Isaiah 52:15

“so he will sprinkle many nations; before him kings will shut their mouths; for what had not been told them they will see, and what they had not heard they will understand.”
Isaiah 52:15 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

soכֵּןhe will sprinkleיַזֶּהmanyרַבִּיםnations;גּוֹיִםbefore himעָלָיוkingsמְלָכִיםwill shutיִקְפְּצוּtheir mouths;פִּיהֶםforכִּיwhatאֲשֶׁרhad notלֹאbeen toldסֻפַּרthemלָהֶםthey will see,רָאוּand whatוַאֲשֶׁרthey had notלֹאheardשָׁמְעוּthey will understand.הִתְבּוֹנָנוּ

Quotation · Romans 15:21

Go to Romans 15:21

Paul quotes Isaiah 52:15 to explain why he proclaims where the Messiah has not been named.

Formula: γέγραπται “it is written” (Romans 15:21)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: ἀλλὰ καθὼς γέγραπται Οἷς οὐκ ἀνηγγέλη περὶ αὐτοῦ ὄψονται καὶ οἳ οὐκ ἀκηκόασιν συνήσουσιν

Hebrew (Masoretic text): כֵּן יַזֶּה גּוֹיִם רַבִּים עָלָיו יִקְפְּצוּ מְלָכִים פִּיהֶם כִּי אֲשֶׁר לֹא סֻפַּר לָהֶם רָאוּ וַאֲשֶׁר לֹא שָׁמְעוּ הִתְבּוֹנָנוּ

Septuagint (Isaiah 52:15 in the Septuagint numbering): οὕτως θαυμάσονται ἔθνη πολλὰ ἐπ’ αὐτῷ, καὶ συνάξουσιν βασιλεῖς τὸ στόμα αὐτῶν· ὅτι οἷς οὐκ ἀνηγγέλη περὶ αὐτοῦ ὄψονται, καὶ οἳ. οὐκ ἀκηκόασιν συνήσουσιν.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 11 consecutive words: “Οἷς οὐκ ἀνηγγέλη περὶ αὐτοῦ ὄψονται καὶ οἳ οὐκ ἀκηκόασιν συνήσουσιν.”

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

Isaiah 52:15, word by word

he will sprinkleיַזֶּהyaze

sprinkle

Sprinkle, spatter (of blood, oil or water).

Where else “yaze” appears

manyרַבִּיםrabim

many

A great number of people or things.

Where else “rabim” appears

nationsגּוֹיִםgoyim

Gentiles

The peoples other than Israel.

Where else “goyim” appears

kingsמְלָכִיםmelachim

king

A king who rules a people.

Where else “melachim” appears

will shutיִקְפְּצוּyikptsu

shut

To shut the hand or the mouth tightly so as not to give or speak; also to be gathered up, to die.

Where else “yikptsu” appears

their mouthsפִּיpi

mouth

The part of the face with which one speaks, eats and kisses.

Where else “pi” appears

been toldסֻפַּרsupar

recount

To relate, declare: the heavens proclaim the glory of El.

Where else “supar” appears

they will seeרָאוּrau

see

To see with one's eyes.

Where else “rau” appears

heardשָׁמְעוּshamu

hear

To hear a sound, or learn of something.

Where else “shamu” appears

they will understandהִתְבּוֹנָנוּhitbonanu

understand

To understand, realize.

Where else “hitbonanu” appears

Translation note

“He will sprinkle”: it is the verb of the priest who sprinkles the blood to purify (Leviticus 4:6; 16:14). Paul quotes the second half in Romans 15:21.

Parallel passages

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

Quotation · Romans 15:21

Paul quotes Isaiah 52:15 to explain why he proclaims where the Messiah has not been named.

See them side by side

Isaiah 52:15

¹⁵so he will sprinkle many nations; before him kings will shut their mouths; for what had not been told them they will see, and what they had not heard they will understand.

Romans 15:21

²¹but, as it is written: Those to whom it was not announced about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.

The context

14Just as many were astonished at you —so disfigured, beyond that of a man, was his appearance, and his form, beyond that of human beings—

15 · This verse (above)

Read all of Isaiah 52

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