Isaiah 25:6–9
God will prepare a banquet for all peoples and wipe away the tears
Study it word by word6And YHWH Tsevaot will make for all the peoples on this mountain a feast of rich foods, a feast of aged wines, of rich foods full of marrow, of aged wines well refined.
7And he will swallow up on this mountain the surface of the veil, the veil that is over all the peoples, and the covering that is spread over all the nations.
8He will swallow up death forever, and Adonai YHWH will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will remove from all the earth, for YHWH has spoken.
9And one will say on that day, “Look, this is our Elohim; we have waited for him, and he will save us. This is YHWH; we have waited for him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
In its context
4For you have been a stronghold for the poor, a stronghold for the needy in his distress, a refuge from the downpour, a shade from the heat; for the blast of the tyrants is like a downpour against a wall.
5Like heat in a dry land, the uproar of strangers you subdue; as heat by the shade of a cloud, the song of the tyrants is brought low.
…
10For the hand of YHWH will rest on this mountain, and Moab will be trampled under him as straw is trampled in the dung pit.
11And he will spread out his hands in its midst, as the swimmer spreads out his hands to swim; and he will bring low his pride together with the tricks of his hands.
Its words in the original
- עָשָׂהasa· do, make
Do, make, in the widest sense: build, produce, carry out, keep (a command), prepare.
- 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).
- עַמִּיםamim· people
People: a human group joined by kinship, history and destiny. "My people", said by God, is Israel. Also the people as a crowd, or troops.
- הָרhar· mountain, hill country
Mountain, hill; hill country.
- מִשְׁתֵּהmishte· feast
Feast, banquet; drink.
- שְׁמָנִיםshemanim· oil
Olive oil. It was used for food, light, and perfume, and also to consecrate something or someone to God (anoint).
- שְׁמָרִיםshemarim· dregs, lees
Dregs: the thick sediment left at the bottom of wine.
- מְמֻחָיִםmemuchayim· wipe out, blot out
Wipe out, blot out, remove completely, as one wipes a written tablet clean.
- מְזֻקָּקִיםmezukakim· refine
To refine, to purify: to remove impurities from gold, silver or wine by straining or melting. "Refined gold" is very pure gold.
- בִלַּעvila· swallow
Swallow, swallow up; hence, destroy.
- פְּנֵיpene· face, presence
Face. From there "surface" (the face of something) and "presence" (being before someone's face); with a preposition it means "before" or "in front of".
- לּוֹטlot· covering, veil
A covering, a veil.
- לּוֹטlot· wrap
Wrap, cover with a cloth.
- מַּסֵּכָהmasecha· cast image, covering
A cast image: a figure made of molten metal. In other passages, a covering or a libation.
- נְּסוּכָהnesucha· spread over
Spread over, woven over something like a cloth.
- 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.
- מָּוֶתmavet· death
Death; also the realm of the dead, or a deadly plague.
- נֶצַחnetsach· splendor, forever, victory
A word with several senses: brightness or splendor, what endures (hence "forever"), firmness, victory. In 1 Samuel 15:29 it is a title of God, "the Splendor of Israel."
- אֲדֹנָadona· Adonai, Lord
"Adonai": "my Lord", said only to God. It is a title of respect that acknowledges his authority. It is not another god besides YHWH: often it goes with his name, "Adonai YHWH", Lord YHWH.
- יְהוִהyehvi· YHWH (with Adonai)
The four letters of God's name, YHWH (see "YHWH"). They almost always go with "Adonai"; then Jews, when reading, said "Elohim" so as not to repeat "Adonai".
- דִּמְעָהdima· tears, weeping
Tears, weeping. In 2 Kings 20:5 YHWH says to Hezekiah: "I have seen your tears." Frequent in the Psalms and in Jeremiah (Psalm 56:8; Jeremiah 9:1).
- חֶרְפַּתcherpat· disgrace, reproach
Disgrace, reproach, scorn from others. Being childless was then felt as a humiliation.
- יָסִירyasir· turn aside, remove
Turn aside, turn away; remove, take away.
- אָרֶץarets· 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").
- דִּבֵּרdiber· speak
Speak, talk, say; also promise or command.
- אָמַרamar· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- יּוֹםyom· day
Day: the hours of light, or a whole day from one evening to the next. Also an indefinite time or age ("in the day that...", "in those days").
- אֱלֹהֵיelohe· Elohim, God, gods
The Hebrew word usually translated "God". This translation keeps "Elohim" when it speaks of the one true God, the Creator, the God of Israel. The word ends like a plural, but it does not mean several: for him the verb is singular ("Elohim created"); the plural form expresses greatness. The same word as a common noun names the "gods" of other peoples, and there it is a true plural, translated "gods". It is also used of mighty ones or judges.
- קִוִּינוּkivinu· gather; wait for
Gather together, collect in one place (said of the waters). In other passages the same verb means "wait for" with hope.
- יוֹשִׁיעֵyoshie· save
Save: deliver someone from danger or from an oppressor. From this root come the names Joshua and Jesus.
- נָגִילָהnagila· rejoice
To rejoice: to be very glad, to leap for joy.
- נִשְׂמְחָהnismcha· rejoice
Rejoice, be glad; make glad.
- ישׁוּעָתyshuat· salvation
Salvation: the help with which God delivers from danger; also victory. The name "Jesus" (Yeshua) comes from the same root.