Isaiah 10:17

Judgment

¹⁵ Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.

¹⁶ Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.

And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;

¹⁸ And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth.

¹⁹ And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: And the Light of Israel will become a fire, and its Holy One a flame. In a single day it will burn and devour Assyria’s thorns and thistles.
KJV: And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;
WEB: The light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day.
ASV: And the light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day.
DARBY: and the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briars in one day,
BLB: And the Light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame, and it will burn and devour his thorn and his brier in one day.

ÅB: Israels lys skal bli til en ild, og dets Hellige til en flamme, og den skal brenne og fortære hans torn og tistel, alt på en dag.
OTB: Israels lys vil bli en ild, og deres Hellige en flamme; den vil brenne og fortære hans torner og tistler på en enkelt dag.
B1930: Israels lys skal bli til en ild, og dets Hellige til en lue, og den skal brenne og fortære hans torn og tistel, alt på en dag.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Isaiah 27:4
Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together.
Read in context
Isaiah 37:23
Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.
Read in context
Revelation 22:5
And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
Read in context
Jeremiah 7:20
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.
Read in context
Numbers 11:1–3
And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.
Read in context
Numbers 16:35
And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.
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Jeremiah 4:4
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
Read in context
Nahum 1:10
For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.
Read in context