Isaiah 14:24–27
God swears his plan against Assyria will be carried out: "as I have planned, it will stand"
Study it word by word24YHWH Tsevaot has sworn, saying, “Surely as I have intended, so it will be, and as I have planned, it will stand:
25to break Assyria in my land, and on my mountains I will trample him; and his yoke will depart from them, and his burden will depart from his shoulder.”
26This is the plan that is planned concerning the whole earth, and this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations.
27For YHWH Tsevaot has planned it, and who will annul it? And his hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?
In its context
22“And I will rise up against them,” declares YHWH Tsevaot, “and I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, progeny and posterity,” declares YHWH.
23“And I will make it a possession for the hedgehog and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares YHWH Tsevaot.
…
28In the year of the death of King Ahaz this burden came:
29Do not rejoice, Philistia, all of you, because the rod that struck you is broken; for from the root of the serpent will come out a cobra, and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent.
Its words in the original
- נִשְׁבַּעnishba· swear
Swear: bind oneself solemnly, calling on God as witness; in the causative form, make someone swear. In Hebrew the verb looks like the word "seven".
- יְהוָהyehva· 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.
- צְבָאוֹתtsevaot· host, army
A great ordered company, like an army. "All their host" is everything that fills the heavens and the earth: the stars and the created beings. From this word comes the title "YHWH of hosts" (YHWH Tsevaot).
- אמֹרmor· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- דִּמִּיתִיdimiti· think, intend; be like
Think, intend; also compare or be like.
- הָיָתָהhayata· be, become, happen
Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".
- יָעַצְתִּיyaatsti· advise, counsel
Advise; also decide or plan something.
- תָקוּםtakum· rise, stand, establish
Rise, stand up; also stand firm, establish or fulfill something. "Rise against" is to attack.
- שְׁבֹּרshebor· break
Break, shatter; break down.
- אַשּׁוּרashur· Assyria, Asshur
Assyria (in Hebrew, Asshur): a region and people of northern Mesopotamia, later a great empire; also the name of a son of Shem.
- אַרְצִartsi· earth, land
The earth, in two senses: the whole world in contrast with the heavens, or a particular country or region ("the land of Egypt").
- הָרַhara· mountain, hill country
Mountain, hill; hill country.
- אֲבוּסֶavuse· trample
To trample, to tread down with the feet; said of one who crushes a defeated enemy.
- סָרsar· turn aside, remove
Turn aside, turn away; remove, take away.
- עֻלּul· yoke
Yoke: the wooden piece joining two oxen; figuratively, being subject to another.
- סֻבֳּלsubol· burden, load
A burden, a load that is carried.
- שִׁכְמshichm· shoulder
Shoulder; the upper part of the back, where burdens are carried.
- עֵצָהetsa· counsel
Counsel: good judgment for deciding; also a plan.
- יָּדyad· hand, power
Hand. Figuratively, power or control ("into the hand of" = into the power of); also side, part, or share. Also a projecting piece, such as a tenon.
- נְּטוּיָהnetuya· stretch out, turn aside
Stretch out, spread; pitch a tent. Also bend, incline; turn aside, pervert (justice).
- גּוֹיִםgoyim· nation
Nation, a people with its land. In the plural, "the nations": all the peoples of the world, and especially those who are not Israel.
- יָפֵרyafer· break, annul
Break, annul, frustrate; break a covenant, fail to keep it.
- יְשִׁיבֶyeshive· return, turn back
Turn back, return. Also turn away; in the causative form, bring back, give back, answer. Figuratively, turn back to God (change course). Often adverbial: "again".