Isaiah 32:8
in Isaiah 32But a noble man makes honorable plans; he stands up for worthy causes.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But the noble deviseth noble things; and in noble things shall he continue.
KJV
But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.
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This verse in Isaiah 32
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThird, the prudence of Ezechias in his reign: the prince, for Ezechias commanded that no one should respond to Sennacherib, above: I will restore your princes as they were before (Isa 1:26).
This site's exposition
No longer will a fool be called noble
on Isaiah 32:5-8
Under the righteous king, "No longer will a fool be called noble, nor a scoundrel be respected". The fool "leaves the hungry empty", the scoundrel "hatches plots to destroy the poor with lies". Matthew Henry noted that the promise corrects common speech, so that flattering names no longer cover greed.
This site's exposition
a noble man makes honorable plans
Verse 5 named four kinds of people, and verses 6 to 8 describe the fool, the scoundrel and now the noble. Adam Clarke noted that the fourth, the respected man of verse 5, receives no portrait of his own. The noble man stands by what he plans.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Chapter 32, Verses 1 onwards) Behold, the king shall reign with justice, and princes shall rule with judgment. And a man shall be like one who hides from the wind, and conceals himself from the storm: like streams of water in a dry place, and the shadow of a towering rock in a barren land. The eyes of those who see shall not be dim, and the ears of those who hear shall listen carefully. And the heart of fools shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of stammerers shall speak quickly and clearly.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
15 Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. 16 Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. 17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
But the liberal man deviseth liberal things,....
A prophecy of the great disturbance that would be given to the kingdom in the middle of his reign by the Assyrian invasion,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Liberal things “Generous purposes” - “Of the four sorts of persons mentioned Isa 32:5, three are described, Isa 32:6, Isa 32:7, and Isa 32:8, but not the fourth.” - Secker. Perhaps for והוא vehu, and he, we ought to read ושוע veshoa, the bountiful.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
But the liberal - This seems also to have the force of a proverbial expression. The word ‘liberal’ means generous, noble, large-hearted, benevolent; a man of large views and of public spirit; a man above covetousness, avarice, and self-seeking; a man who is willing to devote himself to the welfare of his country, and to the interests of his fellow-men. It is implied here that such persons would be selected to administer the affairs of the government I under the wise and virtuous prince of whom the prophet speaks. Deviseth liberal things - He purposes those things which will tend to promote the public welfare, and not those merely which will conduce to his private ends and gratification. And by liberal things shall he stand - Margin, ‘Be established.’ That is, according to the connection, he shall be confirmed, or approved in the government of the virtuous king referred to. It is, however, a proposition in a general form, and means also that a man by a liberal course shall be established; that is, his character, reputation, hopes, shall be established by it. This is true now. If a man wishes to obtain permanent peace and honor, the esteem of his fellow-men, or the evidence of divine approbation, it can be best done by large and liberal schemes to advance the happiness of a dying world. He who is avaricious and narrow-minded has no happiness, and no durable reputation; he who is large-hearted and benevolent, has the approbation of the wise and good, the favor of God, and a firm and unshaken support in the trials of life, and in the agonies of death.
The words behind it
7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְנָדִ֖יב | venadiv | and a noble [person] | H5081 → | 29 times |
| נְדִיב֣וֹת | nedivot | noble deeds | H5081 → | 29 times |
| יָעָ֑ץ | yaatz | he plans | H3289 → | 79 times |
| וְה֖וּא | vehu' | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| נְדִיב֥וֹת | nedivot | noble deeds | H5081 → | 29 times |
| יָקֽוּם׃ פ | yakum | he stands | H6965 → | 628 times |
וְנָדִ֖יבand a noble [person]
venadivH5081 →29 times
נְדִיב֣וֹתnoble deeds
nedivotH5081 →29 times
יָעָ֑ץhe plans
yaatzH3289 →79 times
וְה֖וּאand he
vehu'H1931 →1879 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
נְדִיב֥וֹתnoble deeds
nedivotH5081 →29 times
יָקֽוּם׃ פhe stands
yakumH6965 →628 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Acts 9:39So Peter got up and went with them. On his arrival, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood around him, weeping and showing him the tunics and other clothing that…
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 1:3
and continually recalling before our God and Father your work of faith, your labor of love, and your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Proverbs 10:7
The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.
- Proverbs 31:30–31
Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
- Ephesians 4:28
He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need.
- Acts 20:35
In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
- 1 Thessalonians 1:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Isaiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.