New English Translation
Isaiah 37:27
27Their residents are powerless; they are terrified and ashamed. They are as short-lived as plants in the field or green vegetation. They are as short-lived as grass on the rooftops when it is scorched by the east wind.
Isaiah 37:27 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded: they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.
- New International Version (NIV)Their people, drained of power, are dismayed and put to shame. They are like plants in the field, like tender green shoots, like grass sprouting on the roof, scorched before it grows up.
- English Standard Version (ESV)while their inhabitants, shorn of strength, are dismayed and confounded, and have become like plants of the field and like tender grass, like grass on the housetops, blighted before it is grown.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore their inhabitants had little power; They were dismayed and confounded; They were as the grass of the field And the green herb, As the grass on the housetops And grain blighted before it is grown.
Context of Isaiah 37:27
25I dug wells and drank water. With the soles of my feet I dried up all the rivers of Egypt.’ 26Certainly you must have heard! Long ago I worked it out, in ancient times I planned it, and now I am bringing it to pass. The plan is this: Fortified cities will crash into heaps of ruins. Their residents are powerless; they are terrified and ashamed. They are as short-lived as plants in the field or green vegetation. They are as short-lived as grass on the rooftops when it is scorched by the east wind. 28I know where you live and everything you do and how you rage against me. 29Because you rage against me and the uproar you create has reached my ears, I will put my hook in your nose, and my bridle between your lips, and I will lead you back the way you came.”
Read all of Isaiah 37Isaiah 37:27 word by word
וְיֹֽשְׁבֵיהֶן֙ קִצְרֵי־יָ֔ד חַ֖תּוּ וָבֹ֑שׁוּ הָי֞וּ עֵ֤שֶׂב שָׂדֶה֙ וִ֣ירַק דֶּ֔שֶׁא חֲצִ֣יר גַּגּ֔וֹת וּשְׁדֵמָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י קָמָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Therefore their inhabitantsיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- of smallקָצֵרqâtsêr · shortH7116
- powerיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
- they were dismayedחָתַתchâthath · to to be dismayedH2865
- and confoundedבּוֹשׁbûsh · be ashamedH954
- the grassעֵ֫שֶׂב‛eώeb · vegetationH6212
- of the fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
- the greenיָרָקyârâq · herbH3419
- herbדֶּ֫שֶׁאdeshe' · grassH1877
- the grassחָצִירchâtsîyr · grassH2682
- on the housetopsגָּגgâg · roofH1406
- blastedשְׁדֵמָהshedêmâh · fieldH7709
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- it be grown upקָמָהqâmâh · standing grainH7054
Cross-references for Isaiah 37:27
- Isaiah 19:16At that time the Egyptians will be like women. They will tremble and fear because the Lord who commands armies brandishes his fist against them.
- Numbers 14:9Only do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection has turned aside from them, but the Lord is with us. Do not fear them!”
- 2 Kings 19:26Their residents are powerless, they are terrified and ashamed. They are as short-lived as plants in the field, or green vegetation. They are as short-lived as grass on the rooftops when it is scorched by the east wind.
- Psalms 127:1If the Lord does not build a house, then those who build it work in vain. If the Lord does not guard a city, then the watchman stands guard in vain.
- Jeremiah 5:10The Lord commanded the enemy, “March through the vineyards of Israel and Judah and ruin them. But do not destroy them completely. Strip off their branches for these people do not belong to the Lord.
- Jeremiah 37:10For even if you were to defeat all the Babylonian forces fighting against you so badly that only wounded men were left lying in their tents, they would get up and burn this city down.”’”
- Isaiah 40:6A voice says, “Cry out!” Another asks, “What should I cry out?” The first voice responds: “All people are like grass, and all their promises are like the flowers in the field.
- Psalms 37:2For they will quickly dry up like grass, and wither away like plants.
- Psalms 90:5You bring their lives to an end and they “fall asleep.” In the morning they are like the grass that sprouts up;
- Psalms 92:7When the wicked sprout up like grass, and all the evildoers glisten, it is so that they may be annihilated.
- Psalms 103:15A person’s life is like grass. Like a flower in the field it flourishes,
- Psalms 129:6May they be like the grass on the rooftops which withers before one can even pull it up,
- James 1:10But the rich person’s pride should be in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a wildflower in the meadow.
- 1 Peter 1:24For all flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of the grass; the grass withers and the flower falls off,
Commentaries on Isaiah 37:27
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27Corn blasted - שדמה shedemah, parched: it does not appear that there is any good authority for this word. The true reading seems to be שדפה shedephah, blasted, as it is in six MSS. (two ancient) here, and in the other copy.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27Therefore - Not because you have so great power; but because I have rendered them incapable of resisting you. Were of small power - Hebrew, Short of hand;‘ they were feeble, imbecile, unable to resist you. They were dismayed - Hebrew, They were broken and ashamed.‘ Their spirits sank; they were ashamed of their feeble powers of resistance; and they submitted to the ignominy of a surrender. They were as the grass of the field - The same idea is expressed…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-38Jerusalem’s rescue from King Sennacherib of Assyria is a main event in Isaiah 1–39. The Lord promised to save his people. He would remain present with Jerusalem (see 7:14). He would also keep a remnant, a small group who would survive (see study note on Isaiah 10:20). Much of the land became empty and the population greatly reduced. This happened because Judah made a foolish alliance with Assyria (chapters 7–8). Even so, the Lord did not allow total…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2727. Therefore--not because of thy power, but because I made them unable to withstand thee. grass--which easily withers (Is 40:6; Psa 37:2). on ... housetops--which having little earth to nourish it fades soonest (Psa 129:6-8). corn blasted before it be grown up--Smith translates, "The cornfield (frail and tender), before the corn is grown."Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 37:27
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 37
- 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
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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