Isaiah 27:11
in Isaiah 27When its limbs are dry, they are broken off. Women come and use them for kindling; for this is a people without understanding. Therefore their Maker has no compassion on them, and their Creator shows them no favor.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off; the women shall come, and set them on fire; for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have compassion upon them, and he that formed them will show them no favor.
KJV
When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour.
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This verse in Isaiah 27
Commentary
12 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
When the boughs thereof are withered - This is a further description of the desolation which would come upon Babylon. The idea is, that Babylon would be forsaken until the trees should grow and decay, and the branches should fall to be collected for burning. That is, the desolation should be entire, undisturbed, and long continued The idea of the desolation is, therefore, in this verse carried forward, and a new circumstance is introduced to make it more graphic and striking.
This site's exposition
the fortified city lies deserted
on Isaiah 27:10-11
In contrast to the strong city of 26:1, "the fortified city lies deserted". The reason is given, "for this is a people without understanding", and "their Maker has no compassion on them". Jamieson, Fausset and Brown set this withheld compassion beside the atonement for Jacob's guilt in verse 9.
This site's exposition
When its limbs are dry
Wesley notes that women gather the dry limbs for kindling, the men being gone. A people without understanding echoes 1:3, where the ox knows its owner and Israel lacks understanding. Their Maker withholds favor.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
The women, returning from the sepulcher and from this vision of the angels, were foreseen by Isaiah, when he says, "Come, you women, who return from the vision," that is, "come" to report the resurrection of the Lord. It was well, however, that the unbelief of the disciples was so persistent, in order that to the last we might consistently maintain that Jesus revealed himself to the disciples as none other than the Christ of the prophets.
That the women were to see his resurrection, while the scribes and Pharisees and the people disbelieved, this also Isaiah foretold in these words, "You women, who come from beholding, come: for it is a people that has no understanding."
(Verse 11) In the dryness of its harvest, women who come and teach her will be crushed. For the people are not wise; therefore, the one who made them will not show them mercy, and the one who formed them will not spare them. LXX: Women coming from the spectacle, come: for the people do not have understanding; therefore, the one who made them will not show them mercy, and the one who formed them will not spare them.
The Medieval Church1 voice
And the destruction of men: its harvest shall be destroyed with drought; this is a metaphor: that is, as ears of wheat are crushed in the drought of summer; women shall come and teach it, by whom the people were thrown greatly into sin, above: …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Broken - That there may be no hopes of their recovery. Women - He mentions women, because the men would be destroyed. Not understanding - They know not the things which concerns their peace, but they blindly and wilfully go on in sin.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
"God having tried a variety of methods with them for their reformation, which, as to many, have proved ineffectual, he will for a time lay their country waste," which was accomplished when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Chaldeans; then that habitation was for a long time forsaken. If less judgments do not do the work, God will send greater; for when he judges he will overcome.
When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
boughs . . . broken off--so the Jews are called (Ro 11:17, 19, 20). set . . . on fire--burn them as fuel; "women" are specified, as probably it was their office to collect fuel and kindle the fire for cooking. no understanding--as to the ways of God (De 32:28, 29;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
The boughs thereof “Her boughs” - קציריה ketsireyha, MS. and Vulg.; that is, the boughs of the vineyard, referring still to the subject of the dialogue above. The scarcity of fuel, especially wood, in most parts of the east is so great, that they supply it with every thing capable of burning; cow-dung dried, roots, parings of fruit, withered stalks of herbs and flowers; see Mat 6:21-30. Vine-twigs are particularly mentioned as used for fuel in dressing their food, by D’Arvieux; La Roque, Palestine, p. 198. Ezekiel says, in his parable of the vine, used figuratively for the people of God, as the vineyard is here: “Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon? Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; “Eze 15:3, Eze 15:4. “If a man abide not in one, “saith our Lord, “he is cast forth as a branch of the vine and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned;” Joh 15:6. They employed women and children to gather these things, and they laid them up in store for use. The dressing and pruning their vines afforded a good supply of the last sort of fuel; but the prophet says that the vines themselves of the beloved vineyard shall be blasted, withered, and broken, and the women shall come and gather them up, and carry away the whole of them to make their fires for domestic uses. See Harmer’s Observations, vol. i., p. 254, etc.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
For a fortified city is solitary For, when they do this, a fortified city of Ishmael (ms. Esau) will be solitary and the dwelling will be forsaken by its inhabitants and abandoned like a pasture.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
that the Lord shall gather יַחְבֹּט, lit., shall beat. Jonathan renders: shall fall dead. I.e., the nations from the banks of the Euphrates to the stream of Egypt.
But the city that was fortified shall sit solitary: she shall totter, and be forsaken like a desert; the just shall wage war against her, and plunder her treasures, and make an end of her hosts, so that none shall go forth.
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. 1 further source is cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בִּיבֹ֤שׁ | bivosh | when dry up | H3001 → | 59 times |
| קְצִירָהּ֙ | ketzirah | branch[es] its | H7105 → | 54 times |
| תִּשָּׁבַ֔רְנָה | tishavarnah | they are broken off | H7665 → | 147 times |
| נָשִׁ֕ים | nashim | women | H802 → | 781 times |
| בָּא֖וֹת | baot | [are] coming | H935 → | 2568 times |
| מְאִיר֣וֹת | meirot | [are] setting light to | H215 → | 43 times |
| אוֹתָ֑הּ | ʾotah | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹ֤א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| עַם־ | ʾam- | [is] a people of | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| בִּינוֹת֙ | binot | understanding<s> | H998 → | 38 times |
| ה֔וּא | hu' | it | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | there- | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כֵּן֙ | ken | -fore | H3651 → | 771 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יְרַחֲמֶ֣נּוּ | yerachamenu | he will have compassion on it | H7355 → | 47 times |
| עֹשֵׂ֔הוּ | ʾosehu | [the] [one who] made it | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| וְיֹצְר֖וֹ | veyotzero | and [the] [one who] formed it | H3335 → | 62 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יְחֻנֶּֽנּוּ׃ ס | yechunnenu | he will show favor to it | H2603 → | 78 times |
בִּיבֹ֤שׁwhen dry up
bivoshH3001 →59 times
קְצִירָהּ֙branch[es] its
ketzirahH7105 →54 times
תִּשָּׁבַ֔רְנָהthey are broken off
tishavarnahH7665 →147 times
נָשִׁ֕יםwomen
nashimH802 →781 times
בָּא֖וֹת[are] coming
baotH935 →2568 times
מְאִיר֣וֹת[are] setting light to
meirotH215 →43 times
אוֹתָ֑הּ<obj.> it
ʾotahH853 →10935 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לֹ֤אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
עַם־[is] a people of
ʾam-H5971 →1873 times
בִּינוֹת֙understanding<s>
binotH998 →38 times
ה֔וּאit
hu'H1931 →1879 times
עַל־there-
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
כֵּן֙-fore
kenH3651 →771 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יְרַחֲמֶ֣נּוּhe will have compassion on it
yerachamenuH7355 →47 times
עֹשֵׂ֔הוּ[the] [one who] made it
ʾosehuH6213 →2628 times
וְיֹצְר֖וֹand [the] [one who] formed it
veyotzeroH3335 →62 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יְחֻנֶּֽנּוּ׃ סhe will show favor to it
yechunnenuH2603 →78 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
Isaiah 43:1Now this is what the LORD says— He who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your…
it leads to
- Psalms 100:3
Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
- Isaiah 43:7
everyone called by My name and created for My glory, whom I have indeed formed and made.”
- Zechariah 13:9
This third I will bring through the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They…
- Isaiah 54:4–5
Do not be afraid, for you will not be put to shame; do not be intimidated, for you will not be humiliated. For you will forget the shame of your youth and will remember…
- Titus 2:14
He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
- Psalms 100:3
Through
Isaiah 43:7everyone called by My name and created for My glory, whom I have indeed formed and made.”
it leads to
- Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.
- Isaiah 43:21
The people I formed for Myself will declare My praise.
- Ephesians 2:10
Through
Isaiah 1:3The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s manger, but Israel does not know; My people do not understand.”
it leads to
- Jeremiah 8:7
Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons. The turtledove, the swift, and the thrush keep their time of migration, but My people do not know the requirements of the LORD.
- Jeremiah 8:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Isaiah
This page draws on 12 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; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset and 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; Tertullian, AGAINST MARCION 4.43; Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah and Tyrannius Rufinus, COMMENTARY ON THE APOSTLES' CREED 30.