Isaiah 7:18

“And it will happen on that day that YHWH will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.”

Isaiah 7:18 · direct translation from the Hebrew
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With the Hebrew beneath

18

Isaiah 7:18, word by word

And it will happenהָיָהhaya

happen

For something to occur or take place; many stories open with this word.

Where else “haya” appears
on that dayיּוֹםyom

day

The day, the hours of light, or a whole day.

Where else “yom” appears
that 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
will whistleיִשְׁרֹקyishrok

whistle

To call a people with a whistle so that they gather and come.

Where else “yishrok” appears
for the flyזְּבוּבzevuv

fly

A fly.

Where else “zevuv” appears
is at the endקְצֵהketse

end

The place where something ends: its edge or farthest point.

Where else “ketse” appears
of the streamsיְאֹרֵיyeore

Nile

See it on the mapWhere else “yeore” appears
of Egyptמִצְרָיִםmitsrayim

Egypt, Mizraim

See it on the mapWhere else “mitsrayim” appears
and for the beeדְּבוֹרָהdevora

bee

Bee.

Where else “devora” appears
is in the landאֶרֶץerets

land

A region or nation, above all Israel's.

Where else “erets” appears
of Assyriaאַשּׁוּרashur

Assyria, Asshur

See it on the mapWhere else “ashur” appears

Places in this verse

JerusalemMediterranean SeaNileEgyptAssyria
Approximate location. A “?” means it is not known for sure where it was.
  • 1Nile

    Today: Nile River, Uganda to Egypt and the Mediterranean

    Egypt's great river; it flows north to the Mediterranean Sea.

    Pharaoh dreamed beside the Nile (Gen 41:1). God turned its waters to blood (Exod 7:20), and baby Moses was placed on its bank (Exod 2:3-5).

    Genesis 41:1Exodus 7:20Exodus 2:52 Kings 19:24

  • 2Egypt

    Today: Egypt (Nile Valley)

    A country in northeast Africa along the Nile River, southwest of Israel.

    Joseph was sold into it, and his family went down to live there (Gen 37:28; 46:6). God brought Israel out of it with a mighty hand (Exod 12:41). The child Jesus fled there with his parents (Matt 2:14).

    Genesis 12:10Genesis 37:28Exodus 12:41Matthew 2:14

  • 3Assyria

    Today: northern Iraq (with parts of Syria, Turkey, Iran)

    An empire of northern Mesopotamia along the Tigris River, in present-day Iraq.

    Assyria took the northern kingdom of Israel captive (2 Kgs 17:6). God sent Jonah to preach in Nineveh, its capital (Jonah 3:3).

    2 Kings 17:6Isaiah 10:5Hosea 11:52 Chronicles 33:11

The context

17YHWH will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father days that have not come since the day Ephraim departed from Judah: the king of Assyria.

18 · This verse (above)

19And they will come and settle, all of them, in the steep ravines and in the clefts of the crags, and on all the thornbushes and on all the watering places.

Read all of Isaiah 7

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