God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 47:8
8Now then, listen to this, you lover of pleasure. You live securely and say to yourself, “I’m the only one, and there’s no one else. I won’t live as a widow. I won’t suffer the loss of children.”
Isaiah 47:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children:
- New International Version (NIV)“Now then, listen, you lover of pleasure, lounging in your security and saying to yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me. I will never be a widow or suffer the loss of children.’
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now therefore hear this, you lover of pleasures, who sit securely, who say in your heart, "I am, and there is no one besides me; I shall not sit as a widow or know the loss of children":
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Therefore hear this now, you who are given to pleasures, Who dwell securely, Who say in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one else besides me; I shall not sit as a widow, Nor shall I know the loss of children’;
Context of Isaiah 47:8
6I was angry with my people. I dishonored those who belong to me. I put them under your control. You showed them no mercy. You placed a heavy burden on old people. 7You said, “I will always be a queen.” You didn’t carefully consider these things or keep in mind how they would end. Now then, listen to this, you lover of pleasure. You live securely and say to yourself, “I’m the only one, and there’s no one else. I won’t live as a widow. I won’t suffer the loss of children.” 9In one day both of these will happen to you instantly: the loss of your children and your husband. All this will happen to you in spite of your evil magic and your many spells. 10You feel safe in your wickedness and say, “No one can see me.” Your wisdom and knowledge have led you astray, so you say to yourself, “I’m the only one, and there’s no one else.”
Read all of Isaiah 47Isaiah 47:8 word by word
וְעַתָּ֞ה שִׁמְעִי־זֹ֤את עֲדִינָה֙ הַיּוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת לָבֶ֔טַח הָאֹֽמְרָה֙ בִּלְבָ֔בָהּ אֲנִ֖י וְאַפְסִ֣י ע֑וֹד לֹ֤א אֵשֵׁב֙ אַלְמָנָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א אֵדַ֖ע שְׁכֽוֹל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Therefore hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- given to pleasuresעָדִין‛âdîyn · voluptuousH5719
- that dwellestיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- carelesslyבֶּ֫טַחbeţach · securityH983
- that sayestאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- in thine heartלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
- and none elseאֶ֫פֶס'ephes · endH657
- a widowאַלְמָנָה'almânâh · widowH490
- neither shall I knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- the loss of childrenשְׁכוֹלshekôl · bereavementH7908
Cross-references for Isaiah 47:8
- Isaiah 21:4I’m confused. I’m shaking with terror. The twilight hours I longed for make me tremble.
- Isaiah 22:12On that day the Almighty Lord of Armies will call for crying and for mourning, for shaving your heads and for wearing sackcloth.
- Isaiah 32:9Get up, and listen to me, you pampered women. Hear what I say, you overconfident daughters.
- Judges 18:7The five men left there and came to the city of Laish. They saw that the people there lived without a care. These people were like the people of Sidon. They were peaceful and secure. There was no one around who threatened to take away their property by force. They were far from the people of Sidon and totally independent.
- Jeremiah 50:11“You are happy and excited. You have looted the people who belong to me. You dance around like calves on the grass and neigh like stallions.
- Daniel 5:1King Belshazzar threw a large banquet for 1,000 nobles and drank wine with them.
- Zephaniah 2:15Is this the arrogant city? Is this the city that used to live securely, the city that used to think to itself, “I’m the only one, and no one else exists but me”? What a wasteland it is now, a resting place for wild animals! All who pass by it will hiss and make an obscene gesture.
- Revelation 18:3All the nations fell because of the wine of her sexual sins. The kings of the earth had sex with her. Her luxurious wealth has made the merchants of the earth rich.”
- Isaiah 47:10You feel safe in your wickedness and say, “No one can see me.” Your wisdom and knowledge have led you astray, so you say to yourself, “I’m the only one, and there’s no one else.”
- Jeremiah 50:31“I’m against you, you arrogant city,” declares the Almighty Lord of Armies. “Your day has come, the time when I will punish you.
- Jeremiah 51:53The people of Babylon might go up to heaven. They might fortify their strongholds. But destroyers will still come from me against them,” declares the Lord.
- Daniel 4:22You are that tree, Your Majesty. You grew and became strong and mighty until you reached the sky. Your power reaches the most distant part of the world.
- Daniel 5:23But you made yourself greater than the Lord of heaven. You had the utensils from his temple brought to you. You, your nobles, wives, and concubines drank wine from them. You praised your gods made of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, or stone. These gods can’t see, hear, or know anything. You didn’t honor God, who has power over your life and everything you do.
- Daniel 11:36“The king will do as he pleases. He will highly honor himself above every god. He will say amazing things against the God of gods. He will succeed until God’s anger is over, because what has been decided must be done.
- Habakkuk 2:5Also because wine is treacherous he is arrogant and never rests. He has a large appetite like the grave. He is like death—never satisfied. He gathers all the nations to himself. He collects all the people to himself.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:4He opposes every so-called god or anything that is worshiped and places himself above them, sitting in God’s temple and claiming to be God.
Commentaries on Isaiah 47:8
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Therefore hear now this - The prophet proceeds, in this verse and the following, to detail more particularly the sins of Babylon, and to state the certainty of the punishment which would come upon her. In the previous verses, the denunciation of punishment had been figurative. It had been represented under the image of a lady delicately trained and nurtured, doomed to the lowest condition of life, and compelled to stoop to the most menial offices. Here…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-15Verses 7-15 Let us beware of acting and speaking as Babylon did; of trusting in tyranny and oppression; of boasting as to our abilities, relying on ourselves, and ascribing success to our own prudence and wisdom; lest we partake of her plagues. Those in the height of prosperity, are apt to fancy themselves out of the reach of adversity. It is also common for sinners to think they shall be safe, because they think to be secret in wicked ways. But their…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8I am, and there is none besides me: This was a claim to divinity (compare Isaiah 45:5; 47:10). Only the Lord can make such a claim. It is extremely arrogant for any created thing, including a nation, to say this. Being a widow or losing one's children was considered a disgrace.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. given to pleasures--(See on Is 47:1). In no city were there so many incentives to licentiousness. I am ... none ... beside me--(Is 47:10). Language of arrogance in man's mouth; fitting for God alone (Is 45:6). See Is 5:8, latter part. widow ... loss of children--A state, represented as a female, when it has fallen is called a widow, because its king is no more; and childless, because it has no inhabitants; they having been carried off as captives (Is…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 47:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 47
- 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries