God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 59:5
5They hatch viper eggs and weave spiderwebs. Those who eat their eggs will die. When an egg is crushed, a poisonous snake is hatched.
Isaiah 59:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)They hatch cockatrice’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.
- New International Version (NIV)They hatch the eggs of vipers and spin a spider’s web. Whoever eats their eggs will die, and when one is broken, an adder is hatched.
- English Standard Version (ESV)They hatch adders' eggs; they weave the spider's web; he who eats their eggs dies, and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched.
- New King James Version (NKJV)They hatch vipers’ eggs and weave the spider’s web; He who eats of their eggs dies, And from that which is crushed a viper breaks out.
Context of Isaiah 59:5
3Your hands are stained with blood, and your fingers are stained with sin. You speak lies, and you mutter wicked things. 4No one calls for justice, and no one pleads his case truthfully. People trust pointless arguments and speak lies. They conceive trouble and give birth to evil. They hatch viper eggs and weave spiderwebs. Those who eat their eggs will die. When an egg is crushed, a poisonous snake is hatched. 6Their webs can’t be used for clothes, nor can they cover themselves with their works. Their works are evil. Their hands have committed acts of violence. 7Their feet run to do evil. They hurry to shed innocent blood. Their plans are evil. Ruin and destruction are on their highways.
Read all of Isaiah 59Isaiah 59:5 word by word
בֵּיצֵ֤י צִפְעוֹנִי֙ בִּקֵּ֔עוּ וְקוּרֵ֥י עַכָּבִ֖ישׁ יֶאֱרֹ֑גוּ הָאֹכֵ֤ל מִבֵּֽיצֵיהֶם֙ יָמ֔וּת וְהַזּוּרֶ֖ה תִּבָּקַ֥ע אֶפְעֶֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- They hatchבָּקַעbâqa‛ · to break up/openH1234
- cockatrice’צִפְעוֹנִיtsepha‛ tsiph‛ônîy · serpentH6848
- eggsבֵּיצָהbêytsâh · eggH1000
- and weaveאָרַג'ârag · to weaveH707
- the spider’sעַכָּבִישׁ‛akkâbîysh · spiderH5908
- webקוּרqûr · webH6980
- he that eatethאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- diethמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- and that which is crushedזוּרֶהzûreh · crushedH2116
- into a viperאֶפְעֶה'eph‛eh · viperH660
Cross-references for Isaiah 59:5
- Isaiah 14:29All you Philistines, don’t rejoice that the rod of the one who struck you is broken, because a viper will come from that snake’s root, and his descendant will be a flying, fiery serpent.
- Proverbs 23:32Later it bites like a snake and strikes like a poisonous snake.
- Matthew 3:7But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to be baptized, he said to them, “You poisonous snakes! Who showed you how to flee from God’s coming anger?
- Matthew 12:34You poisonous snakes! How can you evil people say anything good? Your mouth says what comes from inside you.
Commentaries on Isaiah 59:5
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5They hatch cockatrice‘ eggs - Margin, Adders‘.‘ On the meaning of the word rendered here cockatrice,‘ see the notes at Isaiah 11:8. Some poisonous serpent is intended, probably the adder, or the serpent known among the Greeks as the basilisk, or cerastes. This figurative expression is designed to show the evil nature and tendency of their works. They were as if they should carefully nourish the eggs of a venomous serpent. Instead of crushing them with the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5-6The images of deadly snakes and spiders’ webs represent plans designed to destroy others’ lives and relationships.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. cockatrice--probably the basilisk serpent, cerastes. Instead of crushing evil in the egg, they foster it. spider's web--This refers not to the spider's web being made to entrap, but to its thinness, as contrasted with substantial "garments," as Is 59:6 shows. Their works are vain and transitory (Job 8:14; Pr 11:18). eateth ... their eggs--he who partakes in their plans, or has anything to do with them, finds them pestiferous. that which is crushed--The…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 59:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 59
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- 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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