God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 1:31
31Strong people will become tinder for a fire, and their work will be the spark. Both of them will burn together, and there will be no one to put out the fire.
Isaiah 1:31 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.
- New International Version (NIV)The mighty man will become tinder and his work a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench the fire.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the strong shall become tinder, and his work a spark, and both of them shall burn together, with none to quench them.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The strong shall be as tinder, And the work of it as a spark; Both will burn together, And no one shall quench them.
Context of Isaiah 1:31
29You will be ashamed of the oaks that you wanted to worship and embarrassed by the garden that you have chosen for your gods. 30You will be like an oak whose leaves wither and like a garden without water. Strong people will become tinder for a fire, and their work will be the spark. Both of them will burn together, and there will be no one to put out the fire.
Read all of Isaiah 1Isaiah 1:31 word by word
וְהָיָ֤ה הֶחָסֹן֙ לִנְעֹ֔רֶת וּפֹעֲל֖וֹ לְנִיצ֑וֹץ וּבָעֲר֧וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֛ם יַחְדָּ֖ו וְאֵ֥ין מְכַבֶּֽה׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the strongחָסֹןchâsôn · strongH2634
- shall be as towנְעֹ֫רֶתne‛ôreth · towH5296
- and the makerפֹּ֫עַלpô‛al · workH6467
- of it as a sparkנִיצוֹץnîytsôts · sparkH5213
- and they shall bothשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- burnבָּעַרbâ‛ar · to burn: burnH1197
- togetherיָחְדָּוyachad · togetherH3162
- and none shall quenchכָּבָהkâbâh · to quenchH3518
Cross-references for Isaiah 1:31
- Ezekiel 32:21The mightiest warriors will say to Pharaoh from the grave, ‘You and your defenders have come down, and you now lie with the godless people who were killed in battle.’
- Isaiah 27:4I am no longer angry. If only thorns and briars would confront me! I would fight them in battle and set all of them on fire.
- Isaiah 43:17He leads chariots and horses, an army and reinforcements. (They lie down together and do not get up ⌞again⌟. They are extinguished and snuffed out like a wick.) This is what the Lord says:
- Isaiah 50:11But all of you light fires and arm yourselves with flaming torches. So walk in your own light and among the torches you have lit. This is what you will receive from me: You will be tormented.
- Judges 15:14When he came to Lehi, the Philistines met him with shouts ⌞of triumph⌟. But the Lord’s Spirit came over him. The ropes on his arms became like strings burned in a fire, and those on his hands snapped.
- Revelation 6:14The sky vanished like a scroll being rolled up. Every mountain and island was moved from its place.
- Isaiah 34:9Edom’s streams will be turned to tar. Its soil will be turned to burning sulfur. Its land will become blazing tar.
- Isaiah 66:24Then they will go out and look at the corpses of those who have rebelled against me. The worms that eat them will not die. The fire that burns them will not go out. All humanity will be disgusted by them.
- Ezekiel 20:47Tell the forest in the Negev, ‘Listen to the Lord’s word. This is what the Almighty Lord says: I am about to set fire to you to destroy all your green trees and all your dry trees. The blazing fire will not be put out. It will burn the whole land from the south to the north.
- Malachi 4:1“Certainly the day is coming! It will burn like a furnace. All arrogant people and all evildoers will be ⌞like⌟ straw. The day that is coming will burn them up completely,” says the Lord of Armies. “It won’t leave a single root or branch.
- Matthew 3:10The ax is now ready to cut the roots of the trees. Any tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire.
- Mark 9:43“So if your hand causes you to lose your faith, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life disabled than to have two hands and go to hell, to the fire that cannot be put out.
- Revelation 14:10will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured unmixed into the cup of God’s anger. Then he will be tortured by fiery sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the lamb.
- Revelation 19:20The beast and the false prophet who had done miracles for the beast were captured. By these miracles the false prophet had deceived those who had the brand of the beast and worshiped its statue. Both of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
- Revelation 20:10The devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were also thrown. They will be tortured day and night forever and ever.
Commentaries on Isaiah 1:31
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31And the strong - Those who have been thought to be strong, on whom the people relied for protection and defense - their rulers, princes, and the commanders of their armies. As tow - The coarse or broken part of flax, or hemp. It means here that which shall be easily and quickly kindled and rapidly consumed. As tow burns and is destroyed at the touch of fire, so shall the rulers of the people be consumed by the approaching calamities. And the maker of it…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 21-31Verses 21-31 Neither holy cities nor royal ones are faithful to their trust, if religion does not dwell in them. Dross may shine like silver, and the wine that is mixed with water may still have the colour of wine. Those have a great deal to answer for, who do not help the oppressed, but oppress them. Men may do much by outward restraints; but only God works effectually by the influences of his Spirit, as a Spirit of Judgment. Sin is the worst captivity…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3131. strong--powerful rulers (Am 2:9). maker of it--rather, his work. He shall be at once the fuel, "tow," and the cause of the fire, by kindling the first "spark." both--the wicked ruler, and "his work," which "is as a spark."Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 1:31
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 1
- 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
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