Isaiah 33:23

Isaiah 33:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey.
• New International Version (NIV)Your rigging hangs loose: The mast is not held secure, the sail is not spread. Then an abundance of spoils will be divided and even the lame will carry off plunder.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Your cords hang loose; they cannot hold the mast firm in its place or keep the sail spread out. Then prey and spoil in abundance will be divided; even the lame will take the prey.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Your tackle is loosed, They could not strengthen their mast, They could not spread the sail. Then the prey of great plunder is divided; The lame take the prey.

Context of Isaiah 33:23

21Instead the Lord will rule there as our mighty king. Rivers and wide streams will flow through it; no war galley will enter; no large ships will sail through. 22For the Lord, our ruler, the Lord, our commander, the Lord, our king – he will deliver us. Though at this time your ropes are slack, the mast is not secured, and the sail is not unfurled, at that time you will divide up a great quantity of loot; even the lame will drag off plunder. 24No resident of Zion will say, “I am ill”; the people who live there will have their sin forgiven.

Isaiah 33:23 word by word

נִטְּשׁ֖וּ חֲבָלָ֑יִךְ בַּל־יְחַזְּק֤וּ כֵן־תָּרְנָם֙ בַּל־פָּ֣רְשׂוּ נֵ֔ס אָ֣ז חֻלַּ֤ק עַֽד־שָׁלָל֙ מַרְבֶּ֔ה פִּסְחִ֖ים בָּ֥זְזוּ בַֽז׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thy tacklingsחֶ֫בֶלchebel chêbel · cordH2256
• are loosedנָטַשׁnâţash · to leaveH5203
• they could not wellכֵּןkên · standH3653
• strengthenחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: holdH2388
• their mastתֹּ֫רֶןtôren · mastH8650
• they could not spreadפָּרַשׂpâraώ · to spreadH6566
• the sailנֵסnês · ensignH5251
• then is the preyעַד‛ad · preyH5706
• of a greatמַרְבֶהmarbeh · abundanceH4766
• spoilשָׁלָלshâlâl · spoilH7998
• dividedחָלַקchâlaq · to divideH2505
• the lameפִּסֵּחַpissêach · lameH6455
• takeבָּזַזbâzaz · to plunderH962
• the preyבַּזbaz · plunderH957

Cross-references for Isaiah 33:23

• Isaiah 33:21Instead the Lord will rule there as our mighty king. Rivers and wide streams will flow through it; no war galley will enter; no large ships will sail through.
• Ezekiel 27:26Your rowers have brought you into surging waters. The east wind has wrecked you in the heart of the seas.
• Acts 27:19and on the third day they threw the ship’s gear overboard with their own hands.
• Isaiah 33:1The destroyer is as good as dead, you who have not been destroyed! The deceitful one is as good as dead, the one whom others have not deceived! When you are through destroying, you will be destroyed; when you finish deceiving, others will deceive you!
• 2 Chronicles 20:25Jehoshaphat and his men went to gather the plunder; they found a huge amount of supplies, clothing and valuable items. They carried away everything they could. There was so much plunder, it took them three days to haul it off.
• 1 Samuel 30:10David and four hundred men continued the pursuit, but two hundred men who were too exhausted to cross the Wadi Besor stayed there.
• 2 Kings 7:8When the men with a skin disease reached the edge of the camp, they entered a tent and had a meal. They also took some silver, gold, and clothes and went and hid it all. Then they went back and entered another tent. They looted it and went and hid what they had taken.
• Psalms 68:12Kings leading armies run away – they run away! The lovely lady of the house divides up the loot.
• 1 Corinthians 1:27But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong.

Commentaries on Isaiah 33:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23Thy tacklings are loosed - Here the Assyrians are represented under the figure of a ship wrecked by a violent storm; and the people on the beach, young, old, feeble, and diseased, gathering the spoil without any to hinder them. Kimchi, who understands the whole of this chapter of Hezekiah and the king of Assyria, says, "There are others of our rabbins who apply it all to the days of the Messiah." Their mast "Thy mast" - For תרנם tornam, "their mast, "the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23Thy tacklings - This is evidently an address to Sennacherib. The mention of the war-galley and the ship seems to have suggested the application of the figure to the enemies of the Jews, and particularly to Sennacherib. The prophet, therefore, compares the Assyrian to a ship that was rendered unserviceable; whose sails were unfastened, and whose mast could not be made firm, and which was therefore at the mercy of winds and waves. The Hebrew which is…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-24Verses 15-24 The true believer watches against all occasions of sin. The Divine power will keep him safe, and his faith in that power will keep him easy. He shall want nothing needful for him. Every blessing of salvation is freely bestowed on all that ask with humble, believing prayer; and the believer is safe in time and for ever. Those that walk uprightly shall not only have bread given, and their water sure, but they shall, by faith, see the King of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-24This vision is about God’s reign in Zion.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. tacklings--Continuing the allegory in Is 33:21, he compares the enemies' host to a war galley which is deprived of the tacklings or cords by which the mast is sustained and the sail is spread; and which therefore is sure to be wrecked on "the broad river" (Is 33:21), and become the prey of Israel. they--the tacklings, "hold not firm the base of the mast." then--when the Assyrian host shall have been discomfited. Hezekiah had given Sennacherib three…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 33:23

• Church
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Ship

In the dictionaries

• Acknowledge
• Beacon
• Deep
• Fearfulness
• Fire
• Gallant
• Tackling
• Cord
• Hezekiah (2)
• Isaiah

Commentaries on Isaiah 33

• 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