God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 33:23
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.
Isaiah 33:23 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey.
- New International Version (NIV)Your rigging hangs loose: The mast is not held secure, the sail is not spread. Then an abundance of spoils will be divided and even the lame will carry off plunder.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Your cords hang loose; they cannot hold the mast firm in its place or keep the sail spread out. Then prey and spoil in abundance will be divided; even the lame will take the prey.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Your tackle is loosed, They could not strengthen their mast, They could not spread the sail. Then the prey of great plunder is divided; The lame take the prey.
Context of Isaiah 33:23
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. 22The Lord is our judge. The Lord is our lawgiver. The Lord is our king. The Lord is our savior. Your 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. 24No one who lives ⌞in Zion⌟ will say, “I’m sick.” The sins of its inhabitants will be forgiven.
Read all of Isaiah 33Isaiah 33:23 word by word
נִטְּשׁ֖וּ חֲבָלָ֑יִךְ בַּל־יְחַזְּק֤וּ כֵן־תָּרְנָם֙ בַּל־פָּ֣רְשׂוּ נֵ֔ס אָ֣ז חֻלַּ֤ק עַֽד־שָׁלָל֙ מַרְבֶּ֔ה פִּסְחִ֖ים בָּ֥זְזוּ בַֽז׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thy tacklingsחֶ֫בֶלchebel chêbel · cordH2256
- are loosedנָטַשׁnâţash · to leaveH5203
- they could not wellכֵּןkên · standH3653
- strengthenחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: holdH2388
- their mastתֹּ֫רֶןtôren · mastH8650
- they could not spreadפָּרַשׂpâraώ · to spreadH6566
- the sailנֵסnês · ensignH5251
- then is the preyעַד‛ad · preyH5706
- of a greatמַרְבֶהmarbeh · abundanceH4766
- spoilשָׁלָלshâlâl · spoilH7998
- dividedחָלַקchâlaq · to divideH2505
- the lameפִּסֵּחַpissêach · lameH6455
- takeבָּזַזbâzaz · to plunderH962
- the preyבַּזbaz · plunderH957
Cross-references for Isaiah 33:23
- Isaiah 33:21The 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.
- Ezekiel 27:26Your rowers took you out to the high seas, and an east wind wrecked you in the sea.
- Acts 27:19On the third day they threw the ship’s equipment overboard.
- Isaiah 33:1How horrible it will be for you, you destroyer, although you haven’t been destroyed. How horrible it will be for you, you traitor, although you haven’t been betrayed. When you’ve finished destroying, you will be destroyed. When you’ve finished being a traitor, you will be betrayed.
- 2 Chronicles 20:25When Jehoshaphat and his troops came to take the loot, they found among them a lot of goods, clothes, and valuables. They found more than they could carry. They spent three days collecting the loot.
- 1 Samuel 30:10David and 400 men went in pursuit, while 200 men who were too exhausted to cross the Besor Valley stayed behind.
- 2 Kings 7:8When the men with skin diseases came to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent, ate and drank, and carried off the silver, gold, and clothes they found in that tent. They went away and hid them. Then they came back, went into another tent, carried off its contents, went away, and hid them.
- Psalms 68:12⌞They say,⌟ “The kings of the armies flee; they run away. The women who remained at home will divide the goods.
- 1 Corinthians 1:27But God chose what the world considers nonsense to put wise people to shame. God chose what the world considers weak to put what is strong to shame.
Commentaries on Isaiah 33:23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23Thy tacklings are loosed - Here the Assyrians are represented under the figure of a ship wrecked by a violent storm; and the people on the beach, young, old, feeble, and diseased, gathering the spoil without any to hinder them. Kimchi, who understands the whole of this chapter of Hezekiah and the king of Assyria, says, "There are others of our rabbins who apply it all to the days of the Messiah." Their mast "Thy mast" - For תרנם tornam, "their mast, "the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23Thy tacklings - This is evidently an address to Sennacherib. The mention of the war-galley and the ship seems to have suggested the application of the figure to the enemies of the Jews, and particularly to Sennacherib. The prophet, therefore, compares the Assyrian to a ship that was rendered unserviceable; whose sails were unfastened, and whose mast could not be made firm, and which was therefore at the mercy of winds and waves. The Hebrew which is…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. 2323. tacklings--Continuing the allegory in Is 33:21, he compares the enemies' host to a war galley which is deprived of the tacklings or cords by which the mast is sustained and the sail is spread; and which therefore is sure to be wrecked on "the broad river" (Is 33:21), and become the prey of Israel. they--the tacklings, "hold not firm the base of the mast." then--when the Assyrian host shall have been discomfited. Hezekiah had given Sennacherib three…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 33:23
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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