New English Translation
Isaiah 59:5
5They hatch the eggs of a poisonous snake and spin a spider’s web. Whoever eats their eggs will die, 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
3For your hands are stained with blood and your fingers with sin; your lips speak lies, your tongue utters malicious words. 4No one is concerned about justice; no one sets forth his case truthfully. They depend on false words and tell lies; they conceive of oppression and give birth to sin. They hatch the eggs of a poisonous snake and spin a spider’s web. Whoever eats their eggs will die, a poisonous snake is hatched. 6Their webs cannot be used for clothing; they cannot cover themselves with what they make. Their deeds are sinful; they commit violent crimes. 7They are eager to do evil, quick to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful; they crush and destroy.
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 14:29Don’t be so happy, all you Philistines, just because the club that beat you has been broken! For a viper will grow out of the serpent’s root, and its fruit will be a darting adder.
- Proverbs 23:32Afterward it bites like a snake, and stings like a viper.
- Matthew 3:7But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
- Matthew 12:34Offspring of vipers! How are you able to say anything good, since you are evil? For the mouth speaks from what fills the heart.
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
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