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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)The enemies’ sails hang loose on broken masts with useless tackle. Their treasure will be divided by the people of God. Even the lame will take their share!

Context of Isaiah 33:23

21There the Lord will be our Mighty One. It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams. No galley with oars will ride them, no mighty ship will sail them. 22For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us. 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. 24No one living in Zion will say, “I am ill”; and the sins of those who dwell there will be 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 33:21There the Lord will be our Mighty One. It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams. No galley with oars will ride them, no mighty ship will sail them.
• Ezekiel 27:26Your oarsmen take you out to the high seas. But the east wind will break you to pieces far out at sea.
• Acts 27:19On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands.
• Isaiah 33:1Woe to you, destroyer, you who have not been destroyed! Woe to you, betrayer, you who have not been betrayed! When you stop destroying, you will be destroyed; when you stop betraying, you will be betrayed.
• 2 Chronicles 20:25So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it.
• 1 Samuel 30:10Two hundred of them were too exhausted to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit.
• 2 Kings 7:8The men who had leprosy reached the edge of the camp, entered one of the tents and ate and drank. Then they took silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent and took some things from it and hid them also.
• Psalms 68:12“Kings and armies flee in haste; the women at home divide the plunder.
• 1 Corinthians 1:27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world 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