New Living Translation
Isaiah 37:27
27That is why their people have so little power and are so frightened and confused. They are as weak as grass, as easily trampled as tender green shoots. They are like grass sprouting on a housetop, scorched before it can grow lush and tall.
Isaiah 37:27 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded: they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.
- New International Version (NIV)Their people, drained of power, are dismayed and put to shame. They are like plants in the field, like tender green shoots, like grass sprouting on the roof, scorched before it grows up.
- English Standard Version (ESV)while their inhabitants, shorn of strength, are dismayed and confounded, and have become like plants of the field and like tender grass, like grass on the housetops, blighted before it is grown.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore their inhabitants had little power; They were dismayed and confounded; They were as the grass of the field And the green herb, As the grass on the housetops And grain blighted before it is grown.
Context of Isaiah 37:27
25I have dug wells in many foreign lands and refreshed myself with their water. With the sole of my foot, I stopped up all the rivers of Egypt!’ 26“But have you not heard? I decided this long ago. Long ago I planned it, and now I am making it happen. I planned for you to crush fortified cities into heaps of rubble. That is why their people have so little power and are so frightened and confused. They are as weak as grass, as easily trampled as tender green shoots. They are like grass sprouting on a housetop, scorched before it can grow lush and tall. 28“But I know you well— where you stay and when you come and go. I know the way you have raged against me. 29And because of your raging against me and your arrogance, which I have heard for myself, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth. I will make you return by the same road on which you came.”
Read all of Isaiah 37Isaiah 37:27 word by word
וְיֹֽשְׁבֵיהֶן֙ קִצְרֵי־יָ֔ד חַ֖תּוּ וָבֹ֑שׁוּ הָי֞וּ עֵ֤שֶׂב שָׂדֶה֙ וִ֣ירַק דֶּ֔שֶׁא חֲצִ֣יר גַּגּ֔וֹת וּשְׁדֵמָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י קָמָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Therefore their inhabitantsיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- of smallקָצֵרqâtsêr · shortH7116
- powerיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
- they were dismayedחָתַתchâthath · to to be dismayedH2865
- and confoundedבּוֹשׁbûsh · be ashamedH954
- the grassעֵ֫שֶׂב‛eώeb · vegetationH6212
- of the fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
- the greenיָרָקyârâq · herbH3419
- herbדֶּ֫שֶׁאdeshe' · grassH1877
- the grassחָצִירchâtsîyr · grassH2682
- on the housetopsגָּגgâg · roofH1406
- blastedשְׁדֵמָהshedêmâh · fieldH7709
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- it be grown upקָמָהqâmâh · standing grainH7054
Cross-references for Isaiah 37:27
- Isaiah 19:16In that day the Egyptians will be as weak as women. They will cower in fear beneath the upraised fist of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
- Numbers 14:9Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”
- 2 Kings 19:26That is why their people have so little power and are so frightened and confused. They are as weak as grass, as easily trampled as tender green shoots. They are like grass sprouting on a housetop, scorched before it can grow lush and tall.
- Psalms 127:1Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.
- Jeremiah 5:10“Go down the rows of the vineyards and destroy the grapevines, leaving a scattered few alive. Strip the branches from the vines, for these people do not belong to the Lord.
- Jeremiah 37:10Even if you were to destroy the entire Babylonian army, leaving only a handful of wounded survivors, they would still stagger from their tents and burn this city to the ground!”
- Isaiah 40:6A voice said, “Shout!” I asked, “What should I shout?” “Shout that people are like the grass. Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field.
- Psalms 37:2For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither.
- Psalms 90:5You sweep people away like dreams that disappear. They are like grass that springs up in the morning.
- Psalms 92:7Though the wicked sprout like weeds and evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.
- Psalms 103:15Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
- Psalms 129:6May they be as useless as grass on a rooftop, turning yellow when only half grown,
- James 1:10And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field.
- 1 Peter 1:24As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades.
Commentaries on Isaiah 37:27
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27Corn blasted - שדמה shedemah, parched: it does not appear that there is any good authority for this word. The true reading seems to be שדפה shedephah, blasted, as it is in six MSS. (two ancient) here, and in the other copy.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27Therefore - Not because you have so great power; but because I have rendered them incapable of resisting you. Were of small power - Hebrew, Short of hand;‘ they were feeble, imbecile, unable to resist you. They were dismayed - Hebrew, They were broken and ashamed.‘ Their spirits sank; they were ashamed of their feeble powers of resistance; and they submitted to the ignominy of a surrender. They were as the grass of the field - The same idea is expressed…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-38Jerusalem’s rescue from King Sennacherib of Assyria is a main event in Isaiah 1–39. The Lord promised to save his people. He would remain present with Jerusalem (see 7:14). He would also keep a remnant, a small group who would survive (see study note on Isaiah 10:20). Much of the land became empty and the population greatly reduced. This happened because Judah made a foolish alliance with Assyria (chapters 7–8). Even so, the Lord did not allow total…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2727. Therefore--not because of thy power, but because I made them unable to withstand thee. grass--which easily withers (Is 40:6; Psa 37:2). on ... housetops--which having little earth to nourish it fades soonest (Psa 129:6-8). corn blasted before it be grown up--Smith translates, "The cornfield (frail and tender), before the corn is grown."Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 37:27
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 37
- 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
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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