Isaiah 27:9
in Isaiah 27Therefore Jacob’s guilt will be atoned for, and the full fruit of the removal of his sin will be this: When he makes all the altar stones like crushed bits of chalk, no Asherah poles or incense altars will remain standing.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Therefore by this shall the iniquity of Jacob be forgiven, and this is all the fruit of taking away his sin: that he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, so that the Asherim and the sun-images shall rise no more.
KJV
By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin; when he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, the groves and images shall not stand up.
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This verse in Isaiah 27
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
By this - This verse states the whole design of the punishment of the Jews. They were taken away from their temple, their city, and their land; they were removed from the groves and altars of idolatry by which they had been so often led into sin; and the design was to preserve them henceforward from relapsing into their accustomed idolatry. The iniquity of Jacob - The sin of the Jewish people, and particularly their tendency to idolatry, which was their easily besetting sin. Be purged - (see the note at Isa 1:25).
This site's exposition
Has the LORD struck Israel
on Isaiah 27:7-9
Verse 7 asks, "Has the LORD struck Israel as He struck her oppressors?" and the answer is no, for "By warfare and exile You contended with her". Verse 9 names the purpose: "Jacob’s guilt will be atoned for" when he makes "all the altar stones like crushed bits of chalk".
This site's exposition
Therefore Jacob’s guilt will be atoned for
Barnes calls the verse the whole design of the exile, a people taken away from the altars and groves of their idolatry. Henry names idolatry as the sin that most easily beset Israel. Asherah poles were wooden emblems of a Canaanite goddess.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 9) Therefore, because of this, the iniquity of the house of Jacob will be forgiven, and all this fruit will be removed, so that its sin may be taken away. For they have set up all the stones of the altar like scattered ashes; neither the lights nor the shrines will stand. LXX: Therefore, the iniquity of Jacob will be taken away, and this will be his blessing when I remove his sin, when I set up all the stones of the altars shattered like crushed ash, and their trees and idols will not endure.
The Medieval Church1 voice
625. Third, he explains the motive for moderating the punishment, so that he would not destroy them entirely at that time, namely, because Christ and the Apostles were to descend from that people, and through their preaching the worship of idols was to be abandoned; …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
When - Which sin of Jacob's shall be purged, when he shall truly repent of all his sins, and especially of his idolatry. Altar - Their idolatrous altars. Possibly he may say the altar, with respect to that particular altar, which Ahaz had set upon the place of God's own altar; and this prophecy might be delivered in Ahaz's time, while that altar stood.
The particular sin which the affliction was intended to cure them of was the sin of idolatry, the sin which did most easily beset that people and to which they were strangely addicted. Ephraim is joined to idols. But by the captivity in Babylon they were not only weaned from this sin, but set against it.
By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
By this--exile of Israel (the "sending away," Isa 27:8). purged--expiated [HORSLEY]. all the fruit--This is the whole benefit designed to be brought about by the chastisement; namely, the removal of his (Israel's) sin (namely, object of idolatry;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The groves “And if the groves” - ולא velo. Four MSS., two ancient, of Kennicott’s, and one ancient of my own, with the Septuagint; this makes a fuller sense.
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.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
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
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לָכֵ֗ן | lakhen | <to> therefore | H3651 → | 771 times |
| בְּזֹאת֙ | bezot | by this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| יְכֻפַּ֣ר | yekhupar | it will be atoned for | H3722 → | 102 times |
| עֲוֹֽן־ | ʾavon- | [the] iniquity of | H5771 → | 233 times |
| יַעֲקֹ֔ב | yaako | Jacob | H3290 → | 350 times |
| וְזֶ֕ה | vezeh | and this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | [is] all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| פְּרִ֖י | peri | [the] fruit of | H6529 → | 119 times |
| הָסִ֣ר | hasir | [the] removing of | H5493 → | 299 times |
| חַטָּאת֑וֹ | chatato | sin its | H2403 → | 295 times |
| בְּשׂוּמ֣וֹ׀ | besumo | when makes he | H7760 → | 584 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אַבְנֵ֣י | ʾavnei | [the] stones of | H68 → | 273 times |
| מִזְבֵּ֗חַ | mizbeach | [the] altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| כְּאַבְנֵי־ | keavnei- | like stones of | H68 → | 273 times |
| גִר֙ | gir | chalk | H1615 → | |
| מְנֻפָּצ֔וֹת | menupatzot | pulverized | H5310 → | 22 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָקֻ֥מוּ | yakumu | they will stand | H6965 → | 628 times |
| אֲשֵׁרִ֖ים | ʾasherim | Asherah poles | H842 → | |
| וְחַמָּנִֽים׃ | vechamanim | and incense altars | H2553 → |
לָכֵ֗ן<to> therefore
lakhenH3651 →771 times
בְּזֹאת֙by this
bezotH2063 →603 times
יְכֻפַּ֣רit will be atoned for
yekhuparH3722 →102 times
עֲוֹֽן־[the] iniquity of
ʾavon-H5771 →233 times
יַעֲקֹ֔בJacob
yaakoH3290 →350 times
וְזֶ֕הand this
vezehH2088 →1180 times
כָּל־[is] all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
פְּרִ֖י[the] fruit of
periH6529 →119 times
הָסִ֣ר[the] removing of
hasirH5493 →299 times
חַטָּאת֑וֹsin its
chatatoH2403 →295 times
בְּשׂוּמ֣וֹ׀when makes he
besumoH7760 →584 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אַבְנֵ֣י[the] stones of
ʾavneiH68 →273 times
מִזְבֵּ֗חַ[the] altar
mizbeachH4196 →401 times
כְּאַבְנֵי־like stones of
keavnei-H68 →273 times
גִר֙chalk
girH1615 →
מְנֻפָּצ֔וֹתpulverized
menupatzotH5310 →22 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יָקֻ֥מוּthey will stand
yakumuH6965 →628 times
אֲשֵׁרִ֖יםAsherah poles
ʾasherimH842 →
וְחַמָּנִֽים׃and incense altars
vechamanimH2553 →
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 48:10See, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
it leads to
- Proverbs 17:3
A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Peter 4:12
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that has come upon you, as though something strange were happening to you.
- Job 23:10
Yet He knows the way I have taken; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
- Hebrews 12:10–11
Our fathers disciplined us for a short time as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness.
- Psalms 66:10
For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us like silver.
- Proverbs 17:3
Through
Romans 11:27And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
it leads to
- Jeremiah 31:31–34
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
- Jeremiah 31:31–34
Through
Daniel 11:35Some of the wise will fall, so that they may be refined, purified, and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.
it leads to
- 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…
- Malachi 3:2–4
But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap.
- Zechariah 13:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Calvin, Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; 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.