Isaiah 34:9

Isaiah 34:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.
• New International Version (NIV)Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch, her dust into burning sulfur; her land will become blazing pitch!
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the streams of Edom shall be turned into pitch, and her soil into sulfur; her land shall become burning pitch.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Its streams shall be turned into pitch, And its dust into brimstone; Its land shall become burning pitch.

Context of Isaiah 34:9

7Wild oxen will go down with them, bull calves with mighty steers. So their land will be soaked with blood and their dust greasy with fat. 8For Adonai has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the hostility against Zion. Its streams will be turned into pitch, its dust into brimstone, and its land will become burning tar. 10It will not be quenched night or day. Its smoke will go up forever. From generation to generation it will lay waste—forever and ever none will pass through it. 11But pelican and porcupine will have it, owl and raven will dwell in it. He will stretch a line of chaos over it and stones of desolation.

Isaiah 34:9 word by word

וְנֶהֶפְכ֤וּ נְחָלֶ֙יהָ֙ לְזֶ֔פֶת וַעֲפָרָ֖הּ לְגָפְרִ֑ית וְהָיְתָ֣ה אַרְצָ֔הּ לְזֶ֖פֶת בֹּעֵרָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the streamsנַ֫חַלnachal nachlâh nachălâh · torrent: riverH5158
• thereof shall be turnedהָפַךְhâphak · to overturnH2015
• into pitchזֶ֫פֶתzepheth · pitchH2203
• and the dustעָפָר‛âphâr · dustH6083
• thereof into brimstoneגׇּפְרִיתgophrîyth · brimstoneH1614
• and the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• thereof shall become burningבָּעַרbâ‛ar · to burn: burnH1197

Cross-references for Isaiah 34:9

• Genesis 19:28and he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward the entire land of the surrounding area, and saw, behold, the smoke of the land ascended like smoke from a furnace.
• Job 18:15Nothing of his dwells in his tent; brimstone is scattered over his dwelling.
• Psalms 11:6On the wicked He will rain down fire, brimstone and scorching wind as the portion of their cup!
• Luke 17:29But on the day Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed them all.
• Jude 1:7In the same way as these angels, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them—having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after a different sort of flesh—are displayed as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire.
• Revelation 19:20Then the beast was captured, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs before him by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast, as well as those who had worshiped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
• Revelation 21:8But for the cowardly and faithless and detestable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars—their lot is in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Commentaries on Isaiah 34:9

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9And the streams thereof - The idea here is, that there would be as great and awful a destruction as if the streams everywhere should become pitch or resin, which would be set on fire, and which would fill the land with flame. This image is very striking, as we may see by supposing the rivers and streams in any land to flow not with water, but with heated pitch, turpentine, or tar, and that this was all suddenly kindled into a flame. It cannot be supposed…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-17Verses 9-17 Those who aim to ruin the church, can never do that, but will ruin themselves. What dismal changes sin can make! It turns a fruitful land into barrenness, a crowded city into a wilderness. Let us compare all we discover in the book of the Lord, with the dealings of providence around us, that we may be more diligent in seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness. What the mouth of the Lord has commanded, his Spirit will perform. And let us…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9Edom’s judgment was similar to the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24; see also Jeremiah 49:17–18).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. Images from the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah (Ge 19:24-28; so De 29:23; Jr 49:17, 18).Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 34:9

• Pitch
• Punishment
• Slime
• Volcanoes
• War

In the dictionaries

• Brimstone
• Pitch
• Scroll
• Seek
• Isaiah
• Obadiah, Book of
• Slime; Slime Pits
• sulfur, sulfurous

Commentaries on Isaiah 34

• 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