Isaiah 17 14

Isaiah 17:14 kjv

And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.

Isaiah 17:14 nkjv

Then behold, at eventide, trouble! And before the morning, he is no more. This is the portion of those who plunder us, And the lot of those who rob us.

Isaiah 17:14 niv

In the evening, sudden terror! Before the morning, they are gone! This is the portion of those who loot us, the lot of those who plunder us.

Isaiah 17:14 esv

At evening time, behold, terror! Before morning, they are no more! This is the portion of those who loot us, and the lot of those who plunder us.

Isaiah 17:14 nlt

In the evening Israel waits in terror,
but by dawn its enemies are dead.
This is the just reward of those who plunder us,
a fitting end for those who destroy us.

Isaiah 17 14 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Isa 17:14"At the approach of morning, they are gone."Isa 17:14 (Implied by context)
Isa 29:5"But your many enemies will be like fine dust, your ruthless invaders like flying chaff."Isa 29:5 (Similar imagery)
Jer 50:25"The Lord has opened his armory and brought out the weapons of his wrath..."Jer 50:25 (Divine judgment)
Ezek 38:22"I will contend with him with pestilence and with bloodshed; and I will rain on him..."Ezek 38:22 (Divine judgment)
Rev 19:11-16, 21"He will strike the nations with his terrible sword..."Rev 19:11-21 (Christ's return)
Psa 37:2"For they will soon be cut down like the grass..."Psa 37:2 (Fleeting enemy)
Psa 73:18-19"Surely you place them in slippery places; you cast them down to ruin."Psa 73:18-19 (Enemy's end)
Psa 103:15-16"As for man, his days are like grass, like a wildflower he blooms but withers..."Psa 103:15-16 (Transience)
Prov 4:19"The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble."Prov 4:19 (Wickedness)
Prov 10:25"When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more, but the righteous is an everlasting foundation."Prov 10:25 (Wickedness end)
Jer 10:24"Correct me, Lord, but with justice—not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing."Jer 10:24 (Plea for mercy)
Nah 1:9"Whatever they plot against the Lord, he will bring to ruin..."Nah 1:9 (Lord's sovereignty)
Ps 2:1-4"Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves..."Ps 2:1-4 (Opposition to God)
2 Pet 3:10"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief..."2 Pet 3:10 (Lord's coming)
Ps 11:6"Rain down fire and brimstone on the wicked..."Ps 11:6 (Divine judgment)
Isa 13:1-13Prophecy against Babylon, showing complete destruction.Isa 13 (Judgment of nations)
Isa 30:27-33Describes the destruction of the Assyrian army by divine power.Isa 30 (Assyrian destruction)
Ezek 39:3-7The destruction of Gog and Magog by God.Ezek 39 (Gog's defeat)
Rev 20:9"And fire came down from heaven and consumed them."Rev 20:9 (Final judgment)
2 Kings 19:35"That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death 185,000 in the Assyrian camp."2 Kings 19:35 (Historical echo)
Job 7:18"and to visit him with judgment at every morning, and test him every moment?"Job 7:18 (Divine scrutiny)
Hosea 6:4"What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is fleeting like the morning mist..."Hosea 6:4 (Fleeting devotion)

Isaiah 17 verses

Isaiah 17 14 Meaning

This verse describes a divine intervention where an angelic presence (implied by the Lord's command) brings swift and complete destruction upon an invading army. The enemy is likened to a dense mist or cloud that dissipates in the morning light, symbolizing their rapid and total disappearance.

Isaiah 17 14 Context

Isaiah chapter 17 prophesies the destruction of Damascus, the capital of Syria, and also references the coming judgment on the Northern Kingdom of Israel. This particular verse concludes the section concerning the fate of the enemies that threatened Judah. The imagery of sudden disappearance and scattering signifies the utter defeat and annihilation of those who oppose God's people. The chapter operates within the broader prophetic context of God's judgment on sinful nations and His ultimate deliverance of Israel.

Isaiah 17 14 Word Analysis

  • לְעֵת (lǝʿēṯ): "At the time of" or "at the approach of". This signifies a specific juncture.
  • בֹּקֶר (bōqeḇer): "Morning" or "dawn". Symbolizes a new beginning, a time of revelation and clarity, but here also a time of judgment for the wicked.
  • הֵם (hēm): "They". Refers to the invading enemy army previously mentioned.
  • אֵינֵמוֹ (’êynēmô): "They are not" or "they have vanished". Emphasizes complete absence. The plural suffix '-em' with the negation 'ayin' indicates "there are none of them". This is a definitive statement of disappearance.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "לְעֵת בֹּקֶר הֵם אֵינֵמוֹ" (lǝʿēṯ bōqeḇer hēm ’êynēmô): "At the approach of morning, they are not there." This collective phrase encapsulates the core message: a sudden, total annihilation of the enemy army before the day fully dawns. It contrasts the dark threat of the enemy with the illuminating and decisive power of God acting at the dawn of a new era. The dawn marks not just a new day but the end of the enemy's threat.

Isaiah 17 14 Bonus Section

The imagery of destruction like vanishing mist is powerfully echoed in other parts of Scripture, notably in Hosea 6:4 ("Your love is fleeting like the morning mist"). However, in Isaiah 17:14, the "mist" is not devotion, but the enemy army itself, whose existence and threat are as transient as morning vapor under divine judgment. This emphasizes the emptiness of earthly power against God. The timing, "at the approach of morning," can also be interpreted eschatologically, signifying the final defeat of all God's enemies at the dawn of the new creation or the ultimate day of judgment. The historical event alluded to might be the destruction of the Assyrian army besieging Jerusalem, as described in 2 Kings 19:35, where an angel of the Lord struck down 185,000 men in a single night.

Isaiah 17 14 Commentary

This verse vividly portrays divine judgment delivered with overwhelming speed and totality. The invading forces, so formidable in the darkness of the night (their oppressive presence), are utterly vanquished as the light of God's intervention breaks. The comparison to morning mist that vanishes signifies that their power and presence are temporary and insignificant when confronted by God's might. It reassures believers that even the most threatening opposition will ultimately fade away like mist before the dawn, pointing to the sovereign power of the Lord to protect His people and execute His justice.