literary Devices
Prophetic Oracle Formula:
“In my ears… YHWH of Hosts” functions as a solemn oath or revelatory stamp. It shifts from the woe’s accusation to its divine judgment.
Amplification:
Each element of the judgment is doubled or heightened—many houses, great ones, good ones—building emotional and poetic weight.
Irony:
Those who joined house to house (v. 8) will lose them all. The very objects of their greed become monuments of emptiness.
Thematic Analysis
Divine Justice on Greed:
God does not ignore systemic injustice. Those who monopolized land and displaced others now face reversal—what they took will be taken.
Emptiness in Place of Abundance:
The punishment fits the crime. They filled themselves with property, and now their abundance becomes hollow. Houses without people become symbols of spiritual and societal collapse.
Prophetic Certainty:
The oracle is not speculative—it is heard “in my ears,” anchored in divine authority. Isaiah serves as a direct mouthpiece for covenant enforcement.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:9 (MT):
בְּאָזְנָי יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת אִם־לֹא בָּתִּים רַבִּים לְשַׁמָּה יִהְיוּ גְּדֹלִים וְטוֹבִים מֵאֵין יוֹשֵׁב
In my ears (בְּאָזְנָי – bəʾāznāy)
Root: אזן – ear, give ear, hear
Isaiah 5:9 – In my ears (בְּאָזְנָי) the LORD of Hosts said…
Isaiah 6:10 – Make the heart of this people dull, and stop their ears (אָזְנָיו)
Isaiah 30:21 – Your ears shall hear a word behind you…
1 Samuel 8:21 – And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the ears (בְּאָזְנֵי) of the LORD
The LORD of Hosts (יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת – YHWH tsevāʾôt)
Root: יהוה – the name of God; צבא – armies, multitudes
Isaiah 5:9 – The LORD of Hosts (יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת) said…
Isaiah 1:9 – Unless the LORD of Hosts had left us a remnant…
Isaiah 6:3 – Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts…
Psalm 24:10 – The LORD of Hosts—He is the King of glory
Surely (אִם־לֹא – ʾim-lōʾ)
Root: אם – if; לא – not (idiomatic expression meaning “surely,” emphatically)
Isaiah 5:9 – Surely (אִם־לֹא) many houses shall become desolate…
Genesis 31:42 – If not (אִם־לֹא) the God of my father… (emphatic oath)
2 Kings 6:31 – If the head of Elisha remains on him today (כֹּה יַעֲשֶׂה… אִם יִשָּׁאֵר רֹאשוֹ)
Psalm 132:3–5 – If I give sleep to my eyes… (same structure of conditional negation meaning strong resolve)
Houses (בָּתִּים – bātîm)
Root: בית – house, dwelling
Isaiah 5:9 – Houses (בָּתִּים) great and fair shall be desolate…
Isaiah 5:8 – Woe to those who join house to house
Isaiah 6:11 – Until the cities lie waste without inhabitant and houses without people
Micah 2:2 – They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them away
Many (רַבִּים – rabbîm)
Root: רב – many, great, multitude
Isaiah 5:9 – Many (רַבִּים) houses shall be desolate…
Isaiah 2:3 – And many peoples shall come and say…
Isaiah 53:11 – My servant shall make many to be accounted righteous…
Genesis 6:5 – …the greatness (רַבָּה) of man’s wickedness
Desolate (לְשַׁמָּה – lešammāh)
Root: שמם – to be desolate, laid waste
Isaiah 5:9 – …shall become desolate (לְשַׁמָּה)
Isaiah 6:11 – Cities lie waste (שְׁמָמָה) without inhabitant…
Isaiah 13:9 – To make the land a desolation (שָׁמָה)…
Jeremiah 4:7 – …to make your land a waste (לְשַׁוָּה)
Great (גְּדֹלִים – gədōlîm)
Root: גדל – to be great, grow, magnify
Isaiah 5:9 – Great (גְּדֹלִים) and fair houses…
Isaiah 9:2 – You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy (שִׂמְחָה – but contextually parallel in greatness)
Genesis 12:2 – I will make of you a great nation
Deuteronomy 4:7 – What great nation is there that has a god so near…
Beautiful/pleasant (וְטוֹבִים – veṭôvîm)
Root: טוב – good, pleasant, desirable
Isaiah 5:9 – …great and beautiful (וְטוֹבִים) houses…
Isaiah 1:19 – If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good (טוּב) of the land
Isaiah 52:7 – How beautiful (נָאוֹו) on the mountains are the feet… (different root, same idea)
Genesis 2:9 – Trees pleasant to the sight and good for food
Without inhabitant (מֵאֵין יוֹשֵׁב – mēʾên yôshēv)
Root: ישב – to dwell, inhabit
Isaiah 5:9 – …from lack of one who dwells (יֹשֵׁב)
Isaiah 6:11 – Until cities lie waste… and houses without people
Isaiah 27:10 – For the fortified city is solitary, a habitation deserted and forsaken
Jeremiah 4:7 – …your cities will lie waste without inhabitant
Isaiah 5:10
10 For ten yoke of vineyard
shall yield one bath
and a seed of a homer
shall yield an ephah
Hebrew
Hebrew (MT)
כִּי עֲשֶׂרֶת צִמְדֵּי־כֶרֶם יַעֲשׂוּ בַּת אֶחָת וְזֶרַע חֹמֶר יַעֲשֶׂה אֵיפָה פ
Transliteration
hôy häom'riymWoe to those who callהוֹי הָאֹמְרִים = Woe to those who say. הוֹי (hôy) expresses lament or denunciation; אֹמְרִים from אָמַר (amar), to say or declare.
good. A reversal of moral categories—calling what is evil "good".' position='bottom' tag='a' width='190px' style='style_33' delay='0' cursor='pointer']lära ţôvEvil goodTooltip Content
evil. Parallel to previous clause, denotes moral confusion.' position='bottom' tag='a' width='190px' style='style_33' delay='0' cursor='pointer']w'laŢôv räAnd good evilTooltip Content
sämiym choshekh' l'ôrWho put darkness for lightשָׂמִים חֹשֶׁךְ לְאוֹר = who put darkness for light. שָׂם (sam), to place—here, misplacing moral or spiritual clarity.
w'ôr l'choshekh'And light for darknessוְאוֹר לְחֹשֶׁךְ = and light for darkness. Reversal of truth and deception.
sämiym mar l'mätôqWho put bitter for sweetשָׂמִים מָר לְמָתוֹק = who put bitter for sweet. מָר (mar), bitterness; מָתוֹק (matoq), sweetness—used metaphorically for experiences or values.
ûmätôq l'märAnd sweet for bitterוּמָתוֹק לְמָר = and sweet for bitter. Continuation of moral inversion, often tied to corrupt leadership or cultural decay.
Strong's Concordance
For
כִּ֗י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction
ten
עֲשֶׂ֙רֶת֙ (‘ă·śe·reṯ)
Number - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6235: Ten
acres
צִמְדֵּי־ (ṣim·dê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 6776: A couple, pair
of vineyard
כֶ֔רֶם (ḵe·rem)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3754: A garden, vineyard
will yield
יַעֲשׂ֖וּ (ya·‘ă·śū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make
[but] a
אֶחָ֑ת (’e·ḥāṯ)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 259: United, one, first
bath [of wine],
בַּ֣ת (baṯ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1324: A bath (a Hebrew measure)
and a homer
חֹ֖מֶר (ḥō·mer)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2563: A bubbling up, of water, a wave, of earth, mire, clay, a heap, a chomer, dry measure
of seed
וְזֶ֥רַע (wə·ze·ra‘)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2233: Seed, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity
[only]
יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה (ya·‘ă·śeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make
an ephah [of grain].”
אֵיפָֽה׃ (’ê·p̄āh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 374: Ephah -- an ephah (a measure of grain)
Translations
KJV – Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah.
2 Nephi 15 – Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of a homer shall yield an ephah.
NRSVUE – For ten acres of vineyard shall yield but one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield a mere ephah.
JPS – Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, And a homer of seed shall yield an ephah.
BSB – For ten acres of vineyard will yield only a bath of wine, and a homer of seed will yield but an ephah of grain.
ESV – For ten acres of vineyard shall yield but one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.
NIV – A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine; a homer of seed will yield only an ephah of grain.
NASB – For ten acres of vineyard will yield only one bath of wine, And a homer of seed will yield only an ephah of grain.
YLT – For ten acres of vineyard do yield one bath, And an homer of seed yieldeth an ephah.
BST – For ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of a homer shall yield an ephah.
Chabad – For ten acres of vineyard will produce one bath, and the seed of a homer shall produce an ephah.
Alter – For ten acres of vineyard shall yield a single bat, and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Ten yoke of vineyard – yield one bath
B. Seed of a homer – yield an ephah
2 couplets. Both are emblematic and numerical, using disproportionate measures to depict curse. The parallel lines emphasize futility and divine judgment through agricultural loss.
Emblematic & Numerical Parallelism
A. Ten yoke of vineyard – yield one bath:
A “yoke” of vineyard represents a large plot. A “bath” is a small liquid measure (~6 gallons). The output is absurdly low—abundant planting, meager yield. It expresses futility and economic collapse.
B. Seed of a homer – yield an ephah:
A “homer” is ~10 ephahs. So planting ten units yields one—again, a tenth. The pattern underscores the severity of the curse: a 90% loss, reflecting Deuteronomic covenant judgments for disobedience (Deut. 28:38-40).
Literary Devices
Symbolic Numbers:
“Ten” and “one” are chosen to emphasize drastic reduction. This use of hyperbolic contrast illustrates divine withholding of blessing.
Chiasm of Quantity and Quality:
The structure reverses expectation: more input yields less output. This inverse pattern dramatizes the breakdown of natural and covenantal order.
Metaphor of Judgment:
The vineyard and seed, symbols of potential, become signs of failure. The curse affects not just people but the land itself, tying moral failure to ecological consequence.
Thematic Analysis
Covenantal Curse Realized:
The language echoes Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28—“you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.” The verse fulfills the prophetic consequence of violating Torah ethics.
Vanity of Greed:
Following the “woe” against hoarding land (v. 8), this verse shows how that greed is rendered pointless. The expansive estates yield almost nothing.
Judgment Through Scarcity:
Rather than direct destruction, the judgment comes through diminishing returns. The land resists its abusers, refusing to yield its strength—an echo of Cain’s curse (Gen. 4:12).
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:10 (MT):
כִּי עֲשֶׂרֶת צִמְדֵי כֶרֶם יַעֲשֶׂה בַּת אחד וְזֶרַע חֹמֶר יַעֲשֶׂה אֵיפָה
For (כִּי – kî)
Root: כי – for, because, indeed
Isaiah 5:10 – For (כִּי) ten acres of vineyard shall yield…
Isaiah 1:3 – For (כִּי) Israel does not know…
Genesis 6:5 – For (כִּי) every imagination of the thoughts of his heart…
Psalm 1:6 – For (כִּי) the LORD knows the way of the righteous…
Ten (עֲשֶׂרֶת – ʿăśeret)
Root: עשר – ten
Isaiah 5:10 – Ten (עֲשֶׂרֶת) acres of vineyard…
Exodus 26:1 – Ten curtains shall you make…
Genesis 24:10 – …took ten camels…
Daniel 1:20 – …ten times better…
Yoke of vineyard (צִמְדֵי כֶרֶם – tsimdê kerem)
Root: צמד – pair, yoke; כרם – vineyard
Isaiah 5:10 – Ten yoke of vineyard (צִמְדֵי כֶרֶם) shall yield one bath…
1 Samuel 11:7 – He took a yoke of oxen (צֶמֶד בָּקָר)…
1 Kings 19:19 – …with twelve yoke (שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר צְמָדִים) of oxen…
Deuteronomy 22:10 – You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together (yoke imagery)
Shall yield (יַעֲשֶׂה – yaʿăśeh)
Root: עשׂה – to do, make, produce
Isaiah 5:10 – …shall produce (יַעֲשֶׂה) one bath…
Isaiah 5:4 – What more was there to do (עָשִׂיתִי) for My vineyard?
Genesis 1:12 – The earth brought forth (וַתּוֹצֵא)… (synonymous with yield)
Leviticus 25:21 – …and it shall bring forth a crop…
Bath (בַּת – bat)
Root: בת – bath, a liquid measure (approx. 6–9 gallons or ~22–35 liters)
Isaiah 5:10 – …shall yield one bath (בַּת)
Ezekiel 45:10–11 – The ephah and the bath shall be the same measure…
2 Chronicles 2:10 – …20,000 baths of wine
1 Kings 7:26 – …it contained two thousand baths
One (אחד – eḥad)
Root: אחד – one, singular
Isaiah 5:10 – …shall yield one bath…
Genesis 2:24 – …they shall be one flesh
Deuteronomy 6:4 – The LORD is one
Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 – Two are better than one…
Seed (זֶרַע – zeraʿ)
Root: זרע – seed, sowing, offspring
Isaiah 5:10 – …a seed (זֶרַע) of a homer shall yield an ephah
Isaiah 53:10 – …He shall see His seed…
Genesis 1:11 – …plants yielding seed…
Genesis 17:7 – …with your seed after you…
Homer (חֹמֶר – ḥōmer)
Root: חמר – heap, dry measure (~6 bushels or ~220 liters)
Isaiah 5:10 – …a homer of seed…
Ezekiel 45:11–14 – The homer shall be the standard measure
Hosea 3:2 – So I bought her… for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a half of barley
Leviticus 27:16 – …a homer of barley seed shall be valued at fifty shekels…
Ephah (אֵיפָה – ʾêfāh)
Root: אפה – ephah, a dry measure (~22 liters, 1/10 of a homer)
Isaiah 5:10 – …shall yield an ephah (אֵיפָה)
Ezekiel 45:11 – The ephah and the bath shall be the same measure
Leviticus 5:11 – But if he cannot afford two turtledoves… he shall bring a tenth of an ephah of fine flour
Ruth 2:17 – …she gleaned about an ephah of barley
Isaiah 5:11
11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning
to chase strong drink
who stay late into the evening
wine inflames them
Hebrew
Hebrew (MT)
הוֹי מַשְׁכִּימֵי בַבֹּקֶר שֵׁכָר יִרְדֹּפוּ מְאַחֲרֵי בַנֶּשֶׁף יַיִן יַדְלִיקֵם
Transliteration
ôyWoeהוֹי = woe. A prophetic cry of lament or impending judgment. mash'KiymëyThose who rise earlyמַשְׁכִּימֵי = early risers. From שָׁכַם (shakam), to rise early—often with purpose or urgency. vaBoqerIn the morningבַּבֹּקֶר = in the morning. Refers to dawn or early part of the day. shëkhärStrong drinkשֵׁכָר = strong drink, intoxicating beverage. Symbol of moral and spiritual intoxication. yir'DofûThey pursueיִרְדֹּפוּ = they pursue. From רָדַף (radaph), to chase, often with intensity or obsession. m'achárëyAfterמֵאַחֲרֵי = after, from behind. Indicates trailing pursuit or lingering desire. vaNeshefIn the eveningבַּנֶּשֶׁף = in the evening or twilight. Time associated with decline or seduction. yayin yad'liyqëmWine inflames themיַיִן יַדְלִיקֵם = wine inflames them. 'Yayin' is wine, and 'yadliqem' means to set aflame—suggesting spiritual numbness or indulgence.
Strong's Concordance
Woe
ה֛וֹי (hō·w)
Interjection
Strong's 1945: Ah! alas! ha!
to those who rise early
מַשְׁכִּימֵ֥י (maš·kî·mê)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 7925: To load up, to start early in the morning
in the morning
בַבֹּ֖קֶר (ḇab·bō·qer)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1242: Dawn, morning
in pursuit of
יִרְדֹּ֑פוּ (yir·dō·p̄ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7291: To pursue, chase, persecute
strong drink,
שֵׁכָ֣ר (šê·ḵār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7941: An intoxicant, intensely alcoholic liquor
who linger
מְאַחֲרֵ֣י (mə·’a·ḥă·rê)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 309: To loiter, to procrastinate
into the evening,
בַנֶּ֔שֶׁף (ḇan·ne·šep̄)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5399: A breeze, dusk
to be inflamed
יַדְלִיקֵֽם׃ (yaḏ·lî·qêm)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1814: To burn, hotly pursue
by wine.
יַ֖יִן (ya·yin)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3196: Wine, intoxication
Translations
KJV – Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!
2 Nephi 15 – Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink, that continue until night, and wine inflame them!
NRSVUE – Ah, you who rise early in the morning in pursuit of strong drink, who linger in the evening to be inflamed by wine,
JPS – Ah, Those who chase liquor from early in the morning, And go on till late in the evening till wine inflames them!
BSB – Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after strong drink, who linger into the evening to be inflamed by wine.
ESV – Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them!
NIV – Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine.
NASB – Woe to those who rise early in the morning so that they may pursue intoxicating drink, Who stay up late in the evening so that wine may inflame them!
YLT – Woe to those rising early in the morning, Strong drink they pursue! Tarrying in twilight, wine inflameth them!
BST – Woe to them that rise up early in the morning, and follow strong drink; who continue until evening: for the wine shall inflame them.
Chabad – Woe to those who rise early in the morning; they pursue strong wine. They sit until late in the evening; wine inflames them.
Alter – Woe, who rise in the morning early to chase after strong drink, who linger late in twilight, enflamed by wine.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Rise early – stay late
B. Chase strong drink – wine inflames them
2 couplets. The first is synthetic—depicting the totality of indulgence from morning to night. The second is emblematic—drink pursued becomes drink that consumes.
Synthetic & Emblematic Parallelism
A. Rise early – stay late:
This pair describes a lifestyle. From dawn to dusk, the individuals are immersed in their pursuit. It frames their behavior as habitual, not occasional—an identity of indulgence.
B. Chase strong drink – wine inflames them:
The first line speaks of intention; the second, of consequence. What they chase ends up possessing them. “Inflame” (lit. burn or stimulate) suggests intoxication, passion, and moral dulling.
Literary Devices
Woe Oracle Structure:
Introduced by “Woe,” this verse continues the prophetic lament-judgment cycle. It targets not just behavior but character.
Enallage (Shift in Verb Tense or Voice):
The second line’s shift from pursuit to effect highlights degeneration—from desire to domination.
Inversion of Discipline:
The Torah often praises those who rise early to seek God (cf. Ps. 63:1). Here, rising early is subverted—directed toward self-indulgence.
Thematic Analysis
Moral Dissipation:
The people are not just drinking—they are defined by it. Their days begin and end with intoxication, symbolizing spiritual apathy and corrupted desire.
Loss of Purpose and Self-Control:
This is a life out of rhythm with divine intent. Rising early and staying late are meant for diligence and devotion; here they reflect enslavement to appetite.
Judgment of the Senses:
Wine, a gift in moderation (Ps. 104:15), becomes an agent of distortion. What inflames them also blinds them, foreshadowing the theme of spiritual numbness later in the chapter.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:11 (MT):
הוֹי מַשְׁכִּימֵי בַבֹּקֶר שֵׁכָר יִרְדֹּפוּ מְאַחֲרֵי בַנֶּשֶׁף יַיִן יַדְלִיקֵם
Woe (הוֹי – hōy)
Root: interjection – woe, alas, prophetic denunciation
Isaiah 5:11 – Woe (הוֹי) to those who rise early to run after strong drink…
Isaiah 5:8 – Woe to those who join house to house…
Isaiah 10:1 – Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees…
Habakkuk 2:15 – Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors…
Rise early (מַשְׁכִּימֵי – mashqîmê)
Root: שכם – to rise early, make an early start
Isaiah 5:11 – Those who rise early (מַשְׁכִּימֵי) to pursue strong drink…
Isaiah 50:4 – …He awakens me morning by morning (יַעִיר בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר)…
Jeremiah 7:13 – …I spoke to you, rising up early (הַשְׁכֵּם)…
Proverbs 27:14 – He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning…
Morning (בַּבֹּקֶר – babōqer)
Root: בקר – morning, dawn
Isaiah 5:11 – …in the morning (בַּבֹּקֶר) they pursue strong drink
Isaiah 17:14 – At evening time behold, terror! Before morning (בַּבֹּקֶר), they are no more…
Psalm 90:14 – Satisfy us in the morning with Your steadfast love
Genesis 19:27 – Abraham went early in the morning to the place…
Strong drink (שֵׁכָר – shēkār)
Root: שכר – strong drink, intoxicating beverage
Isaiah 5:11 – …pursue strong drink (שֵׁכָר)…
Isaiah 5:22 – Woe to heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink
Leviticus 10:9 – Do not drink wine or strong drink…
Proverbs 20:1 – Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler…
Pursue (יִרְדֹּפוּ – yirdōfû)
Root: רדף – to pursue, chase
Isaiah 5:11 – …they pursue (יִרְדֹּפוּ) strong drink
Isaiah 17:13 – …the nations will rush like rushing waters, but He will rebuke them, and they will flee
Isaiah 30:16 – …we will flee on swift horses! Therefore you shall pursue (יִרְדְּפוּ)
Psalm 34:14 – …seek peace and pursue it
Tarry (מְאַחֲרֵי – meʾaḥărê)
Root: אחר – to delay, stay behind, linger
Isaiah 5:11 – …who linger (מְאַחֲרֵי) late into the evening with wine
Genesis 19:16 – But he lingered (וַיִּתְמַהְמָהּ)…
Exodus 32:1 – …Moses delayed (בֹּשֵׁשׁ) to come down… (different root, similar idea)
Judges 5:28 – Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry (אֶתְאַחֵר) the wheels…
Evening (בַּנֶּשֶׁף – banneshef)
Root: נשף – twilight, dusk
Isaiah 5:11 – …late into the evening (בַּנֶּשֶׁף)
Proverbs 7:9 – In the twilight, in the evening (בַּנֶּשֶׁף), in the black and dark night
Job 24:15 – The eye of the adulterer watches for twilight
Genesis 24:63 – Isaac went out to meditate in the field at evening
Wine (יַיִן – yayin)
Root: יין – wine
Isaiah 5:11 – …wine (יַיִן) inflames them
Isaiah 5:22 – Woe to heroes at drinking wine…
Proverbs 23:31 – Do not look at wine when it is red…
Psalm 104:15 – Wine that gladdens the heart of man…
Inflames them (יַדְלִיקֵם – yadliqēm)
Root: דלק – to burn, inflame, ignite
Isaiah 5:11 – …wine inflames them (יַדְלִיקֵם)
Isaiah 9:18 – For wickedness burns like a fire… it consumes the briers and thorns
Psalm 39:3 – My heart became hot within me… the fire burned
Hosea 7:4–6 – …their passion is like an oven heated by the baker… (image of heat as lust or indulgence)
Isaiah 5:12
12 And there is harp and lyre,
tambourine and flute,
and wine in their feasts;
but the work of YHWH they do not regard,
and the work of His hands they do not see
Hebrew
Hebrew (MT)
וְהָיָה כִנּוֹר וָנֶבֶל תֹּף וְחָלִיל וָיַיִן מִשְׁתֵּיהֶם וְאֵת פֹּעַל יְהוָה לֹא יַבִּיטוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו לֹא רָאוּ
Transliteration
w'häyähAnd it will beוְהָיָה = and it will be. Common prophetic phrase marking consequence or outcome. khiNôrHarpכִּנּוֹר = harp. Instrument often associated with celebration or worship. wänevelAnd luteוְנֵבֶל = and lute. A stringed instrument, part of musical feasting. TofTambourineתֹּף = tambourine or timbrel. Used in joyful celebration or dance. w'chäliylAnd fluteוְחָלִיל = and flute or pipe. Wind instrument used in music or festivity. wäyayinAnd wineוְיַיִן = and wine. Often a symbol of joy, indulgence, or spiritual stupor. mish'TëyhemAre in their feastsמִשְׁתֵּיהֶם = their banquets or drinking feasts. w'ët Poal y'hwähBut the work of the LORDוְאֵת פֹּעַל יְהוָה = but the work of the LORD. 'Poal' refers to deeds, actions, or labor. lo yaBiyţûThey do not regardלֹא יַבִּיטוּ = they do not look or consider. ûmaásëh yädäywAnd the work of His handsוּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו = and the work of His hands. Refers to God's creation or actions in history. lo räûThey do not seeלֹא רָאוּ = they do not see. Signifies spiritual blindness or ignorance.
Strong's Concordance
At their feasts
מִשְׁתֵּיהֶ֑ם (miš·tê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 4960: Drink, drinking, a banquet, feast
are the lyre
כִנּ֜וֹר (ḵin·nō·wr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3658: A harp
[and] harp,
וָנֶ֗בֶל (wā·ne·ḇel)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5035: A skin-bag for, liquids, a vase, a lyre
tambourines
תֹּ֧ף (tōp̄)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8596: A timbrel, tambourine
and flutes
וְחָלִ֛יל (wə·ḥā·lîl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2485: Flute, pipe
and wine.
וָיַ֖יִן (wā·ya·yin)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3196: Wine, intoxication
They disregard
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no
the actions
פֹּ֤עַל (pō·‘al)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6467: Doing, deed, work
of the LORD,
יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel
and fail
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no
to see
רָאֽוּ׃ (rā·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7200: To see
the work
וּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה (ū·ma·‘ă·śêh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4639: An action, a transaction, activity, a product, property
of His hands.
יָדָ֖יו (yā·ḏāw)
Noun - fdc | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand
Translations
KJV – And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.
2 Nephi 15 – And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine are in their feasts; but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands.
NRSVUE – They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute, and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the Lord or see the work of his hands.
JPS – And lyre and lute, timbrel and flute, and wine are at their drinking parties; But they do not regard the deeds of the LORD, And have no regard for His handiwork.
BSB – At their banquets they have lyres and harps, tambourines and flutes—and wine; but they disregard the work of the LORD and fail to consider the work of His hands.
ESV – They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD, or see the work of his hands.
NIV – They have harps and lyres at their banquets, pipes and timbrels and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD, no respect for the work of his hands.
NASB – And their banquets are accompanied by lyre and harp, by tambourine and flute, and by wine; but they do not pay attention to the deeds of the LORD, nor do they consider the work of His hands.
YLT – And harp, and psaltery, tambourine, and pipe, And wine, have been their banquets, And the work of Jehovah they do not behold, Yea, the work of His hands they have not seen.
BST – And the harp, and the viol, the timbrel, and the pipe, and wine in their feasts: but they have not regarded the work of the Lord, neither have they considered the work of his hands.
Chabad – And there are harp and lute, tambourine and flute, and wine at their drinking feasts; and the work of the Lord they do not regard, and the deed of His hands they have not seen.
Alter – Whose banquets are lyre and lute, timbrel and flute, and wine, and who do not regard the LORD’s deeds, and the work of His hands do not see.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Harp – lyre – tambourine – flute – wine
B. Feasts – do not regard
C. Work of YHWH – work of His hands
D. Do not regard – do not see
3 couplets. The first is emblematic—music and wine represent indulgent celebration. The second and third are antithetic—delight in revelry contrasts with blindness to God’s acts.
Emblematic & Antithetic Parallelism
A. Harp – lyre – tambourine – flute – wine:
This musical and festive imagery illustrates luxury, sensual pleasure, and celebration. These instruments reflect joy, but here they are hollow—focused on self, not God.
B. Work of YHWH – work of His hands:
The repetition sharpens the contrast. “Work” (maʿăśeh) and “hands” emphasize creation, providence, and possibly judgment. The parallel deepens the accusation: they are blind not just to deeds, but to the divine Craftsman Himself.
C. Do not regard – do not see:
These actions reflect spiritual insensitivity. The eyes and heart are disengaged from reality—pleasure has dulled their perception.
Literary Devices
Contrast:
The verse turns sharply—festive sound and drink suddenly give way to neglect of God. The joy is deceptive, masking spiritual ruin.
Enumeration:
Five items (four instruments + wine) form a list that builds the sensory world of indulgence—sound, rhythm, taste—all tuned to self, not the sacred.
Irony:
They see the cup and hear the music—but do not see the hand of God. The juxtaposition exposes the hollowness of their culture.
Thematic Analysis
Spiritual Blindness through Excess:
This is not ignorance but neglect. They’ve immersed themselves in sensual pleasures and tuned out the presence and actions of God.
Reversal of Worship:
Music and wine were part of temple worship and covenant festivals (e.g., Psalm 150, Deut. 14:26). Here they are hijacked for hedonism—sacred things used for profane ends.
Moral Detachment from Reality:
In a time of warning and divine intervention, the people are distracted. The true “work” unfolding—God’s discipline, deliverance, and justice—is missed entirely.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:12 (MT):
וְהָיָה כִּנּוֹר וָנֶבֶל תֹּף וְחָלִיל וָיָיִן מִשְׁתֵּיהֶם וְאֵת פֹּעַל יְהוָה לֹא יַבִּיטוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו לֹא רָאוּ
And it was (וְהָיָה – vehāyāh)
Root: היה – to be, become, happen
Isaiah 5:12 – And it was (וְהָיָה): harp and lyre…
Isaiah 1:7 – Your land is desolate… (הָיָה)
Genesis 1:3 – Let there be light, and there was light
Exodus 9:24 – And there was hail…
Harp (כִּנּוֹר – kinnôr)
Root: כנר – harp, lyre
Isaiah 5:12 – The harp (כִּנּוֹר) is in their feasts…
Isaiah 16:11 – My heart laments like a harp (כִּנּוֹר) for Moab
Psalm 137:2 – We hung our harps on the willows…
1 Samuel 16:23 – David took the harp and played with his hand…
Lyre (וָנֶבֶל – vānevel)
Root: נבל – lyre, lute
Isaiah 5:12 – …and lyre (נֶבֶל) in their feasts
Psalm 33:2 – Praise the LORD with harp; sing to Him with the lyre (נֶבֶל)
Psalm 71:22 – I will praise You with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel
1 Chronicles 15:16 – …with harps, lyres, and cymbals
Tambourine (תֹּף – tōph)
Root: תוף – timbrel, drum, tambourine
Isaiah 5:12 – …tambourine (תֹּף) and flute
Exodus 15:20 – Miriam… took a tambourine (תֹּף) in her hand
Psalm 81:2 – Bring out the timbrel, the pleasant harp…
1 Samuel 10:5 – …with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre…
Flute (וְחָלִיל – weḥālîl)
Root: חלל – hollow, flute
Isaiah 5:12 – …and flute (חָלִיל) in their banquets
Jeremiah 48:36 – My heart moans like flutes (חֲלִילִים) for Moab
1 Samuel 10:5 – …flute and lyre before them…
Psalm 150:4 – Praise Him with strings and pipe (עֻגָב)
Wine (וָיָיִן – vāyāyin)
Root: יין – wine
Isaiah 5:12 – …and wine (וָיָיִן) at their banquets
Isaiah 5:11 – …wine inflames them
Proverbs 23:30 – Those who linger long over wine
Genesis 9:21 – Noah drank of the wine and became drunk
Feasts (מִשְׁתֵּיהֶם – mishtêhem)
Root: שתה – to drink, drinking party
Isaiah 5:12 – …in their feasts (מִשְׁתֵּיהֶם)
Ecclesiastes 10:19 – A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes life merry
Esther 1:5 – When these days were completed, the king gave a feast (מִשְׁתֶּה)…
Genesis 19:3 – He made them a feast, and they ate and drank
But the work (וְאֵת פֹּעַל – weʾēt pōʿal)
Root: פעל – work, deed, act
Isaiah 5:12 – …but the work (פֹּעַל) of the LORD they do not regard
Isaiah 1:31 – The strong shall become tinder, and his work (פֹּעֲלוֹ) a spark
Psalm 28:5 – They do not regard the works of the LORD…
Deuteronomy 32:4 – His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice
Of the LORD (יְהוָה – YHWH)
Root: יהוה – personal name of God
Isaiah 5:12 – …the work of the LORD they do not regard
Isaiah 1:2 – Hear, O heavens… for the LORD has spoken
Genesis 2:4 – …the day the LORD God made the earth…
Exodus 3:15 – This is My name forever…
They do not regard (לֹא יַבִּיטוּ – lōʾ yabbîtû)
Root: נבט – to look at, consider
Isaiah 5:12 – …they do not regard (לֹא יַבִּיטוּ) the work of the LORD
Isaiah 17:7 – In that day man will look (יַבִּיט) to his Maker
Isaiah 51:1–2 – Look to Abraham your father
Numbers 21:9 – …when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived
The work of His hands (וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו – umaʿăśê yādāw)
Root: עשה – to make, do
Isaiah 5:12 – …nor have they seen the work of His hands (מַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו)
Isaiah 19:25 – …the work of My hands
Isaiah 29:23 – …they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and stand in awe of the God of Israel
Psalm 19:1 – The heavens declare the glory of God, and the work of His hands
They have not seen (לֹא רָאוּ – lōʾ rāʾû)
Root: ראה – to see, perceive
Isaiah 5:12 – …they have not seen (לֹא רָאוּ)
Isaiah 6:10 – …see with their eyes and understand…
Isaiah 1:3 – …but Israel does not know, My people do not consider
Isaiah 26:11 – LORD, Your hand is lifted up, but they do not see it
Isaiah 5:13
13 Therefore My people go into exile
for lack of knowledge
and its honored ones are men of famine
and its multitude is parched with thirst
Hebrew
Hebrew (MT)
לָכֵן גָּלָה עַמִּי מִבְּלִי־דָעַת וּכְבוֹדוֹ מְתֵי רָעָב וַהֲמוֹנוֹ צִחֵה צָמָא
Transliteration
läkhënThereforeלָכֵן = therefore. A causal connector, signaling consequence or judgment. Gälähhas gone into exileגָּלָה = has gone into exile. Root: גָּלָה (galah), to uncover, remove, exile—used often in judgment contexts. aMiymy peopleעַמִּי = my people. God's covenant people, often Israel. miB'liy-däatfor lack of knowledgeמִבְּלִי־דַעַת = for lack of knowledge. Indicates covenant ignorance, lack of understanding God's ways. ûkh'vôdôand his gloryוּכְבוֹדוֹ = and his glory. Root: כָּבוֹד (kavod), denotes honor, weight, splendor—here lost or diminished. m'tëy räävare men of famineמְתֵי רָעָב = men of famine. Refers to leaders or nobles who now suffer hunger. wahámônôand his multitudeוַהֲמוֹנוֹ = and his multitude. Root: הָמוֹן (hamon), crowd or populace. tzichëh tzämäparched with thirstצִחֵה צָמָא = parched with thirst. Double expression emphasizing severe spiritual and physical lack.
Strong's Concordance
Therefore
לָכֵ֛ן (lā·ḵên)
Adverb
Strong's 3651: So -- thus
My people
עַמִּ֖י (‘am·mî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock
will go into exile
גָּלָ֥ה (gā·lāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1540: To denude, to exile, to reveal
for their lack
מִבְּלִי־ (mib·bə·lî-)
Preposition-m | Adverb
Strong's 1097: Failure, nothing, destruction, without, not yet, because not, as long as
of understanding;
דָ֑עַת (ḏā·‘aṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1847: Knowledge
their dignitaries
וּכְבוֹדוֹ֙ (ū·ḵə·ḇō·w·ḏōw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3519: Weight, splendor, copiousness
are starving,
רָעָ֔ב (rā·‘āḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7458: Famine, hunger
and their masses
וַהֲמוֹנ֖וֹ (wa·hă·mō·w·nōw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1995: A noise, tumult, crowd, disquietude, wealth
are parched
צִחֵ֥ה (ṣi·ḥêh)
Adjective - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6704: Parched
with thirst.
צָמָֽא׃ (ṣā·mā)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6772: Thirst
Translations
KJV – Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.
2 Nephi 15 – Therefore, my people are gone into captivity because they have no knowledge; and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.
NRSVUE – Therefore my people go into exile for lack of knowledge; their nobles are dying of hunger, and their multitude is parched with thirst.
JPS – Assuredly, My people will suffer exile for not giving heed, Its multitude victims of famine, Its masses parched with thirst.
BSB – Therefore My people go into exile for lack of understanding; their leaders are starving, and the masses are parched with thirst.
ESV – Therefore my people go into exile for lack of knowledge; their honored men go hungry, and their multitude is parched with thirst.
NIV – Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding; those of high rank will die of hunger and the common people will be parched with thirst.
NASB – Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge; and their nobles are famished, and their multitude is parched with thirst.
YLT – Therefore my people removed without knowledge, And its honourable ones are famished, And its multitude dried up of thirst.
BST – Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge; and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.
Chabad – Therefore, My people shall go into exile because of lack of knowledge, and its esteemed ones shall die of hunger, and its multitude shall be parched from thirst.
Alter – Therefore is My people exiled for lack of knowledge, its honored men victims of famine and its masses parched with thirst.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Go into exile – for lack of knowledge
B. Honored ones – men of famine
C. Multitude – parched with thirst
3 couplets. The first is causal—exile results from ignorance. The second and third are emblematic—famine and thirst represent physical and spiritual deprivation.
Causal, Emblematic & Synthetic Parallelism
A. Go into exile – for lack of knowledge:
This line sets the theological cause. The root issue is not political failure but spiritual ignorance—specifically, a rejection or neglect of divine knowledge (daʿat), often associated with covenantal awareness and prophetic insight.
B. Honored ones – men of famine:
This ironic reversal transforms leaders into beggars. Those once exalted—social, political, or religious elites—are now starving, a sign of both literal hunger and moral bankruptcy.
C. Multitude – parched with thirst:
The people follow the leaders into deprivation. “Thirst” symbolizes not only physical suffering but the absence of truth, wisdom, and spirit (cf. Amos 8:11).
Literary Devices
Causality Marker (“Therefore”):
Ties the verse directly to the previous accusation. Pleasure and blindness (v. 12) lead to exile—this is divine consequence, not random misfortune.
Irony and Inversion:
The “honored” become hungry; the “many” become dry. These reversals reflect divine justice overturning worldly status.
Metaphor:
Famine and thirst are metaphors for covenant judgment. Just as rain was withheld in v. 6, now sustenance is withdrawn—the land and the people mirror each other.
Thematic Analysis
Judgment Rooted in Spiritual Ignorance:
Exile is not framed as merely geopolitical loss but as the fruit of rejecting divine knowledge. The people are destroyed for lack of perception (cf. Hosea 4:6).
Collapse of Social Order:
When the honored are famished and the multitude thirsts, it signals total breakdown—top to bottom. There is no class immune from judgment.
Prophetic Justice:
The verse paints judgment with the logic of poetic justice—spiritual negligence brings physical and social ruin. Isaiah weaves theology, morality, and history into one seamless outcome.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:13 (MT):
לָכֵן גָּלָה עַמִּי מִבְּלִי דָעַת וּכְבוֹדוֹ מְתֵי רָעָב וַהֲמוֹנָו צִחֵה צָמָא
Therefore (לָכֵן – lākhēn)
Root: כן – so, thus; logical consequence
Isaiah 5:13 – Therefore (לָכֵן) My people go into exile…
Isaiah 3:14 – Therefore the LORD enters into judgment…
Isaiah 5:14 – Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite…
Genesis 3:24 – Therefore He drove out the man… (inferred, causal link)
Gone into exile (גָּלָה – gālâ)
Root: גלה – to uncover, remove, go into exile
Isaiah 5:13 – My people have gone into exile (גָּלָה)…
Isaiah 39:6 – …everything will be carried away to Babylon
Jeremiah 13:19 – The cities of the Negev are shut up, and no one opens them; all Judah is taken into exile
2 Kings 24:15 – He carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon…
My people (עַמִּי – ʿammî)
Root: עם – people, nation
Isaiah 5:13 – My people (עַמִּי) have gone into exile…
Isaiah 1:3 – Israel does not know, My people do not understand
Isaiah 40:1 – Comfort, comfort My people, says your God
Exodus 3:7 – I have surely seen the affliction of My people in Egypt…
For lack of (מִבְּלִי – mibbəlî)
Root: בלי – without, lacking
Isaiah 5:13 – …for lack of (מִבְּלִי) knowledge
Isaiah 27:11 – …a people without understanding
Hosea 4:6 – My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge
Job 4:11 – The lion perishes for lack of prey
Knowledge (דָעַת – daʿat)
Root: ידע – to know
Isaiah 5:13 – …for lack of knowledge (דָעַת)
Isaiah 11:2 – …the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD
Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge
Hosea 4:1 – …no truth or knowledge of God in the land
Their glory (וּכְבוֹדוֹ – ûḵevōdô)
Root: כבד – glory, weight, honor
Isaiah 5:13 – …their glory (וּכְבוֹדוֹ) are men of famine
Isaiah 2:10 – …hide from the terror of the LORD and the glory of His majesty
Isaiah 4:2 – …the glory of the fruit of the land
Psalm 3:3 – You, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory
Men (מְתֵי –mətê)
Root: מתי – men, individuals
Isaiah 5:13 – …men (מְתֵי) of famine
Isaiah 3:25 – Your men (אַנְשַׁיִךְ) shall fall by the sword
Genesis 34:30 – You have brought trouble on me by making me stink to the inhabitants of the land, the men thereof
Psalm 12:1 – …the godly man ceases; for the faithful fail among the children of men
Famine (רָעָב – rāʿāv)
Root: רעב – hunger, famine
Isaiah 5:13 – …men of famine (רָעָב)
Isaiah 8:21 – They will pass through the land greatly distressed and hungry
Lamentations 4:9 – Happier were the slain with the sword than those who died of famine
Amos 8:11 – I will send a famine—not of bread, but of hearing the words of the LORD
Multitude (וַהֲמוֹנָו – vahămônô)
Root: המון – multitude, crowd, mass
Isaiah 5:13 – …and his multitude (הֲמוֹנָו) is parched with thirst
Isaiah 17:12 – Ah, the thunder of many peoples, the roar of the multitudes
Isaiah 13:4 – The noise of a multitude in the mountains…
Psalm 55:18 – He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, though many were with me
Parched (צִחֵה – tsiḥeh)
Root: צחה – to be dry, scorched
Isaiah 5:13 – …his multitude is parched (צִחֵה)
Isaiah 41:17 – The poor and needy seek water, and there is none… their tongue is parched with thirst
Jeremiah 2:6 – …a land of drought and deep darkness
Psalm 63:1 – …in a dry and weary land where there is no water
Thirst (צָמָא – ṣāmāʾ)
Root: צמא – thirst
Isaiah 5:13 – …parched with thirst (צָמָא)
Isaiah 41:17 – …their tongue is parched with thirst
Psalm 42:2 – My soul thirsts for God
Amos 8:11 – A famine… and a thirst for hearing the words of the LORD
Isaiah 5:14
14 Therefore Sheol has enlarged its throat
and has opened its mouth without limit
and her splendor shall go down,
and her multitude, and her uproar,
and he who exults in her
Hebrew
Hebrew (MT)
לָכֵן הִרְחִיבָה שְּׁאוֹל נַפְשָׁהּ וּפָעֲרָה פִיהָ לִבְלִי־חֹק וְיָרַד הֲדָרָהּ וַהֲמוֹנָהּ וּשְׁאוֹנָהּ וְעָלֵז בָּהּ
Transliteration
läkhënThereforeלָכֵן = therefore. A transition indicating consequence—usually of sin or covenant breach. hir'chiyvähhas enlargedהִרְחִיבָה = has enlarged. Root: רָחַב (rachav), to widen or expand—used metaphorically for opening wide. SH'ôlSheolשְׁאוֹל = Sheol. The grave, the realm of the dead—symbolic of judgment or destruction. naf'shäHher appetiteנַפְשָׁהּ = her soul/self. Here refers to Sheol's hunger or appetite. ûfäárähand openedוּפָעֲרָה = and has opened. Root: פָּעַר (pa'ar), to gape or open wide—often used of mouths in devouring. fiyhäher mouthפִּיהָ = her mouth. Used metaphorically for Sheol’s consuming power. liv'liy-choqwithout limitלִבְלִי-חֹק = without measure or limit. Total, unrestricted consumption or destruction. w'yäradand down wentוְיָרַד = and went down. Root: יָרַד (yarad), to descend—used for humiliation, death, or descent into Sheol. hádäräHher nobilityהֲדָרָהּ = her splendor, majesty. Refers to the prideful or honored people now descending. wahámônäHand her multitudeוַהֲמוֹנָהּ = and her multitude. The masses or populace. ûsh'ônäHand her uproarוְשָׁאֳנָהּ = and her uproar. From שָׁאָן (sha'an), meaning tumult or arrogant noise. w'älëzand the exultant oneוְעָלֵז = and the jubilant, exultant one. From עָלַז (alaz), to rejoice—often arrogantly. BäHin herבָּהּ = in her. Refers back to Sheol.
Strong's Concordance
Therefore
לָכֵ֗ן (lā·ḵên)
Adverb
Strong's 3651: So -- thus
Sheol
שְּׁאוֹל֙ (šə·’ō·wl)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 7585: Underworld (place to which people descend at death)
enlarges
הִרְחִ֤יבָה (hir·ḥî·ḇāh)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7337: To be or grow wide or large
its throat
נַפְשָׁ֔הּ (nap̄·šāh)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion
and opens
וּפָעֲרָ֥ה (ū·p̄ā·‘ă·rāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 6473: To open wide (the mouth)
wide its enormous
לִבְלִי־ (liḇ·lî-)
Preposition-l | Adverb
Strong's 1097: Failure, nothing, destruction, without, not yet, because not, as long as
jaws,
פִ֖יהָ (p̄î·hā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to
and down go
וְיָרַ֨ד (wə·yā·raḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend
[Zion’s] nobles
הֲדָרָ֧הּ (hă·ḏā·rāh)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 1926: Magnificence, ornament, splendor
[and] masses,
וַהֲמוֹנָ֛הּ (wa·hă·mō·w·nāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 1995: A noise, tumult, crowd, disquietude, wealth
her jubilant
וּשְׁאוֹנָ֖הּ (ū·šə·’ō·w·nāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7588: A roar (of waters, etcetera), din, crash, uproar
and carousers!
וְעָלֵ֥ז (wə·‘ā·lêz)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 5938: Exultant, jubilant
Translations
KJV – Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.
2 Nephi 15 – Therefore, hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure; and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.
NRSVUE – Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth beyond measure; the nobility of Jerusalem and her multitude will go down, her throng and all who exult in her.
JPS – Assuredly, Sheol has opened its gullet wide And parted its mouth to a measureless breadth— And down go their nobility and masses, Their throng and their revelers.
BSB – Therefore Sheol enlarges its throat and opens wide its mouth; into it will descend Zion’s nobles and masses, her revelers and carousers.
ESV – Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth beyond measure, and the nobility of Jerusalem and her multitude will go down, her revelers and he who exults in her.
NIV – Therefore Death expands its jaws, opening wide its mouth; into it will descend their nobles and masses with all their brawlers and revelers.
NASB – Therefore Sheol has enlarged its throat and opened its mouth beyond measure; and Jerusalem’s splendor, her multitude, her tumult, and the jubilant within her, descend into it.
YLT – Therefore hath Sheol enlarged herself, And hath opened her mouth without measure, And gone down hath her honour, And her multitude, and her pomp, And he who is exulting—into her.
BST – Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.
Chabad – Therefore, the nether-world has expanded itself and opened its mouth without measure, and her splendor and her populace and multitudes, shall descend and those who rejoice therein.
Alter – Therefore Sheol has widened its gullet and gaped open its mouth beyond measure, and her splendor and her hubbub have gone down, her noise and her revelers.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Sheol enlarged its throat – opened its mouth without limit
B. Her splendor – her multitude – her uproar – he who exults in her
C. All shall go down
2 couplets and one extended cluster. The first is synthetic and personifying; the second is emblematic and climactic—a total collapse of civic pride into the grave.
Synthetic, Emblematic & Climactic Parallelism
A. Sheol has enlarged its throat – opened its mouth without limit:
A vivid, synthetic image of death personified. Sheol (the realm of the dead) is imagined as a ravenous monster with a widening throat—ready to swallow all who fall under judgment. The phrase “without limit” emphasizes insatiability.
B. Her splendor – her multitude – her uproar – he who exults in her:
This pile-up of subjects builds to a crescendo. It includes wealth (splendor), people (multitude), noise (uproar), and spirit (exultation)—a comprehensive picture of a once-thriving city or society. All of it is destined for descent.
C. All shall go down:
This is the unstated but dominant movement. The entire verse is a downward trajectory—height to depth, glory to grave.
Literary Devices
Personification:
Sheol is imagined as a living, devouring entity. This anthropomorphic image dramatizes judgment as active and looming, not passive.
Asyndeton (Lack of Conjunctions):
The rapid listing (splendor, multitude, uproar, exultant one) without connectors increases momentum, conveying the rush of descent into death.
Climax:
Each line adds weight to the fall—one aspect of society after another is dragged into the abyss. This builds emotional and poetic intensity.
Thematic Analysis
Total Collapse Under Judgment:
Every element of national pride—glory, population, culture, and even individual joy—descends into Sheol. This shows not just defeat, but utter reversal.
Cosmic Justice:
As the people exalted themselves (v. 11–12), Sheol responds with open mouth. The image portrays judgment as a natural and inevitable balancing of the scales.
Loss of Covenant Blessing:
The promised abundance and elevation of Zion (cf. Deut. 28:1) are inverted here. Instead of being lifted up, they are swallowed down. The covenantal reversal is complete.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:14 (MT):
לָכֵן הִרְחִיבָה שְׁאוֹל נַפְשָׁהּ וּפָעֲרָה פִיהָ לִבְלִי חֹק וְיָרַד הֲדָרָהּ וְהֲמוֹנָהּ וְשָׁאֲנָנָהּ וְעָלֵז בָּהּ
Therefore (לָכֵן – lākhēn)
Root: כן – so, thus, therefore
Isaiah 5:14 – Therefore (לָכֵן) Sheol has enlarged itself…
Isaiah 5:13 – Therefore My people have gone into exile…
Isaiah 10:24 – Therefore thus says the Lord…
Genesis 3:24 – Therefore He drove out the man…
Sheol (שְׁאוֹל – sheʾôl)
Root: שאול – underworld, grave, place of the dead
Isaiah 5:14 – Sheol (שְׁאוֹל) has enlarged its soul…
Isaiah 14:9 – Sheol beneath is stirred to meet you…
Isaiah 38:10 – I shall go to the gates of Sheol
Proverbs 27:20 – Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied…
Has enlarged (הִרְחִיבָה – hirḥîvāh)
Root: רחב – to widen, enlarge, expand
Isaiah 5:14 – Has enlarged (הִרְחִיבָה) its throat
Isaiah 57:8 – You have uncovered yourself to those other than Me… (same root idea: opening, broadening)
Habakkuk 2:5 – He enlarges his appetite like Sheol
Exodus 34:24 – …for I will enlarge your borders…
Its appetite (נַפְשָׁהּ – nafshāh)
Root: נפש – soul, life, appetite
Isaiah 5:14 – Sheol has enlarged its appetite (נַפְשָׁהּ)
Proverbs 16:26 – The appetite of the laborer works for him
Isaiah 29:8 – It shall be like a hungry man who dreams he is eating… his soul is empty
Psalm 107:9 – For He satisfies the longing soul…
And opened (וּפָעֲרָה – ûpāʿărāh)
Root: פעור – to open wide, gape
Isaiah 5:14 – …and opened (וּפָעֲרָה) its mouth
Psalm 22:13 – They open wide their mouths at me
Job 16:10 – They have gaped at me with their mouth
Lamentations 2:16 – All your enemies have opened their mouth against you
Its mouth (פִיהָ – pîhā)
Root: פה – mouth
Isaiah 5:14 – …opened its mouth (פִיהָ) without measure
Isaiah 1:20 – …you shall be devoured by the mouth of the sword
Psalm 69:15 – Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up (implied mouth of death)
Job 5:15 – But He saves from the mouth of the mighty
Without measure (לִבְלִי חֹק – livlî ḥōq)
Root: בלי – without; חק – decree, limit, boundary
Isaiah 5:14 – …to limitless (לִבְלִי חֹק) extent
Isaiah 33:22 – For the LORD is our lawgiver (חקקֵנוּ)
Job 26:10 – He inscribed a circle (חק) on the face of the waters
Psalm 104:9 – You set a boundary they may not pass
And shall descend (וְיָרַד – weyārad)
Root: ירד – to go down, descend
Isaiah 5:14 – …and descend (וְיָרַד) into it
Isaiah 14:11 – Your pomp is brought down to Sheol
Genesis 37:35 – I will go down to Sheol to my son…
Jonah 2:7 – I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me
Her splendor (הֲדָרָהּ – hadārāh)
Root: הדר – splendor, majesty
Isaiah 5:14 – …her splendor (הֲדָרָהּ) shall descend
Isaiah 35:2 – …the majesty (הֲדַר) of Carmel and Sharon
Isaiah 53:2 – He had no form or majesty that we should desire Him
Leviticus 23:40 – The fruit of beautiful trees…
Her multitude (וְהֲמוֹנָהּ – vehămônāh)
Root: המון – crowd, multitude
Isaiah 5:14 – …and her multitude (וְהֲמוֹנָהּ)
Isaiah 13:4 – The noise of a multitude in the mountains…
Isaiah 17:12 – The multitudes of many peoples roar…
Psalm 42:4 – I led them in procession to the house of God, with the multitude…
Her revelers (וְשָׁאֲנָנָהּ – wešāʾănānāh)
Root: שׁאנ – at ease, smug, complacent
Isaiah 5:14 – …her revelers (שָׁאֲנָנָהּ) shall go down
Isaiah 32:9 – Rise up, you women who are at ease (שַּׁאֲנָנוֹת)…
Amos 6:1 – Woe to those who are at ease in Zion…
Zephaniah 1:12 – …those who are complacent and say, “The LORD will not do good or evil”
And the jubilant (וְעָלֵז – weʿālēz)
Root: עלז – to exult, rejoice, revel
Isaiah 5:14 – …and the jubilant (וְעָלֵז) shall descend into it
Isaiah 24:8 – The mirth of tambourines is stilled; the revelers cease
Proverbs 11:10 – When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices (תַּעֲלֹץ)
Psalm 149:5 – Let the godly exult in glory
In her (בָּהּ – bāh)
Root: ב – in, with; suffix her
Isaiah 5:14 – …shall descend in her (בָּהּ)
Isaiah 1:21 – The faithful city… righteousness lodged in her
Lamentations 1:1 – How lonely sits the city… none to comfort her
Zechariah 2:5 – I will be a wall of fire around her… and I will be the glory in her midst
Isaiah 5:15
15 And man is bowed down
and man is humbled
and the eyes of the haughty
shall be brought low
Hebrew
Hebrew (MT)
וַיִּשַּׁח אָדָם וַיִּשְׁפַּל־אִישׁ וְעֵינֵי גְבֹהִים תִּשְׁפַּלְנָה
Transliteration
waYiSHach ädämAnd man will be bowed downוַיִּשַּׁח אָדָם = and man will be bowed down. Root: שׁוּחַ (shuach), to sink, be humbled—speaks of humiliation or submission. waYish'Pal-iyshAnd mankind will be brought lowוַיִּשְׁפַּל אִישׁ = and man will be brought low. Root: שָׁפֵל (shafel), to be low, degraded, or humiliated. w'ëynëy g'vohiymAnd the eyes of the loftyוְעֵינֵי גְבֹהִים = and the eyes of the lofty. Root: גָּבֹהַּ (gavoah), high, exalted—symbolic of pride or arrogance. Tish'Pal'nähWill be humbledתִּשְׁפַּלְנָה = will be humbled. Same root as שָׁפֵל (shafel), implying forced lowering or abasement.
Strong's Concordance
So mankind
אָדָ֖ם (’ā·ḏām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being
will be brought low,
וַיִּשַּׁ֥ח (way·yiš·šaḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7817: To bow, be bowed down, crouch
and each man
אִ֑ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person
humbled;
וַיִּשְׁפַּל־ (way·yiš·pal-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8213: To be or become low, to be abased
the arrogant
גְבֹהִ֖ים (ḡə·ḇō·hîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 1364: Elevated, powerful, arrogant
will lower
תִּשְׁפַּֽלְנָה׃ (tiš·pal·nāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine plural
Strong's 8213: To be or become low, to be abased
their eyes.
וְעֵינֵ֥י (wə·‘ê·nê)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - cdc
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain
Translations
KJV – And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled.
2 Nephi 15 – And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled.
NRSVUE – People are bowed down, everyone is brought low, and the eyes of the haughty are humbled.
JPS – Then man is bowed low, And man is humbled—And haughty eyes are humbled.
BSB – So mankind will be brought low, and each man humbled; the arrogant will lower their eyes.
ESV – Man is humbled, and each one is brought low, and the eyes of the haughty are brought low.
NIV – So people will be brought low and everyone humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled.
NASB – So the common person will be humbled and the person of importance will be brought low, the eyes of the haughty also will be brought low.
YLT – And bowed down is the low, and humbled the high, And the eyes of the haughty become low,
BST – And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled.
Chabad – And man shall be humbled, and man shall be brought low, and the eyes of the haughty shall be brought low.
Alter – And humans are bowed low and man brought down, and the eyes of the haughty are brought down.
Literary Devices
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Man is bowed down – man is humbled
B. Eyes of the haughty – shall be brought low
2 couplets. The first is synonymous—universal human humbling. The second is synthetic with a moral target—pride specifically punished.
Synonymous & Synthetic Parallelism
A. Man is bowed down – man is humbled:
A parallel pair using repetition for emphasis. The word for “man” (אָדָם – adam) highlights the universality of judgment. Whether low or high, all humanity is reduced before divine justice.
B. Eyes of the haughty – shall be brought low:
A more focused line—pride is singled out. “Eyes” are symbolic of attitude, posture, and perspective. The haughty are not just included in the general humbling, they are targeted for it.
Literary Devices
Repetition:
The doubling of “man” reinforces that this is not isolated—it’s widespread, total. The structure invites reflection on the fate of all flesh.
Metonymy:
“Eyes of the haughty” stands for pride itself—external posture representing internal arrogance.
Inversion:
Being “brought low” is the opposite of self-exaltation. It implies divine reversal, echoing themes from the Song of Hannah (1 Sam. 2:7–8) and later the Magnificat (Luke 1:52).
Thematic Analysis
Universal Humbling Before God:
This verse continues the theme of divine leveling. Not just elites (v. 14), but all people are humbled—there is no escape from the cosmic judgment unfolding.
Judgment on Pride:
The proud are not just caught in the tide—they are the object of it. God actively opposes the proud (cf. Prov. 16:18), and this verse reflects that moral principle being enacted.
Moral Reversal:
This is part of Isaiah’s broader theme: what is high will be brought low, and what is low (eventually) lifted up. This prepares for the redemptive reversals in later chapters (e.g., Isaiah 11, 40–66).
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:15 (MT):
וַיִּשַׁח אָדָם וַיִּשָּׁפֵל אִישׁ וְעֵינֵי גְבֹהִים תִּשָּׁפְלָנָה
And man is bowed down (וַיִּשַׁח – wayyišaḥ)
Root: שׁחח – to bow down, sink low, be humbled
Isaiah 5:15 – And man is bowed down (וַיִּשַׁח)
Isaiah 2:9 – So man is humbled, and each one is brought low…
Psalm 44:25 – Our soul is bowed down to the dust
Psalm 38:6 – I am utterly bowed down, all the day I go about mourning
And men are brought low (וַיִּשָּׁפֵל – wayyišāpēl)
Root: שׁפל – to be low, brought down, humbled
Isaiah 5:15 – …and men are brought low (וַיִּשָּׁפֵל)
Isaiah 2:11 – The haughty eyes of man shall be brought low
Job 40:12 – Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low
Ezekiel 21:26 – Exalt the low and abase the high
Man (אִישׁ – ʾîsh)
Root: איש – man, individual
Isaiah 5:15 – Man (אִישׁ) is humbled
Isaiah 3:25 – Your men shall fall by the sword
Isaiah 66:2 – …but to this man will I look: he who is humble…
Genesis 2:24 – Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother…
Haughty eyes (עֵינֵי גְבֹהִים – ʿênê gəvōhîm)
Root: עין – eye; גבוה – high, lofty, proud
Isaiah 5:15 – …the eyes of the lofty (עֵינֵי גְבֹהִים) shall be humbled
Isaiah 2:11 – The haughty looks of man shall be brought low
Proverbs 6:17 – The LORD hates haughty eyes
Psalm 18:27 – You save the humble people, but the haughty eyes You bring down
Shall be humbled (תִּשָּׁפְלָנָה – tišāpelnāh)
Root: שׁפל – to sink, be humbled
Isaiah 5:15 – …shall be humbled (תִּשָּׁפְלָנָה)
Isaiah 2:17 – The loftiness of man shall be humbled
Proverbs 29:23 – A man's pride will bring him low
Luke 14:11 – Whoever exalts himself will be humbled
Isaiah 5:16
16 But YHWH of Hosts is exalted in justice
and the Holy God is sanctified in righteousness
Hebrew
Hebrew (MT)
וַיִּגְבַּה יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת בַּמִּשְׁפָּט וְהָאֵל הַקָּדוֹשׁ נִקְדָּשׁ בִּצְדָקָה
Transliteration
waYig'bahAnd will be exaltedוַיִּגְבַּהּ = and will be exalted. Root: גָּבַהּ (gavah), to be high, lifted up—often used of divine majesty. y'hwäh tz'väôtYahweh of Hostsיְהוָה צְבָאוֹת = Yahweh of Hosts. A title emphasizing God's supreme command over angelic armies and all creation. BaMish'PäţIn justiceבַּמִּשְׁפָּט = in justice. Root: מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat), judgment or legal decision—often tied to righteousness and divine order. w'häël haQädôshAnd the Holy Godוְהָאֵל הַקָּדוֹשׁ = and the Holy God. A title of God emphasizing His set-apart nature and moral perfection. niq'DäshWill be sanctifiedנִקְדָּשׁ = will be sanctified. Root: קָדַשׁ (qadash), to be set apart, made holy—refers to God being acknowledged in righteousness. Bitz'däqähIn righteousnessבִּצְדָקָה = in righteousness. Root: צֶדֶק (tsedeq), rightness, justice, or moral integrity.
Strong's Concordance
But the LORD
יְהוָ֥ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel
of Hosts
צְבָא֖וֹת (ṣə·ḇā·’ō·wṯ)
Noun - common plural
Strong's 6635: A mass of persons, reg, organized for, war, a campaign
will be exalted
וַיִּגְבַּ֛ה (way·yiḡ·bah)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1361: To soar, be lofty, to be haughty
by His justice,
בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט (bam·miš·pāṭ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style
and the holy
הַקָּד֔וֹשׁ (haq·qā·ḏō·wōš)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6918: Sacred, God, an angel, a saint, a sanctuary
God
וְהָאֵל֙ (wə·hā·’êl)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 410: Strength -- as adjective, mighty, the Almighty
will show Himself holy
נִקְדָּ֖שׁ (niq·dāš)
Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 6942: To be set apart or consecrated
in righteousness.
בִּצְדָקָֽה׃ (biṣ·ḏā·qāh)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6666: Rightness, subjectively, objectively
Translations
KJV – But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.
2 Nephi 15 – But the Lord of Hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.
NRSVUE – But the LORD of hosts is exalted by justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy by righteousness.
JPS – But the LORD of Hosts is exalted by judgment, And the Holy God proves Himself holy by retribution.
BSB – But the LORD of Hosts will be exalted by His justice, and the Holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness.
ESV – But the LORD of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.
NIV – But the LORD Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will be proved holy by his righteous acts.
NASB – But the LORD of armies will be exalted in judgment, And the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness.
YLT – And Jehovah of Hosts is high in judgment, And the Holy God sanctified in righteousness.
BST – But the Lord of Hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.
Chabad – And the Lord of Hosts will be exalted in judgment, and the Holy God shall be hallowed with equity.
Alter – And the LORD of Armies shall be raised up in justice and the Holy One hallowed in righteousness.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. YHWH of Hosts – Holy God
B. Exalted – Sanctified
C. In justice – in righteousness
1 couplet. This is synonymous and climactic—the contrast to the humbling of man (v. 15). It exalts God's moral character through parallel divine titles and attributes.
Synonymous & Climactic Parallelism
A. YHWH of Hosts – Holy God:
Two exalted titles. “YHWH of Hosts” emphasizes power and command over heavenly armies; “Holy God” stresses purity, separation, and transcendence. The pairing intensifies reverence.
B. Exalted – Sanctified:
Both verbs describe elevation, but in distinct ways. “Exalted” relates to stature and authority; “sanctified” pertains to holiness and moral distinction. Together, they affirm God's supremacy and purity.
C. In justice – in righteousness:
These are covenantal terms. “Justice” (mišpāṭ) is legal and societal fairness; “righteousness” (ṣĕdāqāh) is relational and moral integrity. They are often paired in prophetic literature (cf. Isa. 1:27, 28:17), defining divine character and covenant expectation.
Literary Devices
Antithetical Positioning:
This verse answers verse 15. While man is brought low, YHWH is lifted high—not arbitrarily, but through moral attributes. God’s justice exalts Him in contrast to human pride.
Name Parallelism:
Using two titles—“YHWH of Hosts” and “Holy God”—draws attention to different aspects of divinity: power and purity. The poetic variation magnifies His majesty.
Climactic Cadence:
The verse resolves the downward motion of verses 13–15 with a theological uplift. It forms a moral and structural turning point in the section.
Thematic Analysis
Divine Vindication:
In the face of human collapse and societal sin, God is not diminished. Rather, He is glorified through the very acts of judgment. Justice reveals His true nature.
Holiness Through Justice:
God’s holiness is not abstract—it is expressed in how He rules and judges. Sanctification here means public recognition of God’s moral purity through His righteous acts.
Prophetic Theology:
This verse affirms a central theme of Isaiah: that the glory of God is made manifest through His righteous dealings with the world. Judgment is not a flaw in His character—it is part of what makes Him holy.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:16 (MT):
וַיִּגְבַּהּ יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת בַּמִּשְׁפָּט וְהָאֵל הַקָּדוֹשׁ נִקְדָּשׁ בִּצְדָקָה
But the LORD of Hosts is exalted (וַיִּגְבַּהּ יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת – wayyigbah YHWH tsevāʾôt)
Root: גבה – to be high, exalted
Isaiah 5:16 – The LORD of Hosts is exalted (וַיִּגְבַּהּ יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת) in justice
Isaiah 2:11 – The LORD alone will be exalted in that day
Isaiah 33:5 – The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high
Psalm 46:10 – I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth
The LORD of Hosts (יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת – YHWH tsevāʾôt)
Root: יהוה – divine name; צבא – hosts, armies
Isaiah 5:16 – The LORD of Hosts is exalted
Isaiah 1:9 – Unless the LORD of Hosts had left us a remnant…
Isaiah 6:3 – Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts…
Psalm 24:10 – The LORD of Hosts, He is the King of Glory
In justice (בַּמִּשְׁפָּט – bammishpāṭ)
Root: שפט – to judge, justice
Isaiah 5:16 – …exalted in justice (בַּמִּשְׁפָּט)
Isaiah 1:17 – Learn to do good, seek justice
Isaiah 9:7 – …to establish it with justice and with righteousness
Micah 6:8 – …what does the LORD require of you but to do justice…
The Holy God (הָאֵל הַקָּדוֹשׁ – hāʾēl haqqādôsh)
Root: אל – God, mighty one; קדש – holy, set apart
Isaiah 5:16 – …the Holy God (הָאֵל הַקָּדוֹשׁ) shows Himself holy
Isaiah 1:4 – They have despised the Holy One of Israel
Isaiah 6:3 – Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts
Hosea 11:9 – For I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst
Is sanctified (נִקְדָּשׁ – niqdāsh)
Root: קדש – to be holy, sanctify, set apart
Isaiah 5:16 – …is sanctified (נִקְדָּשׁ) in righteousness
Isaiah 8:13 – But the LORD of Hosts, Him you shall regard as holy (קָדֹשׁ)
Ezekiel 36:23 – And I will sanctify My great name…
Leviticus 10:3 – By those who come near Me, I must be regarded as holy
In righteousness (בִּצְדָקָה – bitsədāqāh)
Root: צדק – righteousness, justice
Isaiah 5:16 – …sanctified in righteousness (בִּצְדָקָה)
Isaiah 1:27 – Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her repentant ones with righteousness
Isaiah 11:4 – With righteousness He shall judge the poor…
Psalm 89:14 – Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne
Isaiah 5:17
17 And lambs shall graze as in their pasture,
and fatlings shall feed among the ruins
Hebrew
Hebrew (MT)
וְרָעוּ כְבָשִׂים כְּדָבְרָם וְחָרְבוֹת מֵחִים גָּרִים יֹאכֵלוּ
Transliteration
w'räû kh'väsiymThen shall the lambs grazeוְרָעוּ כְבָשִׂים = then lambs shall graze. Root: רָעָה (raʿah), to pasture, feed—often associated with peace and restoration. K'däv'rämAs in their pastureכְּדָבְרָם = as in their pasture (or usual way). From דָּבָר (davar), may imply 'as appointed' or 'as due them.' w'chär'vôt mëchiymAnd the ruins of the fat onesוְחָרְבוֹת מְשִׁיִּים = and the ruins of the fat ones. Root: חָרֵב (charev), to be desolate—refers to abandoned or devastated estates of the wealthy. Gäriym yokhëlûStrangers shall devourגָּרִים יֹאכֵלוּ = strangers shall eat. Root: גֵּר (ger), foreigner—implying judgment through outsiders taking over resources.
Strong's Concordance
Lambs
כְבָשִׂ֖ים (ḵə·ḇā·śîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3532: A lamb
will graze
וְרָע֥וּ (wə·rā·‘ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7462: To tend a, flock, pasture it, in, to graze, to rule, to associate with
as in their own pastures,
כְּדָבְרָ֑ם (kə·ḏā·ḇə·rām)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1699: A pasture
and strangers
גָּרִ֥ים (gā·rîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 1481: To turn aside from the road, sojourn, to shrink, fear, to gather for, hostility
will feed
יֹאכֵֽלוּ׃ (yō·ḵê·lū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 398: To eat
in the ruins
וְחָרְב֥וֹת (wə·ḥā·rə·ḇō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 2723: Waste, desolation, ruin
of the wealthy.
מֵחִ֖ים (mê·ḥîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4220: Fat, rich
Translations
KJV – Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.
2 Nephi 15 – Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.
NRSVUE – Then the lambs shall graze as in their pasture; young animals and kids shall feed among the ruins.
JPS – Then shall lambs graze as in their own pasture, And strangers shall devour the ruins of the fatlings.
BSB – Lambs will graze as in their own pasture, and strangers will feed in the ruins of the wealthy.
ESV – Then shall lambs graze as in their pasture, and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich.
NIV – Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture; lambs will feed among the ruins of the rich.
NASB – Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture, And strangers will eat in the ruins of the affluent.
YLT – And fed have lambs according to their leading, And waste places of the fat ones Do sojourners consume.
BST – Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.
Chabad – And lambs shall graze at their wont, and sojourners shall eat the ruins of the fat ones.
Alter – And sheep shall graze as in their meadows and goats shall feed in the ruins of the fatted.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Lambs – fatlings
B. Graze – feed
C. In their pasture – among the ruins
1 couplet. The structure is emblematic and ironic. Animal peace contrasts with human desolation. The pasture is literal for lambs, but “ruins” hints at judgment and reversal.
Emblematic & Ironic Parallelism
A. Lambs – fatlings:
Both represent animals at peace, unthreatened and well-fed. Lambs suggest innocence; fatlings imply prosperity. Together they evoke pastoral calm.
B. Graze – feed:
A synonymous pair reinforcing the theme of peaceful abundance. These verbs reflect natural animal behavior—but in an unnatural, post-judgment setting.
C. In their pasture – among the ruins:
This is the twist. “Pasture” evokes order and care, but “ruins” (desolate places, formerly inhabited by humans) introduces irony. The land once coveted and hoarded (v. 8) is now abandoned to animals.
Literary Devices
Irony:
Animals enjoy what people have lost. The land no longer serves the greedy but becomes peaceful space for lambs. This echoes covenant curses, where cities are left uninhabited (Lev. 26:33).
Juxtaposition:
Peaceful grazing sits beside imagery of destruction. The verse balances life and death, innocence and judgment.
Imagery of Reversal:
The vineyard was supposed to yield good fruit for people; instead, animals inherit the land. A new order arises, but not for the original inhabitants.
Thematic Analysis
Rest after Judgment:
Though judgment brings ruin, life goes on. The land continues, but without its former masters. This hints at the remnant theme—what survives is not who you’d expect.
Disinheritance of the Proud:
Those who seized field and house now see their estates turned into animal pasture. The punishment fits the sin—greed leads to forfeiture.
Nature Reclaims the Land:
There’s a subtle Edenic echo here. Human corruption led to desolation, but nature returns, untamed and at peace. The lambs inherit what the proud have lost.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:17 (MT):
וְרָעִים כְּכָבָשִׂים יִרְעוּ וּשְׁמָמוֹת מֵחֵלְבִים גָּרִים יֹאכֵלוּ
Then shall lambs (וְרָעִים – werāʿîm)
Root: רעה – to pasture, graze; noun form רָעִים from רָעָה – shepherding or lambs
Isaiah 5:17 – Then shall lambs (וְרָעִים) graze as in their pasture
Isaiah 11:6 – The wolf shall dwell with the lamb (כֶּבֶשׂ)…
Isaiah 40:11 – He shall feed His flock like a shepherd… He shall gather the lambs in His arm
Jeremiah 50:6 – My people have been lost sheep… their shepherds have led them astray
As lambs (כְּכָבָשִׂים – kekhāvāsîm)
Root: כבש – lamb, sheep
Isaiah 5:17 – …as lambs (כְּכָבָשִׂים) they shall graze
Isaiah 53:7 – Like a lamb (כַּשֶּׂה) led to the slaughter
Jeremiah 11:19 – I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter
Genesis 22:7–8 – Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?
Shall graze (יִרְעוּ – yirʿû)
Root: רעה – to pasture, feed, graze
Isaiah 5:17 – …they shall graze (יִרְעוּ)
Isaiah 11:7 – The cow and the bear shall graze…
Psalm 23:1–2 – He makes me lie down in green pastures…
Micah 7:14 – Shepherd Your people with Your staff, the flock of Your inheritance…
Ruins (וּשְׁמָמוֹת – ûšemāmôt)
Root: שׁמם – to be desolate, laid waste
Isaiah 5:17 – …and the ruins (וּשְׁמָמוֹת) of the wealthy
Isaiah 6:11 – Until cities lie waste (שְׁמָמָה)…
Isaiah 13:9 – To make the land a desolation
Jeremiah 4:7 – …to make your land a waste
Of the fat ones (מֵחֵלְבִים – mēḥēləbîm)
Root: חלב – fat, rich, choice part
Isaiah 5:17 – …from the ruins of the fat ones (חֵלְבִים)
Isaiah 1:11 – I am full of the burnt offerings of rams and the fat (חֵלֶב) of fed beasts
Psalm 63:5 – My soul is satisfied as with fat and rich food
Deuteronomy 32:14 – The fat of lambs, rams of Bashan…
Aliens (גָּרִים – gārîm)
Root: גור – to sojourn, stranger, alien
Isaiah 5:17 – …aliens (גָּרִים) shall eat
Isaiah 14:1 – Strangers (הַגֵּר) shall be joined with them…
Exodus 22:21 – You shall not wrong a sojourner
Leviticus 19:34 – The stranger who sojourns with you shall be as the native
Shall eat (יֹאכֵלוּ – yōʾkēlû)
Root: אכל – to eat, consume
Isaiah 5:17 – …shall eat (יֹאכֵלוּ)
Isaiah 1:19 – You shall eat the good of the land
Isaiah 65:13 – Behold, My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry
Genesis 3:19 – By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Isaiah 5:18
18 Woe to those who draw iniquity
with cords of falsehood
and sin like with cart-ropes
Hebrew
Hebrew (MT)
הוֹי מֹשְׁכֵי הֶעָוֹן בְּחַבְלֵי הַשָּׁוְא וְכַעֲבוֹת הָעֲגָלָה חַטָּאָה
Transliteration
hôy mosh'khëyWoe to those who drawהוֹי מֹשְׁכֵי = woe to those who draw. From מָשַׁךְ (mashakh), to pull or drag—often implying willful action toward sin. heäwonIniquityהֶעָוֹן = the iniquity. Root: עָוֹן (avon), guilt, perversion, or moral crookedness. B'chav'lëy haSHäw'With cords of vanityבְּחַבְלֵי הַשָּׁוְא = with cords of vanity. חֶבֶל (chevel) means cord/rope; שָׁוְא (shav) means emptiness, falsehood—suggesting being bound to futility. w'khaávôt häágälähAnd as with cart ropesוּכַעֲבוֹתוֹת הָעֲגָלָה = and like ropes of a cart. עֲבוֹתוֹת (avotot) are thick cords, emphasizing heavy bondage; עֲגָלָה (agalah) is a cart or wagon. chaŢäähSinחֲטָאָה = sin. Root: חָטָא (chata), to miss the mark or deviate from the path—moral failure.
Strong's Concordance
Woe
ה֛וֹי (hō·w)
Interjection
Strong's 1945: Ah! alas! ha!
to those who draw
מֹשְׁכֵ֥י (mō·šə·ḵê)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 4900: To draw, drag
iniquity
הֶֽעָוֺ֖ן (he·‘ā·wōn)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 5771: Iniquity, guilt, punishment for iniquity
with cords
בְּחַבְלֵ֣י (bə·ḥaḇ·lê)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2256: A rope, a measuring line, a district, inheritance, a noose, a company, a throe, ruin
of deceit
הַשָּׁ֑וְא (haš·šāw)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7723: Evil, idolatry, uselessness
and pull sin along
חַטָּאָֽה׃ (ḥaṭ·ṭā·’āh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2403: An offence, its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, expiation, an offender
with cart
הָעֲגָלָ֖ה (hā·‘ă·ḡā·lāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5699: Something revolving, a wheeled vehicle
ropes,
וְכַעֲב֥וֹת (wə·ḵa·‘ă·ḇō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 5688: Something intwined, a string, wreath, foliage
Translations
KJV – Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:
2 Nephi 15 – Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:
NRSVUE – Ah, you who drag iniquity along with cords of falsehood, who drag sin along as with cart ropes,
JPS – Ah, those who drag guilt along with cords of guile, And sin as with cart ropes,
BSB – Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of deceit and pull sin along with cart ropes,
ESV – Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, who draw sin as with cart ropes,
NIV – Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes,
NASB – Woe to those who drag wrongdoing with the cords of deceit, And sin as if with cart ropes;
YLT – Woe to those drawing out iniquity with cords of vanity, And as [with] thick ropes of the cart — sin.
BST – Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:
Chabad – Woe to those who draw the iniquity with ropes of nothingness, and like cart ropes is the sin.
Alter – Woe, who haul crime with the cords of falseness and like the ropes of a cart, offense.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Draw iniquity – draw sin
B. Cords of falsehood – cart-ropes
1 couplet with extended metaphor. This is emblematic and intensifying—sin is not stumbled into but actively hauled, escalating from cords to thick ropes.
Emblematic & Intensifying Parallelism
A. Draw iniquity – draw sin:
These are synonymous actions. The verb “draw” (mashakh) implies effort and intentionality. The image exposes deliberate transgression—iniquity is not passive but pursued and carried.
B. Cords of falsehood – cart-ropes:
The metaphor intensifies. What begins with cords of deceit ends in thick cart-ropes—heavy, visible, undeniable. Falsehood begins small but quickly becomes enslaving.
Literary Devices
Metaphor:
Iniquity is portrayed as a burden actively dragged. This visual dramatizes premeditated sin—the sinner constructs his own bondage and hauls it like cargo.
Intensification:
The shift from “cords” to “cart-ropes” heightens the imagery. What starts subtle becomes massive and inescapable. The sin becomes its own weight.
Irony:
Rather than casting off sin, these people pull it toward themselves. The image reverses repentance—they don’t flee from wickedness; they labor to possess it.
Thematic Analysis
Deliberate Sinfulness:
This “woe” targets not ignorance but rebellion. These individuals aren’t caught by sin—they haul it with intention and strategy, even fabricating lies to justify it.
Deception and Self-Bondage:
“Cords of falsehood” suggests that lies, once used to mask sin, become the very means by which the soul is bound. Deceit is not a shield—it is a shackle.
Moral Inversion and Enslavement:
This is a powerful image of inversion: sin is pursued as if it were a treasure, but the reward is enslavement. The cart-rope becomes a yoke.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:18 (MT):
הוֹי מֹשְׁכֵי הֶעָוֹן בְּחַבְלֵי הַשָּׁוְא וְכַעֲבוֹתוֹת עֲגָלָה חַטָּאָה
Woe (הוֹי – hōy)
Root: interjection of lament or warning
Isaiah 5:18 – Woe (הוֹי) to those who draw iniquity…
Isaiah 5:8, 11, 20, 21, 22 – all begin with Woe (הוֹי)
Habakkuk 2:6 – Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own
Matthew 23:13 – Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees…
Those who draw (מֹשְׁכֵי – mōšĕḵê)
Root: משך – to draw, drag, pull
Isaiah 5:18 – Those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity
Judges 4:7 – I will draw unto thee Sisera…
Psalm 10:9 – He draws the helpless into his net
Jeremiah 38:13 – So they drew up Jeremiah with cords
Iniquity (הֶעָוֹן – heʿāvôn)
Root: עון – iniquity, guilt, punishment
Isaiah 5:18 – Iniquity (הֶעָוֹן) drawn with cords
Isaiah 1:4 – A people laden with iniquity
Isaiah 6:7 – Your iniquity is taken away
Leviticus 16:22 – The goat shall bear on it all their iniquities
Cords (בְּחַבְלֵי – bəḥaḇlê)
Root: חבל – cord, rope, also destruction or pain (depending on context)
Isaiah 5:18 – …with cords (חַבְלֵי) of vanity
Psalm 129:4 – He has cut the cords of the wicked
Job 36:8 – If they are bound in cords of affliction
Hosea 11:4 – I led them with cords of kindness
Vanity (הַשָּׁוְא – haššāwʾ)
Root: שוא – emptiness, falsehood, vanity
Isaiah 5:18 – Cords of vanity (הַשָּׁוְא)
Isaiah 30:7 – Egypt’s help is vain and empty (שָׁוְא)
Exodus 20:7 – You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain
Psalm 127:1 – Unless the LORD builds the house… in vain do its builders labor
As with ropes (וְכַעֲבוֹתוֹת – wəḵaʿăḇōṯôṯ)
Root: עבת – thick cord, rope
Isaiah 5:18 – …as with ropes of a cart
Psalm 2:3 – Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords
Judges 16:11 – If they bind me with new ropes…
Job 39:10 – Will he harrow the valleys after you with ropes?
Of a cart (עֲגָלָה – ʿăgālāh)
Root: עגל – cart, wagon
Isaiah 5:18 – …as with ropes of a cart
1 Samuel 6:7 – Prepare a new cart
2 Samuel 6:3 – They set the ark of God on a new cart
Numbers 7:3 – They brought six covered wagons
Sin (חַטָּאָה – ḥaṭṭāʾāh)
Root: חטא – to sin, miss the mark
Isaiah 5:18 – …draw sin as with cart ropes
Isaiah 1:18 – Though your sins be as scarlet
Genesis 4:7 – Sin is crouching at the door
Psalm 51:2 – Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin
Isaiah 5:19
19 Let Him hurry, let Him hasten His work, that we may see it;
and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come,
that we may know it.
Hebrew
Hebrew (MT)
הָאֹמְרִים יְמַהֵר יָחִישָׁה מַעֲשֵׂהוּ לְמַעַן נִרְאֶה וְתִקְרַב וְתָבוֹאָה עֲצַת קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְנֵדָעָה ס
Transliteration
häom'riymWho sayהָאֹמְרִים = who say. From אָמַר (amar), to speak—often used to express arrogance or challenge. y'mahërLet Him hurryיְמַהֵר = let Him hurry. Root: מָהַר (mahar), to hasten—implies demanding God to act quickly. yächiyshäh maásëhûAnd hasten His workיְחִישָׁה מַעֲשֵׂהוּ = and let Him hasten His work. Root: חוּשׁ (chush), to rush; מַעֲשֶׂה (ma’aseh), deed or act—often used for divine judgment or intervention. l'maan nir'ehThat we may see itלְמַעַן נִרְאֶה = that we may see it. Indicates mocking tone—demanding proof or spectacle. w'tiq'rav w'tävôäh átzatLet the counsel comeוְתִקְרַב וְתָבוֹאָה עֲצַת = let the counsel come. Root: עֵצָה (etzah), counsel, purpose—especially divine plans. q'dôsh yis'räëlOf the Holy One of Israelקְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל = Holy One of Israel. A title for God emphasizing His sacred and covenantal identity. w'nëdäähThat we may know itוְנֵדְעָה = that we may know it. From יָדַע (yada), to know—expresses demand for revelation or validation.
Strong's Concordance
to those who say,
הָאֹמְרִ֗ים (hā·’ō·mə·rîm)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say
“Let Him hurry
יְמַהֵ֧ר ׀ (yə·ma·hêr)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4116: To be liquid, flow easily, to hurry, promptly
and hasten His work
מַעֲשֵׂ֖הוּ (ma·‘ă·śê·hū)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4639: An action, a transaction, activity, a product, property
so that
לְמַ֣עַן (lə·ma·‘an)
Conjunction
Strong's 4616: Purpose -- intent
we may see it!
נִרְאֶ֑ה (nir·’eh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural
Strong's 7200: To see
Let the plan
עֲצַ֛ת (‘ă·ṣaṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 6098: Advice, plan, prudence
of the Holy
קְד֥וֹשׁ (qə·ḏō·wōš)
Adjective - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6918: Sacred, God, an angel, a saint, a sanctuary
One of Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc
come
וְתָב֗וֹאָה (wə·ṯā·ḇō·w·’āh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - third person feminine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go
so that we may know it!”
וְנֵדָֽעָה׃ (wə·nê·ḏā·‘āh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural
Strong's 3045: To know
Translations
KJV – That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it.
2 Nephi 15 – That say: Let him make speed, hasten his work, that we may see it; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it.
NRSVUE – who say, “Let him hurry up; let him quickly do his work so that we may see it; let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come to pass so that we may know it!”
JPS – Who say, “Let Him speed, let Him hasten His work, That we may see it; Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come to pass, That we may know it!”
BSB – to those who say, “Let Him hurry and hasten His work, so that we may see it! Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come to fruition, so that we may know it!”
ESV – who say: “Let him be quick, let him speed his work that we may see it; let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near, and let it come, that we may know it!”
NIV – to those who say, “Let God hurry; let him hasten his work so we may see it. The plan of the Holy One of Israel—let it approach, let it come into view, so we may know it.”
NASB – Who say, “Let Him hurry, let Him bring His work quickly, so that we may see it; And let the plan of the Holy One of Israel approach And come to pass, so that we may know it!”
YLT – Who are saying, `Let Him hurry, He hastens His work, that we may see, And let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, And we know.'
BST – That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it.
Chabad – Those who say, "Let Him hurry; let Him hasten His deed, so that we may see; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel approach and come."
Alter – Who say: “Let Him hurry, let Him hasten His deed, that we may see, and let the counsel of the Israel’s Holy One draw near and come that we may see.”
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Let Him hurry – let Him hasten
B. His work – the counsel of the Holy One of Israel
C. That we may see it – that we may know it
2 couplets with a chiastic echo in theme and tone. This is synthetic and ironic—the scoffers mock God’s judgment with demands for immediacy, revealing hardened hearts and spiritual blindness.
Synthetic & Ironic Parallelism
A. Let Him hurry – let Him hasten:
The repetition expresses urgency—but in sarcasm. These are not words of faith but of derision. The speakers taunt God to act quickly, not believing He will.
B. His work – the counsel of the Holy One of Israel:
“His work” likely refers to God’s judgment, and “counsel” to His prophetic plan. The Holy One of Israel is Isaiah’s favorite divine title, rich in covenant and holiness themes. To reduce it to a mocking challenge is blasphemous.
C. That we may see it – that we may know it:
This is the climax of the mockery. “Seeing” and “knowing” are epistemological terms that in Isaiah often refer to spiritual perception. Here, the irony is biting: they see nothing, yet pretend they’ll believe only if God acts visibly and now.
Literary Devices
Irony:
The whole verse drips with sarcasm. The sinners mock God's patience and prophetic warnings, mistaking His mercy for impotence.
Repetition:
"Let Him… let Him…" creates a rhythm of mocking petition. It mimics prophetic longing but distorts it into disbelief.
Title Invocation:
Calling God “the Holy One of Israel” while scoffing at His plans is especially offensive—it invokes sacred language in a profane spirit.
Thematic Analysis
Mockery of Prophecy:
This is the voice of the scoffer who demands signs (cf. Isa. 28:14–15; 2 Pet. 3:3–4). The problem is not doubt, but defiance.
Blindness in Boldness:
They ask to see and know—but only on their terms. This is spiritual blindness masquerading as rational skepticism.
Judgment Provoked:
Their words accelerate their own downfall. This kind of blasphemous daring is not neutral—it is part of the iniquity they drag (v. 18), and it draws God’s judgment swiftly.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:19 (MT):
הָאֹמְרִים יְמַהֵר יְחִישָׁה מַעֲשֵׂהוּ לְמַעַן נִרְאֶה וְתִקְרַב וְתָבוֹא עֲצַת קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְנֵדְעָה
Who say (הָאֹמְרִים – hāʾōmrîm)
Root: אמר – to say, speak
Isaiah 5:19 – Who say “Let Him hurry and do His work…”
Isaiah 28:15 – Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death…”
Genesis 3:1 – Has God indeed said…
Psalm 14:1 – The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God”
Let Him hurry (יְמַהֵר – yəmahēr)
Root: מהר – to hasten, hurry
Isaiah 5:19 – Let Him hurry (יְמַהֵר) His work
Isaiah 8:1 – Maher-shalal-hash-baz = “Speed the spoil, hasten the prey”
Isaiah 60:22 – I, the LORD, will hasten it in its time
Jeremiah 1:12 – I am watching over My word to perform it quickly
Let Him speed (יְחִישָׁה – yəḥîšāh)
Root: חשש – to hasten, make quick
Isaiah 5:19 – Let Him speed it (יְחִישָׁה), that we may see
Psalm 70:1 – O God, come to deliver me; make haste to help me
Isaiah 16:5 – …speedily (בְּמַהֵרָה) is justice established
Habakkuk 2:3 – Though it tarry, wait for it; it will surely come and not delay
His work (מַעֲשֵׂהוּ – maʿăśēhû)
Root: עשה – to do, make, act
Isaiah 5:19 – Let Him hurry His work (מַעֲשֵׂהוּ)
Isaiah 10:12 – When the Lord has finished all His work on Mount Zion
Genesis 2:2 – God rested from all His work which He had done
Psalm 92:4 – I will triumph in the works of Your hands
That we may see (נִרְאֶה – nirʾeh)
Root: ראה – to see, perceive
Isaiah 5:19 – …that we may see (נִרְאֶה)
Isaiah 2:11 – The LORD alone will be exalted in that day… all eyes shall see
Isaiah 33:17 – Your eyes will see the King in His beauty
Isaiah 40:5 – All flesh shall see it together
Let the counsel (עֲצַת – ʿaṣaṯ)
Root: עצה – counsel, advice, plan
Isaiah 5:19 – Let the counsel of the Holy One draw near
Isaiah 14:26–27 – This is the counsel determined for all the earth
Psalm 33:11 – The counsel of the LORD stands forever
Proverbs 19:21 – Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but the counsel of the LORD will stand
Of the Holy One (קְדוֹשׁ – qədôš)
Root: קדש – holy, sacred, set apart
Isaiah 5:19 – Counsel of the Holy One of Israel
Isaiah 1:4 – They have despised the Holy One of Israel
Isaiah 30:11 – Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us
Isaiah 10:17 – The Holy One shall be a flame
Of Israel (יִשְׂרָאֵל – yiśrāʾēl)
Root: ישראל – Israel, he who wrestles with God
Isaiah 5:19 – Holy One of Israel
Isaiah 1:4 – They have forsaken the LORD, Israel’s Holy One
Genesis 32:28 – Your name shall be called Israel
Exodus 4:22 – Thus says the LORD: Israel is My firstborn son
That we may know (וְנֵדְעָה – wənēḏāʿāh)
Root: ידע – to know, perceive, understand
Isaiah 5:19 – …that we may know (וְנֵדְעָה)
Isaiah 11:9 – The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD
Hosea 6:3 – Then shall we know, if we press to know the LORD
Jeremiah 24:7 – I will give them a heart to know Me
Isaiah 5:20
20 Woe to those who say of evil, 'Good,' and of good, 'Evil'
who put darkness for light, and light for darkness
who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter
Hebrew
Hebrew (MT)
הוֹי הָאֹמְרִים לָרַע טוֹב וְלַטּוֹב רָע שָׂמִים חֹשֶׁךְ לְאוֹר וְאוֹר לְחֹשֶׁךְ שָׂמִים מַר לְמָתוֹק וּמָתוֹק לְמָר ס
Transliteration
hôy häom'riymWoe to those who callהוֹי הָאֹמְרִים = Woe to those who say. הוֹי (hôy) is a prophetic lament or denunciation; אֹמְרִים from אָמַר (amar), to say or declare.lära ţôvEvil goodלָרַע טוֹב = evil as good. This phrase shows a moral reversal, calling what is wrong right.w'laŢôv räAnd good evilוְלַטּוֹב רַע = and good as evil. Continuation of moral confusion where good is misidentified as bad.sämiym choshekh' l'ôrWho put darkness for lightשָׂמִים חֹשֶׁךְ לְאוֹר = who put darkness for light. שָׂם (sam) means to place. This phrase speaks to replacing truth with error.w'ôr l'choshekh'And light for darknessוְאוֹר לְחֹשֶׁךְ = and light for darkness. Reversing clarity and revelation with obscurity or deception.sämiym mar l'mätôqWho put bitter for sweetשָׂמִים מָר לְמָתוֹק = who put bitter for sweet. Misdirection in experience or values; bitterness portrayed as pleasure.ûmätôq l'märAnd sweet for bitterוּמָתוֹק לְמָר = and sweet for bitter. Culmination of moral inversion where joy or truth is framed as harmful.
Strong's Concordance
Woe
ה֣וֹי (hō·w)
Interjection
Strong's 1945: Ah! alas! ha!
to those who call
הָאֹמְרִ֥ים (hā·’ō·mə·rîm)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say
evil
לָרַ֛ע (lā·ra‘)
Preposition-l, Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil
good
ט֖וֹב (ṭō·wḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good
and good
וְלַטּ֣וֹב (wə·laṭ·ṭō·wḇ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good
evil,
רָ֑ע (rā‘)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil
who turn
שָׂמִ֨ים (śā·mîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set
darkness
חֹ֤שֶׁךְ (ḥō·šeḵ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2822: The dark, darkness, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness
to light
לְאוֹר֙ (lə·’ō·wr)
Preposition-l | Noun - common singular
Strong's 216: Illumination, luminary
and light
וְא֣וֹר (wə·’ō·wr)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular
Strong's 216: Illumination, luminary
to darkness,
לְחֹ֔שֶׁךְ (lə·ḥō·šeḵ)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2822: The dark, darkness, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness
who replace
שָׂמִ֥ים (śā·mîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set
bitter
מַ֛ר (mar)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 4751: Bitter, bitterness, bitterly
with sweet
לְמָת֖וֹק (lə·mā·ṯō·wq)
Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 4966: Sweet, sweetness
and sweet
וּמָת֥וֹק (ū·mā·ṯō·wq)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 4966: Sweet, sweetness
with bitter.
לְמָֽר׃ (lə·mār)
Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 4751: Bitter, bitterness, bitterly
Translations
KJV – Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
2 Nephi 15 – Wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
NRSVUE – Ah, you who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
JPS – Ah, those who call evil good And good evil; Who present darkness as light And light as darkness; Who present bitter as sweet And sweet as bitter!
BSB – Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter.
ESV – Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
NIV – Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
NASB – Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
YLT – Wo [to] those saying to evil Good,' And to good Evil,' Putting darkness for light, and light for darkness, Putting bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.
BST – Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Chabad – Woe to those who say of the evil that it is good and of the good that it is evil; who present darkness as light and light as darkness, who present bitter as sweet and sweet as bitter.
Alter – Woe, who say “good” to evil and “evil” to good, who turn darkness to light and light into darkness, turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Evil – good – evil
B. Darkness – light – darkness
C. Bitter – sweet – bitter
3 couplets, each chiastic in structure (A–B–B–A). This is emblematic and antithetic—the complete moral inversion is exposed as deliberate and systemic.
Chiastic & Antithetic Parallelism
A. Evil – good – evil:
Moral categories are reversed. The verb “say” implies public declaration or societal framing. This isn’t confusion—it’s redefinition, an intentional perversion of moral truth.
B. Darkness for light – light for darkness:
Light often represents truth, revelation, and the divine. To replace it with darkness is to reject God’s guidance. The inversion of light/dark evokes Isaiah’s larger theme of spiritual blindness.
C. Bitter for sweet – sweet for bitter:
This final pair uses taste imagery. Bitterness often symbolizes sin, suffering, or deceit; sweetness, righteousness or divine favor (cf. Ps. 119:103). Switching the two suggests not only confusion but a total breakdown of discernment.
Literary Devices
Tricolon:
Three parallel accusations create a rhythm of condemnation. The repeated pattern builds momentum and poetic force.
Chiasm:
Each pair uses an A–B–B–A pattern, creating tight, inverted structure. This mirrors the inversion being condemned—form echoes meaning.
Metaphor:
Light/darkness and sweet/bitter are metaphorical for truth/error and righteousness/sin. These are not merely poetic—they're diagnostic of Israel’s spiritual disease.
Thematic Analysis
Moral Relativism and Cultural Perversion:
This verse exposes the depth of societal decay. Wrong is not just done—it is renamed. The moral compass is not lost but reversed, signaling a total collapse of covenant values.
Prophetic Clarity vs. Cultural Confusion:
Isaiah stands as a voice of moral clarity in the midst of moral confusion. This “woe” is not simply about sin—it’s about denying the very categories of sin and righteousness.
Spiritual Blindness as Willful Rebellion:
By placing darkness for light, the people show not just ignorance but hostility to truth. This is a condition of judgment described in Romans 1: “professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:20 (MT):
הוֹי הָאֹמְרִים לָרָע טוֹב וְלַטּוֹב רָע שָׂמִים חֹשֶׁךְ לְאוֹר וְאוֹר לְחֹשֶׁךְ שָׂמִים מַר לְמָתוֹק וּמָתוֹק לְמָר
Woe (הוֹי – hōy)
Root: interjection of lament or judgment
Isaiah 5:20 – Woe (הוֹי) to those who call evil good…
Isaiah 5:8, 11, 18, 21, 22 – all use Woe (הוֹי) to pronounce judgment
Habakkuk 2:9 – Woe to him who gets evil gain
Matthew 23:27 – Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees…
Who say (הָאֹמְרִים – hāʾōmrîm)
Root: אמר – to say, call, declare
Isaiah 5:20 – Who say evil is good and good is evil
Isaiah 5:19 – Who say, “Let Him hurry and do His work”
Isaiah 30:10 – Who say to the seers, “Do not see…”
Psalm 12:4 – With our tongues we will prevail; our lips are with us—who is lord over us?
Evil (רָע – rāʿ)
Root: רעע – evil, harmful, wicked
Isaiah 5:20 – Calling evil good and good evil
Isaiah 7:15 – …to refuse the evil and choose the good
Genesis 2:9 – Tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Proverbs 8:13 – The fear of the LORD is to hate evil
Good (טוֹב – ṭôḇ)
Root: טוב – good, pleasing, beneficial
Isaiah 5:20 – Calling evil good (טוֹב)
Isaiah 7:15 – To choose the good
Genesis 1:4 – God saw the light, that it was good
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, O man, what is good
Put (שָׂמִים – śāmmîm)
Root: שים – to place, put, appoint
Isaiah 5:20 – Putting darkness for light…
Exodus 10:23 – They did not see one another nor rise from their place
Deuteronomy 11:26 – Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse
Isaiah 42:25 – Yet he did not take it to heart, nor lay it to heart
Darkness (חֹשֶׁךְ – ḥōšeḵ)
Root: חשך – darkness, obscurity
Isaiah 5:20 – Darkness for light and light for darkness
Isaiah 9:2 – The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light
Exodus 10:22 – A thick darkness in all the land of Egypt
Amos 5:18 – The day of the LORD is darkness, and not light
Light (אוֹר – ʾôr)
Root: אור – light, illumination
Isaiah 5:20 – Switching light and darkness
Isaiah 2:5 – Let us walk in the light of the LORD
Isaiah 9:2 – Those dwelling in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined
Genesis 1:3 – Let there be light
Bitter (מַר – mar)
Root: מרר – bitter, painful
Isaiah 5:20 – Calling sweet bitter and bitter sweet
Exodus 15:23 – They could not drink the water because it was bitter
Ruth 1:20 – Call me not Naomi, call me Mara
Proverbs 5:4 – Her end is bitter as wormwood
Sweet (מָתוֹק – māṯôq)
Root: מתק – sweet, pleasant
Isaiah 5:20 – Substituting sweet for bitter
Proverbs 27:7 – To the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet
Psalm 119:103 – How sweet are Your words to my taste
Song of Songs 2:3 – His fruit was sweet to my taste
Isaiah 5:21
21 Woe to the wise in their own eyes
and discerning in their own presence
Hebrew
Hebrew (MT)
הוֹי חֲכָמִים בְּעֵינֵיהֶם וְנֶגֶד פְּנֵיהֶם נְבֹנִים
Transliteration
hôy chákhämiym B'ëynëyhemWoe to those wise in their own eyesהוֹי חֲכָמִים בְּעֵינֵיהֶם = Woe to the wise in their own eyes. חֲכָם (chakam) means wise or skillful, often ironically here—those self-deceived. w'neged P'nëyhem n'voniymAnd prudent in their own sightוּנְגֶד פְּנֵיהֶם נְבוֹנִים = and prudent before their own faces. נָבוֹן (navon) implies discernment or understanding—again, self-appointed.
Strong's Concordance
Woe
ה֖וֹי (hō·w)
Interjection
Strong's 1945: Ah! alas! ha!
to those who are wise
חֲכָמִ֣ים (ḥă·ḵā·mîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 2450: Wise
in their own eyes
בְּעֵֽינֵיהֶ֑ם (bə·‘ê·nê·hem)
Preposition-b | Noun - cdc | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain
and clever
נְבֹנִֽים׃ (nə·ḇō·nîm)
Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 995: To separate mentally, understand
in
וְנֶ֥גֶד (wə·ne·ḡeḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 5048: A front, part opposite, a counterpart, mate, over against, before
their own sight.
פְּנֵיהֶ֖ם (pə·nê·hem)
Translations
KJV – Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight.
2 Nephi 15 – Wo unto the wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight!
NRSVUE – Ah, you who are wise in your own eyes and shrewd in your own sight!
JPS – Ah, those who are wise in their own eyes, And clever in their own estimation!
BSB – Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.
ESV – Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!
NIV – Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.
NASB – Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And clever in their own sight!
YLT – Wo [to] the wise in their own eyes, And — before their own faces — intelligent!
BST – Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight.
Chabad – Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and in their own estimation, of profound understanding.
Alter – Woe, wise in their own eyes and in their own opinion discerning
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Wise – discerning
B. In their own eyes – in their own presence
1 couplet. This is synonymous and ironic—self-congratulatory wisdom is condemned as folly. The verse critiques pride cloaked in intellect.
Synonymous & Ironic Parallelism
A. Wise – discerning:
These terms are nearly synonymous in biblical usage. “Wise” (ḥākām) and “discerning” (nāvōn) represent intellectual and moral perception—when true, they are praised in Proverbs. Here, their use is satirical.
B. In their own eyes – in their own presence:
Both phrases underscore self-referential evaluation. The standard of wisdom is not divine but self-made. This reveals hubris—measuring oneself by one’s own shadow.
Literary Devices
Irony:
What is meant to elevate (wisdom, discernment) becomes a source of judgment. The “wise” are fools in God’s sight (cf. Isa. 29:14, 1 Cor. 1:19).
Hyperbaton (Word Reversal):
The reversal of subject and standard ("in their own eyes") highlights the self-centeredness of the sin. They are not wise according to God, but according to their own imagination.
Woe Formula:
This oracle denounces intellectual arrogance—a spiritual pride that exalts self-reason over revelation.
Thematic Analysis
Self-Deification Through Intellect:
To be wise in one’s own eyes is to reject divine wisdom (cf. Prov. 3:7). It is a form of idolatry—replacing God’s standard with human judgment.
Moral Autonomy and Rebellion:
This “woe” is not about ignorance but about autonomy—the refusal to be taught, corrected, or humbled. It connects directly to previous woes (esp. v. 20) where moral categories were inverted.
Prophetic Reversal of Worldly Status:
In Isaiah’s prophetic vision, those society sees as intellectual elites are often the very ones God humbles. True wisdom begins with fear of the Lord (Isa. 33:6).
Wordlinks
Faithful (נֶאֱמָנָה – neʾemānāh)
Root: אָמַן – ʾāman – to be faithful, trustworthy
Isaiah 1:21 – The faithful (נֶאֱמָנָה) city has become a harlot
Isaiah 7:9 – …If you do not believe (תַאֲמִינוּ), you shall not be established (תֵאָמֵנוּ) — same root
Isaiah 25:1 – …You have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure (אֵמֶת אֱמוּנָה)
Isaiah 26:2 – Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps faith (אֱמוּנִים) may enter
City (עִיר – ʿîr)
Isaiah 1:21 – The faithful city (עִיר)
Isaiah 1:8 – Like a city (כְּעִיר) besieged
Isaiah 24:10 – The city of chaos is broken down
Isaiah 25:2 – You have made the city a heap
Isaiah 26:1 – We have a strong city
Isaiah 33:20 – Behold Zion, the city of our appointed feasts
Isaiah 60:14 – They shall call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel
The "faithful city" becomes a thread — from harlotry to restoration.
Harlot (זוֹנָה – zonāh)
Root: זָנָה – zānāh – to commit harlotry, be unfaithful
Isaiah 1:21 – has become a harlot (זוֹנָה)
Isaiah 23:15–16 – Tyre is described as a forgotten harlot (זוֹנָה), who plays the lyre…
Isaiah 57:3 – Draw near… you offspring of the adulterer and the harlot (זֹנָה)
The word symbolizes spiritual infidelity — abandoning God for idols, power, or wealth.
Justice (מִשְׁפָּט – mishpāt)
Isaiah 1:21 – She once was full of justice (מִשְׁפָּט)
Isaiah 1:17 – Seek justice
Isaiah 5:7 – He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed…
Isaiah 10:1–2 – Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees… to deprive the needy of justice
Isaiah 28:17 – I will make justice the measuring line…
Isaiah 42:1 – My Servant will bring forth justice to the nations
Isaiah 56:1 – Keep justice, and do righteousness, for My salvation is near
Righteousness (צֶדֶק – tzédeq)
Isaiah 1:21 – Righteousness used to dwell in her
Isaiah 1:26–27 – Zion will be redeemed with justice, and her repentant ones with righteousness
Isaiah 11:5 – Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins
Isaiah 32:17 – The effect of righteousness shall be peace
Isaiah 45:8 – Let the earth open, that they may bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up
Isaiah 56:1 – Do righteousness, for My salvation is near
Isaiah 61:10 – He has clothed me with garments of salvation, wrapped me in a robe of righteousness
Resided / Dwelt (לָנָה – lānāh)
Root: לוּן – lûn / לָנָה – lānāh – to lodge, stay overnight
Isaiah 1:21 – Righteousness lodged (לָנָה) in her
Isaiah 10:29 – They have lodged (לָנוּ) at Geba… (same verb used literally — here used figuratively)
This verb implies a temporary dwelling — hinting that righteousness used to live there, but now has left.
Murderers (רֹצְחִים – rotsḥîm)
Root: רָצַח – rātsaḥ – to murder
Isaiah 1:21 – But now only murderers (רֹצְחִים)
Isaiah 33:15 – He who walks righteously… who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed (דָּמִים)
Isaiah 59:3 – …your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity…
Isaiah 66:3 – …he who sacrifices a lamb is like one who kills a man (שֹׁחֵט כֶּלֶב) — ritual turned murder-like
Isaiah 5:22
22 Woe to mighty ones at drinking wine
and valiant men at mixing strong drink
Hebrew
Hebrew (MT)
הוֹי גִּבּוֹרִים לִשְׁתּוֹת יָיִן וְאַנְשֵׁי־חַיִל לִמְסֹךְ שֵׁכָר
Transliteration
hôy GiBôriymWoe to mighty menהוֹי גִּבּוֹרִים = Woe to mighty men. הוֹי (hôy) is an interjection of lament or denunciation. גִּבּוֹרִים (gibbōrîm) refers to strong or valiant men, often warriors or heroes. lish'Tôt yäyinTo drink wineלִשְׁתוֹת יַיִן = to drink wine. A critique not of wine itself but of indulgence and excess in those expected to lead or judge. w'an'shëy-chayilAnd men of strengthוְאַנְשֵׁי-חַיִל = and men of valor or strength. Refers to individuals known for ability or reputation in society, especially in battle or leadership. lim'šokh' shëkhärTo mix strong drinkלִמְשׁוֹךְ שֵׁכָר = to mix or draw out strong drink. Implies a role of enabling or encouraging drunkenness, not merely consuming.
Strong's Concordance
Woe
ה֕וֹי (hō·w)
Interjection
Strong's 1945: Ah! alas! ha!
to those who are heroes
גִּבּוֹרִ֖ים (gib·bō·w·rîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 1368: Powerful, warrior, tyrant
in drinking
לִשְׁתּ֣וֹת (liš·tō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 8354: To imbibe
wine,
יָ֑יִן (yā·yin)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3196: Wine, intoxication
and champions
וְאַנְשֵׁי־ (wə·’an·šê-)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 582: Man, mankind
in mixing
לִמְסֹ֥ךְ (lim·sōḵ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 4537: To mix, produce by mixing
strong drink,
שֵׁכָֽר׃ (šê·ḵār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7941: An intoxicant, intensely alcoholic liquor
Translations
KJV – Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
2 Nephi 15 – Wo unto the mighty to drink wine, and men of strong drink!
NRSVUE – Ah, you who are heroes in drinking wine and valiant at mixing drink,
JPS – Ah, those who are so valiant at drinking wine, so brave at mixing drinks,
BSB – Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine and champions in mixing beer,
ESV – Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink,
NIV – Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks,
NASB – Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine, And valiant men in mixing intoxicating drink,
YLT – Wo [to] the mighty to drink wine, And men of strength to mingle strong drink.
BST – Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
Chabad – Woe to the heroes to drink wine and valiant men to mix strong wine.
Alter – Woe, mighty to drink wine and men of valor to mix strong drink,
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Mighty ones – valiant men
B. Drinking wine – mixing strong drink
1 couplet. The verse is ironic and antithetic—titles of honor are applied to feats of intoxication rather than true virtue. The structure mocks false heroism.
Ironic & Emblematic Parallelism
A. Mighty ones – valiant men:
These are usually terms of military strength (gibbôr, ʾîsh ḥayil). Here, they are satirically reassigned to drinking. It is mock elevation—men who should be heroes are reduced to party legends.
B. Drinking wine – mixing strong drink:
The parallel intensifies the shame. Instead of victory in battle or justice, their “greatness” lies in alcohol consumption. “Mixing” drink may also imply deception—diluting truth, manipulating perception.
Literary Devices
Irony:
This is one of Isaiah’s sharpest satirical moments. The heroic language is applied to moral decay, exposing the absurdity of corrupted values.
Title Reversal:
Terms of honor become terms of judgment. What should be signs of strength are recast as signs of indulgence and weakness.
Parallel Wordplay:
“Mighty” and “valiant” mirror each other, as do “drinking” and “mixing.” The mirroring form mocks the pretension of status through excess.
Thematic Analysis
False Valor:
Isaiah rebukes a culture that glorifies indulgence. When society honors the wrong kind of strength—appetite instead of discipline—judgment follows.
Moral Absurdity:
Drunkenness is not just tolerated but celebrated. This inversion of honor aligns with earlier woes (v. 20–21), where moral categories are flipped for personal gratification.
Collapse of Leadership Integrity:
These “valiant men” are likely societal elites—judges, warriors, rulers. Their failure is not just personal but systemic. When those entrusted with justice live for drink, the nation suffers.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:21 (MT):
הוֹי חֲכָמִים בְּעֵינֵיהֶם וְנֶגֶד פְּנֵיהֶם נְבֹנִים
Woe (הוֹי – hōy)
Root: interjection of lament, warning, or judgment
Isaiah 5:21 – Woe (הוֹי) to those wise in their own eyes
Isaiah 5:8, 11, 18, 20, 22 – all begin with Woe
Jeremiah 22:13 – Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness
Matthew 23:29 – Woe to you, teachers of the law…
Wise (חֲכָמִים – ḥăḵāmîm)
Root: חכם – to be wise, skillful, discerning
Isaiah 5:21 – Wise in their own eyes
Isaiah 29:14 – The wisdom of their wise men shall perish
Proverbs 3:7 – Be not wise in your own eyes
Ecclesiastes 7:12 – Wisdom preserves those who have it
In their own eyes (בְּעֵינֵיהֶם – bəʿênêhem)
Root: עין – eye; used idiomatically for self-perception
Isaiah 5:21 – Wise in their own eyes
Proverbs 26:12 – Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
Isaiah 3:8 – Their look witnesses against them; their eyes display their sin
Judges 17:6 – Every man did what was right in his own eyes
Prudent (נְבֹנִים – nəḇōnîm)
Root: בין – to understand, discern
Isaiah 5:21 – Prudent in their own sight
Isaiah 29:14 – The discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden
Proverbs 14:8 – The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way
Hosea 14:9 – The wise will understand, the discerning will know
Before their face (וְנֶגֶד פְּנֵיהֶם – wəneḡeḏ pənêhem)
Root: נגד / פנים – in front of, presence; literally “in the face of”
Isaiah 5:21 – Prudent in front of their own face (i.e., self-perceived insight)
Genesis 6:8 – Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD
Psalm 10:4 – In the pride of his face, the wicked does not seek Him
Ezekiel 8:11 – …each with a censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up
Isaiah 5:23
23 Who justify the wicked for a bribe
and the righteousness of the righteous they remove from him
Hebrew
Hebrew (MT)
לָכֵן כֶּאֱכֹל קַשׁ לְשׁוֹן אֵשׁ וַחֲשַׁשׁ לֶהָבָה יִרְפֶּה שָׁרְשָׁם כַּמָּק יִהְיֶה וּפִרְחָם כָּאָבָק יַעֲלֶה כִּי מָאֲסוּ אֵת תּוֹרַת יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת וְאֵת אִמְרַת קְדוֹשׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵל נִאֵצוּ
Transliteration
läkhënThereforeלָכֵן = therefore. Introduces a consequence or judgment. Keékhol qash l'shôn ëshAs the tongue of fire devours stubbleכְּאֻכַּל קַשׁ לְשׁוֹן אֵשׁ = as stubble is consumed by a tongue of fire. A simile describing rapid and total destruction. wacháshash lehäväh yir'PehAnd as dry grass sinks in the flameוַחֲשַׁשׁ לֶהָבָה יִרְפֶּה = and dry grass sinks into flame. Emphasizes the ease with which judgment consumes the guilty. shär'shäm KaMäq yih'yehTheir root will be like rotשָׁרְשָׁם כַּמַּק יִהְיֶה = their root will be like rot. A metaphor for internal corruption and decay. ûfir'chäm Kääväq yaálehAnd their blossom will go up like dustוּפִרְחָם כַּאֲבָק יַעֲלֶה = and their blossom will ascend like dust. Even their outward signs of life or success will vanish. Kiy mäášû ët Tôrat y'hwäh tz'väôtBecause they have rejected the law of Yahweh of Hostsכִּי מָאֲסוּ אֵת תּוֹרַת יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת = because they despised the Torah (instruction) of Yahweh of Hosts. Rejection of divine teaching brings judgment. w'ët im'rat q'dôsh-yis'räël niëtzûAnd the word of the Holy One of Israel they have despisedוְאֶת אִמְרַת קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל נִאֲצוּ = and they rejected the word of the Holy One of Israel. A climax of rebellion—despising divine revelation itself.
Strong's Concordance
who acquit
מַצְדִּיקֵ֥י (maṣ·dî·qê)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 6663: To be just or righteous
the guilty
רָשָׁ֖ע (rā·šā‘)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7563: Wrong, an, bad person
for
עֵ֣קֶב (‘ê·qeḇ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6118: A heel, the last of anything, result, compensation, on account of
a bribe,
שֹׁ֑חַד (šō·ḥaḏ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7810: A present, bribe
and deprive
יָסִ֥ירוּ (yā·sî·rū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5493: To turn aside
the innocent
צַדִּיקִ֖ים (ṣad·dî·qîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 6662: Just, righteous
of justice.
וְצִדְקַ֥ת (wə·ṣiḏ·qaṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 6666: Rightness, subjectively, objectively
Translations
KJV – Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
2 Nephi 15 – Who justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
NRSVUE – who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive the innocent of their rights!
JPS – Who vindicate the guilty for bribes, and deprive the innocent of justice.
BSB – who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive the innocent of justice.
ESV – who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!
NIV – who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent.
NASB – Who declare the wicked innocent for a bribe, And take away the rights of the ones who are in the right!
YLT – Declaring righteous the wicked for a bribe, And the righteousness of the righteous They turn aside from him.
BST – Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
Chabad – Those who exonerate the guilty one for reward of a bribe, and the innocence of the innocent they take away from him.
Alter – who declare the wicked innocent because of bribes and righteous men’s just cause deny.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Justify the wicked – remove the righteousness of the righteous
B. For a bribe – from him
1 couplet. This is antithetic and judicial—justice is inverted through corruption. What should be condemned is justified, and what should be upheld is stripped away.
Antithetic & Judicial Parallelism
A. Justify the wicked – remove the righteousness of the righteous:
These are inverse legal actions. “Justify” (maṣdîq) is a courtroom term, meant to be applied to the innocent. Here, it’s corruptly given to the guilty. Conversely, the righteous are dispossessed of their vindication. It's a total perversion of justice.
B. For a bribe – from him:
The parallel prepositional phrases show the transactional nature of injustice. The wicked are justified for a bribe—an external payment. Meanwhile, the righteous have their integrity removed from him—a personal loss. The verse links financial greed to moral theft.
Literary Devices
Judicial Metaphor:
This verse operates in the courtroom. It’s about verdicts, legitimacy, and legal standing—but all twisted. It aligns with prophetic themes of covenant lawsuit.
Inversion:
Good is called evil, and evil good (cf. v. 20). This verse grounds that inversion in systemic injustice—specifically in bribery and false judgment.
Moral Contrast:
The juxtaposition of “the wicked” and “the righteous” exposes a society where status, not truth, determines verdicts.
Thematic Analysis
Corruption of Justice:
The leaders not only fail in their duty—they reverse it. This is not neglect, but sabotage. Justice becomes a commodity.
Moral Exploitation:
The righteous are not just ignored—they are robbed. The phrase “remove his righteousness” suggests active suppression of truth and virtue.
Echo of Covenant Curses:
This behavior directly violates the Torah (cf. Exod. 23:8, Deut. 16:19). The consequence is covenantal collapse—God’s law no longer rules in the land.
Connection to Previous Woes:
This final woe ties back to the earlier themes: drunken leaders (v. 22) become unjust judges (v. 23). False valor leads to real injustice. The collapse is now both moral and institutional.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:23 (MT):
מַצְדִּיקֵי רָשָׁע עֵקֶב שֹׁחַד וְצִדְקַת צַדִּיקִים יָסִרוּ מִמֶּנּוּ
Justify (מַצְדִּיקֵי – maṣdîqê)
Root: צדק – to justify, declare righteous
Isaiah 5:23 – Those who justify the wicked for a bribe
Proverbs 17:15 – He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the just…
Isaiah 50:8 – He is near who justifies Me
Romans 4:5 – God justifies the ungodly
Wicked (רָשָׁע – rāšāʿ)
Root: רשע – to be wicked, guilty
Isaiah 5:23 – Justifying the wicked
Isaiah 3:11 – Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him
Psalm 1:6 – The way of the wicked shall perish
Exodus 23:7 – Do not justify the wicked
For a bribe (עֵקֶב שֹׁחַד – ʿēqeb šōḥaḏ)
Root: עקב – consequence, reward; שחד – bribe
Isaiah 5:23 – Justifying the wicked for a bribe
Exodus 23:8 – You shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds
Isaiah 1:23 – Everyone loves a bribe and follows after rewards
Proverbs 17:23 – The wicked takes a bribe from the bosom
Righteousness (צִדְקַת – ṣiḏqaṯ)
Root: צדק – righteousness, justice
Isaiah 5:23 – Taking away the righteousness of the righteous
Isaiah 1:21 – Righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers
Isaiah 32:17 – The work of righteousness shall be peace
Psalm 11:7 – The LORD is righteous; He loves righteousness
Righteous (צַדִּיקִים – ṣaddîqîm)
Root: צדק – just, righteous
Isaiah 5:23 – Righteousness of the righteous removed
Isaiah 57:1 – The righteous perishes and no man takes it to heart
Proverbs 13:5 – A righteous man hates lying
Genesis 18:23 – Will You destroy the righteous with the wicked?
They remove (יָסִרוּ – yāsîrû)
Root: סור – to turn aside, remove
Isaiah 5:23 – They remove righteousness from him
Isaiah 29:21 – Who make a man an offender by a word… and turn aside the just
Job 12:20 – He removes the speech of the trusted
Psalm 119:102 – I have not departed from Your judgments
From him (מִמֶּנּוּ – mimmennû)
Root: מן – from, away from
Isaiah 5:23 – Righteousness is removed from him
Isaiah 59:15 – Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself prey
Genesis 3:23 – He drove out the man from the garden
Psalm 51:11 – Do not cast me away from Your presence
Isaiah 5:24
24 Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours stubble
and dry grass sinks in the flame,
their root shall be as rot,
and their blossom shall go up like dust—
for they have rejected the law of YHWH of Hosts,
and the word of the Holy One of Israel they have despised.
Hebrew
Hebrew
לָכֵן נְאֻם הָאָדוֹן יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת אֲבִיר יִשְׂרָאֵל הוֹי אֶנָּחֵם מִצָּרַי וְאִנָּקְמָה מֵאוֹיְבָי
Transliteration
läkhënTherefore - לָכֵן läkhënTherefore. Root: כֵּן (ken), so, thus—used to introduce a divine response or judgment. n'umDeclaration - נְאֻם n'umUtterance, declaration—used for formal prophetic speech. häädônThe Lord - הָאָדוֹן häädônThe Lord, the Master. Root: אָדוֹן (adon), master or sovereign—emphasizes authority. y’hwähYahweh - יְהוָה y’hwähThe sacred covenant name of God. Root: הָיָה (hayah), 'He who is'. tz'väôtOf Hosts - צְבָאוֹת tz'väôtHosts, armies. Root: צָבָא (tsava), army, host—used for divine military authority. áviyrMighty One - Root: אָבִיר (avir)Mighty One, Champion. Often used for divine strength in poetic language. yis'räëlOf Israel - יִשְׂרָאֵל yis'räëlIsrael. Root: שָׂרָה (sarah), to strive + אֵל (El), God—'He who strives with God'. hôyAh! - הוֹי hôyAh!, Woe!, Alas!—an interjection of judgment or sorrow. eNächëmI will be comforted - Root: נָחַם (nacham)To be comforted or avenge—used for divine vengeance that brings satisfaction. miTZärayOf My adversaries - מִצָּרַי miTZärayFrom + adversaries. Root: צָר (tzar), enemy, distressor. Prefix מִ = from, suffix י = my. w'iNäq'mähAnd I will avenge - וְנִקַּמְתִּי w'iNäq'mähRoot: נָקַם (naqam), to avenge, bring retribution. Prefix ו = and. mëôy'väyOf My enemies - מֵאוֹיְבַי mëôy'väyFrom + my enemies. Root: אוֹיֵב (oyev), enemy. Prefix מִן = from, suffix י = my.
Therefore
לָכֵ֗ן (lā·ḵên)
Adverb
Strong's 3651: So -- thus
the Lord
הָֽאָדוֹן֙ (hā·’ā·ḏō·wn)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 113: Sovereign, controller
GOD
יְהוָ֣ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel
of Hosts,
צְבָא֔וֹת (ṣə·ḇā·’ō·wṯ)
Noun - common plural
Strong's 6635: A mass of persons, reg, organized for, war, a campaign
the Mighty
אֲבִ֖יר (’ă·ḇîr)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 46: Mighty
One of Israel,
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc
declares:
נְאֻ֤ם (nə·’um)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5002: An oracle
“Ah,
ה֚וֹי (hō·w)
Interjection
Strong's 1945: Ah! alas! ha!
I will be relieved
אֶנָּחֵ֣ם (’en·nā·ḥêm)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular
Strong's 5162: To sigh, breathe strongly, to be sorry, to pity, console, rue, to avenge
of My foes
מִצָּרַ֔י (miṣ·ṣā·ray)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6862: Narrow, a tight place, a pebble, an opponent
and avenge Myself
וְאִנָּקְמָ֖ה (wə·’in·nā·qə·māh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular
Strong's 5358: To grudge, avenge, punish
on My enemies.
מֵאוֹיְבָֽי׃ (mê·’ō·wy·ḇāy)
Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 341: Hating, an adversary
Translations
KJV – Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
2 Nephi 15 – Therefore, is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them and hath smitten them; and the hills did tremble, and their carcasses were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this, his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
NRSVUE – Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people, and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them; the mountains trembled, and their corpses were like refuse in the streets. For all this his anger has not turned away; his hand is stretched out still.
JPS – That is why the Lord’s anger was kindled against His people, why He stretched out His arm against them and struck them. The mountains quaked, and their corpses lay like refuse in the streets. Yet His anger has not turned back, and His arm is outstretched still.
BSB – Therefore the anger of the LORD is kindled against His people; He has stretched out His hand against them and struck them. The mountains quaked, and their corpses were like refuse in the streets. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.
ESV – Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people, and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them, and the mountains quaked; and their corpses were as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.
NIV – Therefore the Lord’s anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.
NASB – Therefore the anger of the Lord has burned against His people, And He has stretched out His hand against them and has struck them. And the mountains quaked, and their corpses lay like refuse in the middle of the streets. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away, And His hand is still stretched out.
YLT – Therefore hath the anger of Jehovah burned against His people, And He stretcheth out His hand against it, and smiteth it, And the hills tremble, And their carcase is as filth in the midst of the out-places. With all this His anger did not turn back, And His hand is still stretched out.
BST – Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
Chabad – Therefore, the Lord has become wroth with His people, and He has stretched forth His hand upon them and has struck them, and the mountains have quaked, and their corpses were like spittle in the midst of the streets; with all this, His anger has not turned back, and His hand is still outstretched.
Alter – Therefore is the LORD incensed with His people, and has stretched out His hand and struck it. And mountains have quaked, and their corpses are become like offal in the streets. Yet His wrath has not abated and His arm is still stretched out.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Tongue of fire – flame
B. Devours stubble – dry grass sinks
C. Root as rot – blossom like dust
D. Rejected the law – despised the word
E. YHWH of Hosts – Holy One of Israel
3 couplets and 1 concluding cause clause. The first two couplets are emblematic and intensifying. The third is judicial—their destruction is rooted in covenantal rebellion.
Emblematic, Intensifying & Judicial Parallelism
A. Tongue of fire – flame:
The image of fire is personified as a “tongue,” emphasizing its swift and consuming nature. “Flame” continues the motif, evoking divine wrath as something inevitable and destructive.
B. Devours stubble – dry grass sinks in flame:
This is vivid emblematic parallelism. Stubble and dry grass are fragile and flammable—symbols of the wicked’s vulnerability. “Sinks” implies disappearance, complete consumption.
C. Root as rot – blossom like dust:
This pair uses agricultural imagery to portray judgment at every level. Rot at the root represents hidden corruption; dust in the blossom shows even outward beauty disintegrates. Nothing is healthy, nothing survives.
D. Rejected the law – despised the word:
These are parallel transgressions. To reject (maʾas) and despise (nāʾats) God’s Torah and prophetic voice is not ignorance—it is contempt. This is the moral root of the physical destruction.
E. YHWH of Hosts – Holy One of Israel:
These divine titles, placed side by side, reinforce authority and sacredness. “YHWH of Hosts” emphasizes power and judgment; “Holy One of Israel” invokes covenant and moral purity. Rejecting both names signals total rebellion.
Literary Devices
Simile & Metaphor:
“Tongue of fire,” “root as rot,” “blossom like dust”—all create a layered, sensory depiction of judgment. The poetic devices heighten both clarity and horror.
Inclusio:
Fire begins the image; dust and rot complete it. Beginning and end are consumed—no remnant, no redemption in this stage of judgment.
Cause and Effect Structure:
“Therefore… for…” links judgment directly to rebellion. It leaves no ambiguity about why destruction comes.
Thematic Analysis
Totality of Judgment:
Judgment is not partial. From root to blossom, from flame to dust, every layer of existence is undone. This is comprehensive covenant collapse.
Destruction Rooted in Rebellion:
The people are not victims—they are judged because they rejected the covenant. The language of “law” and “word” ties this verse back to Sinai and the prophetic tradition.
The Fire of Holiness:
The fire here is not random wrath—it is the holiness of God responding to systemic evil. The “tongue of fire” becomes a moral force, burning away what is corrupt.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:24 (MT):
לָכֵן כְּאָכֹל קַשׁ לְשׁוֹן אֵשׁ וּחְשַׁשׁ לֶהָבָה יִרְפֶּה שָׁרְשָׁם כָּעֵשֶׁן יַעֲלֶה פְּרִיחָם כִּי מָאֲסוּ אֵת תּוֹרַת יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת וְאֵת אִמְרַת קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל נָאֵצוּ
Therefore (לָכֵן – lāḵên)
Root: כן – so, thus, therefore
Isaiah 5:24 – Therefore, as the fire devours…
Isaiah 1:24 – Therefore the Lord says…
Isaiah 10:24 – Therefore, thus says the Lord
Proverbs 1:31 – Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way
Fire (אֵשׁ – ʾēš)
Root: אשׁ – fire
Isaiah 5:24 – As the tongue of fire devours stubble
Isaiah 10:17 – The Light of Israel will be a fire
Deuteronomy 4:24 – The LORD your God is a consuming fire
Jeremiah 23:29 – Is not My word like fire?
Flame (לֶהָבָה – leḥāvāh)
Root: להב – flame, blaze
Isaiah 5:24 – And flame consumes chaff
Obadiah 1:18 – Jacob shall be a fire, and Joseph a flame
Psalm 83:14 – As the flame sets the mountains on fire
Nahum 2:4 – Their appearance is like torches, they run like the lightning
Stubble (קַשׁ – qash)
Root: קשׁ – dry straw, stubble
Isaiah 5:24 – As stubble is devoured by fire
Exodus 5:12 – The people scattered… to gather stubble
Malachi 4:1 – The day shall burn like an oven… all arrogant will be stubble
Job 13:25 – Will You frighten a driven leaf and pursue dry stubble?
Chaff (חֲשַׁשׁ – ḥăshaš)
Root: חשׁשׁ – chaff, dried weeds
Isaiah 5:24 – And chaff consumed by flame
Isaiah 33:11 – You conceive chaff, you bring forth stubble
Psalm 83:13 – Make them like whirling dust, like chaff before the wind
Job 21:18 – Are they as straw before the wind and chaff in the storm?
Root (שָׁרְשָׁם – šoršām)
Root: שׁרשׁ – root, base
Isaiah 5:24 – Their root shall be as rottenness
Isaiah 11:10 – The root of Jesse shall stand as a banner
Malachi 4:1 – It shall leave them neither root nor branch
Job 18:16 – His roots dry up beneath
Decay (יִרְפֶּה – yirpéh)
Root: רפה – to become weak, rot, decay
Isaiah 5:24 – Their root will rot
Isaiah 14:6 – He who struck the peoples in wrath
Jeremiah 6:29 – The bellows blow fiercely, the lead is consumed by the fire
Psalm 106:43 – They were brought low by their iniquity
Blossom (פְּרִיחָם – pərîḥām)
Root: פרח – to blossom, bloom
Isaiah 5:24 – Their blossom shall go up like dust
Isaiah 35:1–2 – The desert shall blossom as the rose
Hosea 14:5 – He shall blossom like the lily
Job 14:2 – He comes forth like a flower and is cut down
Smoke (כָּעֵשֶׁן – kāʿēšen)
Root: עשׁן – smoke
Isaiah 5:24 – Their blossom shall go up as smoke
Hosea 13:3 – They shall be like smoke out of a chimney
Psalm 37:20 – They shall consume… into smoke they shall vanish
Revelation 14:11 – The smoke of their torment goes up forever
They have rejected (מָאֲסוּ – māʾăsû)
Root: מאס – to despise, reject
Isaiah 5:24 – Because they have rejected the law of YHWH
Isaiah 8:6 – This people has refused the waters of Shiloah
1 Samuel 8:7 – They have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me
Proverbs 1:7 – Fools despise wisdom and instruction
Law (תּוֹרַת – tōraṯ)
Root: תורה – law, instruction
Isaiah 5:24 – Rejected the Torah of YHWH
Isaiah 1:10 – Hear the law of our God
Psalm 19:7 – The law of the LORD is perfect
Malachi 2:6–9 – The law of truth was in his mouth
The Holy One of Israel (קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל – qedôš yiśrāʾēl)
Root: קדש – holy; ישראל – Israel
Isaiah 5:24 – Despised the word of the Holy One of Israel
Isaiah 1:4 – They have despised the Holy One of Israel
Isaiah 10:20 – Will truly rely on the Holy One of Israel
Isaiah 30:15 – In returning and rest you shall be saved, says the Holy One of Israel
They have despised (נָאֵצוּ – nāʾēṣû)
Root: נאץ – to spurn, blaspheme, despise
Isaiah 5:24 – They have despised the word of the Holy One
Isaiah 1:4 – They have despised the Holy One
2 Samuel 12:9 – Why have you despised the word of the LORD?
Proverbs 1:30 – They would have none of My counsel and despised all My reproof
Isaiah 5:25
25 Therefore the anger of YHWH burned against His people,
and He stretched out His hand against it, and struck it;
and the mountains quaked,
and their corpses were like refuse in the midst of the streets.
Yet in all this, His anger has not turned back,
and His hand is still stretched out.
Hebrew
Hebrew (MT)
עַל־כֵּן חָרָה אַף־יְהוָה בְּעַמּוֹ וַיֵּט יָדוֹ עָלָיו וַיַּכֵּהוּ וַיִּרְגְּזוּ הֶהָרִים וַתְּהִי נִבְלָתָם כַּסּוּחָה בְּקֶרֶב חוּצוֹת בְּכָל־זֹאת לֹא־שָׁב אַפּוֹ וְעוֹד יָדוֹ נְטוּיָה
Transliteration
al-KënThereforeעַל־כֵּן = therefore. Introduces a consequence, often divine judgment. chärähWas kindledחָרָה = was kindled. Refers to the flaring of divine anger. af-y'hwähThe anger of Yahwehאַף יְהוָה = the anger of Yahweh. אַף (af) is idiomatic for fierce wrath or indignation. B'aMôAgainst his peopleבְּעַמּוֹ = against his people. בְּ (bə) = in/against, עַם (am) = people. waYëţAnd he stretched outוַיֵּט = and he stretched out. Refers to extending divine power or judgment. yädôHis handיָדוֹ = his hand. Symbol of power or action. äläywAgainst himעָלָיו = upon him. Refers to direct judgment upon the people. waYaKëhûAnd struck himוַיַּכֵּהוּ = and he struck him. Root נכה (nakah), meaning to smite or afflict. waYir'G'zûAnd trembledוַיִּרְגְּזוּ = and they trembled. Refers to the earth or mountains shaking in fear or judgment. hehäriymThe mountainsהֶהָרִים = the mountains. Often symbolic of nations or strongholds. waT'hiy niv'lätämAnd their corpsesוַתְּהִי נִבְלָתָם = and their corpses. נִבְלָה (nivlah) denotes dead bodies, often a result of divine judgment. KaŠûchähLike refuseכַּסּוּחָה = like refuse, swept away or pruned off. Indicates worthlessness or defilement. B'qerev chûtzôtIn the midst of the streetsבְּקֶרֶב חוּצוֹת = in the midst of the streets. Describes the public disgrace and extent of the judgment. B'khäl-zotIn all thisבְּכָל־זֹאת = in all this. Points back to everything just described. lo-shäv aPôHis anger is not turned awayלֹא שָׁב אַפּוֹ = his anger has not turned away. Indicates continued divine displeasure. w'ôd yädô n'ţûyähAnd his hand is still stretched outוְעוֹד יָדוֹ נְטוּיָה = and his hand is still stretched out. A repeated phrase in Isaiah showing extended judgment or opportunity.
Strong's Concordance
Therefore
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against
the LORD’s
יְהוָ֨ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel
anger
אַף־ (’ap̄-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 639: The nose, nostril, the face, a person, ire
burns
חָרָה֩ (ḥā·rāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2734: To glow, grow warm, to blaze up, of anger, zeal, jealousy
against His people;
בְּעַמּ֜וֹ (bə·‘am·mōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock
He has raised
וַיֵּ֣ט (way·yêṭ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5186: To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
His hand
יָד֧וֹ (yā·ḏōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand
against them
עָלָ֣יו (‘ā·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against
and struck them;
וַיַּכֵּ֗הוּ (way·yak·kê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5221: To strike
the mountains
הֶֽהָרִ֔ים (he·hā·rîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2022: Mountain, hill, hill country
quaked,
וַֽיִּרְגְּזוּ֙ (way·yir·gə·zū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7264: To be agitated, quiver, quake, be excited, perturbed
and their corpses
נִבְלָתָ֛ם (niḇ·lā·ṯām)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5038: A flabby thing, a carcase, carrion, an idol
lay
וַתְּהִ֧י (wat·tə·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be
like refuse
כַּסּוּחָ֖ה (kas·sū·ḥāh)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5478: Something swept away, filth
in
בְּקֶ֣רֶב (bə·qe·reḇ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7130: The nearest part, the center
the streets.
חוּצ֑וֹת (ḥū·ṣō·wṯ)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2351: Separate by a, wall, outside, outdoors
Yet through all
בְּכָל־ (bə·ḵāl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every
this,
זֹאת֙ (zōṯ)
Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,
His anger
אַפּ֔וֹ (’ap·pōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 639: The nose, nostril, the face, a person, ire
is not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no
spent,
שָׁ֣ב (šāḇ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again
and His hand
יָד֥וֹ (yā·ḏōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand
is still
וְע֖וֹד (wə·‘ō·wḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 5750: Iteration, continuance, again, repeatedly, still, more
upraised.
נְטוּיָֽה׃ (nə·ṭū·yāh)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular
Strong's 5186: To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
Translations
IIT - I will restore my hand over you and smelt away your dross as in a crucible, and remove all your alloy.
BSB - I will turn My hand against you; I will thoroughly purge your dross; I will remove all your impurities.
ESV - I will turn my hand against you and will smelt away your dross as with lye and remove all your alloy.
NIV - I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities.
NASB - I will also turn My hand against you, and smelt away your impurities as with lye; and I will remove all your slag.
BST - And I will bring my hand upon thee, and purge thee completely, and I will destroy the rebellious, and will take away from thee all transgressors.
YLT - And I turn back My hand upon thee, And I refine as purity thy dross, And I turn aside all thy tin.
Chabad - And I will return My hand upon you and purge away your dross as with lye, and remove all your tin.
Alter - and bring My hand back upon you and take away all your dross.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Anger burned – hand stretched out – He struck
B. Mountains quaked – corpses like refuse
C. Anger has not turned – hand still stretched out
3 couplets. The first is synthetic and climactic—God’s wrath intensifies into action. The second is emblematic—cosmic and human collapse. The third is antithetic and unresolved—a warning that judgment is not complete.
Synthetic, Emblematic & Antithetic Parallelism
A. Anger burned – hand stretched – struck it:
This is a prophetic triad of divine judgment. “Burned” conveys passion and fury; “stretched out His hand” is a signature image of God's active intervention (cf. Exod. 6:6, Isa. 9:12); “struck it” signals direct punishment. The progression shows intensifying involvement.
B. Mountains quaked – corpses like refuse:
A powerful emblem of devastation. The shaking of mountains represents cosmic upheaval—often tied to divine presence (cf. Exod. 19:18). The corpses likened to street trash convey utter disgrace and widespread death.
C. Anger not turned – hand still stretched out:
This is one of Isaiah’s haunting refrains (repeated in Isa. 9:12, 17, 21; 10:4). It signals that the judgment described is not the end—there is more to come unless repentance occurs.
Literary Devices
Anaphora (Repetition):
The phrase “His hand is still stretched out” recurs in Isaiah as a refrain of unresolved judgment. It forms a poetic spine across sections of the book.
Imagery of Divine Warrior:
God “stretches out His hand” like a warrior or king in judgment. This evokes both Exodus imagery and later eschatological motifs.
Irony:
The people sought wine and pleasure (v. 11–12); now they lie as corpses in streets. What began in arrogance ends in rot and ruin.
Thematic Analysis
Covenant Wrath:
The phrase “His people” shows that this is not judgment on foreigners but on those in covenant. The higher the privilege, the greater the responsibility—and the more severe the consequences.
Cosmic and Civic Collapse:
Mountains quaking and bodies in streets portray both spiritual and societal breakdown. Nature and city alike groan under divine judgment.
The Lingering Hand:
This verse leaves us in suspense. Judgment has fallen, but it is not over. The open hand—once a symbol of rescue—is now an emblem of wrath. Yet even in this, the refrain carries a subtle mercy: there is still time to repent.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:25 (MT):
עַל כֵּן חָרָה אַף יְהוָה בְּעַמּוֹ וַיֵּט יָדוֹ עָלָיו וַיַּךֵּהוּ וַיִּרְגְּזוּ הָרִים וַתְּהִי נִבְלָתָם כַּסּוּחָה בְּקֶרֶב חוּצוֹת בְּכָל זֹאת לֹא שָׁב אַפּוֹ וְעוֹדוּ יָדוֹ נְטוּיָה
Therefore (עַל כֵּן – ʿal kēn)
Root: על + כן – upon + thus
Isaiah 5:25 – Therefore the anger of YHWH burned
Isaiah 5:13, 24 – Therefore My people go into exile, therefore fire consumes them
Isaiah 1:24 – Therefore, the Lord says…
Psalm 1:5 – Therefore, the wicked shall not stand in the judgment
Anger (חָרָה אַף – ḥārāh ʾaph)
Root: חרה – to burn with anger; אף – nose, anger
Isaiah 5:25 – The anger of YHWH burned
Isaiah 10:25 – My anger will be spent
Exodus 4:14 – The anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses
Psalm 106:40 – The wrath of the LORD was kindled against His people
His people (בְּעַמּוֹ – beʿammô)
Root: עם – people
Isaiah 5:25 – YHWH’s anger burned against His people
Isaiah 1:3 – Israel does not know, My people do not understand
Hosea 4:6 – My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge
Psalm 100:3 – We are His people and the sheep of His pasture
He stretched out (וַיֵּט – wayyēṭ)
Root: נטה – to stretch out, extend
Isaiah 5:25 – He stretched out His hand
Isaiah 31:3 – When the LORD stretches out His hand
Exodus 15:12 – You stretched out Your right hand
Psalm 136:12 – With a mighty hand and an outstretched arm
His hand (יָדוֹ – yādô)
Root: יד – hand, power
Isaiah 5:25 – He stretched out His hand
Isaiah 9:12, 17, 21 – For all this, His hand is stretched out still
Isaiah 14:27 – His hand is stretched out—who can turn it back?
Deuteronomy 4:34 – With a mighty hand and an outstretched arm
He struck him (וַיַּךֵּהוּ – wayyakēhû)
Root: נכה – to strike, smite
Isaiah 5:25 – He struck them
Isaiah 10:20 – The remnant of Israel… shall no longer lean on him who struck them
Exodus 12:12 – I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt
2 Kings 19:35 – The angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000
Mountains trembled (וַיִּרְגְּזוּ הָרִים – wayyirgəzû hārîm)
Root: רגז – to quake, tremble
Isaiah 5:25 – The mountains quaked
Isaiah 64:1–3 – The mountains trembled at Your presence
Judges 5:5 – The mountains melted before the LORD
Psalm 97:5 – The mountains melt like wax before the LORD
Corpses (נִבְלָתָם – niblātām)
Root: נבל – corpse, carcass, disgrace
Isaiah 5:25 – Their corpses were like refuse
Isaiah 66:24 – The corpses of those who transgressed
Jeremiah 7:33 – The carcasses of this people will be food for birds
Deuteronomy 28:26 – Your carcass shall be meat for the birds of the air
Refuse (כַּסּוּחָה – kassûḥāh)
Root: סחה – trampled, refuse, cuttings
Isaiah 5:25 – Their corpses like refuse in the streets
Isaiah 14:19 – Like the raiment of those slain, thrust through
Jeremiah 9:22 – Dead bodies will fall like dung on the open field
Psalm 83:10 – They became as dung for the earth
In the streets (בְּקֶרֶב חוּצוֹת – bəqerev ḥûṣôt)
Root: קרב – midst; חוץ – outside, streets
Isaiah 5:25 – Refuse in the midst of the streets
Isaiah 42:2 – Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street
Proverbs 1:20 – Wisdom cries aloud in the streets
Jeremiah 9:21 – Death has climbed in through our windows… children no longer in the streets
His anger has not turned away (לֹא שָׁב אַפּוֹ – lōʾ šāv ʾappô)
Root: שוב – to turn back; אף – anger
Isaiah 5:25 – His anger has not turned away
Isaiah 9:12, 17, 21 – For all this, His anger is not turned away
Isaiah 10:4 – Without Me they shall bow… yet His anger is not turned away
Jeremiah 4:8 – The fierce anger of the LORD has not turned back from us
His hand is stretched out still (וְעוֹדוּ יָדוֹ נְטוּיָה – wəʿôḏû yādô nətûyāh)
Root: עוד – still, yet; יד – hand; נטה – to stretch out
Isaiah 5:25 – His hand is stretched out still
Isaiah 9:12, 17, 21; 10:4 – Repeated refrain: “His hand is stretched out still”
Isaiah 14:27 – His hand is stretched out—who can turn it back?
Exodus 9:15 – I could have stretched out My hand and struck you
Isaiah 5:26
26 He raises an ensign to distant nations,
and summons them from beyond the horizon.
Forthwith they come, swiftly and speedily.
Hebrew
Hebrew (MT)
וְנָשָׂא־נֵס לַגּוֹיִם מֵרָחוֹק וְשָׁרַק לוֹ מִקְצֵה הָאָרֶץ וְהִנֵּה מְהֵרָה קַל יָבוֹא
Transliteration
w'näsäAnd he will lift upוְנָשָׂא = and he will lift up. From נָשָׂא (nasa), to raise or signal.-nëšA bannerנֵס = banner or standard. A signal for assembling or alerting. laGôyimTo the nationsלַגּוֹיִם = to the nations. לַ (la) = to/for; גּוֹיִם (goyim) = nations or peoples. mërächôqFrom afarמֵרָחוֹק = from afar. מִן (min, here as mē) = from; רָחוֹק (rachoq) = distant. w'shäraqAnd will whistleוְשָׁרַק = and he will whistle. Used to summon or signal. lôTo itלוֹ = to it (or to him). Refers back to the nations summoned. miq'tzëhFrom the endמִקְצֵה = from the end or extremity. Often used of geographic borders. hääretzOf the earthהָאָרֶץ = the earth or land. Refers to the distant ends of the world. w'hiNëhAnd beholdוְהִנֵּה = and behold! A dramatic announcement marker. m'hërähQuicklyמְהֵרָה = quickly or swiftly. Often associated with urgency in prophetic speech. qal yävôSwiftly he will comeקַל יָבוֹא = swiftly he will come. קַל (qal) = light, swift; בּוֹא (bo) = to come.
Strong's Concordance
He lifts
וְנָֽשָׂא־ (wə·nā·śā-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take
a banner
נֵ֤ס (nês)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5251: A flag, a sail, a flagstaff, a signal, a token
for the distant
מֵרָח֔וֹק (mê·rā·ḥō·wq)
Preposition-m | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7350: Remote, of place, time, precious
nations
לַגּוֹיִם֙ (lag·gō·w·yim)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts
and whistles
וְשָׁ֥רַק (wə·šā·raq)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8319: To be shrill, to whistle, hiss
for those
ל֖וֹ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew
at the ends
מִקְצֵ֣ה (miq·ṣêh)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7097: End, extremity
of the earth.
הָאָ֑רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land
Behold—
וְהִנֵּ֥ה (wə·hin·nêh)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!
how speedily
מְהֵרָ֖ה (mə·hê·rāh)
Adverb
Strong's 4120: A hurry, promptly
and swiftly
קַ֥ל (qal)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7031: Light, swift, fleet
they come!
יָבֽוֹא׃ (yā·ḇō·w)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go
Translations
KJV – And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly.
2 Nephi 15 – And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth; and behold, they shall come with speed swiftly.
NRSVUE – He will raise a signal for a nation far away and whistle for a people at the ends of the earth. Here they come, swiftly, speedily!
JPS – He will raise a signal to a nation afar off, and whistle to one at the end of the earth. And behold, with speed, swiftly it comes!
BSB – He lifts a banner for the distant nations and whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Behold—how speedily and swiftly they come!
ESV – He will raise a signal for nations far away, and whistle for them from the ends of the earth; and behold, quickly, speedily they come!
NIV – He lifts up a banner for the distant nations, he whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Here they come, swiftly and speedily!
NASB – He will also lift up a flag to the distant nation, And whistle for it from the ends of the earth; And behold, it will come with speed swiftly.
YLT – And He lifted up an ensign to nations afar off, And hisseth to it from the end of the earth, And lo, with haste, speedily it cometh.
BST – And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly.
Chabad – And He shall raise an ensign to the nations from afar, and He shall whistle to him from the end of the earth, and behold, quickly, swiftly he shall come.
Alter – And He shall raise a banner for nations from afar and whistle to one at the end of the earth, and, look, swiftly, quick, he shall come.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Raises an ensign – summons them
B. Distant nations – beyond the horizon
C. Swiftly – speedily
2 couplets and a climactic conclusion. The first is synthetic and military—God signals and calls. The second is synonymous—reinforcing the foreign and sudden nature of the response. The final phrase delivers the result in emphatic motion.
Synthetic & Climactic Parallelism
A. Raises an ensign – summons them:
The ensign (military banner) is a prophetic symbol for divine mustering. God acts as commander, calling foreign powers into His service. The two verbs (raises, summons) show intentionality and authority.
B. Distant nations – beyond the horizon:
These are poetic parallels reinforcing the scope. The nations come from far away—literally “from the end of the earth”—underscoring the sovereignty of God over all peoples.
C. Swiftly – speedily:
This final pair emphasizes suddenness. The judgment is not delayed. Once God gives the signal, the response is immediate, terrifying in its precision.
Literary Devices
Military Imagery:
An “ensign” was used to rally troops. Isaiah now pictures God rallying foreign armies—not as a threat to Him, but as instruments in His hand.
Inversion of Expectation:
Foreign nations, once considered threats to be feared or allies to be courted, are revealed to be God’s tools. The true danger is not geopolitical, but divine.
Pace and Rhythm:
The quick cadence of “swiftly and speedily” accelerates the tempo. The verse begins stately with the ensign, then rushes forward like the army it describes.
Thematic Analysis
Divine Sovereignty Over the Nations:
YHWH is not reacting to international events—He’s orchestrating them. Foreign nations do not act independently; they are summoned for judgment.
Instrumental Judgment:
The nations are not acting randomly. They are drawn by divine signal to execute covenantal justice on God’s people. This connects to Deut. 28:49—“The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far.”
Escalation of the Woes:
After internal corruption (vv. 8–23) and divine burning (vv. 24–25), the final escalation is external invasion. God moves from moral collapse to geopolitical consequence.
Wordlinks
וְנָשָׂא נֵס לַגּוֹיִם מֵרָחוֹק וְשָׁרַק לוֹ מִקְצֵה הָאָרֶץ וְהִנֵּה בְמְהֵרָה קַל יָבוֹא
He will lift up (וְנָשָׂא – wənāśāʾ)
Root: נשׂא – to lift, carry, raise
Isaiah 5:26 – He will lift up a signal
Isaiah 11:10 – He will raise a banner for the nations
Isaiah 13:2 – Lift up a banner on a bare hill
Numbers 21:9 – Moses lifted up the serpent
Signal/banner (נֵס – nēs)
Root: נס – banner, standard, signal
Isaiah 5:26 – He lifts a signal for the nations
Isaiah 11:12 – He will raise a banner for the nations
Isaiah 18:3 – When a banner is raised on the mountains
Isaiah 62:10 – Lift up a banner for the peoples
Nations (לַגּוֹיִם – laggôyim)
Root: גוי – nation, people
Isaiah 5:26 – A signal for the nations
Isaiah 2:2 – All nations shall flow to it
Genesis 12:2 – I will make you a great nation
Psalm 117:1 – Praise the LORD, all nations
From afar (מֵרָחוֹק – mēraḥôq)
Root: רחק – to be far, distant
Isaiah 5:26 – From afar He calls them
Isaiah 10:3 – Desolation shall come from afar
Jeremiah 5:15 – A nation comes from afar
Deuteronomy 28:49 – A nation from afar shall swoop down
He whistles (וְשָׁרַק – wəšāraq)
Root: שרק – to whistle, hiss
Isaiah 5:26 – He whistles for them
Isaiah 7:18 – The LORD will whistle for the fly and the bee
Zechariah 10:8 – I will whistle for them and gather them
Judges 5:16 – Among the sheepfolds, to hear the whistling for the flocks
To him (לוֹ – lô)
Root: ל + הוא – to him
Isaiah 5:26 – He whistles to him from the end of the earth
Isaiah 53:7 – Like a sheep before its shearers
Genesis 12:1 – Go to the land I will show you
Jeremiah 1:7 – You shall go to all to whom I send you
From the ends of the earth (מִקְצֵה הָאָרֶץ – miqtzēh hāʾāreṣ)
Root: קצה – end, extremity; ארץ – earth, land
Isaiah 5:26 – From the ends of the earth
Isaiah 24:16 – From the ends of the earth we hear songs
Deuteronomy 28:49 – A nation will come from the ends of the earth
Psalm 65:5 – Hope of all the ends of the earth
Behold (וְהִנֵּה – wəhinēh)
Root: הן – behold, look
Isaiah 5:26 – Behold, they come swiftly
Isaiah 7:14 – Behold, the virgin shall conceive
Genesis 6:13 – Behold, I will destroy them
Psalm 121:4 – Behold, He who keeps Israel will not slumber
Swiftly (בְמְהֵרָה – bəməhērāh)
Root: מהר – to hurry, hasten
Isaiah 5:26 – They come swiftly
Isaiah 8:3 – Maher-shalal-hash-baz: Hasten spoil, speed prey
Jeremiah 4:13 – His chariots come swiftly
Malachi 3:5 – I will come near to you to judge swiftly
Quickly/light (קַל – qal)
Root: קלל – light, quick, nimble
Isaiah 5:26 – They come quickly
2 Samuel 1:23 – Saul and Jonathan were swifter than eagles
Habakkuk 1:8 – Their horses are swifter than leopards
Deuteronomy 28:49 – A nation whose language you do not know, swift as an eagle
He comes (יָבוֹא – yāḇôʾ)
Root: בוא – to come, arrive
Isaiah 5:26 – He comes swiftly
Isaiah 40:10 – Behold, the Lord YHWH comes with might
Malachi 3:1 – The Lord whom you seek will come to His temple
Psalm 96:13 – For He comes to judge the earth
Isaiah 5:27
27 No one among them is weary, and none stumbles.
He does not slumber nor sleep.
The belt of his loins is not loosened,
nor are the straps of his sandals torn.
Hebrew
Hebrew
אֵין־עָיֵף וְאֵין־כּוֹשֵׁל בּוֹ לֹא יָנוּם וְלֹא יִישָׁן וְלֹא נִפְתַּח אֵזוֹר חֲלָצָיו וְלֹא נִתַּק שְׂרוֹךְ נְעָלָיו
Transliteration
ëyn-äyëfNot wearyאֵין עָיֵף = not weary. עָיֵף (ʿayēf) means tired or fatigued. Describes tireless readiness. w'ëyn-Kôshël BôAnd none stumble among themוְאֵין כָּשֵׁל בּוֹ = and none stumble among them. כָּשֵׁל (kāshel) means to falter or stumble, often implying moral or physical failure. lo yänûmHe does not slumberלֹא יָנוּם = he does not slumber. יָנוּם (yānūm) is a lighter sleep than שָׁנָה (sleep). w'lo yiyshänAnd he does not sleepוְלֹא יִישָׁן = and he does not sleep. יִישָׁן (yīshān) is a deeper, regular sleep. w'lo nif'TachNor is loosenedוְלֹא נִפְתַּח = and not loosened or opened. Refers to preparedness—no loosening of gear. ëzôr chálätzäywThe belt of his loinsאֵזוֹר חֲלָצָיו = the belt of his loins. אֵזוֹר (ēzōr) = belt; חֲלָצָיִם (chalatzayim) = loins, symbolizing strength. w'lo niTaqNor is tornוְלֹא נִתַּק = and not torn or broken. Indicates that his clothing or gear is intact and ready for action. s'rôkh' n'äläywThe strap of his sandalsשְׂרוֹךְ נַעֲלָיו = the strap of his sandals. שְׂרוֹךְ (sērōkh) = thong or strap; נַעַל (naʿal) = sandal. A poetic way of showing none are hindered.
Strong's Concordance
None
אֵין־ (’ên-)
Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle
of them grows weary
עָיֵ֤ף (‘ā·yêp̄)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 5889: Faint, weary
or stumbles;
כּוֹשֵׁל֙ (kō·wō·šêl)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3782: To totter, waver, to falter, stumble, faint, fall
no
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no
one slumbers
יָנ֖וּם (yā·nūm)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5123: To be drowsy, slumber
or sleeps.
יִישָׁ֑ן (yî·šān)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3462: To be slack, languid, sleep, to grow old, stale, inveterate
No
וְלֹ֣א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no
belt
אֵז֣וֹר (’ê·zō·wr)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 232: Something girt, a belt, a band
is loose
נִפְתַּח֙ (nip̄·taḥ)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6605: To open wide, to loosen, begin, plough, carve
and no
וְלֹ֤א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no
sandal
נְעָלָֽיו׃ (nə·‘ā·lāw)
Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5275: A sandal tongue, a sandal, slipper
strap
שְׂר֥וֹךְ (śə·rō·wḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8288: (sandal) thong
is broken.
נִתַּ֖ק (nit·taq)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5423: To pull, draw, or tear away, apart, or off
Translations
KJV – None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken.
2 Nephi 15 – None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken.
NRSVUE – None of them is weary, none stumbles, none slumbers or sleeps; not a loincloth is loose, not a sandal strap broken;
JPS – None of them shall be weary, or stumble, among them; none shall slumber or sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken;
BSB – No one among them grows weary or stumbles; no one slumbers or sleeps. Nor is a belt loosened at the waist, or a sandal strap broken.
ESV – None is weary, none stumbles, none slumbers or sleeps, not a waistband is loose, not a sandal strap broken;
NIV – Not one of them grows tired or stumbles, not one slumbers or sleeps; not a belt is loosened at the waist, not a sandal strap is broken.
NASB – No one in it is tired or stumbles, No one slumbers or sleeps; Nor is the waistband at their waist loosened, Nor the strap of their sandals broken.
YLT – There is none weary, nor stumbling among them, None is slumbering nor sleeping, Nor opened hath been the girdle of their loins, Nor hath a thong of their sandals been broken.
BST – None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken.
Chabad – None is weary or stumbles among them, he shall neither slumber nor sleep; the belt around his waist shall not open up, nor shall a thong of his shoes be torn.
Alter – None tires, none stumbles among them, he does not slumber, does not sleep. The belt round his loins does not slip open, and his sandals’ thong does not snap.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. No one weary – none stumbles
B. Does not slumber – nor sleep
C. Belt not loosened – sandal straps not torn
3 couplets. Each is synthetic and intensifying. The verse describes an idealized, relentless invading force—disciplined, tireless, and unhindered.
Synthetic & Emblematic Parallelism
A. No one weary – none stumbles:
This pair emphasizes their strength and stability. The army’s march is unwavering—no fatigue, no faltering. It contrasts with the morally stumbling people of Judah.
B. He does not slumber – nor sleep:
Further intensification. This invader is not only physically tireless, but alert and vigilant. It may also reflect the divine commissioning—there is no pause in the execution of judgment.
C. Belt not loosened – sandal straps not torn:
These are signs of military readiness. The belt (used to gird loins) being tight signifies preparedness; intact sandal straps signify unhindered movement. Nothing slows this force.
Literary Devices
Emblematic Imagery:
The verse uses body-related imagery (feet, belt, eyes) to present a complete figure of war-readiness. The invading army is described almost as a singular superhuman being.
Rhythmic Balance:
Each line is balanced in form—A and B clauses mirror one another in syntax and tone. This gives the verse the feel of a marching cadence.
Impersonal Force:
Though it speaks of “them,” the grammar shifts to singular (“he does not sleep”), merging the army into one overwhelming entity—like a beast or divine instrument.
Thematic Analysis
Relentless Judgment:
There will be no reprieve. This enemy is not hampered by human frailty—it is driven, untiring, and fully equipped. This evokes terror and inevitability.
Contrast to Israel's Condition:
The invader’s discipline contrasts with Judah’s moral disarray and leadership intoxication (vv. 11, 22). The people of God are unready; the army of judgment is perfectly prepared.
Divine Empowerment of the Invader:
This is no ordinary military. The prophetic tone suggests that God has endowed them with unnatural precision and endurance. As in Habakkuk 1, they are His rod.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:27 (MT):
אֵין עָיֵף וְאֵין כֹּשֵׁל בּוֹ לֹא יָנוּם וְלֹא יִישָׁן וְלֹא נִפְתַּח אֵזוֹר חֲלָצָיו וְלֹא נִתַּק שְׂרוֹךְ נְעָלָיו
None (אֵין – ʾên)
Root: אין – there is not
Isaiah 5:27 – None is weary, none stumbles
Isaiah 34:16 – None shall lack her mate
Genesis 18:14 – Is anything too hard for the LORD?
Psalm 14:1 – There is none who does good
Weary (עָיֵף – ʿāyēp̄)
Root: עיף – to be faint, tired
Isaiah 5:27 – None is weary
Isaiah 40:30–31 – Even youths shall faint and be weary, but those who wait on the LORD…
Jeremiah 31:25 – I will satisfy the weary soul
Genesis 25:29 – Esau came in from the field, and he was weary
Stumble (כֹּשֵׁל – kōšēl)
Root: כשׁל – to stumble, totter
Isaiah 5:27 – None stumbles
Isaiah 40:30 – Youths shall faint and stumble
Jeremiah 46:6 – The swift cannot flee, nor the mighty escape, they stumble
Psalm 27:2 – My adversaries and foes, they stumbled and fell
Slumber (יָנוּם – yānûm)
Root: נום – to slumber, doze
Isaiah 5:27 – They do not slumber
Isaiah 56:10 – Watchmen are blind… they all slumber
Psalm 121:4 – He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep
Proverbs 6:10 – A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands
Sleep (יִישָׁן – yîšān)
Root: ישׁן – to sleep
Isaiah 5:27 – Nor do they sleep
Psalm 3:5 – I lay down and slept
1 Kings 19:5 – Elijah lay down and slept under a tree
Daniel 12:2 – Many who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake
Belt (אֵזוֹר – ʾēzôr)
Root: אזר – to gird, belt
Isaiah 5:27 – The belt of his loins is not loosened
Isaiah 11:5 – Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins
2 Kings 1:8 – He wore a belt of leather
Jeremiah 13:1 – Buy yourself a linen belt
Loins (חֲלָצָיו – ḥălāṣāw)
Root: חלץ – loins, waist
Isaiah 5:27 – Loins not loosened
Isaiah 11:5 – Belt of His loins
Genesis 35:11 – Kings shall come out of your loins
Exodus 1:5 – Those who came from the loins of Jacob
Loosened (נִפְתַּח – niptaḥ)
Root: פתח – to open, loosen
Isaiah 5:27 – Belt is not loosened
Isaiah 22:22 – He shall open, and none shall shut
Judges 3:25 – He still did not open the doors
Psalm 78:23 – He opened the doors of the heavens
Strap/thong (שְׂרוֹךְ – śərôḵ)
Root: שרך – thong, lace, strap
Isaiah 5:27 – Nor is the strap of his sandal broken
Genesis 14:23 – Not a thread or a strap of a sandal
Exodus 12:11 – Sandals on your feet
Mark 1:7 – I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of His sandals
Sandal (נְעָלָיו – neʿālâw)
Root: נעל – sandal, shoe
Isaiah 5:27 – The sandal strap is not broken
Deuteronomy 29:5 – Your sandals have not worn out
Ruth 4:7 – Custom in Israel: one removed his sandal
Ephesians 6:15 – Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace
Isaiah 5:28
28 Their arrows are sharp,
all their bows are drawn.
The hoofs of their horses are regarded as flint,
and their wheels as a whirlwind.
Hebrew
Hebrew
אֲשֶׁר חִצָּיו שְׁנוּנִים וְכָל־קַשְּׁתֹתָיו דְּרֻכוֹת פַּרְסוֹת סוּסָיו כַּצַּר נֶחְשָׁבוּ וְגַלְגִּלָּיו כַּסּוּפָה
Transliteration
ásher chiTZäyw sh'nûniymWhose arrows are sharpאֲשֶׁר חִצָּיו שְׁנוּנִים = whose arrows are sharp. חִץ (chetz) = arrow; שָׁנַן (shanan) = to sharpen. Depicts military readiness. w'khäl-qaSH'totäyw D'rukhôtAnd all his bows are bentוְכָל קַשְּׁתוֹתָיו דְּרוּכוֹת = and all his bows are bent. קֶשֶׁת (qeshet) = bow; דָּרַךְ (darakh) = to bend or tread. Indicates they are ready to fire. Par'šôt šûšäywTheir horses’ hoovesפַּרְשָׁיו שׁוּשָׁיו = his horsemen’s hooves. פָּרָשׁ (parash) = horseman; שׁוּשָׁה (shusha) = hoof. Used to highlight speed and aggression. KaTZar nech'shävûAre considered like flintכַּצָּר נֶחְשָׁבוּ = are considered like flint. צָר (tzar) = flint/hard stone; נָחַשׁ (nachash) here means regarded. Implies unstoppable force. w'gal'GiLäyw KaŠûfähAnd his wheels like a whirlwindוְגַלְגִּילָיו כַּסוּפָה = and his wheels like a whirlwind. גַּלְגִּיל (galgil) = wheel; סוּפָה (suphah) = storm or whirlwind. Depicts speed and chaos.
Strong's Concordance
Their arrows
חִצָּיו֙ (ḥiṣ·ṣāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2671: A piercer, an arrow, a wound, thunderbolt, the shaft of a, spear
are sharpened,
שְׁנוּנִ֔ים (šə·nū·nîm)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural
Strong's 8150: To point, to pierce, to inculcate
and all
וְכָל־ (wə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every
their bows
קַשְּׁתֹתָ֖יו (qaš·šə·ṯō·ṯāw)
Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7198: A bow, for, shooting, the iris
are strung.
דְּרֻכ֑וֹת (də·ru·ḵō·wṯ)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine plural
Strong's 1869: To tread, to walk, to string a, bow
The hooves
פַּרְס֤וֹת (par·sō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 6541: A claw, split hoof
of their horses
סוּסָיו֙ (sū·sāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5483: A swallow, swift (type of bird)
are like flint;
כַּצַּ֣ר (kaṣ·ṣar)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6862: Narrow, a tight place, a pebble, an opponent
their chariot wheels
וְגַלְגִּלָּ֖יו (wə·ḡal·gil·lāw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1534: A wheel, a whirlwind, dust
[are] like a whirlwind.
כַּסּוּפָֽה׃ (kas·sū·p̄āh)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5492: A storm wind
Translations
KJV – Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind.
2 Nephi 15 – Whose arrows shall be sharp, and all their bows bent, and their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind.
NRSVUE – Their arrows are sharp, all their bows bent; their horses’ hooves seem like flint, and their wheels like the whirlwind.
JPS – Whose arrows are sharpened, and all their bows are bent; the hoofs of their horses shall be like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind.
BSB – Their arrows are sharpened, and all their bows are strung; the hooves of their horses are like flint, and their chariot wheels are like a whirlwind.
ESV – Their arrows are sharp, all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs seem like flint, and their wheels like the whirlwind.
NIV – Their arrows are sharp, all their bows are strung; their horses’ hooves seem like flint, their chariot wheels like a whirlwind.
NASB – Its arrows are sharp and all its bows are bent; The hoofs of its horses seem like flint, and its chariot wheels like a storm wind.
YLT – Whose arrows are sharp, and all his bows bent, Hoofs of his horses have been reckoned as flint, And his wheels as a whirlwind!
BST – Whose arrows are sharpened, and all their bows bent; the hoofs of their horses are regarded like flint, and their wheels like the tempest.
Chabad – One whose arrows are sharpened, and all his bows are bent, the hoofs of his horses are regarded like flint, and his wheels like the tempest.
Alter – His arrows are sharpened, all his bows are drawn. The hooves of his horses are hard as flint and his wheels like the whirlwind.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Arrows are sharp – bows are drawn
B. Hoofs as flint – wheels as whirlwind
2 couplets. The first is martial and intensifying—lethal precision. The second is emblematic—speed and destructive force. The verse builds a terrifying picture of the invading force’s readiness and power.
Synthetic & Emblematic Parallelism
A. Arrows are sharp – bows are drawn:
A pair that emphasizes imminent attack. The weapons are not just available—they are prepared for use. The danger is not abstract; it’s locked, loaded, and pointed.
B. Hoofs of horses as flint – wheels as whirlwind:
This pair expands the image of mobility and power. “Flint” evokes hardness, speed, and impact. “Whirlwind” introduces chaos and unstoppable motion. Horses crush; chariots storm.
Literary Devices
Imagery of War:
The verse evokes both the lethal edge (arrows) and the overwhelming rush (whirlwind). It covers both precision strike and total invasion.
Simile:
“Hoofs as flint” and “wheels as whirlwind” are vivid comparisons. They elevate the army’s force to near-elemental power—blurring the line between human military and divine storm.
Compression and Force:
Each phrase is dense with power. There’s no wasted motion—each clause conveys intensity and threat. The poetry marches in step with the army it describes.
Thematic Analysis
Precision and Power of Divine Judgment:
The weapons are honed, and the means of transportation unstoppable. This is not sloppy or random punishment—it is precise, calculated, and overwhelming.
Embodiment of Divine Wrath:
This invading army represents God’s justice made visible. Their flint-like hoofs and storm-like wheels echo the imagery of God as warrior (cf. Isa. 66:15).
Totality of the Threat:
Together with v. 27, this verse presents the enemy as perfect in readiness (discipline) and in execution (power). The people who refused to see God’s work (v. 12) will now see it unmistakably—in war.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:28 (MT):
חִצָּיו שְׁנוּנִים וְכָל־קַשְּׁתוֹתָיו דְּרוּכוֹת פְּרַשֵּׁי שִׁנָּיו כַּחַלָּם וְגַלְגִּלָּיו כְּסוּפָה
Arrows (חִצָּיו – ḥiṣāw)
Root: חץ – arrow
Isaiah 5:28 – His arrows are sharp
Psalm 45:5 – Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies
Jeremiah 50:9 – Their arrows are like a skilled warrior who does not return empty
Lamentations 3:13 – He caused the arrows of His quiver to enter my heart
Sharp (שְׁנוּנִים – šənûnîm)
Root: שנן – to sharpen
Isaiah 5:28 – Arrows are sharp
Psalm 120:4 – Sharp arrows of the mighty
Deuteronomy 32:41 – If I sharpen My flashing sword
Proverbs 25:18 – A man who bears false witness is like a sharp arrow
Bows (קַשְּׁתוֹתָיו – qaštōṯāw)
Root: קשת – bow
Isaiah 5:28 – All his bows are drawn
Genesis 27:3 – Take your bow and go hunt
2 Kings 13:15–17 – Take bow and arrows… shoot
Psalm 46:9 – He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two
Drawn (דְּרוּכוֹת – dərûḵôṯ)
Root: דרך – to tread, draw (bow)
Isaiah 5:28 – His bows are drawn
Psalm 7:12 – He has bent His bow and made it ready
Lamentations 2:4 – He has bent His bow like an enemy
Job 29:20 – My bow was renewed in my hand
Hooves (פְּרַשֵּׁי – pərāšê)
Root: פרשׁ – hoof, cleave
Isaiah 5:28 – Hoofs of his horses
Ezekiel 26:11 – With the hoofs of his horses he will trample
Micah 4:13 – I will make your hoofs bronze
Jeremiah 47:3 – The hoofs of his stallions
His horses (שִׁנָּיו – šinnāw)
Note: Some versions read this as “teeth,” but contextually and syntactically it follows from hoof imagery: possibly an orthographic or poetic parallel. Common interpretation ties this to horses.
Isaiah 5:28 – Hoofs like flint
Deuteronomy 33:25 – Your bars shall be iron and bronze
Ezekiel 1:7 – Their feet were like burnished bronze
Jeremiah 50:42 – Their horses are arrayed for battle
Flint (כַּחַלָּם – kəḥallām)
Root: חלם – possibly from חלם, rock/hard substance; exact root debated
Isaiah 5:28 – Hoofs like flint
Ezekiel 3:9 – Like adamant, harder than flint I have made your forehead
Deuteronomy 8:15 – A land of fiery serpents and flint
Job 28:9 – Man puts his hand to the flinty rock
Wheels (וְגַלְגִּלָּיו – wəgalgillāw)
Root: גלגל – wheel, whirlwind
Isaiah 5:28 – His wheels like a storm
Ezekiel 10:13 – The wheels were called “the whirling wheels”
Psalm 77:18 – The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind
Nahum 3:2 – The rattling of wheels
Like a whirlwind (כְּסוּפָה – kəsûp̄āh)
Root: סוּף – storm, tempest
Isaiah 5:28 – Wheels like a whirlwind
Isaiah 66:15 – The LORD will come with fire and with His chariots like a whirlwind
Jeremiah 23:19 – Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD
Nahum 1:3 – The LORD has His way in the whirlwind
Isaiah 5:29
29 Its roar is like a lion’s;
like young lions it roars.
It growls and seizes the prey,
and carries it away, and none delivers.
Hebrew
Hebrew
שְׁאָגָה לוֹ כַּלָּבִיא *וְשָׁאַג [יִשְׁאַג] כַּכְּפִירִים וְיִנְהֹם וְיֹאחֵז טֶרֶף וְיַפְלִיט וְאֵין מַצִּיל
Transliteration
sh'ägäh lô KaLäviyIts roaring is like a lion’sשַׁאֲגָה לוֹ כַּלָּבִיא = its roar is like a lion’s. שַׁאַג (sha’ag) = to roar; לָבִיא (lavi) = lion. Emphasizes fierceness and threat. *w'shäag [yish'ag] KaK'fiyriymHe shall roar like young lionsוְשָׁאַג כַּכְּפִירִים = and he shall roar like young lions. כְּפִיר (kefir) = young lion, symbol of aggression. Repetition intensifies threat. w'yin'hom w'yochëz ţerefHe will growl and seize preyוְיִנְהֹם וְיֹאחֵז טָרֶף = he will growl and seize prey. נָהַם (naham) = growl; אָחַז (achaz) = grasp; טֶרֶף (teref) = prey. Evokes hunting imagery. w'yaf'liyţ w'ëyn maTZiylHe will carry it off and none will rescueוְיַפְלִיט וְאֵין מַצִּיל = he will carry it off and none shall rescue. פָּלַט (palat) = escape or deliver; מַצִּיל (matzil) = rescuer. Indicates complete domination.
Strong's Concordance
Their roaring
שְׁאָגָ֥ה (šə·’ā·ḡāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7581: A rumbling, moan
is like that of a lion;
כַּלָּבִ֑יא (kal·lā·ḇî)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3833: To roar, a lion,
they roar
יִשְׁאַ֨ג (yiš·’aḡ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7580: To rumble, moan
like young lions.
כַּכְּפִירִ֤ים (kak·kə·p̄î·rîm)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3715: A village, a young lion
They growl
וְיִנְהֹם֙ (wə·yin·hōm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5098: To growl, groan
and seize
וְיֹאחֵ֣ז (wə·yō·ḥêz)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 270: To grasp, take hold, take possession
their prey;
טֶ֔רֶף (ṭe·rep̄)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2964: Something torn, a fragment, a fresh leaf, prey, food
they carry it
וְיַפְלִ֖יט (wə·yap̄·lîṭ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6403: To slip out, escape, to deliver
away
וְאֵ֥ין (wə·’ên)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle
from deliverance.
מַצִּֽיל׃ (maṣ·ṣîl)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5337: To strip, plunder, deliver oneself, be delivered, snatch away, deliver
Translations
KJV – Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it.
2 Nephi 15 – Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver.
NRSVUE – Their roaring is like a lion; like young lions they roar; they growl and seize their prey; they carry it off, and no one can rescue.
JPS – He has a roar like a lion; he will roar like the lion cubs, and he will growl and lay hold of prey, and he will retrieve it, and no one will save it.
BSB – Their roaring is like that of a lion; they roar like young lions. They growl, seize their prey, and carry it off with no one to rescue them.
ESV – Their roaring is like a lion, like young lions they roar; they growl and seize their prey; they carry it off, and none can rescue.
NIV – Their roar is like that of the lion, they roar like young lions; they growl as they seize their prey and carry it off with no one to rescue.
NASB – Its roaring is like a lioness, and it roars like young lions; It growls as it seizes the prey, and it carries it off with no one to save it.
YLT – Its roaring is like a lion, it roareth like young lions, And it hath murmured, and kept hold of prey, And it delivereth, and there is none delivering.
BST – He has a roar like a lion; he will roar like the lion cubs, and he will growl and lay hold of prey, and he will retrieve it, and no one will save it.
Chabad – He has a roar like a lion; he will roar like the lion cubs, and he will growl and lay hold of prey, and he will retrieve it, and no one will save it.
Alter – He has a roar like the lion he roars like the king of beasts. He howls and seizes his prey, whisks it off and none can save.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Roar – like a lion – like young lions – it roars
B. Growls – seizes the prey – carries it away
C. None delivers
2 couplets followed by a conclusive statement. The first is synonymous and emblematic—describing the sound and power of the invader. The second is synthetic—describing its action. The final line expresses the utter helplessness of the victim.
Emblematic, Synonymous & Synthetic Parallelism
A. Roar like a lion – like young lions – it roars:
This is a layered image. Lions are apex predators—symbols of terror, sovereignty, and unstoppable force. “Young lions” intensify the image, suggesting both energy and ferocity. The repetition of “roar” increases the tension.
B. Growls – seizes – carries away:
This line progresses from intimidation to capture to removal. Each verb heightens the sense of predatory violence. The imagery aligns the invading force with a beast in total control of its kill.
C. None delivers:
A solemn, chilling conclusion. There is no savior, no interruption—no divine intervention to prevent this judgment. The implication is that God Himself has sanctioned it.
Literary Devices
Zoomorphism:
The army is no longer just disciplined—it is bestial. The use of lion imagery transforms the invader into a predator, drawing on primal fear.
Anaphora and Repetition:
The repetition of “roar” adds auditory texture. The phrase “like a lion… like young lions” builds emphasis and poetic rhythm.
Pathos:
“None delivers” echoes language of deliverance used throughout scripture, especially in Exodus and Psalms. Its absence here signals divine silence in the face of rebellion.
Thematic Analysis
Judgment as Predation:
The image of the lion reveals the nature of this judgment—it is not just strategic defeat, it is violent domination. The people become prey.
Abandonment to Consequences:
“None delivers” is the theological climax of the woe section. God has withdrawn His protection, and the natural result is destruction.
Perverted Reversal:
Israel, called to be as lions among the nations (Num. 23:24), now faces lion-like destruction. Their failure to walk in covenant has reversed their role.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:29 (MT):
שַׁאֲגָתוֹ כַּלָּבִיא יִשְׁאַג וְכַפִּירִים יִשְׁאַג כִּי יֶנהַם וְיֹאחֵז טֶרֶף וְיַפְלִיט וְאֵין מַצִּיל
Roar (שַׁאֲגָתוֹ – šaʾăgātô)
Root: שאג – to roar
Isaiah 5:29 – His roar is like a lion
Isaiah 31:4 – As a lion or young lion roars over its prey
Jeremiah 25:30 – The LORD will roar from on high
Amos 1:2 – The LORD roars from Zion
Like a lion (כַּלָּבִיא – kallāḇîʾ)
Root: לביא – lion
Isaiah 5:29 – Like a lion, he will roar
Isaiah 31:4 – Like a lion growling over his prey
Numbers 23:24 – The people rise up like a lion
Proverbs 28:1 – The righteous are bold as a lion
Roar (יִשְׁאַג – yišʾag)
Root: שאג – to roar
Isaiah 5:29 – He will roar
Jeremiah 2:15 – Young lions have roared at him
Joel 3:16 – The LORD will roar from Zion
Hosea 11:10 – They shall walk after the LORD; He will roar
Young lions (כַּפִּירִים – kappîrîm)
Root: כפיר – young lion
Isaiah 5:29 – Like young lions, he will roar
Psalm 91:13 – You shall tread upon the lion and the young lion
Job 4:10 – The roaring of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions are broken
Nahum 2:12 – The young lion tore enough for his cubs
Growl (יֶנהַם – yenaham)
Root: נהם – to growl, murmur
Isaiah 5:29 – He will growl
Isaiah 31:4 – A lion growls over his prey
Jeremiah 2:15 – They roared against him (same idea)
Psalm 22:13 – They open wide their mouths… a roaring lion
Seize (יֹאחֵז – yōʾḥēz)
Root: אחז – to seize, grasp
Isaiah 5:29 – He seizes the prey
Judges 1:6 – They caught him
Exodus 4:4 – Take it by the tail, and he caught it
Psalm 48:6 – Trembling seized them there
Prey (טֶרֶף – ṭerep̄)
Root: טרף – torn piece, prey
Isaiah 5:29 – He seizes the prey
Genesis 49:9 – Judah is a lion's whelp… he stooped down… as a lion who will rouse him?
Proverbs 31:15 – She rises… and gives prey to her household (figurative)
Nahum 2:12 – The lion tore enough prey for his cubs
Carry away (יַפְלִיט – yap̄lîṭ)
Root: פלט – to deliver, carry off
Isaiah 5:29 – He carries it away, and none delivers
Psalm 18:48 – He delivers me from my enemies
Isaiah 31:5 – So the LORD… will deliver it
2 Samuel 22:44 – You have delivered me from the strivings of the people
None delivers (וְאֵין מַצִּיל – wəʾên maṣṣîl)
Root: נצל – to deliver, rescue
Isaiah 5:29 – There is no deliverer
Isaiah 43:13 – There is none who can deliver out of My hand
Isaiah 47:15 – None shall save you
Deuteronomy 32:39 – There is no one who can deliver out of My hand
Isaiah 5:30
30 It will roar over it in that day
like the roaring of the sea.
And when one looks to the land—
behold: darkness and distress,
and the light is darkened by the clouds.
Hebrew
Hebrew
וְיִנְהֹם עָלָיו בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כְּנַהֲמַת־יָם וְנִבַּט לָאָרֶץ וְהִנֵּה־חֹשֶׁךְ צַר וָאוֹר חָשַׁךְ בַּעֲרִיפֶיהָ פ
Transliteration
w'yin'homAnd it shall growl over itוְיִנְהֹם עָלָיו = and it will growl over it. נָהַם (naham) = to growl or moan, expressing ominous presence. äläywOver itעָלָיו = over it. A prepositional phrase showing domination. BaYôm hahûIn that dayבַּיּוֹם הַהוּא = in that day. A prophetic marker for divine intervention or judgment. K'nahámat-yämLike the growling of the seaכְּנַהֲמַת יָם = like the roaring of the sea. A simile for overwhelming sound and chaos. w'niBaţ lääretzAnd one looks to the landוְנִבַּט לָאָרֶץ = and he will look to the land. נָבַט (nabat) = to gaze or look attentively. w'hiNëh-choshekh'And behold darknessוְהִנֵּה חֹשֶׁךְ = and behold, darkness. Used to mark dramatic realization; darkness = judgment or despair. tzarDistressצַר = distress or anguish. Can also mean narrowness or affliction. wäôr chäshakh'And light is darkenedוְאוֹר חָשַׁךְ = and light is darkened. A reversal of expectation; light symbolizes hope or clarity. BaáriyfeyhäIn its cloudsבַּעֲרִיפֶיהָ = in its clouds. עֲרִיף (arif) = storm cloud or thick gloom. Symbol of divine wrath.
Strong's Concordance
In that
הַה֖וּא (ha·hū)
Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are
day
בַּיּ֥וֹם (bay·yō·wm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day
they will roar
וְיִנְהֹ֥ם (wə·yin·hōm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5098: To growl, groan
over it,
עָלָ֛יו (‘ā·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against
like the roaring
כְּנַהֲמַת־ (kə·na·hă·maṯ-)
Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5100: A growling, groaning
of the sea.
יָ֑ם (yām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3220: A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin
If one looks
וְנִבַּ֤ט (wə·nib·baṭ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5027: To scan, look intently at, to regard
over the land,
לָאָ֙רֶץ֙ (lā·’ā·reṣ)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land
he will see
וְהִנֵּה־ (wə·hin·nêh-)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!
darkness
חֹ֔שֶׁךְ (ḥō·šeḵ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2822: The dark, darkness, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness
and distress;
צַ֣ר (ṣar)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6862: Narrow, a tight place, a pebble, an opponent
even the light
וָא֔וֹר (wā·’ō·wr)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular
Strong's 216: Illumination, luminary
will be obscured
חָשַׁ֖ךְ (ḥā·šaḵ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2821: To be dark, to darken
by clouds.
בַּעֲרִיפֶֽיהָ׃ (ba·‘ă·rî·p̄e·hā)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 6183: The sky
Translations
KJV – And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.
2 Nephi 15 – And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if they look unto the land, behold, darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.
NRSVUE – They will roar over it on that day, like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks to the land—only darkness and distress; and the light grows dark with its clouds.
JPS – And he shall growl over it on that day like the growling of the sea, and he shall look to the land and behold darkness; the distressed one and the light shall darken in its eclipse.
BSB – In that day they will roar over it like the roaring of the sea. When one looks at the land, there is darkness and distress; even the light is obscured by clouds.
ESV – They will growl over it on that day, like the growling of the sea. And if one looks to the land, behold, darkness and distress; and the light is darkened by its clouds.
NIV – In that day they will roar over it like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks at the land, there is only darkness and distress; even the sun will be darkened by clouds.
NASB – And it will roar against it on that day like the roaring of the sea. If one looks to the land, behold, there is darkness and distress; even the light is darkened by its clouds.
YLT – And it howleth against it in that day, As the noise of a sea it hath sounded. And it looked attentively to the land, And, lo, darkness -- distress, And light hath been darkened by its abundance!
BST – And he shall growl over it on that day like the growling of the sea, and he shall look to the land and behold darkness; the distressed one and the light shall darken in its eclipse.
Chabad – And he shall growl over it on that day like the growling of the sea, and he shall look to the land and behold darkness; the distressed one and the light shall darken in its eclipse.
Alter – And he shall howl against him on that day like the howling of the sea, and he shall peer toward the earth and, look, constricting darkness, and the light shall go dark in its clouds.
Parallelism
Parallelism
A. Roar – roaring of the sea
B. Looks to the land – behold
C. Darkness and distress – light is darkened
2 couplets and a climactic vision. The first is emblematic—likening the invader’s presence to the sea. The second is synthetic and apocalyptic—looking brings no hope, only overwhelming darkness.
Emblematic & Apocalyptic Parallelism
A. Roar over it – roaring of the sea:
The final comparison completes the transformation of the invader into a force of nature. The sea, often a biblical symbol of chaos and judgment (cf. Ps. 46:3; Isa. 17:12), is evoked here as a sound and presence—loud, surrounding, and inescapable.
B. Looks to the land – behold:
This turn signals the witness's perspective. But instead of help or relief, “behold” reveals horror. The visual anticipation is answered with an emotional collapse.
C. Darkness and distress – light is darkened by the clouds:
These are poetic mirrors. “Darkness and distress” describe the emotional and spiritual atmosphere. “Light is darkened” turns even hope into obscurity. The clouds block revelation, joy, and escape.
Literary Devices
Simile:
“The roaring of the sea” evokes uncontainable power. It’s not just that the invader is loud, but that it overwhelms all boundaries—like floodwaters.
Apocalyptic Imagery:
Darkness, obscured light, and atmospheric disturbance signal divine judgment and the withdrawal of order. This is chaos returned.
Interruptive Syntax:
The phrase “And when one looks to the land—behold…” breaks the rhythm. It mimics the sudden shock of visual realization and creates dramatic pause.
Thematic Analysis
Total Desolation:
There is nowhere to look for hope—not to the sea, not to the land, not to the sky. Every element is swallowed in dread. This is covenant judgment at its fullest.
Spiritual and Emotional Darkness:
The imagery is not only physical. Darkness and distress signify despair, confusion, and divine absence. Even the light has been “darkened by the clouds”—a Hebrew idiom for hopelessness under divine wrath.
The Silence of God, The Roar of Judgment:
Where once God’s voice brought light (Gen. 1), now the sea roars, and light is removed. The reversal is complete. The people who ignored His word now live without it.
Conclusion of the Woes:
This final image leaves no doubt—the judgment is devastating and total. Chapter 5 ends with a prophetic vision of collapse, setting the stage for Isaiah’s own personal encounter with God’s holiness in chapter 6.
Wordlinks
Isaiah 5:30 (MT):
וְיִנְהַם עָלָיו בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כְּנַהַם יָם וְנִבַּט לָאָרֶץ וְהִנֵּה חֹשֶׁךְ צַר וְאוֹר חָשַׁךְ בְּעָרֶפֶיהָ
Roar (יִנְהַם – yinham)
Root: נהם – to growl, roar
Isaiah 5:30 – He shall roar over it in that day
Isaiah 31:4 – Like a lion growling over its prey
Jeremiah 2:15 – The young lions roared at him
Zephaniah 3:3 – Her judges are evening wolves, they leave nothing until morning (implied roar/devour language)
In that day (בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא – bayyôm hahûʾ)
Root: יום – day; הוא – that
Isaiah 5:30 – In that day
Isaiah 2:11 – The LORD alone shall be exalted in that day
Isaiah 4:2 – In that day the branch of the LORD shall be beautiful
Isaiah 7:18 – In that day the LORD shall whistle for the fly…
Like the roaring (כְּנַהַם – kənaḥam)
Root: נהם – to growl, roar
Isaiah 5:30 – Like the roaring of the sea
Isaiah 17:12 – The noise of many peoples… like the roaring of the seas
Psalm 46:3 – Though its waters roar and be troubled
Jeremiah 6:23 – They roar like the sea
Sea (יָם – yām)
Root: ים – sea
Isaiah 5:30 – Like the roaring of the sea
Isaiah 17:12 – The sea roars with noise of nations
Psalm 93:4 – Mightier than the waves of the sea
Job 38:8–11 – Who shut in the sea with doors?
Look (וְנִבַּט – wənibbaṭ)
Root: נבט – to look, gaze
Isaiah 5:30 – He will look to the land
Isaiah 17:7 – In that day a man will look to his Maker
Isaiah 22:11 – But you did not look to its Maker
Zechariah 12:10 – They shall look upon Me whom they have pierced
Land (לָאָרֶץ – lāʾāreṣ)
Root: ארץ – land, earth
Isaiah 5:30 – And he will look to the land
Isaiah 1:7 – Your land is desolate
Genesis 1:1 – God created the heavens and the earth
Isaiah 24:3 – The land shall be utterly emptied
Behold (וְהִנֵּה – wəhinnēh)
Root: הנה – behold, look
Isaiah 5:30 – And behold: darkness
Isaiah 3:1 – Behold, the Lord removes from Jerusalem…
Isaiah 7:14 – Behold, a virgin shall conceive
Isaiah 40:10 – Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might
Darkness (חֹשֶׁךְ – ḥōšeḵ)
Root: חשך – dark, obscurity
Isaiah 5:30 – Darkness and distress
Genesis 1:2 – Darkness was on the face of the deep
Isaiah 8:22 – Behold trouble and darkness
Amos 5:18 – The day of the LORD is darkness, not light
Distress (צַר – ṣar)
Root: צרר – narrow, bind, distress
Isaiah 5:30 – Darkness and distress
Isaiah 8:22 – Trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish
Psalm 18:6 – In my distress, I called upon the LORD
Nahum 1:7 – A stronghold in the day of trouble
Light (אוֹר – ʾôr)
Root: אור – light
Isaiah 5:30 – The light is darkened
Isaiah 2:5 – Let us walk in the light of the LORD
Genesis 1:3 – Let there be light
Isaiah 9:2 – A great light has shined on them
Darkened (חָשַׁךְ – ḥāšaḵ)
Root: חשך – to be dark
Isaiah 5:30 – Light is darkened
Jeremiah 13:16 – Give glory to the LORD before He causes darkness… and your feet stumble on darkened mountains
Amos 8:9 – I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth
Joel 2:10 – The sun and moon are darkened
Clouds (בְּעָרֶפֶיהָ – bəʿārep̄êhā)
Root: ערפל – thick cloud, darkness
Isaiah 5:30 – In its clouds
Exodus 20:21 – Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was
Deuteronomy 4:11 – The mountain burned with fire to the midst of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness
Joel 2:2 – A day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness