Isaiah 31

Isaiah · Chapter 31

Isaiah 31:5

1Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!2Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity.3Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.4For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.5As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.6Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.7For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.8Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited.9And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
5As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.Like birds hovering overhead, so the LORD of Hosts will protect Jerusalem. He will shield it and deliver it; He will pass over it and preserve it.”As birds hovering, so will Jehovah of hosts protect Jerusalem; he will protect and deliver it, he will pass over and preserve it.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Where

Locations from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Some ancient sites are uncertain.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
like birdsכְּצִפֳּרִ֣יםke-tzi-po-RIMH6833
bird

צִפּוֹר (tsip.por) 1) bird, fowl 1a) bird (singular) 1b) birds (coll) Aramaic equivalent: tse.phar (צְפַר "bird" H6853)

flyingעָפ֔וֹתa-FOTH5774A
to fly

עוּף (uph) v 1) to fly, fly about, fly away 1a)(Qal) 1a1) to fly, hover 1a2) to fly away 1b) (Hiphil) to cause to fly, light upon 1c) (Polel) 1c1) to fly about or to and fro 1c2) to cause to fly to and fro, brandish 1d) (Hithpolel) to fly away 2) (Qal) to cover, be dark

soכֵּ֗ןKenH3651C
right

כֵּן (ken) adv adj 1) right, just, honest, true, veritable 1a) right, just, honest 1b) correct 1c) true, veritable

he will defendיָגֵ֛ןya-GENH1598
to defend

גָּנַן (ga.nan) 1) to defend, cover, surround 1a) (Qal) to defend 1b) (Hiphil) to defend

Yahwehיְהוָ֥הYAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

of hostsצְבָא֖וֹתtze-va-'otH6635B
Hosts

צָבָא (tsa.va) The Hosts (of the Lord) Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

onעַל־'al-H5921A
upon

עַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) …

Jerusalemיְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑םye-ru-sha-LIMH3389
Ariel

אֲרִיאֵל (a.ri.el) Ariel = "lion of God" or "lioness of God" Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

he will defend [it]גָּנ֥וֹןga-NONH1598
to defend

גָּנַן (ga.nan) 1) to defend, cover, surround 1a) (Qal) to defend 1b) (Hiphil) to defend

and he will rescue [it]וְהִצִּ֖ילve-hi-TZILH5337
to rescue

נָצַל (na.tsal) 1) to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder 1a)(Niphal) 1a1) to tear oneself away, deliver oneself 1a2) to be torn out or away, be delivered 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to strip off, spoil 1b2) to deliver 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to take away, snatch away 1c2) to rescue, recover 1c3) to deliver (from enemies or troubles or death) 1c4) to deliver from sin and guilt 1d) (Hophal) to be plucked out 1e) (Hithpael) to strip oneself Aramaic equivalent: ne.tsal (נְצַל "to rescue" H5338)

he will pass over [it]פָּסֹ֥חַpa-SO-achH6452A
to pass

פָּסַח (pa.sach) 1) to pass over, spring over 1a) (Qal) to pass over 1b) (Piel) to skip, pass over

and he will deliver [it]וְהִמְלִֽיט׃ve-him-LITH4422
to escape

מָלַט (ma.lat) 1) to slip away, escape, deliver, save, be delivered 1a)(Niphal) 1a1) to slip away 1a2) to escape 1a3) to be delivered 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to lay, let slip out (of eggs) 1b2) to let escape 1b3) to deliver, save (life) 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to give birth to 1c2) to deliver 1d) (Hithpael) 1d1) to slip forth, slip out, escape 1d2) to escape

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.