Isaiah 7:20

¹⁸ And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.

¹⁹ And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes.

In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard.

²¹ And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep;

²² And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.

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: On that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates —the king of Assyria—to shave your head and the hair of your legs, and to remove your beard as well.
KJV: In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard.
WEB: In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired in the parts beyond the River, even with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet; and it shall also consume the beard.
ASV: In that day will the Lord shave with a razor that is hired in the parts beyond the River, [even] with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet; and it shall also consume the beard.
DARBY: In that day will the Lord, with a razor which is hired beyond the river, with the king of Assyria, shave the head and the hair of the feet, yea, the beard also will it take away.
BLB: In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired—with those beyond the River, with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the legs and also the beard He will sweep away.

ÅB: På den tid skal Herren med en rakekniv[^7] som er leid på andre siden av elven[^8], med Assurs konge, rake av alt håret både på hodet og nedentil; endog skjegget skal den ta bort.
OTB: På den dagen skal Herren bruke en barberhøvel leid fra den andre siden av Eufrat—Assyrias konge—til å barbere hodet ditt og håret på beina dine, og til å fjerne skjegget ditt også.
B1930: På den tid skal Herren med en rakekniv som er leid på hin side elven, med Assurs konge, rake av alt håret både på hodet og nedentil; endog skjegget skal den ta bort. / < JES 10, 5.> / < Eufrat.>

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Isaiah 8:7
Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:
Read in context
Ezekiel 29:18
Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled: yet had he no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against it:
Read in context
Ezekiel 5:1–4
And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife, take thee a barber’s razor, and cause it to pass upon thine head and upon thy beard: then take thee balances to weigh, and divide the hair.
Read in context
Isaiah 10:15
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.
Read in context
Jeremiah 27:6–7
And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.
Read in context
Isaiah 24:1–2
Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
Read in context
Isaiah 10:5–6
O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.
Read in context
Isaiah 9:14–17
Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day.
Read in context