God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 5:30
30On that day they will roar over their prey as the sea roars. If they look at the land, they will see only darkness and distress. Even the light will be darkened by thick clouds.
Isaiah 5:30 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.
- New International Version (NIV)In that day they will roar over it like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks at the land, there is only darkness and distress; even the sun will be darkened by clouds.
- English Standard Version (ESV)They will growl over it on that day, like the growling of the sea. And if one looks to the land, behold, darkness and distress; and the light is darkened by its clouds.
- New King James Version (NKJV)In that day they will roar against them Like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks to the land, Behold, darkness and sorrow; And the light is darkened by the clouds.
Context of Isaiah 5:30
28Their arrows are sharpened; all their bows are ready to shoot. Their horses’ hoofs are as hard as flint. Their chariot wheels are as quick as the wind. 29They roar like a lioness. They growl like a young lion. They growl as they snatch their prey and carry it off to where no one can rescue it. On that day they will roar over their prey as the sea roars. If they look at the land, they will see only darkness and distress. Even the light will be darkened by thick clouds.
Read all of Isaiah 5Isaiah 5:30 word by word
וְיִנְהֹ֥ם עָלָ֛יו בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא כְּנַהֲמַת־יָ֑ם וְנִבַּ֤ט לָאָ֙רֶץ֙ וְהִנֵּה־חֹ֔שֶׁךְ צַ֣ר וָא֔וֹר חָשַׁ֖ךְ בַּעֲרִיפֶֽיהָ׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And in that dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- they shall roarנָהַםnâham · to groanH5098
- against them like the roaringנְהָמָהnehâmâh · groaningH5100
- of the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
- lookנָבַטnâbaţ · to lookH5027
- unto the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- behold darknessחֹ֫שֶׁךְchôshek · darknessH2822
- sorrowצַרtsar tsâr · distressH6862
- and the lightאוֹר'ôr · lightH216
- is darkenedחָשַׁךְchâshak · to darkenH2821
- in the heavensעָרִיף‛ârîyph · cloudH6183
Cross-references for Isaiah 5:30
- Psalms 93:3The ocean rises, O Lord. The ocean rises with a roar. The ocean rises with its pounding waves.
- Jeremiah 6:23Its people take hold of bows and spears. They are cruel and have no compassion. They sound like the roaring sea. They ride on horses. They march like soldiers ready for battle against my people Zion.
- Jeremiah 50:42They will take hold of bows and spears. They will be cruel and have no compassion. They will sound like the sea when it roars. They will ride horses. They are ready for war, ready to attack you, people of Babylon.
- Luke 21:25“Miraculous signs will occur in the sun, moon, and stars. The nations of the earth will be deeply troubled and confused because of the roaring and tossing of the sea.
- Isaiah 8:22They will look at the earth and see only distress and gloom. They will go in anguish and be forced into darkness.
- Isaiah 13:10The stars in the sky and their constellations won’t show their light anymore. The sun will be dark when it rises. The moon won’t shine.
- Exodus 10:21Then the Lord said to Moses, “Lift your hand toward the sky, and a darkness ⌞so thick⌟ that it can be felt will come over Egypt.”
- Jeremiah 4:23I see the earth. It’s formless and empty. I see the sky. Its lights are gone.
- Lamentations 3:2God has driven me away and made me walk in darkness instead of light.
- Ezekiel 32:7“ ‘When I put out your light, I will cover the sky and darken the stars. I will cover the sun with clouds, and the moon won’t shine anymore.
- Joel 2:10The earth quakes in their presence, and the sky shakes. The sun and the moon turn dark, and the stars no longer shine.
- Amos 8:9On that day, declares the Almighty Lord, I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.
- Matthew 24:29“Immediately after the misery of those days, the sun will turn dark, the moon will not give light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the universe will be shaken.
- Revelation 6:12I watched as the lamb opened the sixth seal. A powerful earthquake struck. The sun turned as black as sackcloth made of hair. The full moon turned as red as blood.
- Revelation 16:10The fifth angel poured his bowl on the throne of the beast. Its kingdom turned dark. People gnawed on their tongues in anguish
Commentaries on Isaiah 5:30
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 30If one look unto the land, etc. "And these shall look to the heaven upward, and down to the earth" - לארץ ונבט venibbat laarets . . So the Septuagint, according to the Vatican and Alexandrian copies; but the Complutensian and Aldine editions have it more fully, thus: - , ; and the Arabic from the Septuagint, as if it had stood thus: , , both of which are plainly defective; the words , unto the earth, being wanted in the former, and the word , above, in…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 30They shall roar against them - The army that shall come up shall roar against the Jews. The image of “the roaring of the sea” indicates the great number that would come; that of the roaring of the “lion” denotes their fierceness and terror. And if one look unto the land - This expression has given some perplexity, because it is supposed not to be full or complete. The whole image, it has been supposed (see “Lowth”), would be that of looking “upward” to…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. 30that day: see study note on Isaiah 2:5–22. In Old Testament prophecy, darkness often represents God’s alienation (separation), wrath, and judgment (see also Isaiah 8:22). By contrast, light stands for God’s holy presence and blessing (see especially Isaiah 60:2, 19).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3030. sorrow, and the light is darkened--Otherwise, distress and light (that is, hope and fear) alternately succeed (as usually occurs in an unsettled state of things), and darkness arises in, &c. [Maurer]. heavens--literally, "clouds," that is, its sky is rather "clouds" than sky. Otherwise from a different Hebrew root, "in its destruction" or ruins. Horsley takes "sea ... look unto the land" as a new image taken from mariners in a coasting vessel (such as…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 5:30
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