God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 5:24
24As flames burn up straw and dry grass shrivels in flames, so their roots will rot, and their blossoms will blow away like dust. They have rejected the teachings of the Lord of Armies and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 5:24 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
- New International Version (NIV)Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom go up like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble, And the flame consumes the chaff, So their root will be as rottenness, And their blossom will ascend like dust; Because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Context of Isaiah 5:24
22How horrible it will be for those who are heroes at drinking wine, who are champions at mixing drinks, 23who declare the guilty innocent for a bribe, who take away the rights of righteous people. As flames burn up straw and dry grass shrivels in flames, so their roots will rot, and their blossoms will blow away like dust. They have rejected the teachings of the Lord of Armies and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25That’s why the anger of the Lord burns hot against his people, and he is ready to use his power to strike them down. The hills tremble, and dead bodies lie like garbage in the streets. Even after all this, his anger has not disappeared, and he is still ready to use his power. 26The Lord raises up a flag for the nations far away. With a whistle he signals those at the ends of the earth. Look, they are coming very quickly!
Read all of Isaiah 5Isaiah 5:24 word by word
לָכֵן֩ כֶּאֱכֹ֨ל קַ֜שׁ לְשׁ֣וֹן אֵ֗שׁ וַחֲשַׁ֤שׁ לֶֽהָבָה֙ יִרְפֶּ֔ה שָׁרְשָׁם֙ כַּמָּ֣ק יִֽהְיֶ֔ה וּפִרְחָ֖ם כָּאָבָ֣ק יַעֲלֶ֑ה כִּ֣י מָאֲס֗וּ אֵ֚ת תּוֹרַת֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת וְאֵ֛ת אִמְרַ֥ת קְדֽוֹשׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נִאֵֽצוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Therefore as the fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
- devourethאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- the stubbleקַשׁqash · stubbleH7179
- and the flameלֶהָבָהlehâbâh lahebeth · flameH3852
- and the flameלָשׁוֹןlâshôn lâshôn leshônâh · tongueH3956
- consumethרָפָהrâphâh · to slackenH7503
- the chaffחֲשַׁשׁchâshash · chaffH2842
- their rootשֹׁ֫רֶשׁsheresh · rootH8328
- shall be as rottennessמַקmaq · decayH4716
- and their blossomפֶּ֫רַחperach · flowerH6525
- shall go upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- as dustאָבָק'âbâq · dustH80
- because they have cast awayמָאַסmâ'as · to rejectH3988
- the lawתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- and despisedנָאַץnâ'ats · to spurnH5006
- the wordאִמְרָה'imrâh 'emrâh · wordH565
- of the Holy Oneקָדוֹשׁqâdôsh qâdôsh · holyH6918
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
Cross-references for Isaiah 5:24
- Isaiah 47:14They are like straw. Fire burns them. They can’t rescue themselves from the flames. There are no glowing coals to keep them warm and no fire for them to sit by.
- Exodus 15:7With your unlimited majesty, you destroyed those who attacked you. You sent out your burning anger. It burned them up like straw.
- Joel 2:5As they leap on mountaintops, they sound like rattling chariots, like crackling fire burning up straw, and like a mighty army prepared for battle.
- Nahum 1:10⌞The people of Nineveh will be⌟ like tangled thorns and like people drunk on their own drink. They will be completely burned up like very dry straw.
- Malachi 4:1“Certainly the day is coming! It will burn like a furnace. All arrogant people and all evildoers will be ⌞like⌟ straw. The day that is coming will burn them up completely,” says the Lord of Armies. “It won’t leave a single root or branch.
- 1 Corinthians 3:12People may build on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw.
- Matthew 3:12His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will clean up his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into a barn, but he will burn the husks in a fire that can never be put out.”
- Luke 3:17His winnowing shovel is in his hand to clean up his threshing floor. He will gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn the husks in a fire that can never be put out.”
- Isaiah 9:14So in one day the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail, both palm branches and cattails.
- Job 18:16His roots dry up under him. His branches wither over him.
- Hosea 9:16“The people of Ephraim are like sick plants. Their roots are dried up. They have no fruit. Even if they were to have children, I would kill their dear children.”
- Amos 2:9I destroyed the Amorites in front of them, although the Amorites were as tall as cedars and as strong as oaks. I destroyed their fruit above the ground and their roots below it.
- 1 Samuel 15:23The sin of black magic is rebellion. Wickedness and idolatry are arrogance. Because you rejected the Lord’s word, he rejects you as king.”
- 2 Kings 17:14But they refused to listen. They became as impossible to deal with as their ancestors who refused to trust the Lord their God.
- Nehemiah 9:26But they were defiant and rebelled against you. They threw your teachings over their shoulders and killed your prophets who warned them to turn back to you. They committed outrageous sins.
- Psalms 50:17You hate discipline. You toss my words behind you.
Commentaries on Isaiah 5:24
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 24The flame "The tongue of fire" - "The flame, because it is in the shape of a tongue; and so it is called metaphorically." Sal. ben Melec. The metaphor is so exceedingly obvious, as well as beautiful, that one may wonder that it has not been more frequently used. Virgil very elegantly intimates, rather than expresses, the image; - Ecce levis summo de vertice visus Iuli Fundere lumen apex; tactuque innoxia molli Lambere flamma comas, et circum tempora…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 24Therefore as the fire - The remainder of this chapter is occupied with predicting “judgments,” or punishments, upon the people for their sins which had been specified. The Hebrew here is, The tongue of fire.‘ The figure is beautiful and obvious. It is derived from the pyramidal, or tongue-like appearance of “flame.” The concinnity of the metaphor in the Hebrew is kept up. The word “devoureth” is in the Hebrew “eateth:” As the tongue of fire eats up,‘…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 24-30Verses 24-30 Let not any expect to live easily who live wickedly. Sin weakens the strength, the root of a people; it defaces the beauty, the blossoms of a people. When God's word is despised, and his law cast away, what can men expect but that God should utterly abandon them? When God comes forth in wrath, the hills tremble, fear seizes even great men. When God designs the ruin of a provoking people, he can find instruments to be employed in it, as he…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 24The image of rotting roots reflects human transience (the short and fragile nature of human life; see Isaiah 11:1; 27:6; 37:31). To despise the Lord’s word means to reject or ignore it. It means living without concern for obeying what God has said. This attitude leads to folly (foolish living) and ruin (Proverbs 1:30; 5:12; 15:5).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2424. Literally, "tongue of fire eateth" (Ac 2:3). flame consumeth the chaff--rather, withered grass falleth before the flame (Mt 3:12). root ... blossom--entire decay, both the hidden source and outward manifestations of prosperity, perishing (Job 18:16; Mal 4:1). cast away ... law--in its spirit, while retaining the letter.Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 5:24
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
Commentaries