New English Translation
Isaiah 31:5
5Just as birds hover over a nest, so the Lord who commands armies will protect Jerusalem. He will protect and deliver it; as he passes over he will rescue it.
Isaiah 31:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.
- New International Version (NIV)Like birds hovering overhead, the Lord Almighty will shield Jerusalem; he will shield it and deliver it, he will ‘pass over’ it and will rescue it.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Like birds hovering, so the Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem; he will protect and deliver it; he will spare and rescue it."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Like birds flying about, So will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, He will also deliver it; Passing over, He will preserve it.”
Context of Isaiah 31:5
3The Egyptians are mere humans, not God; their horses are made of flesh, not spirit. The Lord will strike with his hand; the one who helps will stumble and the one being helped will fall. Together they will perish. 4Indeed, this is what the Lord says to me: “The Lord will be like a growling lion, like a young lion growling over its prey. Though a whole group of shepherds gathers against it, it is not afraid of their shouts or intimidated by their yelling. In this same way the Lord who commands armies will descend to do battle on Mount Zion and on its hill. Just as birds hover over a nest, so the Lord who commands armies will protect Jerusalem. He will protect and deliver it; as he passes over he will rescue it. 6You Israelites! Return to the one against whom you have so blatantly rebelled! 7For at that time everyone will get rid of the silver and gold idols your hands sinfully made.
Read all of Isaiah 31Isaiah 31:5 word by word
כְּצִפֳּרִ֣ים עָפ֔וֹת כֵּ֗ן יָגֵ֛ן יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת עַל־יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם גָּנ֥וֹן וְהִצִּ֖יל פָּסֹ֥חַ וְהִמְלִֽיט׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- As birdsצִפּוֹרtsippôr tsippôr · birdH6833
- flyingעוּף‛ûph · to flyH5774
- so will the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- defendגָּנַןgânan · to defendH1598
- Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- also he will deliverנָצַלnâtsal · to rescueH5337
- passing overפָּסַחpâsach · to passH6452
- he will preserveמָלַטmâlaţ · to escapeH4422
Cross-references for Isaiah 31:5
- Isaiah 10:14My hand discovered the wealth of the nations, as if it were in a nest, as one gathers up abandoned eggs, I gathered up the whole earth. There was no wing flapping, or open mouth chirping.”
- Exodus 19:4‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt and how I lifted you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.
- Deuteronomy 32:11Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that hovers over its young, so the Lord spread out his wings and took him, he lifted him up on his pinions.
- Psalms 46:5God lives within it, it cannot be moved. God rescues it at the break of dawn.
- Psalms 91:4He will shelter you with his wings; you will find safety under his wings. His faithfulness is like a shield or a protective wall.
- Psalms 37:40The Lord helps them and rescues them; he rescues them from evil men and delivers them, for they seek his protection.
- Exodus 12:27then you will say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, when he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt, when he struck Egypt and delivered our households.’” The people bowed down low to the ground,
Commentaries on Isaiah 31:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Passing over "Leaping forward" - The generality of interpreters observe in this place an allusion to the deliverance which God vouchsafed to his people when he destroyed the first-born of the Egyptians, and exempted those of the Israelites sojourning among them by a peculiar interposition. The same word is made use of here which is used upon that occasion, and which gave the name to the feast which was instituted in commemoration of that deliverance, פסח…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5As birds flying - This is another comparison indicating substantially the same thing as the former, that Yahweh would protect Jerusalem. The idea here is, that He would do it in the same manner as birds defend their young by hovering over them, securing them under their wings, and leaping forward, if they are suddenly attacked, to defend them. Our Saviour has used a similar figure to indicate his readiness to have defended and saved the same city Matthew…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-9This prophecy concerned God’s protection of Jerusalem and its rescue from the Assyrians.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. As in the image of "the lion," the point of comparison is the fearless might of Jehovah; so in that of the birds, it is His solicitous affection (De 32:11; Psa 91:4; Mt 23:37). flying--Rather, "which defend" their young with their wings; "to fly" is a secondary meaning of the Hebrew word [Maurer]. "Hovering over" to protect their young [G. V. Smith]. passing over--as the destroying angel passing over, so as to spare the blood-marked houses of the…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 31:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 31
- 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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