Isaiah 54:17
in Isaiah 54No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of Jehovah, and their righteousness which is of me, saith Jehovah.
KJV
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.
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This verse in Isaiah 54
Commentary
12 notes on this verseSecond, he sets out the promise: no vessel that is formed against you shall prosper, that is, he will scatter everything formed, as to those attacking with deeds, and every tongue, as to those attacking with words, above: they shall be as nothing (Isa 41:11).
This site's exposition
If anyone attacks you, it is not from Me
on Isaiah 54:15-17
Verse 15 says that an attack on Zion is not ordained by the LORD, and “whoever assails you will fall before you”. Verse 16 claims both the smith and the destroyer as His creatures. Verse 17 gives the chapter's best-known line, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper”.
This site's exposition
No weapon formed against you shall prosper
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown render the vindication as their justification from the LORD, and set it beside Romans 8:33, where God justifies those others accuse. Thomas Aquinas divides the attack in two, weapons for deeds and tongues for words. Wesley reads vindication as the reward of their righteousness.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 16, 17.) Behold, I have created the blacksmith who blows the coals in the fire, and brings forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the destroyer to destroy. Every weapon formed against you shall not prosper, and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from me, says the Lord. LXX: Behold, I have created you not as a blacksmith blowing the coals in the fire and bringing forth an instrument for work.
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
), as that which they may depend upon and be confident of, that God will protect them from their adversaries both in camps and courts. First, From their field-adversaries, that think to destroy them by force and violence, and dint of sword: " No weapon that is formed against thee (though ever so artfully formed by the smith that blows the coals,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+odd-straight-quotes
Condemn - And I will deliver thee not only from the fury of war, but also from the strife of tongues. This - This blessed condition, is the portion allotted them by me. Righteousness - The reward of their righteousness.
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper,....
5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the L ORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. If we apply this to the state of the Jews after their return out of captivity, it is a prophecy of the increase of their nation after they were settled in their own land.
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
No weapon that is formed - No instrument of war, no sword, or spear; no instrument of persecution or torture that is made by the smith, Isa 54:16. Shall prosper - On the meaning of this word, see the notes at Isa 52:13. The sense here is, that it shall not have final and ultimate prosperity. It might be permitted for a time to appear to prosper - as persecutors and oppressors have done; but there would not be final and complete success. And every tongue - No one shall be able to injure you by words and accusations.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Those who desire to "condemn" thee thou shalt "condemn" (Ex 11:7; Ro 8:1, 33). righteousness . . . of me-- (Isa 45:24; Rather, "(this is) their justification from Me." Their enemies would "condemn" them, but I justify and vindicate them, and so they condemn their enemies.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2908: “The Saint's Heritage and Watchword” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
This is the fifth of November, a day notable in English history. The events which transpired on it ought never to be forgotten. On this memorable day the Catholics, foiled in all their schemes for crushing our glorious Protestantism, devised a plot horrible and diabolical enough to render them forever hateful among upright men. The vast Armada of Spain on which they had relied had been, by the breath of God, scattered and given to destruction. And now the cowardly traitors attempted by the foulest means, the end which they could not accomplish by open warfare. Under the Houses of Parliament the deadly powder was concealed which they hoped would be the deathblow to both houses and so annihilate the power of Protestantism. But God looked from Heaven, confounded their knavish tricks, laid their secrets bare and exposed their treachery! Hallelujah to the King eternal, immortal, invisible who guarded us and guards us still from the devices of Rome and Hell! Praise to His name, we are free from the Pope of Rome, to whom— "Britons never will be slaves. While for our princes they prepare, In caverns deep a burning snare, He shot from Heaven a piercing ray And the dark treachery brought to day." Nor is this the only event for which the fifth of November is notable, for in 1688 we as a nation experienced a deliverance equally as great. James II had attempted to revive the dying cause of Popery—and the hopes of Satan were great.
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2908: “The Saint's Heritage and Watchword” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
This is the fifth of November, a day notable in English history. The events which transpired on it ought never to be forgotten. On this memorable day the Catholics, foiled in all their schemes for crushing our glorious Protestantism, devised a plot horrible and diabolical enough to render them forever hateful among upright men. The vast Armada of Spain on which they had relied had been, by the breath of God, scattered and given to destruction. And now the cowardly traitors attempted by the foulest means, the end which they could not accomplish by open warfare.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כָּל־ | kol- | any | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| כְּלִ֞י | keli | weapon | H3627 → | 325 times |
| יוּצַ֤ר | yutzar | [which] it will be formed | H3335 → | 62 times |
| עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ | ʾalayikh | on you | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִצְלָ֔ח | yitzlach | it will succeed | H6743 → | 65 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| לָשׁ֛וֹן | lashon | tongue | H3956 → | 117 times |
| תָּֽקוּם־ | takum- | [which] it will arise | H6965 → | 628 times |
| אִתָּ֥ךְ | ʾitakh | with you | H854 → | 929 times |
| לַמִּשְׁפָּ֖ט | lamishpat | to <the> judgment | H4941 → | 422 times |
| תַּרְשִׁ֑יעִי | tarshii | you will condemn as guilty | H7561 → | |
| זֹ֡את | zot | this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| נַחֲלַת֩ | nachalat | [is] [the] inheritance of | H5159 → | 222 times |
| עַבְדֵ֨י | ʾavdei | [the] servants of | H5650 → | 799 times |
| יְהוָ֧ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וְצִדְקָתָ֛ם | vetzidkatam | and righteousness their | H6666 → | 157 times |
| מֵאִתִּ֖י | meiti | from with me | H854 → | 929 times |
| נְאֻם־ | neum- | [the] utterance of | H5002 → | 376 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ ס | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
כָּל־any
kol-H3605 →5413 times
כְּלִ֞יweapon
keliH3627 →325 times
יוּצַ֤ר[which] it will be formed
yutzarH3335 →62 times
עָלַ֙יִךְ֙on you
ʾalayikhH5921 →5755 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יִצְלָ֔חit will succeed
yitzlachH6743 →65 times
וְכָל־and every
vekholH3605 →5413 times
לָשׁ֛וֹןtongue
lashonH3956 →117 times
תָּֽקוּם־[which] it will arise
takum-H6965 →628 times
אִתָּ֥ךְwith you
ʾitakhH854 →929 times
לַמִּשְׁפָּ֖טto <the> judgment
lamishpatH4941 →422 times
תַּרְשִׁ֑יעִיyou will condemn as guilty
tarshiiH7561 →
זֹ֡אתthis
zotH2063 →603 times
נַחֲלַת֩[is] [the] inheritance of
nachalatH5159 →222 times
עַבְדֵ֨י[the] servants of
ʾavdeiH5650 →799 times
יְהוָ֧הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וְצִדְקָתָ֛םand righteousness their
vetzidkatamH6666 →157 times
מֵאִתִּ֖יfrom with me
meitiH854 →929 times
נְאֻם־[the] utterance of
neum-H5002 →376 times
יְהוָֽה׃ סYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
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
Romans 8:1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
it leads to
- John 3:18–19
Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!
- Galatians 3:13
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
- Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
- 1 Corinthians 1:30
It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.
- John 3:18–19
Through
Isaiah 54:15If anyone attacks you, it is not from Me; whoever assails you will fall before you.
it leads to
- Isaiah 41:11–16
Behold, all who rage against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will be reduced to nothing and will perish.
- Psalms 37:12–13
The wicked scheme against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them,
- Zechariah 12:9
So on that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
- Isaiah 41:11–16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Isaiah
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2908: “The Saint's Heritage and Watchword” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); 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.