Isaiah 30:17
in Isaiah 30A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee, until you are left alone like a pole on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
One thousand shall flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on a hill.
KJV
One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill.
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This verse in Isaiah 30
Commentary
12 notes on this verseWhen Moses fought against Amalek, it was not with the sword but with prayer that he prevailed. Therefore, if we wish to be lifted up, we must first prostrate ourselves.… We do not understand the prophet's words: "One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one." We do not cut away the causes of the disease, as we must do to remove the disease itself. Else we should soon see the enemies' arrows give way to our javelins, their caps to our helmets, their saddle horses to our chargers.
This site's exposition
By repentance and rest you would be saved
on Isaiah 30:15-17
The Lord GOD sets His own way: "By repentance and rest you would be saved", and then comes "but you were not willing". The people chose horses, and the LORD answers their own words, "Therefore you will flee". They are left "like a pole on a mountaintop".
This site's exposition
A thousand will flee
The numbers are round on purpose. Barnes took a thousand to mean the whole host and one to mean a force too small to count. What is left of Judah stands alone, as bare as a pole on a mountaintop.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 17.) Until you are left like a bad ship on the top of a mountain, and like a signal on a hill. Jeremiah also writes that after those who had taken refuge in Egypt had been killed by the sword and famine, few remained who returned to Judah (Jeremiah 46). And just as if a ship is broken and its structure is dissolved, only a tree, which is called a mast, remains, and is set as a signal on the top of the mountain or on a high hill, so as a sign and a trace, hardly one or two remain, to demonstrate the power of God. And then, he says, all the remnants of Judah, who are now entering the land of Egypt to dwell there, when they return to the land of Judah, will know whether my word or theirs shall be fulfilled.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Third, he threatens destruction: a thousand men, Egyptians, shall flee for fear of one, Chaldean, and for fear of five, Chaldeans, you, all you Jews, shall flee: how should one pursue after a thousand, and two chase ten thousand? (Deut 32:30); till you be left …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The God that knew them, and knew what was proper for them, and desired their welfare, gave them this prescription; and it is recommended to us all. [1.] Would we be saved from the evil of every calamity, guarded against the temptation of it and secured from the curse of it, which are the only evil things in it?
A gracious promise to those who trusted in God, that they should not only see through the trouble, but should see happy days after it, times of joy and reformation, plenty of the means of grace, and therewith plenty of outward good things and increasing joys and triumphs (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
18 And therefore will the L ORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the L ORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:91%@v18
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
One thousand ... - The sense of this is, that you shall be easily alarmed and overcome by those who are inferior in numbers and strength. The number ‘one thousand,’ is put for a large indefinite number; probably meaning all. At the rebuke of one - The number one here is put to denote a very small number; a number in the ordinary course of warfare entirely disproportionate to those who would be vanquished.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
One thousand--A thousand at once, or, "As one man" [MAURER]. rebuke--the battle cry. shall ye--at the rebuke of five shall ye, namely, all (in contrast to the "one thousand") flee so utterly that even two shall not be left together, but each one shall be as solitary "as a signal staff" [G.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-brackets
At the rebuke of five shall ye flee “At the rebuke of five, ten thousand of you shall flee” - In the second line of this verse a word is manifestly omitted, which should answer to one thousand in the first: the Septuagint supply πολλοι, רבים rabbim. But the true word is רבבה rebabah, as I am persuaded any one will be convinced, who will compare the following passages with this place: - “How should one chase a thousand; And two put ten thousand (רבבה) to flight?” Deu 32:30. “And five of you shall chase a hundred; And a hundred of you shall chase (רבבה) ten thousand.” Lev 26:8.
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֶ֣לֶף | ʾelef | a thousand | H505 → | 505 times |
| אֶחָ֗ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| מִפְּנֵי֙ | mipenei | <from> because of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| גַּעֲרַ֣ת | gaarat | [the] threat of | H1606 → | 15 times |
| אֶחָ֔ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| מִפְּנֵ֛י | mipenei | <from> because of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| גַּעֲרַ֥ת | gaarat | [the] threat of | H1606 → | 15 times |
| חֲמִשָּׁ֖ה | chamishah | five | H2568 → | 343 times |
| תָּנֻ֑סוּ | tanusu | you will flee | H5127 → | 159 times |
| עַ֣ד | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | <if> | H518 → | 1069 times |
| נוֹתַרְתֶּ֗ם | notartem | you have been left | H3498 → | 106 times |
| כַּתֹּ֙רֶן֙ | katoren | like <the> flagstaff | H8650 → | |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רֹ֣אשׁ | rosh | [the] top of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| הָהָ֔ר | hahar | <the> mountain | H2022 → | 546 times |
| וְכַנֵּ֖ס | vekhanes | and like <the> standard | H5251 → | 21 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַגִּבְעָֽה׃ | hagivah | <the> hill | H1389 → | 68 times |
אֶ֣לֶףa thousand
ʾelefH505 →505 times
אֶחָ֗דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
מִפְּנֵי֙<from> because of
mipeneiH6440 →2123 times
גַּעֲרַ֣ת[the] threat of
gaaratH1606 →15 times
אֶחָ֔דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
מִפְּנֵ֛י<from> because of
mipeneiH6440 →2123 times
גַּעֲרַ֥ת[the] threat of
gaaratH1606 →15 times
חֲמִשָּׁ֖הfive
chamishahH2568 →343 times
תָּנֻ֑סוּyou will flee
tanusuH5127 →159 times
עַ֣דuntil
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
אִם־<if>
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
נוֹתַרְתֶּ֗םyou have been left
notartemH3498 →106 times
כַּתֹּ֙רֶן֙like <the> flagstaff
katorenH8650 →
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
רֹ֣אשׁ[the] top of
roshH7218 →599 times
הָהָ֔ר<the> mountain
haharH2022 →546 times
וְכַנֵּ֖סand like <the> standard
vekhanesH5251 →21 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַגִּבְעָֽה׃<the> hill
hagivahH1389 →68 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
Joshua 23:10One of you can put a thousand to flight, because the LORD your God fights for you, just as He promised.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 32:30
How could one man pursue a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up?
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Leviticus 26:8
Five of you will pursue a hundred, and a hundred of you will pursue ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 3:22
Do not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God Himself will fight for you.”
- Exodus 14:14
The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
- Psalms 35:1
Contend with my opponents, O LORD; fight against those who fight against me.
- Deuteronomy 32:30
Through
Leviticus 26:8Five of you will pursue a hundred, and a hundred of you will pursue ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.
it leads to
- Joshua 23:10
One of you can put a thousand to flight, because the LORD your God fights for you, just as He promised.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 28:7
The LORD will cause the enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you. They will march out against you in one direction but flee from you in seven.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Chronicles 11:20
Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the Three, and he lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name along with the Three.
- Joshua 23:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
About Isaiah
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; 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, LETTER 60.17; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.