God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 5:13
13“My people will go into exile because they don’t understand what I’m doing. Honored men will starve, and common people will be parched with thirst.”
Isaiah 5:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.
- New International Version (NIV)Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding; those of high rank will die of hunger and the common people will be parched with thirst.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore my people go into exile for lack of knowledge; their honored men go hungry, and their multitude is parched with thirst.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore my people have gone into captivity, Because they have no knowledge; Their honorable men are famished, And their multitude dried up with thirst.
Context of Isaiah 5:13
11How horrible it will be for those who get up early to look for a drink, who sit up late until they are drunk from wine. 12At their feasts there are lyres and harps, tambourines and flutes, and wine. Yet, they don’t pay attention to what the Lord is doing or see what his hands have done. “My people will go into exile because they don’t understand what I’m doing. Honored men will starve, and common people will be parched with thirst.” 14That is why the grave’s appetite increases. It opens its mouth very wide so that honored people and common people will go down into it. Those who are noisy and joyous will go down into it. 15People will be brought down. Everyone will be humbled. And the eyes of arrogant people will be humbled.
Read all of Isaiah 5Isaiah 5:13 word by word
לָכֵ֛ן גָּלָ֥ה עַמִּ֖י מִבְּלִי־דָ֑עַת וּכְבוֹדוֹ֙ מְתֵ֣י רָעָ֔ב וַהֲמוֹנ֖וֹ צִחֵ֥ה צָמָֽא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Therefore my peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- are gone into captivityגָּלָהgâlâh · to reveal: removeH1540
- no knowledgeדַּ֫עַתda‛ath · knowledgeH1847
- and their honourableכָּבוֹדkâbôd kâbôd · gloryH3519
- menמַתmath · manH4962
- famishedרָעָבrâ‛âb · famineH7458
- and their multitudeהָמוֹןhâmôn hâmôn · crowdH1995
- dried upצִחֶהtsicheh · parchedH6704
- with thirstצָמָאtsâmâ' · thirstH6772
Cross-references for Isaiah 5:13
- Isaiah 1:7“Your country is devastated. Your cities are burned down. Your fields are destroyed right before your eyes by foreigners. Your fields are devastated and taken over by foreigners.
- Isaiah 42:22But these people are robbed and looted. They are all trapped in pits and hidden in prisons. They have become prey with no one to rescue them. They have become loot with no one to say, “Give it back.”
- 2 Kings 17:6In Hoshea’s ninth year as king of Israel, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and took the Israelites to Assyria as captives. He settled them in Halah, along the Habor River in Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
- 2 Chronicles 28:5So the Lord his God handed him over to the king of Aram, who defeated him, captured many prisoners, and brought them to Damascus. He also handed him over to the king of Israel, who decisively defeated him.
- Isaiah 1:3Oxen know their owners, and donkeys know where their masters feed them. But Israel doesn’t know ⌞its owner⌟. My people don’t understand ⌞who feeds them⌟.
- Isaiah 27:11When the branches are dried up, they will be broken off. Women will come and build a fire with them. These people don’t understand ⌞these things⌟. That is why their maker won’t have compassion on them, and their Creator won’t have pity on them.
- Jeremiah 8:7Even storks know when it’s time to return. Mourning doves, swallows, and cranes know when it’s time to migrate. But my people don’t know that I, the Lord, am urging them to return.
- Hosea 4:6I will destroy my people because they are ignorant. You have refused to learn, so I will refuse to let you be my priests. You have forgotten the teachings of your God, so I will forget your children.
- Matthew 23:16“How horrible it will be for you, you blind guides! You say, ‘To swear an oath by the temple doesn’t mean a thing. But to swear an oath by the gold in the temple means a person must keep his oath.’
- Luke 19:44They will level you to the ground and kill your people. One stone will not be left on top of another, because you didn’t recognize the time when God came to help you.”
- John 3:19This is why people are condemned: The light came into the world. Yet, people loved the dark rather than the light because their actions were evil.
- Romans 1:28And because they thought it was worthless to acknowledge God, God allowed their own immoral minds to control them. So they do these indecent things.
- 2 Peter 3:5They are deliberately ignoring one fact: Because of God’s word, heaven and earth existed a long time ago. The earth ⌞appeared⌟ out of water and was kept alive by water.
- Jeremiah 14:18If I go to the field, I see those killed because of war. If I go to the city, I see those sick because of famine. Prophets and priests wander through a land they haven’t heard of.
- Lamentations 4:4The tongues of nursing infants stick to the roofs of their mouths because of their thirst. Little children beg for bread, but no one will break off a piece for them.
- Jeremiah 14:3Important people send their assistants out for water. They go to the cisterns, but they don’t find any water. They come back with their containers empty. They cover their heads, because they are ashamed and disgraced.
Commentaries on Isaiah 5:13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13And their honorable men "And the nobles" - These verses have likewise a reference to the two preceding. They that indulged in feasting and drinking shall perish with hunger and thirst; and Hades shall indulge his appetite as much as they had done, and devour them all. The image is strong and expressive in the highest degree. Habakkuk 2:5, uses the same image with great force: - the ambitious and avaricious conqueror. "Enlargeth his appetite like Hades…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13Therefore my people are gone - This is evidently used with reference to the “future.” The prophet described events as “passing before his eyes” as a vision (note, Isaiah 1:1); and he here seems to “see” the people going into captivity, and describes it as an event actually occurring. Into captivity - Referring, doubtless, to the captivity at Babylon. Because they have no knowledge - Because they do not choose to retain the knowledge of God. And their…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-23Verses 8-23 Here is a woe to those who set their hearts on the wealth of the world. Not that it is sinful for those who have a house and a field to purchase another; but the fault is, that they never know when they have enough. Covetousness is idolatry; and while many envy the prosperous, wretched man, the Lord denounces awful woes upon him. How applicable to many among us! God has many ways to empty the most populous cities. Those who set their hearts…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13Israel and Judah would go into exile to Assyria in 722 BC and to Babylon in 586 BC. The people did not respond to the Lord because they did not truly know him (see Isaiah 1:3). They likely knew about him, but their behavior showed that they did not have a close relationship with him.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. are gone--The prophet sees the future as if it were before his eyes. no knowledge--because of their foolish recklessness (Is 5:12; Is 1:3; Ho 4:6; Lu 19:44). famished--awful contrast to their luxurious feasts (Is 5:11, 12). multitude--plebeians in contradistinction to the "honorable men," or nobles. thirst--(Psa 107:4, 5). Contrast to their drinking (Is 5:11). In their deportation and exile, they shall hunger and thirst.Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 5:13
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 5
- 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
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