New King James Version
Isaiah 30:6
6The burden against the beasts of the South. Through a land of trouble and anguish, From which came the lioness and lion, The viper and fiery flying serpent, They will carry their riches on the backs of young donkeys, And their treasures on the humps of camels, To a people who shall not profit;
Isaiah 30:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The burden of the beasts of the south: into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not profit them.
- New International Version (NIV)A prophecy concerning the animals of the Negev: Through a land of hardship and distress, of lions and lionesses, of adders and darting snakes, the envoys carry their riches on donkeys’ backs, their treasures on the humps of camels, to that unprofitable nation,
- English Standard Version (ESV)An oracle on the beasts of the Negeb. Through a land of trouble and anguish, from where come the lioness and the lion, the adder and the flying fiery serpent, they carry their riches on the backs of donkeys, and their treasures on the humps of camels, to a people that cannot profit them.
- New Living Translation (NLT)This message came to me concerning the animals in the Negev: The caravan moves slowly across the terrible desert to Egypt— donkeys weighed down with riches and camels loaded with treasure— all to pay for Egypt’s protection. They travel through the wilderness, a place of lionesses and lions, a place where vipers and poisonous snakes live. All this, and Egypt will give you nothing in return.
Context of Isaiah 30:6
4For his princes were at Zoan, And his ambassadors came to Hanes. 5They were all ashamed of a people who could not benefit them, Or be help or benefit, But a shame and also a reproach.” The burden against the beasts of the South. Through a land of trouble and anguish, From which came the lioness and lion, The viper and fiery flying serpent, They will carry their riches on the backs of young donkeys, And their treasures on the humps of camels, To a people who shall not profit; 7For the Egyptians shall help in vain and to no purpose. Therefore I have called her Rahab-Hem-Shebeth. 8Now go, write it before them on a tablet, And note it on a scroll, That it may be for time to come, Forever and ever:
Read all of Isaiah 30Isaiah 30:6 word by word
מַשָּׂ֖א בַּהֲמ֣וֹת נֶ֑גֶב בְּאֶרֶץ֩ צָרָ֨ה וְצוּקָ֜ה לָבִ֧יא וָלַ֣יִשׁ מֵהֶ֗ם אֶפְעֶה֙ וְשָׂרָ֣ף מְעוֹפֵ֔ף יִשְׂאוּ֩ עַל־כֶּ֨תֶף עֲיָרִ֜ים חֵֽילֵהֶ֗ם וְעַל־דַּבֶּ֤שֶׁת גְּמַלִּים֙ אֽוֹצְרֹתָ֔ם עַל־עַ֖ם לֹ֥א יוֹעִֽילוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- The burdenמַשָּׂאmaώώâ' · oracleH4853
- of the beastsבְּהֵמָהbehêmâh · animalH929
- of the southנֶ֫גֶבnegeb · NegebH5045
- into the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- of troubleצָרָהtsârâh · distressH6869
- and anguishצוּקָהtsôq tsûqâh · anguishH6695
- the youngלָבִיאlâbîy' lebîyâ' lebâ'îym lebâ'ôth · lionH3833
- and old lionלַ֫יִשׁlayish · lionH3918
- the viperאֶפְעֶה'eph‛eh · viperH660
- and fieryשָׂרָףώârâph · serpentH8314
- flyingעוּף‛ûph · to flyH5774
- serpentשָׂרָףώârâph · serpentH8314
- they will carryנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: bearH5375
- their richesחַ֫יִלchayil · strength: richH2428
- upon the shouldersכָּתֵףkâthêph · shoulderH3802
- of young assesעַ֫יִר‛ayir · coltH5895
- and their treasuresאוֹצָר'ôtsâr · treasureH214
- upon the bunchesדַּבֶּ֫שֶׁתdabbesheth · humpH1707
- of camelsגָּמָלgâmâl · camelH1581
- to a peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- shall not profitיָעַלya‛al · to gainH3276
Cross-references for Isaiah 30:6
- Isaiah 46:1Bel bows down, Nebo stoops; Their idols were on the beasts and on the cattle. Your carriages were heavily loaded, A burden to the weary beast.
- Isaiah 57:9You went to the king with ointment, And increased your perfumes; You sent your messengers far off, And even descended to Sheol.
- Hosea 8:9For they have gone up to Assyria, Like a wild donkey alone by itself; Ephraim has hired lovers.
- Hosea 12:1“Ephraim feeds on the wind, And pursues the east wind; He daily increases lies and desolation. Also they make a covenant with the Assyrians, And oil is carried to Egypt.
- 1 Kings 10:2She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart.
- Matthew 12:42The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.
- Isaiah 19:4And the Egyptians I will give Into the hand of a cruel master, And a fierce king will rule over them,” Says the Lord, the Lord of hosts.
- Exodus 1:14And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.
- Exodus 5:10And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out and spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh: ‘I will not give you straw.
- Deuteronomy 4:20But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be His people, an inheritance, as you are this day.
- Deuteronomy 8:15who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock;
- Deuteronomy 17:16But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’
- Jeremiah 11:4which I commanded your fathers in the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and do according to all that I command you; so shall you be My people, and I will be your God,’
- Numbers 21:6So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.
- Jeremiah 2:6Neither did they say, ‘Where is the Lord, Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, Who led us through the wilderness, Through a land of deserts and pits, Through a land of drought and the shadow of death, Through a land that no one crossed And where no one dwelt?’
- 2 Chronicles 9:1Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions, having a very great retinue, camels that bore spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart.
Commentaries on Isaiah 30:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6The burden - משא massa seems here to be taken in its proper sense; the load, not the oracle. The same subject is continued; and there seems to be no place here for a new title to a distinct prophecy. Does not burden of the beasts of the South in this place relate to the presents sent by Hoshea king of Israel to the South - to Egypt, which lay south of Judea, to engage the Egyptians to succor him against the king of Assyria? Into the land of trouble and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6The burden of the beasts of the south - The word south‘ here refers doubtless to the country to the south of Judea; and particularly to Egypt. Thus it is used in Daniel 11:5-6. The phrase beasts of the south,‘ here refers to the animals that were traveling to Egypt. Isaiah, in vision, sees the caravan heavily laden with treasures pursuing a southern direction on its way to Egypt. The word burden‘ is used in two senses, to denote that which is borne, a…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6Caravans traveled from Judah through the Negev and the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt. They avoided the main road along the coast because Assyria controlled it. This desert region was dangerous. Lions and poisonous snakes lived there. The journey put people’s lives at risk. Yet they were willing to face this danger to form an alliance that would not help them. they carry their wealth … and their treasures: This may refer to money and valuable goods that Judah…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. burden--the prophecy as to, &c. [Maurer]; so the Septuagint, the fresh inscription here marks emphatically the prediction that follows. Or, rather, Isaiah sees in vision, the ambassador's beasts burdened with rich presents travelling southwards (namely, to Egypt, Da 11:5, 6), and exclaims, Oh, the burden of treasure on the beasts! &c. (Ho 8:9; 12:1). land of trouble--the desert between Palestine and Egypt, destitute of water and abounding in dangerous…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 30:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 30
- 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries