Isaiah 25:5
in Isaiah 25like heat in a dry land. You subdue the uproar of foreigners. As the shade of a cloud cools the heat, so the song of the ruthless is silenced.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
As the heat in a dry place wilt thou bring down the noise of strangers; as the heat by the shade of a cloud, the song of the terrible ones shall be brought low.
KJV
Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.
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This verse in Isaiah 25
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Thou shalt bring down the noise - The tumult; the sound which they make in entering into battle; or the note of triumph, and the sound of revelry. The phrase may refer either to their shout of exultation over their vanquished foes; or to the usual sound of revelry; or to the hum of business in a vast city. Of strangers - Of foreigners (see the note at Isa 25:2).
This site's exposition
For thou hast been a strength to the poor
on Isaiah 25:4-5
The song turns from what God has done to the poor city's rival to what he is to the poor themselves, a strength to the needy in distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, protection named in the plainest terms the chapter uses anywhere. The terrible ones whose blast was like a storm against the wall are brought down the same way heat is brought down by the shadow of a cloud, force answered not with greater force but with shelter. Barnes reads the poor and needy here as more than an economic class, the whole company of those who have nowhere else to turn. The branch of the terrible ones brought low closes the pair, the powerful humbled precisely where the powerless were sheltered.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
(Chapter 25 — Verse 1 and following) O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for you have done marvelous things, faithful and true are your ancient thoughts. Amen. For you have made a city into a heap, a fortified city into ruins, a palace of foreigners, so that it is no longer a city and will never be rebuilt. On this the strong people will praise you, the city of the mighty nations will fear you.
Perhaps this is what the prophet is referring to, that is, those in Israel who were thirsting for the coming of the Savior. They desired to see the Savior and Redeemer of all. One such person was the righteous Simeon. When he took the infant Jesus in his arms, he said, "Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for mine eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel."
The Medieval Church1 voice
588. As heat in thirst. Here he sets out the manner of punishment as to affliction: as heat in thirst, afflicts, the tumult, the proud clamor, of strangers; as to barrenness: and as with heat under a burning cloud, united by the south wind, by …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The noise - The tumultuous noise, as the word properly signifies; the rage and furious attempts of those Heathen nations that fought against God's people.
Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
This is a key to the rest of the promises here connected together. And so we have here a prophecy of the salvation and the grace brought unto us by Jesus Christ, into which the prophets enquired and searched diligently, 1 Pet. i.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Translate, "As the heat in a dry land (is brought down by the shadow of a cloud, so) thou shalt bring down the tumult (the shout of triumph over their enemies) of strangers (foreigners); and as the heat by the shadow of the cloud (is brought low), so the branch (the offspring) of the terrible ones shall be brought low." PARKHURST translates the Hebrew for "branch," the exulting song.
Of strangers “Of the proud” - The same mistake here as in Isa 25:2 (note): see the note there. Here זדים zedim, the proud, is parallel to עריצים aritsim, the formidable: as in Psa 54:5, and Psa 86:14. The heat with the shadow of a cloud “As the heat by a thick cloud” - For חרב choreb, the Syriac, Chaldee, Vulgate, and two MSS. read כחרב kechoreb, which is a repetition of the beginning of the foregoing parallel line; and the verse taken out of the parallel form, and more fully expressed, would run thus: “As a thick cloud interposing tempers the heat of the sun on the burnt soil; so shalt thou, by the interposition of thy power, bring low and abate the tumult of the proud, and the triumph of the formidable.”
The words behind it
11 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כְּחֹ֣רֶב | kechorev | like heat | H2721 → | 16 times |
| בְּצָי֔וֹן | betzayon | in a dry land | H6724 → | |
| שְׁא֥וֹן | sheon | [the] uproar of | H7588 → | 18 times |
| זָרִ֖ים | zarim | strangers | H2114 → | 77 times |
| תַּכְנִ֑יעַ | takhnia' | you will subdue | H3665 → | |
| חֹ֚רֶב | chorev | heat | H2721 → | 16 times |
| בְּצֵ֣ל | betzel | in [the] shade of | H6738 → | 49 times |
| עָ֔ב | ʾav | a cloud | H5645 → | 31 times |
| זְמִ֥יר | zemir | [the] song of | H2158 → | |
| עָֽרִיצִ֖ים | ʾaritzim | ruthless [people] | H6184 → | 20 times |
| יַעֲנֶֽה׃ פ | yaaneh | he will quieten | H6031 → | 82 times |
כְּחֹ֣רֶבlike heat
kechorevH2721 →16 times
בְּצָי֔וֹןin a dry land
betzayonH6724 →
שְׁא֥וֹן[the] uproar of
sheonH7588 →18 times
זָרִ֖יםstrangers
zarimH2114 →77 times
תַּכְנִ֑יעַyou will subdue
takhnia'H3665 →
חֹ֚רֶבheat
chorevH2721 →16 times
בְּצֵ֣לin [the] shade of
betzelH6738 →49 times
עָ֔בa cloud
ʾavH5645 →31 times
זְמִ֥יר[the] song of
zemirH2158 →
עָֽרִיצִ֖יםruthless [people]
ʾaritzimH6184 →20 times
יַעֲנֶֽה׃ פhe will quieten
yaanehH6031 →82 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
About Isaiah
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 3:1.25; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.