Revised Literal Translation
Isaiah 31:5
5As birds flying, so will Yhwh of Armies defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.
Isaiah 31:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.
- New International Version (NIV)Like birds hovering overhead, the Lord Almighty will shield Jerusalem; he will shield it and deliver it, he will ‘pass over’ it and will rescue it.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Like birds hovering, so the Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem; he will protect and deliver it; he will spare and rescue it."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Like birds flying about, So will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, He will also deliver it; Passing over, He will preserve it.”
Context of Isaiah 31:5
3Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. when Yhwh shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together. 4For thus hath Yhwh spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall Yhwh of Armies come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof. As birds flying, so will Yhwh of Armies defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it. 6Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted. 7For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.
Read all of Isaiah 31Isaiah 31:5 word by word
כְּצִפֳּרִ֣ים עָפ֔וֹת כֵּ֗ן יָגֵ֛ן יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת עַל־יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם גָּנ֥וֹן וְהִצִּ֖יל פָּסֹ֥חַ וְהִמְלִֽיט׃Read the interlinear
- As birdsצִפּוֹרtsippôr tsippôr · birdH6833
- flyingעוּף‛ûph · to flyH5774
- so will Yhwhיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of Armiesצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- defendגָּנַןgânan · to defendH1598
- Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- also he will deliverנָצַלnâtsal · to rescueH5337
- passing overפָּסַחpâsach · to passH6452
- he will preserveמָלַטmâlaţ · to escapeH4422
Cross-references for Isaiah 31:5
- Isaiah 10:14And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.
- Exodus 19:4Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.
- Deuteronomy 32:11As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:
- Psalms 46:5God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
- Psalms 91:4He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
- Psalms 37:40And Yhwh shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
- Exodus 12:27That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of Yhwh’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.
Commentaries on Isaiah 31:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Passing over "Leaping forward" - The generality of interpreters observe in this place an allusion to the deliverance which God vouchsafed to his people when he destroyed the first-born of the Egyptians, and exempted those of the Israelites sojourning among them by a peculiar interposition. The same word is made use of here which is used upon that occasion, and which gave the name to the feast which was instituted in commemoration of that deliverance, פסח…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5As birds flying - This is another comparison indicating substantially the same thing as the former, that Yahweh would protect Jerusalem. The idea here is, that He would do it in the same manner as birds defend their young by hovering over them, securing them under their wings, and leaping forward, if they are suddenly attacked, to defend them. Our Saviour has used a similar figure to indicate his readiness to have defended and saved the same city Matthew…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. 55. As in the image of "the lion," the point of comparison is the fearless might of Jehovah; so in that of the birds, it is His solicitous affection (De 32:11; Psa 91:4; Mt 23:37). flying--Rather, "which defend" their young with their wings; "to fly" is a secondary meaning of the Hebrew word [Maurer]. "Hovering over" to protect their young [G. V. Smith]. passing over--as the destroying angel passing over, so as to spare the blood-marked houses of the…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 31:5
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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries