Isaiah 5:24

Isaiah 5:24 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
• New International Version (NIV)Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom go up like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble, And the flame consumes the chaff, So their root will be as rottenness, And their blossom will ascend like dust; Because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Context of Isaiah 5:24

22Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, who are champions at pouring beer, 23who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive the innocent of justice. Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes straw and as dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will become like something rotten and their blossoms will blow away like dust, for they have rejected the instruction of the Lord of Armies, and they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25Therefore the Lord’s anger burned against his people. He raised his hand against them and struck them; the mountains quaked, and their corpses were like garbage in the streets. In all this, his anger has not turned away, and his hand is still raised to strike. 26He raises a signal flag for the distant nations and whistles for them from the ends of the earth. Look — how quickly and swiftly they come!

Isaiah 5:24 word by word

לָכֵן֩ כֶּאֱכֹ֨ל קַ֜שׁ לְשׁ֣וֹן אֵ֗שׁ וַחֲשַׁ֤שׁ לֶֽהָבָה֙ יִרְפֶּ֔ה שָׁרְשָׁם֙ כַּמָּ֣ק יִֽהְיֶ֔ה וּפִרְחָ֖ם כָּאָבָ֣ק יַעֲלֶ֑ה כִּ֣י מָאֲס֗וּ אֵ֚ת תּוֹרַת֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת וְאֵ֛ת אִמְרַ֥ת קְדֽוֹשׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נִאֵֽצוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Therefore as the fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
• devourethאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• the stubbleקַשׁqash · stubbleH7179
• and the flameלֶהָבָהlehâbâh lahebeth · flameH3852
• and the flameלָשׁוֹןlâshôn lâshôn leshônâh · tongueH3956
• consumethרָפָהrâphâh · to slackenH7503
• the chaffחֲשַׁשׁchâshash · chaffH2842
• their rootשֹׁ֫רֶשׁsheresh · rootH8328
• shall be as rottennessמַקmaq · decayH4716
• and their blossomפֶּ֫רַחperach · flowerH6525
• shall go upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• as dustאָבָק'âbâq · dustH80
• because they have cast awayמָאַסmâ'as · to rejectH3988
• the lawתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
• and despisedנָאַץnâ'ats · to spurnH5006
• the wordאִמְרָה'imrâh 'emrâh · wordH565
• of the Holy Oneקָדוֹשׁqâdôsh qâdôsh · holyH6918
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478

Cross-references for Isaiah 5:24

• Isaiah 47:14Look, they are like stubble; fire burns them. They cannot rescue themselves from the power of the flame. This is not a coal for warming themselves, or a fire to sit beside!
• Exodus 15:7You overthrew your adversaries by your great majesty. You unleashed your burning wrath; it consumed them like stubble.
• Joel 2:5They bound on the tops of the mountains. Their sound is like the sound of chariots, like the sound of fiery flames consuming stubble, like a mighty army deployed for war.
• Nahum 1:10For they will be consumed like entangled thorns, like the drink of a drunkard and like straw that is fully dry.
• Malachi 4:1“For look, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and everyone who commits wickedness will become stubble. The coming day will consume them,” says the Lord of Armies, “not leaving them root or branches.
• 1 Corinthians 3:12If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw,
• Matthew 3:12His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn. But the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out.”
• Luke 3:17His winnowing shovel is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out.”
• Isaiah 9:14So the Lord cut off Israel’s head and tail, palm branch and reed in a single day.
• Job 18:16His roots below dry up, and his branches above wither away.
• Hosea 9:16Ephraim is struck down; their roots are withered; they cannot bear fruit. Even if they bear children, I will kill the precious offspring of their wombs.
• Amos 2:9Yet I destroyed the Amorite as Israel advanced; his height was like the cedars, and he was as sturdy as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath.
• 1 Samuel 15:23For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.
• 2 Kings 17:14But they would not listen. Instead they became obstinate like their ancestors who did not believe the Lord their God.
• Nehemiah 9:26But they were disobedient and rebelled against you. They flung your law behind their backs and killed your prophets who warned them in order to turn them back to you. They committed terrible blasphemies.
• Psalms 50:17You hate instruction and fling my words behind you.

Commentaries on Isaiah 5:24

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 24The flame "The tongue of fire" - "The flame, because it is in the shape of a tongue; and so it is called metaphorically." Sal. ben Melec. The metaphor is so exceedingly obvious, as well as beautiful, that one may wonder that it has not been more frequently used. Virgil very elegantly intimates, rather than expresses, the image; - Ecce levis summo de vertice visus Iuli Fundere lumen apex; tactuque innoxia molli Lambere flamma comas, et circum tempora…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 24Therefore as the fire … - The remainder of this chapter is occupied with predicting “judgments,” or punishments, upon the people for their sins which had been specified. The Hebrew here is, The tongue of fire.‘ The figure is beautiful and obvious. It is derived from the pyramidal, or tongue-like appearance of “flame.” The concinnity of the metaphor in the Hebrew is kept up. The word “devoureth” is in the Hebrew “eateth:” As the tongue of fire eats up,‘…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 24-30Verses 24-30 Let not any expect to live easily who live wickedly. Sin weakens the strength, the root of a people; it defaces the beauty, the blossoms of a people. When God's word is despised, and his law cast away, what can men expect but that God should utterly abandon them? When God comes forth in wrath, the hills tremble, fear seizes even great men. When God designs the ruin of a provoking people, he can find instruments to be employed in it, as he…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 24The image of rotting roots reflects human transience (the short and fragile nature of human life; see Isaiah 11:1; 27:6; 37:31). To despise the Lord’s word means to reject or ignore it. It means living without concern for obeying what God has said. This attitude leads to folly (foolish living) and ruin (Proverbs 1:30; 5:12; 15:5).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2424. Literally, "tongue of fire eateth" (Ac 2:3). flame consumeth the chaff--rather, withered grass falleth before the flame (Mt 3:12). root ... blossom--entire decay, both the hidden source and outward manifestations of prosperity, perishing (Job 18:16; Mal 4:1). cast away ... law--in its spirit, while retaining the letter.Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 5:24

• Backsliders
• Chaff
• Infidelity
• Isaiah
• Presumption
• Scoffing
• Stubble
• Wicked (People)
• Word of God

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Holy One
• Lord of Hosts
• Agriculture
• Cast
• Chaff
• Cord
• Cry

Commentaries on Isaiah 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings