English Standard Version
Isaiah 59:5
5They hatch adders' eggs; they weave the spider's web; he who eats their eggs dies, and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched.
Isaiah 59:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)They hatch cockatrice’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.
- New International Version (NIV)They hatch the eggs of vipers and spin a spider’s web. Whoever eats their eggs will die, and when one is broken, an adder is hatched.
- New King James Version (NKJV)They hatch vipers’ eggs and weave the spider’s web; He who eats of their eggs dies, And from that which is crushed a viper breaks out.
- New Living Translation (NLT)They hatch deadly snakes and weave spiders’ webs. Whoever eats their eggs will die; whoever cracks them will hatch a viper.
Context of Isaiah 59:5
3For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies; your tongue mutters wickedness. 4No one enters suit justly; no one goes to law honestly; they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity. They hatch adders' eggs; they weave the spider's web; he who eats their eggs dies, and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched. 6Their webs will not serve as clothing; men will not cover themselves with what they make. Their works are works of iniquity, and deeds of violence are in their hands. 7Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways.
Read all of Isaiah 59Isaiah 59:5 word by word
בֵּיצֵ֤י צִפְעוֹנִי֙ בִּקֵּ֔עוּ וְקוּרֵ֥י עַכָּבִ֖ישׁ יֶאֱרֹ֑גוּ הָאֹכֵ֤ל מִבֵּֽיצֵיהֶם֙ יָמ֔וּת וְהַזּוּרֶ֖ה תִּבָּקַ֥ע אֶפְעֶֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- They hatchבָּקַעbâqa‛ · to break up/openH1234
- cockatrice’צִפְעוֹנִיtsepha‛ tsiph‛ônîy · serpentH6848
- eggsבֵּיצָהbêytsâh · eggH1000
- and weaveאָרַג'ârag · to weaveH707
- the spider’sעַכָּבִישׁ‛akkâbîysh · spiderH5908
- webקוּרqûr · webH6980
- he that eatethאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- diethמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- and that which is crushedזוּרֶהzûreh · crushedH2116
- into a viperאֶפְעֶה'eph‛eh · viperH660
Cross-references for Isaiah 59:5
- Isaiah 14:29Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you, that the rod that struck you is broken, for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder, and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.
- Proverbs 23:32In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.
- Matthew 3:7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
- Matthew 12:34You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Commentaries on Isaiah 59:5
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5They hatch cockatrice‘ eggs - Margin, Adders‘.‘ On the meaning of the word rendered here cockatrice,‘ see the notes at Isaiah 11:8. Some poisonous serpent is intended, probably the adder, or the serpent known among the Greeks as the basilisk, or cerastes. This figurative expression is designed to show the evil nature and tendency of their works. They were as if they should carefully nourish the eggs of a venomous serpent. Instead of crushing them with the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5-6The images of deadly snakes and spiders’ webs represent plans designed to destroy others’ lives and relationships.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. cockatrice--probably the basilisk serpent, cerastes. Instead of crushing evil in the egg, they foster it. spider's web--This refers not to the spider's web being made to entrap, but to its thinness, as contrasted with substantial "garments," as Is 59:6 shows. Their works are vain and transitory (Job 8:14; Pr 11:18). eateth ... their eggs--he who partakes in their plans, or has anything to do with them, finds them pestiferous. that which is crushed--The…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 59:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 59
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries