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Selected Verse: Isaiah 42:14 - Strong Concordance
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Isa 42:14 |
Strong Concordance |
I have long time [05769] holden my peace [02814]; I have been still [02790], and refrained [0662] myself: now will I cry [06463] like a travailing woman [03205]; I will destroy [05395] [08074] and devour [07602] at once [03162]. |
| |
King James |
I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
long time--namely, during the desolation of Israel (Isa 32:14).
holden my peace--(Compare Psa 50:21; Hab 1:2).
cry like a travailing woman, &c.--Like a woman in parturition, who, after having restrained her breathing for a time, at last, overcome with labor pain, lets out her voice with a panting sigh; so Jehovah will give full vent to His long pent-up wrath. Translate, instead of "destroy . . . devour"; I will at once breathe hard and pant, namely, giving loose to My wrath. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
I have long time holden my peace - This is the language of Yahweh, and it means that he had for a long time been patient and forbearing; but that now he would go forth as a warrior to overpower and destroy his foes.
I will destroy - The word used here (from נשׁם nâsham) denotes properly to breathe hard, to pant, as a woman in travail; and then to breathe hard in any manner. It here denotes the hard breathing which is indicative of anger, or a purpose to execute vengeance.
And devour at once - Margin, 'Swallow,' or 'Sup up.' The word שׁאף sha'aph means rather "to breathe hard, to pant, to blow, as in anger, or in the haste of pursuit." The idea in the verse is, that Yahweh had for a long time restrained his anger against his foes, and had refrained from executing vengeance on them. But now he would rouse his righteous indignation, and go forth to accomplish his purposes in their destruction. All this language is descriptive of a hero or warrior; and is, of course, not to be regarded as applicable literally to God. He often uses the language of people, and speaks of his purposes under the image of human passions. But we are not to infer that the language is literally applicable to him, nor is it to be interpreted too strictly. It means, in general, that God would go forth with a fixed and settled purpose to destroy his foes. |
| Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
The period of punishment has now lasted sufficiently long; it is time for Jehovah to bring forth the salvation of His people. "I have been silent eternally long, was still, restrained myself; like a travailing woman, I now breathe again, snort and snuff together." The standpoint of these prophecies has the larger half of the captivity behind it. It has already lasted a long time, though only for several decades; but in the estimation of Jehovah, with His love to His people, this time of long-suffering towards their oppressors is already an "eternity" (see Isa 57:11; Isa 58:12; Isa 61:4; Isa 63:18-19; Isa 64:4, cf., Isa 64:10, Isa 64:11). He has kept silence, has still forcibly restrained Himself, just as Joseph is said to have done to prevent himself from breaking out into tears (Gen 43:31). Love impelled Him to redeem His people; but justice was still obliged to proceed with punishment.
Three real futures now take the place of imperfects regulated by החשׁיתי. They are not to be understood as denoting the violent breathing and snorting of a hero, burning with rage and thirsting for battle (Knobel); nor is אשּׁם to be derived from שׁמם, as Hitzig supposes, through a mistaken comparison of Eze 36:3, though the latter does not mean to lay waste, but to be waste (see Hitzig on Eze 36:3). The true derivation is from נשׁם, related to נשׁף, נפשׁ, נשׁב. To the figure of a hero there is now added that of a travailing woman; פּעה is short breathing (with the glottis closed); נשׁם the snorting of violent inspiration and expiration; שׁאף the earnest longing for deliverance pressing upon the burden in the womb; and יחד expresses the combination of all these several strainings of the breath, which are associated with the so-called labour-pains. Some great thing, with which Jehovah has, as it were, long been pregnant, is now about to be born. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| Long - I have for many ages suffered the devil and his servants, to prevail in the world, but now I will bring forth and accomplish that glorious work which I have long conceived in my mind; yea, I will suddenly destroy the incorrigible enemies of my truth. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
| I have been still "Shall I keep silence for ever" - After מעולם meolam, in the copy which the Septuagint had before them, followed the word הלעולם, heleolam, εσιωπησα απ' αιωνος· Μη και αει σιωπησομαι· according to MSS. Pachom. and 50. D. 2 and Edit. Complut., which word, הלעולם haleolam, has been omitted in the text by an easy mistake of a transcriber, because of the similitude of the word preceding. Shall I always keep silences like that of Juvenal: Semper ego auditor tantum? Shall I always be a hearer only? |
2 O LORD [03068], how long shall I cry [07768], and thou wilt not hear [08085] ! even cry out [02199] unto thee of violence [02555], and thou wilt not save [03467] !
21 These things hast thou done [06213], and I kept silence [02790]; thou thoughtest [01819] that I was altogether [01961] such an one as thyself: but I will reprove [03198] thee, and set them in order [06186] before thine eyes [05869].
14 Because the palaces [0759] shall be forsaken [05203]; the multitude [01995] of the city [05892] shall be left [05800]; the forts [06076] and towers [0975] shall be for dens [04631] for [05704] ever [05769], a joy [04885] of wild asses [06501], a pasture [04829] of flocks [05739];
3 Therefore prophesy [05012] and say [0559], Thus saith [0559] the Lord [0136] GOD [03069]; Because they have made you desolate [08074], and swallowed you up [07602] on every side [05439], that ye might be a possession [04181] unto the residue [07611] of the heathen [01471], and ye are taken up [05927] in the lips [08193] of talkers [03956], and are an infamy [01681] of the people [05971]:
3 Therefore prophesy [05012] and say [0559], Thus saith [0559] the Lord [0136] GOD [03069]; Because they have made you desolate [08074], and swallowed you up [07602] on every side [05439], that ye might be a possession [04181] unto the residue [07611] of the heathen [01471], and ye are taken up [05927] in the lips [08193] of talkers [03956], and are an infamy [01681] of the people [05971]:
31 And he washed [07364] his face [06440], and went out [03318], and refrained [0662] himself, and said [0559], Set on [07760] bread [03899].
11 Our holy [06944] and our beautiful [08597] house [01004], where our fathers [01] praised [01984] thee, is burned up [08316] with fire [0784]: and all our pleasant things [04261] are laid waste [02723].
10 Thy holy [06944] cities [05892] are a wilderness [04057], Zion [06726] is a wilderness [04057], Jerusalem [03389] a desolation [08077].
4 For since the beginning of the world [05769] men have not heard [08085], nor perceived by the ear [0238], neither hath the eye [05869] seen [07200], O God [0430], beside [02108] thee, what he hath prepared [06213] for him that waiteth [02442] for him.
18 The people [05971] of thy holiness [06944] have possessed [03423] it but a little while [04705]: our adversaries [06862] have trodden down [0947] thy sanctuary [04720].
19 We are thine: thou never [05769] barest rule [04910] over them; they were not called [07121] by thy name [08034].
4 And they shall build [01129] the old [05769] wastes [02723], they shall raise up [06965] the former [07223] desolations [08074], and they shall repair [02318] the waste [02721] cities [05892], the desolations [08074] of many [01755] generations [01755].
12 And they that shall be of thee shall build [01129] the old [05769] waste places [02723]: thou shalt raise up [06965] the foundations [04146] of many [01755] generations [01755]; and thou shalt be called [07121], The repairer [01443] of the breach [06556], The restorer [07725] of paths [05410] to dwell in [03427].
11 And of whom hast thou been afraid [01672] or feared [03372], that thou hast lied [03576], and hast not remembered [02142] me, nor laid [07760] it to thy heart [03820]? have not I held my peace [02814] even of old [05769], and thou fearest [03372] me not?