New International Version
Isaiah 5:24
24Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 5:24 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom go up like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble, And the flame consumes the chaff, So their root will be as rottenness, And their blossom will ascend like dust; Because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Therefore, just as fire licks up stubble and dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will rot and their flowers wither. For they have rejected the law of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies; they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Context of Isaiah 5:24
22Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, 23who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent. Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25Therefore the Lord’s anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. 26He lifts up a banner for the distant nations, he whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Here they come, swiftly and speedily!
Read all of Isaiah 5Isaiah 5:24 word by word
לָכֵן֩ כֶּאֱכֹ֨ל קַ֜שׁ לְשׁ֣וֹן אֵ֗שׁ וַחֲשַׁ֤שׁ לֶֽהָבָה֙ יִרְפֶּ֔ה שָׁרְשָׁם֙ כַּמָּ֣ק יִֽהְיֶ֔ה וּפִרְחָ֖ם כָּאָבָ֣ק יַעֲלֶ֑ה כִּ֣י מָאֲס֗וּ אֵ֚ת תּוֹרַת֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת וְאֵ֛ת אִמְרַ֥ת קְדֽוֹשׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נִאֵֽצוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Therefore as the fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
- devourethאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- the stubbleקַשׁqash · stubbleH7179
- and the flameלֶהָבָהlehâbâh lahebeth · flameH3852
- and the flameלָשׁוֹןlâshôn lâshôn leshônâh · tongueH3956
- consumethרָפָהrâphâh · to slackenH7503
- the chaffחֲשַׁשׁchâshash · chaffH2842
- their rootשֹׁ֫רֶשׁsheresh · rootH8328
- shall be as rottennessמַקmaq · decayH4716
- and their blossomפֶּ֫רַחperach · flowerH6525
- shall go upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- as dustאָבָק'âbâq · dustH80
- because they have cast awayמָאַסmâ'as · to rejectH3988
- the lawתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- and despisedנָאַץnâ'ats · to spurnH5006
- the wordאִמְרָה'imrâh 'emrâh · wordH565
- of the Holy Oneקָדוֹשׁqâdôsh qâdôsh · holyH6918
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
Cross-references for Isaiah 5:24
- Isaiah 47:14Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame. These are not coals for warmth; this is not a fire to sit by.
- Exodus 15:7“In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble.
- Joel 2:5With a noise like that of chariots they leap over the mountaintops, like a crackling fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army drawn up for battle.
- Nahum 1:10They will be entangled among thorns and drunk from their wine; they will be consumed like dry stubble.
- Malachi 4:1“Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them.
- 1 Corinthians 3:12If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,
- Matthew 3:12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
- Luke 3:17His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
- Isaiah 9:14So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day;
- Job 18:16His roots dry up below and his branches wither above.
- Hosea 9:16Ephraim is blighted, their root is withered, they yield no fruit. Even if they bear children, I will slay their cherished offspring.”
- Amos 2:9“Yet I destroyed the Amorites before them, though they were tall as the cedars and strong as the oaks. I destroyed their fruit above and their roots below.
- 1 Samuel 15:23For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”
- 2 Kings 17:14But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God.
- Nehemiah 9:26“But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they turned their backs on your law. They killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies.
- Psalms 50:17You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you.
Commentaries on Isaiah 5:24
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 24The flame "The tongue of fire" - "The flame, because it is in the shape of a tongue; and so it is called metaphorically." Sal. ben Melec. The metaphor is so exceedingly obvious, as well as beautiful, that one may wonder that it has not been more frequently used. Virgil very elegantly intimates, rather than expresses, the image; - Ecce levis summo de vertice visus Iuli Fundere lumen apex; tactuque innoxia molli Lambere flamma comas, et circum tempora…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 24Therefore as the fire - The remainder of this chapter is occupied with predicting “judgments,” or punishments, upon the people for their sins which had been specified. The Hebrew here is, The tongue of fire.‘ The figure is beautiful and obvious. It is derived from the pyramidal, or tongue-like appearance of “flame.” The concinnity of the metaphor in the Hebrew is kept up. The word “devoureth” is in the Hebrew “eateth:” As the tongue of fire eats up,‘…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 24-30Verses 24-30 Let not any expect to live easily who live wickedly. Sin weakens the strength, the root of a people; it defaces the beauty, the blossoms of a people. When God's word is despised, and his law cast away, what can men expect but that God should utterly abandon them? When God comes forth in wrath, the hills tremble, fear seizes even great men. When God designs the ruin of a provoking people, he can find instruments to be employed in it, as he…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 24The image of rotting roots reflects human transience (the short and fragile nature of human life; see Isaiah 11:1; 27:6; 37:31). To despise the Lord’s word means to reject or ignore it. It means living without concern for obeying what God has said. This attitude leads to folly (foolish living) and ruin (Proverbs 1:30; 5:12; 15:5).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2424. Literally, "tongue of fire eateth" (Ac 2:3). flame consumeth the chaff--rather, withered grass falleth before the flame (Mt 3:12). root ... blossom--entire decay, both the hidden source and outward manifestations of prosperity, perishing (Job 18:16; Mal 4:1). cast away ... law--in its spirit, while retaining the letter.Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 5:24
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 5
- 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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