Isaiah 31:8-9
Christian Standard Bible
8 Then Assyria will fall,
but not by human sword;
a sword will devour him,
but not one made by man.(A)
He will flee from the sword;
his young men will be put to forced labor.(B)
9 His rock[a] will pass away because of fear,(C)
and his officers will be afraid because of the signal flag.(D)
This is the Lord’s declaration—whose fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.(E)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 31:9 Perhaps the Assyrian king
Isaiah 31:8-9
New English Translation
8 “Assyria will fall by a sword, but not one human-made;[a]
a sword not made by humankind will destroy them.[b]
They will run away from this sword[c]
and their young men will be forced to do hard labor.
9 They will surrender their stronghold[d] because of fear;[e]
their officers will be afraid of the Lord’s battle flag.”[f]
This is what the Lord says—
the one whose fire is in Zion,
whose firepot is in Jerusalem.[g]
Footnotes
- Isaiah 31:8 tn Heb “Assyria will fall by a sword, not of a man.”
- Isaiah 31:8 tn Heb “and a sword not of humankind will devour him.”
- Isaiah 31:8 tn Heb “he will flee for himself from before a sword.”
- Isaiah 31:9 tn Heb “rocky cliff” (cf. ASV, NASB “rock”), viewed metaphorically as a place of defense and security.
- Isaiah 31:9 tn Heb “His rocky cliff, because of fear, will pass away [i.e., “perish”].”
- Isaiah 31:9 tn Heb “and they will be afraid of the flag, his officers.”
- Isaiah 31:9 sn The “fire” and “firepot” here symbolize divine judgment, which is heating up like a fire in Jerusalem, waiting to be used against the Assyrians when they attack the city.
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