New Living Translation
Isaiah 31:8
8“The Assyrians will be destroyed, but not by the swords of men. The sword of God will strike them, and they will panic and flee. The strong young Assyrians will be taken away as captives.
Isaiah 31:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited.
- New International Version (NIV)“Assyria will fall by no human sword; a sword, not of mortals, will devour them. They will flee before the sword and their young men will be put to forced labor.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"And the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of man; and a sword, not of man, shall devour him; and he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be put to forced labor.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Then Assyria shall fall by a sword not of man, And a sword not of mankind shall devour him. But he shall flee from the sword, And his young men shall become forced labor.
Context of Isaiah 31:8
6Though you are such wicked rebels, my people, come and return to the Lord. 7I know the glorious day will come when each of you will throw away the gold idols and silver images your sinful hands have made. “The Assyrians will be destroyed, but not by the swords of men. The sword of God will strike them, and they will panic and flee. The strong young Assyrians will be taken away as captives. 9Even the strongest will quake with terror, and princes will flee when they see your battle flags,” says the Lord, whose fire burns in Zion, whose flame blazes from Jerusalem.
Read all of Isaiah 31Isaiah 31:8 word by word
וְנָפַ֤ל אַשּׁוּר֙ בְּחֶ֣רֶב לֹא־אִ֔ישׁ וְחֶ֥רֶב לֹֽא־אָדָ֖ם תֹּֽאכֲלֶ֑נּוּ וְנָ֥ס לוֹ֙ מִפְּנֵי־חֶ֔רֶב וּבַחוּרָ֖יו לָמַ֥ס יִהְיֽוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then shall the Assyrianאַשּׁוּר'ashshûr 'ashshûr · AssyriaH804
- fallנָפַלnâphal · to fall: killH5307
- with the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
- not of a mighty manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- not of a mean manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- shall devourאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- him: but he shall fleeנוּסnûs · to fleeH5127
- fromפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- and his young menבָּחוּרbâchûr bâchûr · youthH970
- shall be discomfitedמַסmas mis · taskworkerH4522
Cross-references for Isaiah 31:8
- Isaiah 10:16Therefore, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, will send a plague among Assyria’s proud troops, and a flaming fire will consume its glory.
- Isaiah 14:25I will break the Assyrians when they are in Israel; I will trample them on my mountains. My people will no longer be their slaves nor bow down under their heavy loads.
- Isaiah 29:5“But suddenly, your ruthless enemies will be crushed like the finest of dust. Your many attackers will be driven away like chaff before the wind. Suddenly, in an instant,
- Isaiah 30:27Look! The Lord is coming from far away, burning with anger, surrounded by thick, rising smoke. His lips are filled with fury; his words consume like fire.
- Isaiah 37:35‘For my own honor and for the sake of my servant David, I will defend this city and protect it.’”
- 2 Kings 19:34For my own honor and for the sake of my servant David, I will defend this city and protect it.”
- 2 Chronicles 32:21And the Lord sent an angel who destroyed the Assyrian army with all its commanders and officers. So Sennacherib was forced to return home in disgrace to his own land. And when he entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons killed him there with a sword.
- Hosea 1:7But I will show love to the people of Judah. I will free them from their enemies—not with weapons and armies or horses and charioteers, but by my power as the Lord their God.”
- Isaiah 37:37Then King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land. He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there.
Commentaries on Isaiah 31:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Then shall the Assyrian fall, etc. - Because he was to be discomfited by the angel of the Lord, destroying in his camp, in one night, upwards of one hundred and eighty thousand men; and Sennacherib himself fell by the hands of the princes, his own sons. Not mighty men, for they were not soldiers; not mean men, for they were princes.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword - The sword is often used as an instrument of punishment. It is not meant here literally that the sword would be used, but it is employed to denote that complete destruction would come upon them. Not of a mighty man - The idea here is, that the army should not fall by the valor of a distinguished warrior, but that it should be done by the direct interposition of God (see Isaiah 37:36). Of a mean man - Of a man…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-9Verses 6-9 They have been backsliding children, yet children; let them return, and their backslidings shall be healed, though they have sunk deep into misery, and cannot easily recover. Many make an idol of their silver and gold, and by the love of that are drawn from God; but those who turn to God, will be ready to part with it. Then, when they have cast away their idols, shall the Assyrian fall by the sword of an angel, who strikes more strongly than a…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-9This prophecy concerned God’s protection of Jerusalem and its rescue from the Assyrians.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. Assyrian--Sennacherib, representative of some powerful head of the ungodly in the latter ages [Horsley]. sword, not of ... mighty ... mean man--but by the unseen sword of God. flee--Sennacherib alone fled homewards after his army had been destroyed (Is 37:37). young men--the flower of his army. discomfited--rather, "shall be subject to slavery"; literally, "shall be liable to tribute," that is, personal service (De 20:11; Jos 9:21) [Maurer]. Or, not so…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 31:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 31
- 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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