New English Translation
Isaiah 30:6
6This is a message about the animals in the Negev: Through a land of distress and danger, inhabited by lionesses and roaring lions, by snakes and darting adders, they transport their wealth on the backs of donkeys, their riches on the humps of camels, to a nation that cannot help them.
Isaiah 30:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The burden of the beasts of the south: into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not profit them.
- New International Version (NIV)A prophecy concerning the animals of the Negev: Through a land of hardship and distress, of lions and lionesses, of adders and darting snakes, the envoys carry their riches on donkeys’ backs, their treasures on the humps of camels, to that unprofitable nation,
- English Standard Version (ESV)An oracle on the beasts of the Negeb. Through a land of trouble and anguish, from where come the lioness and the lion, the adder and the flying fiery serpent, they carry their riches on the backs of donkeys, and their treasures on the humps of camels, to a people that cannot profit them.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The burden against the beasts of the South. Through a land of trouble and anguish, From which came the lioness and lion, The viper and fiery flying serpent, They will carry their riches on the backs of young donkeys, And their treasures on the humps of camels, To a people who shall not profit;
Context of Isaiah 30:6
4Though his officials are in Zoan and his messengers arrive at Hanes, 5all will be put to shame because of a nation that cannot help them, who cannot give them aid or help, but only shame and disgrace.” This is a message about the animals in the Negev: Through a land of distress and danger, inhabited by lionesses and roaring lions, by snakes and darting adders, they transport their wealth on the backs of donkeys, their riches on the humps of camels, to a nation that cannot help them. 7Egypt is totally incapable of helping. For this reason I call her ‘Proud one who is silenced.’” 8Now go, write it down on a tablet in their presence, inscribe it on a scroll, so that it might be preserved for a future time as an enduring witness.
Read all of Isaiah 30Isaiah 30:6 word by word
מַשָּׂ֖א בַּהֲמ֣וֹת נֶ֑גֶב בְּאֶרֶץ֩ צָרָ֨ה וְצוּקָ֜ה לָבִ֧יא וָלַ֣יִשׁ מֵהֶ֗ם אֶפְעֶה֙ וְשָׂרָ֣ף מְעוֹפֵ֔ף יִשְׂאוּ֩ עַל־כֶּ֨תֶף עֲיָרִ֜ים חֵֽילֵהֶ֗ם וְעַל־דַּבֶּ֤שֶׁת גְּמַלִּים֙ אֽוֹצְרֹתָ֔ם עַל־עַ֖ם לֹ֥א יוֹעִֽילוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- The burdenמַשָּׂאmaώώâ' · oracleH4853
- of the beastsבְּהֵמָהbehêmâh · animalH929
- of the southנֶ֫גֶבnegeb · NegebH5045
- into the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- of troubleצָרָהtsârâh · distressH6869
- and anguishצוּקָהtsôq tsûqâh · anguishH6695
- the youngלָבִיאlâbîy' lebîyâ' lebâ'îym lebâ'ôth · lionH3833
- and old lionלַ֫יִשׁlayish · lionH3918
- the viperאֶפְעֶה'eph‛eh · viperH660
- and fieryשָׂרָףώârâph · serpentH8314
- flyingעוּף‛ûph · to flyH5774
- serpentשָׂרָףώârâph · serpentH8314
- they will carryנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: bearH5375
- their richesחַ֫יִלchayil · strength: richH2428
- upon the shouldersכָּתֵףkâthêph · shoulderH3802
- of young assesעַ֫יִר‛ayir · coltH5895
- and their treasuresאוֹצָר'ôtsâr · treasureH214
- upon the bunchesדַּבֶּ֫שֶׁתdabbesheth · humpH1707
- of camelsגָּמָלgâmâl · camelH1581
- to a peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- shall not profitיָעַלya‛al · to gainH3276
Cross-references for Isaiah 30:6
- Isaiah 46:1Bel kneels down, Nebo bends low. Their images weigh down animals and beasts. Your heavy images are burdensome to tired animals.
- Isaiah 57:9You take olive oil as tribute to your king, along with many perfumes. You send your messengers to a distant place; you go all the way to Sheol.
- Hosea 8:9They have gone up to Assyria, like a wild donkey that wanders off. Ephraim has hired prostitutes as lovers.
- Hosea 12:1Ephraim continually feeds on the wind; he chases the east wind all day; he multiplies lies and violence. They make treaties with Assyria, and send olive oil as tribute to Egypt.
- 1 Kings 10:2She arrived in Jerusalem with a great display of pomp, bringing with her camels carrying spices, a very large quantity of gold, and precious gems. She visited Solomon and discussed with him everything that was on her mind.
- Matthew 12:42The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon – and now, something greater than Solomon is here!
- Isaiah 19:4I will hand Egypt over to a harsh master; a powerful king will rule over them,” says the sovereign master, the Lord who commands armies.
- Exodus 1:14They made their lives bitter by hard service with mortar and bricks and by all kinds of service in the fields. Every kind of service the Israelites were required to give was rigorous.
- Exodus 5:10So the slave masters of the people and their foremen went to the Israelites and said, “Thus says Pharaoh: ‘I am not giving you straw.
- Deuteronomy 4:20You, however, the Lord has selected and brought from Egypt, that iron-smelting furnace, to be his special people as you are today.
- Deuteronomy 8:15and who brought you through the great, fearful desert of venomous serpents and scorpions, an arid place with no water. He made water flow from a flint rock and
- Deuteronomy 17:16Moreover, he must not accumulate horses for himself or allow the people to return to Egypt to do so, for the Lord has said you must never again return that way.
- Jeremiah 11:4Those are the terms that I charged your ancestors to keep when I brought them out of Egypt, that place which was like an iron-smelting furnace. I said at that time, “Obey me and carry out the terms of the agreement exactly as I commanded you. If you do, you will be my people and I will be your God.
- Numbers 21:6So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and they bit the people; many people of Israel died.
- Jeremiah 2:6They did not ask: ‘Where is the Lord who delivered us out of Egypt, who brought us through the wilderness, through a land of desert sands and rift valleys, through a land of drought and deep darkness, through a land in which no one travels, and where no one lives?’
- 2 Chronicles 9:1When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon, she came to challenge him with difficult questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a great display of pomp, bringing with her camels carrying spices, a very large quantity of gold, and precious gems. She visited Solomon and discussed with him everything that was on her mind.
Commentaries on Isaiah 30:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6The burden - משא massa seems here to be taken in its proper sense; the load, not the oracle. The same subject is continued; and there seems to be no place here for a new title to a distinct prophecy. Does not burden of the beasts of the South in this place relate to the presents sent by Hoshea king of Israel to the South - to Egypt, which lay south of Judea, to engage the Egyptians to succor him against the king of Assyria? Into the land of trouble and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6The burden of the beasts of the south - The word south‘ here refers doubtless to the country to the south of Judea; and particularly to Egypt. Thus it is used in Daniel 11:5-6. The phrase beasts of the south,‘ here refers to the animals that were traveling to Egypt. Isaiah, in vision, sees the caravan heavily laden with treasures pursuing a southern direction on its way to Egypt. The word burden‘ is used in two senses, to denote that which is borne, a…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6Caravans traveled from Judah through the Negev and the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt. They avoided the main road along the coast because Assyria controlled it. This desert region was dangerous. Lions and poisonous snakes lived there. The journey put people’s lives at risk. Yet they were willing to face this danger to form an alliance that would not help them. they carry their wealth … and their treasures: This may refer to money and valuable goods that Judah…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. burden--the prophecy as to, &c. [Maurer]; so the Septuagint, the fresh inscription here marks emphatically the prediction that follows. Or, rather, Isaiah sees in vision, the ambassador's beasts burdened with rich presents travelling southwards (namely, to Egypt, Da 11:5, 6), and exclaims, Oh, the burden of treasure on the beasts! &c. (Ho 8:9; 12:1). land of trouble--the desert between Palestine and Egypt, destitute of water and abounding in dangerous…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 30:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 30
- 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
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