Isaiah 1:9

“Unless YHWH Tsevaot had left us a few survivors, we would have been like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.”
Isaiah 1:9 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

UnlessלוּלֵיYHWHיְהוָהTsevaotצְבָאוֹתhad leftהוֹתִירusלָנוּa fewכִּמְעָטsurvivors,שָׂרִידwe would have beenהָיִינוּlike Sodom,כִּסְדֹםwe would have resembledדָּמִינוּGomorrah.לַעֲמֹרָה

Quotation · Romans 9:29

Go to Romans 9:29

Where the Hebrew says “a small remnant,” Romans says “offspring” (literally “seed”).

Formula: καθὼς προείρηκεν Ἠσαΐας “as Isaiah said beforehand” (Romans 9:29)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: καὶ καθὼς προείρηκεν Ἠσαΐας Εἰ μὴ κύριος Σαβαὼθ ἐγκατέλιπεν ἡμῖν σπέρμα ὡς Σόδομα ἂν ἐγενήθημεν καὶ ὡς Γόμορρα ἂν ὡμοιώθημεν

Hebrew (Masoretic text): לוּלֵי יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת הוֹתִיר לָנוּ שָׂרִיד כִּמְעָט כִּסְדֹם הָיִינוּ לַעֲמֹרָה דָּמִינוּ

Septuagint (Isaiah 1:9 in the Septuagint numbering): καὶ εἶ μὴ Κύριος σαβαὼθ ἐγκατέλιπεν ἡμῖν σπέρμα, ὡς Σόδομα ἂν ἐγενήθημεν, καὶ ὡς Γόμορρα ἂν ὡμοιώθημεν.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 16 consecutive words: “Εἰ μὴ κύριος Σαβαὼθ ἐγκατέλιπεν ἡμῖν σπέρμα ὡς Σόδομα ἂν ἐγενήθημεν καὶ ὡς Γόμορρα ἂν ὡμοιώθημεν.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Isaiah 1:9, word by word

Unlessלוּלֵיlule

if not, unless

If not, unless, were it not that.

Where else “lule” appears

YHWHיְהוָהyehva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yehva” appears

Tsevaotצְבָאוֹתtsevaot

Tsevaot

A name of God: the one who commands the armies of heaven and earth.

Where else “tsevaot” appears

had leftהוֹתִירhotir

be left

For a part to stay when the rest has gone or been used.

Where else “hotir” appears

a fewמְעָטmeat

few

A small amount: few in number, or a short time.

Where else “meat” appears

survivorsשָׂרִידsarid

survivor

Survivor: one who remains alive after a battle or a disaster.

Where else “sarid” appears

we would have beenהָיִינוּhayinu

exist

To exist: "let there be light".

Where else “hayinu” appears

like Sodomסְדֹםsedom

Sodom

See it on the map Where else “sedom” appears

we would have resembledדָּמִינוּdaminu

liken

To be like another, or to set one thing beside another as equal.

Where else “daminu” appears

Gomorrahעֲמֹרָהamora

Gomorrah

See it on the map Where else “amora” appears

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Romans 9:29

Where the Hebrew says “a small remnant,” Romans says “offspring” (literally “seed”).

See them side by side

Isaiah 1:9

⁹Unless YHWH Tsevaot had left us a few survivors, we would have been like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.

Romans 9:29

²⁹And as Isaiah said beforehand: If the Lord Tsevaot had not left us offspring, we would have become like Sodom, and would have been made like Gomorrah.

Places in this verse

Approximate location. A “?” means it is not known for sure where it was.

1Sodom ?
Today: disputed; perhaps south or northeast of the Dead Sea
A city of the Jordan plain; its site is not known for certain, perhaps near the Dead Sea.
Its people were very wicked (Gen 13:13). God destroyed it with fire, and saved Lot (Gen 19:24-25).
Genesis 19:24 Genesis 13:13 Genesis 18:20 Matthew 10:15
2Gomorrah ?
Today: disputed; near the Dead Sea
A city of the Jordan plain, next to Sodom; its site is not known for certain.
God destroyed it together with Sodom for its great sin (Gen 18:20; 19:24).
Genesis 19:24 Genesis 18:20 Genesis 14:10

The context

8And the daughter of Zion is left like a booth in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city under siege.

9 · This verse (above)

10Hear the word of YHWH, rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our Elohim, people of Gomorrah!

Read all of Isaiah 1

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