Isaiah 5:24
in Isaiah 5Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes the straw, and as dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will decay and their blossoms will blow away like dust; for they have rejected the instruction of the LORD of Hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Therefore as the tongue of fire devoureth the stubble, and as the dry grass sinketh down in the flame, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have rejected the law of Jehovah of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
KJV
Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
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This verse in Isaiah 5
Commentary
8 notes on this verseTherefore as the fire devoureth the stubble,.... Or "tongue of fire" (h); meaning the flame, the same as in the next clause; because it is in the form of a tongue; see Act 2:3, and the flame consumeth the chaff; which is done easily, speedily, and entirely; the metaphors denote that their destruction would be easy, swift, sudden, irresistible, and irrecoverable.
This site's exposition
Woe to those who are heroes
on Isaiah 5:22-24
The sixth woe returns to drink, paired with a courtroom sin, as the "heroes in drinking wine" also "acquit the guilty for a bribe." Verse 24 gathers the six woes into one verdict. The reason closes the series: they "have rejected the instruction of the LORD of Hosts."
This site's exposition
Therefore, as a tongue of fire
The Hebrew calls the flame a tongue of fire, a figure Clarke and Gill both take from its shape. The roots decay and the blossoms blow away like dust, the picture of a tree past recovery. The cause stands last, in the rejected instruction of the LORD of Hosts.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 24) Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours straw, and the heat of flames consumes it, so their root will be like embers, and their blossom will rise like dust. For they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts and have blasphemed the word of the Holy One of Israel. Because of the higher causes of pride, drunkenness, and greed, they have brought forth thorns, hay, wood, straw, and will burn the brambles.
The Medieval Church1 voice
194. Therefore as the tongue of the fire devours. Here he threatens punishment. And first, he sets out the punishment of consumption under the metaphor of fire, therefore, because you draw iniquity placing a root for yourself in your sins, as the flame of fire …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Rottenness - They shall be like a tree which not only withers in its branches, but dies and rots at the roots, therefore is past recovery. Dust - Shall be resolved into dust, and yield no fruit.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
The flame “The tongue of fire” - “The flame, because it is in the shape of a tongue; and so it is called metaphorically.” Sal. ben Melec. The metaphor is so exceedingly obvious, as well as beautiful, that one may wonder that it has not been more frequently used. Virgil very elegantly intimates, rather than expresses, the image; - Ecce levis summo de vertice visus Iuli Fundere lumen apex; tactuque innoxia molli Lambere flamma comas, et circum tempora pasci. Aen.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Therefore as the fire ... - The remainder of this chapter is occupied with predicting “judgments,” or punishments, upon the people for their sins which had been specified. The Hebrew here is, ‘The tongue of fire.’ The figure is beautiful and obvious. It is derived from the pyramidal, or tongue-like appearance of “flame.” The concinnity of the metaphor in the Hebrew is kept up. The word “devoureth” is in the Hebrew “eateth:” ‘As the tongue of fire eats up,’ etc. The use of the word “tongue” to denote “flame” is common in the Scriptures; see the note at Act 2:3. And the flame consumeth the chaff - The word rendered “chaff here,” means rather “hay, or dried grass.” The word rendered ‘consumeth,’ denotes properly “to make to fall,” and refers to the appearance when a fire passes through a field of grain or grass, consuming the stalks near the ground, so that the upper portion “falls down,” or sinks gently into the flames. So their root shall be as rottenness - Be rotten; or decayed - of course furnishing no moisture, or suitable juices for the support of the plant. The idea is, that all the sources of national prosperity among the Jews would be destroyed. The word “root” is often used to denote the source of “strength or prosperity;” Isa 14:30; Hos 9:16; Job 18:16. And their blossom - This word rather means germ, or tender branch. It also means the flower. The figure is kept up here. As the root would be destroyed, so would all that was supported by it, and all that was deemed beautiful, or ornamental. As dust - The Hebrew denotes “fine dust,” such as is easily blown about. The root would be rotten; and the flower, lacking nourishment, would become dry, and turn to dust, and blow away. […]
The words behind it
25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לָכֵן֩ | lakhen | <to> therefore | H3651 → | 771 times |
| כֶּאֱכֹ֨ל | keekhol | as consumes | H398 → | 810 times |
| קַ֜שׁ | kash | stubble | H7179 → | 16 times |
| לְשׁ֣וֹן | leshon | a tongue of | H3956 → | 117 times |
| אֵ֗שׁ | ʾesh | fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| וַחֲשַׁ֤שׁ | vachashash | and dry grass | H2842 → | |
| לֶֽהָבָה֙ | lehavah | a flame | H3852 → | 19 times |
| יִרְפֶּ֔ה | yirpeh | it sinks down | H7503 → | |
| שָׁרְשָׁם֙ | sharesham | root their | H8328 → | 33 times |
| כַּמָּ֣ק | kamak | like <the> rottenness | H4716 → | |
| יִֽהְיֶ֔ה | yihyeh | it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| וּפִרְחָ֖ם | ufircham | and blossom their | H6525 → | |
| כָּאָבָ֣ק | kaavak | like <the> dust | H80 → | |
| יַעֲלֶ֑ה | yaaleh | it will go up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| מָאֲס֗וּ | maasu | they have rejected | H3988 → | 76 times |
| אֵ֚ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| תּוֹרַת֙ | torat | [the] law of | H8451 → | 219 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| צְבָא֔וֹת | tzevaot | of hosts | H6635 → | 485 times |
| וְאֵ֛ת | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אִמְרַ֥ת | ʾimrat | [the] word of | H565 → | 37 times |
| קְדֽוֹשׁ־ | kedoosh- | [the] holy [one] of | H6918 → | 116 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| נִאֵֽצוּ׃ | nietzu | they have spurned | H5006 → | 25 times |
לָכֵן֩<to> therefore
lakhenH3651 →771 times
כֶּאֱכֹ֨לas consumes
keekholH398 →810 times
קַ֜שׁstubble
kashH7179 →16 times
לְשׁ֣וֹןa tongue of
leshonH3956 →117 times
אֵ֗שׁfire
ʾeshH784 →378 times
וַחֲשַׁ֤שׁand dry grass
vachashashH2842 →
לֶֽהָבָה֙a flame
lehavahH3852 →19 times
יִרְפֶּ֔הit sinks down
yirpehH7503 →
שָׁרְשָׁם֙root their
shareshamH8328 →33 times
כַּמָּ֣קlike <the> rottenness
kamakH4716 →
יִֽהְיֶ֔הit will be
yihyehH1961 →3559 times
וּפִרְחָ֖םand blossom their
ufirchamH6525 →
כָּאָבָ֣קlike <the> dust
kaavakH80 →
יַעֲלֶ֑הit will go up
yaalehH5927 →890 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
מָאֲס֗וּthey have rejected
maasuH3988 →76 times
אֵ֚ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
תּוֹרַת֙[the] law of
toratH8451 →219 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
צְבָא֔וֹתof hosts
tzevaotH6635 →485 times
וְאֵ֛תand <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
אִמְרַ֥ת[the] word of
ʾimratH565 →37 times
קְדֽוֹשׁ־[the] holy [one] of
kedoosh-H6918 →116 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
נִאֵֽצוּ׃they have spurned
nietzuH5006 →25 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
Luke 3:17His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
it leads to
- Matthew 3:12
His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 13:30
Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn.’”
- Jeremiah 15:7
I will scatter them with a winnowing fork at the gates of the land. I will bereave and destroy My people who have not turned from their ways.
- Micah 4:12
But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD or understand His plan, for He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
- Psalms 1:4
Not so the wicked! For they are like chaff driven off by the wind.
- Matthew 3:12
Through
Isaiah 47:14Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. There will be no coals to warm them or fire to sit beside.
it leads to
- Malachi 4:1
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Malachi 4:1
Through
Job 18:16The roots beneath him dry up, and the branches above him wither away.
it leads to
- Hosea 9:16
Ephraim is struck down; their root is withered; they cannot bear fruit. Even if they bear children, I will slay the darlings of their wombs.
- Hosea 9:16
Through
Joel 2:5With a sound like that of chariots they bound over the mountaintops, like the crackling of fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army deployed for battle.
it leads to
- Revelation 9:9
They also had thoraxes like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the roar of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.
- Revelation 9:9
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah

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); 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.
