Isaiah 33:1
in Isaiah 33Woe to you, O destroyer never destroyed, O traitor never betrayed! When you have finished destroying, you will be destroyed. When you have finished betraying, you will be betrayed.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Woe to thee that destroyest, and thou wast not destroyed; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! When thou hast ceased to destroy, thou shalt be destroyed; and when thou hast made an end of dealing treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.
KJV
Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.
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This verse in Isaiah 33
Commentary
8 notes on this verse(Chapter XXXIII - Verse 1) Woe to those who plunder: will they not be plundered themselves? And to those who despise: will they not be despised themselves? When you have finished plundering, you will be plundered; when you have grown weary of contempt, you will be scorned. LXX: Woe to those who make you miserable: for no one makes you miserable. And those who condemn you, do not condemn you: they will be condemned, and handed over, and be consumed like moths in clothing.
This site's exposition
Woe to thee that spoilest
The oracle turns the aggressor's own words back on him: the spoiler who has not himself been spoiled, and the treacherous dealer who has not been dealt with treacherously, is warned that his own measure returns to him once he ceases to spoil and to betray. The older commentators read the address as fitting Sennacherib and Assyria precisely, a power that had broken faith with smaller nations and now stands warned that its own conduct will be repaid in kind. Henry and Gill both note the principle stated here reaches beyond Assyria to any power that lives by treachery, since the text states the law rather than naming the man.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
715. Woe to you that spoils. In this part, he begins to foretell the destruction of their enemies; and first, the destruction; second, the effect of the destruction: the land that was desolate and impassable shall be glad (ch. 35). The first of these is …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled,.... Which some understand of Nebuchadnezzar; others of Sennacherib, which is more probable; it seems best to interpret it of the Romish antichrist. Kimchi thinks that, if it respects the times of Hezekiah, Sennacherib is meant; but if the times of the Messiah, then the king of nations that shall be in those days; and he adds, this is the kingdom of Persia, in the vision of Daniel.
Bloody and deceitful men are the worst of men. The aggravation of this sin. He spoiled those that had never done him any injury and that he had no pretence to quarrel with, and dealt treacherously with those that had always dealt faithfully with him.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Wo to thee that spoilest - This description accords entirely with Sennacherib and his army, who had plundered the cities and countries which they had invaded, and who were about to advance to Jerusalem for the same purpose (compare Isa 29:7-8; Isa 37:11). And thou wast not spoiled - That is, thou hadst not been plundered by the Jews against whom thou art coming. It was because the war was so unprovoked and unjust, that God would bring so signal vengeance on them. And dealest treacherously - (See the note at Isa 21:2).
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
and thou--that is, though thou wast not spoiled--though thou wast not dealt treacherously with (see on Isa 24:16), thy spoiling and treachery are therefore without excuse, being unprovoked. cease--When God has let thee do thy worst, in execution of His plans, thine own turn shall come (compare Isa 10:12;
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1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
And deadest treacherously “Thou plunderer” - See note on Isa 21:2 (note). When thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously “When thou art weary of plundering” - “כנלתך cannelothecha, alibi non extat in s. s. nisi f. Job 15:29 - simplicius est legere ככלתך kechallothecha. Vid. Capell.; nec repugnat Vitringa. Vid. Dan 9:24. כלה calah התים hatim.” - Secker.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Woe To the enemy, that you constantly spoil, but you are not spoiled, and you constantly deal treacherously, but no man deals treacherously with you or spoils you.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ה֣וֹי | ho | woe to! | H1945 → | 51 times |
| שׁוֹדֵ֗ד | shoded | [the] destroyer | H7703 → | 57 times |
| וְאַתָּה֙ | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| שָׁד֔וּד | shadud | [have been] destroyed | H7703 → | 57 times |
| וּבוֹגֵ֖ד | uvoged | and [the] traitor | H898 → | 49 times |
| וְלֹא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| בָ֣גְדוּ | vagedu | people have dealt treacherously | H898 → | 49 times |
| ב֑וֹ | vo | with him | ||
| כַּהֲתִֽמְךָ֤ | kahatimkha | when finishing you | H8552 → | 63 times |
| שׁוֹדֵד֙ | shoded | destroying | H7703 → | 57 times |
| תּוּשַּׁ֔ד | tushad | you will be destroyed | H7703 → | 57 times |
| כַּנְּלֹתְךָ֥ | kanelotekha | when completing you | H5239 → | |
| לִבְגֹּ֖ד | livgod | to deal treacherously | H898 → | 49 times |
| יִבְגְּדוּ־ | yivgedu- | people will deal treacherously | H898 → | 49 times |
| בָֽךְ׃ ס | vakh | with <the> you |
ה֣וֹיwoe to!
hoH1945 →51 times
שׁוֹדֵ֗ד[the] destroyer
shodedH7703 →57 times
וְאַתָּה֙and you
veatahH859 →1094 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
שָׁד֔וּד[have been] destroyed
shadudH7703 →57 times
וּבוֹגֵ֖דand [the] traitor
uvogedH898 →49 times
וְלֹא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
בָ֣גְדוּpeople have dealt treacherously
vageduH898 →49 times
ב֑וֹwith him
vo
כַּהֲתִֽמְךָ֤when finishing you
kahatimkhaH8552 →63 times
שׁוֹדֵד֙destroying
shodedH7703 →57 times
תּוּשַּׁ֔דyou will be destroyed
tushadH7703 →57 times
כַּנְּלֹתְךָ֥when completing you
kanelotekhaH5239 →
לִבְגֹּ֖דto deal treacherously
livgodH898 →49 times
יִבְגְּדוּ־people will deal treacherously
yivgedu-H898 →49 times
בָֽךְ׃ סwith <the> you
vakh
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 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
Matthew 7:2For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
it leads to
- James 2:13
For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
- Mark 4:24
He went on to say, “Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and even more will be added to you.
- Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured…
- Obadiah 1:15
For the Day of the LORD is near for all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your recompense will return upon your own head.
- Revelation 18:6
Give back to her as she has done to others; pay her back double for what she has done; mix her a double portion in her own cup.
- James 2:13
Through
Revelation 17:17For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose by uniting to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.
it leads to
- 2 Thessalonians 2:10–12
and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them.
- Proverbs 21:1
The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.
- 2 Corinthians 8:16
But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same devotion I have for you.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:10–12
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); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; 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.