Logos Bible Study

Isaiah 5:26–30

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5:26He lifts a signal flag for a distant nation,65

he whistles for it to come from the far regions of the earth.

Look, they66 come quickly and swiftly.

5:27None tire or stumble,

they don’t stop to nap or sleep.

They don’t loosen their belts,

or unstrap their sandals to rest.67

5:28Their arrows are sharpened,

and all their bows are prepared.68

The hooves of their horses are hard as flint,69

and their chariot wheels are like a windstorm.70

5:29Their roar is like a lion’s;

they roar like young lions.

They growl and seize their prey;

they drag it away and no one can come to the rescue.

5:30At that time71 they will growl over their prey,72

it will sound like sea waves crashing against rocks.73

One will look out over the land and see the darkness of disaster,

clouds will turn the light into darkness.74

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Footnotes

  1. 65 The Hebrew text has literally, “for nations from a distance.” The following verses use singular forms to describe this nation, so the final mem (ם) on לְגּוֹיִם (légoyim) may be enclitic or dittographic. In the latter case one could read לְגוֹי מֵרָחוֹק (légoy merakhoq, “for a nation from a distance”; see Deut 28:49; Joel 3:8). Another possibility is to emend the text from לַגּוֹיִם מֵרָחוֹק (laggoyim merakhoq) to לְגוֹי מִמֶּרְחָק (légoy mimmerkhaq, “for a nation from a distant place”) a phrase which occurs in Jer 5:15. In this case an error of misdivision has occurred in , the mem of the prefixed preposition being accidentally taken as a plural ending on the preceding word.
  2. 66 Heb “he.” Singular forms are used throughout vv. 26–30 to describe this nation, but for stylistic reasons the translation uses the plural for these collective singulars.
  3. 67 Heb “and the belt on his waist is not opened, and the thong of his sandals is not torn in two.”
  4. 68 Heb “bent” (so , , , ); “are strung.”
  5. 69 Heb “regarded like flint.”
  6. 70 They are like a windstorm in their swift movement and in the way they kick up dust.
  7. 71 Or “in that day” ().
  8. 72 Heb “over it”; the referent (the prey) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  9. 73 Heb “like the growling of the sea.”
  10. 74 Heb “and one will gaze toward the land, and look, darkness of distress, and light will grow dark by its [the land’s?] clouds.” The motif of light turning to darkness is ironic when compared to v. 20. There the sinners turn light (= moral/ethical good) to darkness (= moral/ethical evil). Now ironically the Lord will turn light (= the sinners’ sphere of existence and life) into darkness (= the judgment and death).

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

He will raise a signal for nations far away,

and whistle for them from the ends of the earth;

and behold, quickly, speedily they come!

None is weary, none stumbles,

none slumbers or sleeps,

not a waistband is loose,

not a sandal strap broken;

their arrows are sharp,

all their bows bent,

their horses’ hoofs seem like flint,

and their wheels like the whirlwind.

Their roaring is like a lion,

like young lions they roar;

they growl and seize their prey;

they carry it off, and none can rescue.

They will growl over it on that day,

like the growling of the sea.

And if one looks to the land,

behold, darkness and distress;

and the light is darkened by its clouds.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

He lifts up a banner for the distant nations,

he whistles for those at the ends of the earth.

Here they come,

swiftly and speedily!

Not one of them grows tired or stumbles,

not one slumbers or sleeps;

not a belt is loosened at the waist,

not a sandal strap is broken.

Their arrows are sharp,

all their bows are strung;

their horses’ hooves seem like flint,

their chariot wheels like a whirlwind.

Their roar is like that of the lion,

they roar like young lions;

they growl as they seize their prey

and carry it off with no one to rescue.

In that day they will roar over it

like the roaring of the sea.

And if one looks at the land,

there is only darkness and distress;

even the sun will be darkened by clouds.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

He raises a signal flag for the distant nations

and whistles for them from the ends of the earth.

Look—how quickly and swiftly they come!

None of them grows weary or stumbles;

no one slumbers or sleeps.

No belt is loose

and no sandal strap broken.

Their arrows are sharpened,

and all their bows strung.

Their horses’ hooves are like flint;

their chariot wheels are like a whirlwind.

Their roaring is like a lion’s;

they roar like young lions;

they growl and seize their prey

and carry it off,

and no one can rescue it.

On that day they will roar over it,

like the roaring of the sea.

When one looks at the land,

there will be darkness and distress;

light will be obscured by clouds.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

He will send a signal to distant nations far away

and whistle to those at the ends of the earth.

They will come racing toward Jerusalem.

They will not get tired or stumble.

They will not stop for rest or sleep.

Not a belt will be loose,

not a sandal strap broken.

Their arrows will be sharp

and their bows ready for battle.

Sparks will fly from their horses’ hooves,

and the wheels of their chariots will spin like a whirlwind.

They will roar like lions,

like the strongest of lions.

Growling, they will pounce on their victims and carry them off,

and no one will be there to rescue them.

They will roar over their victims on that day of destruction

like the roaring of the sea.

If someone looks across the land,

only darkness and distress will be seen;

even the light will be darkened by clouds.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And he will raise a signal for a nation from afar,

and he will whistle for it from the end of the earth.

And look! It comes quickly, swiftly!

None is weary,

and none among him stumbles;

none slumbers and none sleeps.

And no loincloth on his waist is opened,

and no thong of his sandals is drawn away.

Whose arrows are sharp,

and all of his bows are bent.

The hoofs of his horses are reckoned like flint,

and his wheels like the storm wind.

His roaring is like the lion,

and he roars like young lions.

And he growls and seizes his prey,

and he carries it off,

and not one can rescue it.

And he will roar over him on that day

like the roaring of the sea,

and if one looks to the land, look! Darkness! Distress!

And the light grows dark with its clouds.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far,

And will hiss unto them from the end of the earth:

And, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:

None shall be weary nor stumble among them;

None shall slumber nor sleep;

Neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed,

Nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:

Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent,

Their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint,

And their wheels like a whirlwind:

Their roaring shall be like a lion,

They shall roar like young lions:

Yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey,

And shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it.

And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea:

And if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow,

And the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.

Public Domain