Isaiah 29:8

Isaiah 29:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.
• New International Version (NIV)as when a hungry person dreams of eating, but awakens hungry still; as when a thirsty person dreams of drinking, but awakens faint and thirsty still. So will it be with the hordes of all the nations that fight against Mount Zion.
• English Standard Version (ESV)As when a hungry man dreams, and behold, he is eating, and awakes with his hunger not satisfied, or as when a thirsty man dreams, and behold, he is drinking, and awakes faint, with his thirst not quenched, so shall the multitude of all the nations be that fight against Mount Zion.
• New King James Version (NKJV)It shall even be as when a hungry man dreams, And look—he eats; But he awakes, and his soul is still empty; Or as when a thirsty man dreams, And look—he drinks; But he awakes, and indeed he is faint, And his soul still craves: So the multitude of all the nations shall be, Who fight against Mount Zion.”

Context of Isaiah 29:8

6The Lord Almighty will come with great power. He will come with thunder, earthquake and a loud noise. There will be a great storm with strong winds and a fire that burns up everything. 7The great crowd of armies from all the nations that attack Ariel will quickly disappear. They will soon come to an end, like a dream that someone sees in the night. All the weapons that they bring to attack the city's walls will disappear! A hungry man may dream that he is eating a big meal. But as soon as he wakes up, he knows that he is still hungry! A thirsty man may dream that he is drinking. But as soon as he wakes up, he knows that he is still weak and thirsty. That is what it will be like for the great armies from all the nations that have come to attack Mount Zion. 9You are so surprised that you do not believe what I say. You have become completely blind. You are stupid, like people who are drunk, but not from wine! You fall over, but not because you have drunk too much beer! 10It is the Lord who has caused you to be like that. He has caused you to be completely asleep. He has shut the eyes of your prophets and he has covered the heads of your seers.

Isaiah 29:8 word by word

וְהָיָ֡ה כַּאֲשֶׁר֩ יַחֲלֹ֨ם הָרָעֵ֜ב וְהִנֵּ֣ה אוֹכֵ֗ל וְהֵקִיץ֮ וְרֵיקָ֣ה נַפְשׁוֹ֒ וְכַאֲשֶׁ֨ר יַחֲלֹ֤ם הַצָּמֵא֙ וְהִנֵּ֣ה שֹׁתֶ֔ה וְהֵקִיץ֙ וְהִנֵּ֣ה עָיֵ֔ף וְנַפְשׁ֖וֹ שׁוֹקֵקָ֑ה כֵּ֣ן יִֽהְיֶ֗ה הֲמוֹן֙ כָּל־הַגּוֹיִ֔ם הַצֹּבְאִ֖ים עַל־הַ֥ר צִיּֽוֹן׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• It shall even be as when an hungryרָעֵבrâ‛êb · hungryH7457
• dreamethחָלַםchâlam · to dreamH2492
• and, behold, he eatethאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• but he awakethקִיץqûts · to awakeH6974
• and his soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: appetiteH5315
• is emptyרֵיקrêyq rêq · worthlessH7386
• or as whenאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• a thirsty manצָמֵאtsâmê' · thirstyH6771
• and, behold, he drinkethשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
• faintעָיֵף‛âyêph · faintH5889
• hath appetiteשָׁקַקshâqaq · to rushH8264
• so shall the multitudeהָמוֹןhâmôn hâmôn · crowdH1995
• of all the nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• be, that fightצָבָאtsâbâ' · to serveH6633
• against mountהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
• Zionצִיּוֹןtsîyôn · ZionH6726

Cross-references for Isaiah 29:8

• Isaiah 10:7But Assyria's ruler has other ideas. He does not understand that he is my weapon. He wants his army to destroy many nations, so that they have no power.
• 2 Chronicles 32:21The Lord God sent an angel to destroy Assyria's army. The angel killed all the soldiers and the army officers in their camp. So the king of Assyria had to return home to his own country. He was very ashamed. He went into the temple of his god. There some of his own sons used their swords to kill him.
• Isaiah 44:12This is how they make their idols: A man who works with iron takes his tool. He makes the metal hot in the fire. Then he uses hammers to hit it with his strong arms. He hits it so that it has the right shape. But then he becomes hungry. He is too weak to work any more. He does not drink any water and so he feels tired.

Commentaries on Isaiah 29:8

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8It shall even be … - This is a most striking figure representing the earnest desire of the Assyrian to possess the city of Jerusalem, and his utter disappointment. The comparison is elegant and beautiful in the highest degree. It is performed up to great perfection; and is perfectly suited to illustrate the object in view. The same image substantially is found in the classic writers; and this, says Lowth, may, for beauty and ingenuity, fairly come in…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8Like a hungry or thirsty person, the Assyrians could taste the victory over Jerusalem. Yet they never became victorious.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. Their disappointment in the very height of their confident expectation of taking Jerusalem shall be as great as that of the hungry man who in a dream fancies he eats, but awakes to hunger still (Psa 73:20); their dream shall be dissipated on the fatal morning (Is 37:36). soul--simply his appetite: he is still thirsty.Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 29:8

• Dream
• Isaiah
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning

In the dictionaries

• Close
• Mouth
• Raise
• Sennacherib
• Appetite
• Empty; Emptier
• Faint
• Hunger
• Isaiah

Commentaries on Isaiah 29

• 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