God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 33:21
21The Lord will be our mighty defender in a place surrounded by wide rivers and streams. Ships with oars won’t travel on them. Stately ships won’t sail on them.
Isaiah 33:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.
- New International Version (NIV)There the Lord will be our Mighty One. It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams. No galley with oars will ride them, no mighty ship will sail them.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But there the Lord in majesty will be for us a place of broad rivers and streams, where no galley with oars can go, nor majestic ship can pass.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But there the majestic Lord will be for us A place of broad rivers and streams, In which no galley with oars will sail, Nor majestic ships pass by
Context of Isaiah 33:21
19You will no longer see those savage people, those people with an unrecognizable language, with a foreign language that you can’t understand. 20Look at Zion, the city of our festivals. Your eyes will see Jerusalem as a peaceful place. It is a tent that can’t be moved. Its tent pegs will never be pulled out, and none of its ropes will be broken. The Lord will be our mighty defender in a place surrounded by wide rivers and streams. Ships with oars won’t travel on them. Stately ships won’t sail on them. 22The Lord is our judge. The Lord is our lawgiver. The Lord is our king. The Lord is our savior. 23Your ropes hang loose, your mast isn’t secure, and your sail isn’t spread out. A large amount of loot will be distributed. Lame people will carry off your loot.
Read all of Isaiah 33Isaiah 33:21 word by word
כִּ֣י אִם־שָׁ֞ם אַדִּ֤יר יְהוָה֙ לָ֔נוּ מְקוֹם־נְהָרִ֥ים יְאֹרִ֖ים רַחֲבֵ֣י יָדָ֑יִם בַּל־תֵּ֤לֶךְ בּוֹ֙ אֳנִי־שַׁ֔יִט וְצִ֥י אַדִּ֖יר לֹ֥א יַעַבְרֶֽנּוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- But there the gloriousאַדִּיר'addîyr · greatH117
- Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- unto us a placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
- of broadיָדyâd · hand: spaciousH3027
- of broadרָחָבrâchâb · broad: wideH7342
- riversנָהָרnâhâr · riverH5104
- streamsיְאֹרye'ôr · streamH2975
- wherein shall goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- noבַּלbal · notH1077
- galleyאֳנִי'onîy · fleetH590
- with oarsשַׁ֫יִטshayiţ · oarH7885
- shipצִיtsîy · shipH6716
- passעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
Cross-references for Isaiah 33:21
- Psalms 29:3The voice of the Lord rolls over the water. The God of glory thunders. The Lord shouts over raging water.
- Acts 7:2Stephen answered, “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God who reveals his glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia. This happened before Abraham lived in Haran.
- 2 Corinthians 4:4The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. As a result, they don’t see the light of the Good News about Christ’s glory. It is Christ who is God’s image.
- Psalms 46:4There is a river whose streams bring joy to the city of God, the holy place where the Most High lives.
Commentaries on Isaiah 33:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21The glorious Lord "The glorious name of Jehovah" - I take שם shem for a noun, with the Septuagint and Syriac. See Psalm 20:1; Proverbs 18:10.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21But there - In Jersalem; or in his church, of which Jerusalem was the emblem. The glorious Lord - Lowth renders it, The glorious name of Yahweh,‘ שׁם shâm to be a noun, as if it were pointed שׁם shēm So the Syriac and the Septuagint read it. The word glorious‘ (אדיר 'adiyr ) means magnificent; denoting that Yahweh would manifest himself there as magnificent or great in the destruction of his enemies, and in the protection of his people. Will be unto us…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-24Verses 15-24 The true believer watches against all occasions of sin. The Divine power will keep him safe, and his faith in that power will keep him easy. He shall want nothing needful for him. Every blessing of salvation is freely bestowed on all that ask with humble, believing prayer; and the believer is safe in time and for ever. Those that walk uprightly shall not only have bread given, and their water sure, but they shall, by faith, see the King of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-24This vision is about God’s reign in Zion.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. there--namely, in Jerusalem. will be ... rivers--Jehovah will be as a broad river surrounding our city (compare Is 19:6; Na 3:8), and this, too, a river of such a kind as no ship of war can pass (compare Is 26:1). Jerusalem had not the advantage of a river; Jehovah will be as one to it, affording all the advantages, without any of the disadvantages of one. galley with oars--war vessels of a long shape, and propelled by oars; merchant vessels were…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 33:21
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 33
- 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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