God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 27:1
1On that day the Lord will use his fierce and powerful sword to punish Leviathan, that slippery snake, Leviathan, that twisting snake. He will kill that monster which lives in the sea.
Isaiah 27:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.
- New International Version (NIV)In that day, the Lord will punish with his sword— his fierce, great and powerful sword— Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he will slay the monster of the sea.
- English Standard Version (ESV)In that day the Lord with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.
- New King James Version (NKJV)In that day the Lord with His severe sword, great and strong, Will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan that twisted serpent; And He will slay the reptile that is in the sea.
Context of Isaiah 27:1
On that day the Lord will use his fierce and powerful sword to punish Leviathan, that slippery snake, Leviathan, that twisting snake. He will kill that monster which lives in the sea. 2On that day sing about a delightful vineyard. 3I, the Lord, watch over it. I water it continually. I watch over it day and night so that no one will harm it.
Read all of Isaiah 27Isaiah 27:1 word by word
בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֡וּא יִפְקֹ֣ד יְהוָה֩ בְּחַרְב֨וֹ הַקָּשָׁ֜ה וְהַגְּדוֹלָ֣ה וְהַֽחֲזָקָ֗ה עַ֤ל לִוְיָתָן֙ נָחָ֣שׁ בָּרִ֔חַ וְעַל֙ לִוְיָתָ֔ן נָחָ֖שׁ עֲקַלָּת֑וֹן וְהָרַ֥ג אֶת־הַתַּנִּ֖ין אֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּיָּֽם׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- In that dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- with his soreקָשֶׁהqâsheh · severeH7186
- and greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- and strongחָזָקchâzâq · strongH2389
- swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
- shall punishפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: punishH6485
- leviathanלִוְיָתָןlivyâthân · LeviathanH3882
- the piercingבָּרִיחַbârîyach bâriach · fleeingH1281
- serpentנָחָשׁnâchâsh · serpentH5175
- that crookedעֲקַלָּתוֹן‛ăqallâthôn · crookedH6129
- and he shall slayהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
- the dragonתַּנִּיןtannîyn tannîym · serpent: monsterH8577
- in the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
Cross-references for Isaiah 27:1
- Isaiah 34:5When my sword is covered ⌞with blood⌟ in the heavens, it will fall on Edom and on the people I’ve claimed for destruction.
- Isaiah 66:16The Lord will judge with fire, and he will judge all people with his sword. Many people will be struck dead by the Lord.
- Deuteronomy 32:41I will sharpen my flashing sword and take justice into my own hands. Then I will take revenge on my enemies and pay back those who hate me.
- Job 40:19Behemoth is the first of God’s conquests. Its maker approaches it with his sword.
- Psalms 45:3O warrior, strap your sword to your side with your splendor and majesty.
- Jeremiah 47:6You cry out, “Sword of the Lord, how long will you keep on fighting? Go back into your scabbard. Stay there and rest!”
- Revelation 2:16So return to me and change the way you think and act, or I will come to you quickly and wage war against them with the sword from my mouth.
- Revelation 19:21The rider on the horse killed the rest with the sword that came out of his mouth. All the birds gorged themselves on the flesh of those who had been killed.
- Job 12:1Then Job replied ⌞to his friends⌟,
- Psalms 74:14You crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave them to the creatures of the desert for food.
- Psalms 104:26Ships sail on it, and Leviathan, which you made, plays in it.
- Isaiah 65:25Wolves and lambs will feed together, lions will eat straw like oxen, and dust will be food for snakes. “They will not hurt or destroy anyone anywhere on my holy mountain,” says the Lord.
- Job 26:13With his wind the sky was cleared. With his hand he stabbed the fleeing snake.
- Isaiah 51:9Wake up! Wake up! Clothe yourself with strength, O Lord! Wake up as you did in days long past, as in generations long ago. Didn’t you cut Rahab into pieces and stab the serpent?
- Psalms 74:13You stirred up the sea with your own strength. You smashed the heads of sea monsters in the water.
- Jeremiah 51:34King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has devoured us. He has thrown us into confusion. He has turned us into empty jars. He has swallowed us like a monster. He has filled his belly with our delicacies. Then he spit us out.
Commentaries on Isaiah 27:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Leviathan - The animals here mentioned seem to be the crocodile, rigid by the stiffness of the backbone, so that he cannot readily turn himself when he pursues his prey; hence the easiest way of escaping from him is by making frequent and short turnings: the serpent or dragon, flexible and winding, which coils himself up in a circular form: and the sea monster, or whale. These are used allegorically, without doubt for great potentates, enemies and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1In that day - In that future time when the Jews would be captive in Babylon, and when they would sigh for deliverance (see the note at Isaiah 26:1). This verse might have been connected with the previous chapter, as it refers to the same event, and then this chapter would have more appropriately commenced with the poem or song which begins in Isaiah 27:2. With his sore - Hebrew, הקשׁה haqāshâh - Hard.‘ Septuagint, ̀ ̔́ Tēn hagian - Holy.‘ The Hebrew…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1God's care over his people. (Is. 27:1-5) A promise of their recall to Divine favour. (Is. 27:6-13) Verses 1-5 The Lord Jesus with his strong sword, the virtue of his death, and the preaching of his gospel, does and will destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, that old serpent. The world is a fruitless, worthless wilderness; but the church is a vineyard, a place that has great care taken of it, and from which precious fruits are…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Israel used the image of Leviathan to represent evil powers that oppose God. Leviathan's death symbolizes the end of evil, Satan, demons, and forces hostile to God (see Isaiah 51:9; Psalms 74:14; 104:7–9, 26; see also the serpent in Genesis 3; Revelation 12; 13; 16:13; 20:2, 10).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-13At the time when Israel shall be delivered, and the ungodly nations punished, God shall punish also the great enemy of the Church. 1. sore--rather, "hard," "well-tempered." leviathan--literally, in Arabic, "the twisted animal," applicable to every great tenant of the waters, sea-serpents, crocodiles, &c. In Eze 29:3; 32:2; Da 7:1, &c. Re 12:3, &c., potentates hostile to Israel are similarly described; antitypically and ultimately Satan is intended (Re…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 27:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 27
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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