Isaiah 26:18 kjv
We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
Isaiah 26:18 nkjv
We have been with child, we have been in pain; We have, as it were, brought forth wind; We have not accomplished any deliverance in the earth, Nor have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
Isaiah 26:18 niv
We were with child, we writhed in labor, but we gave birth to wind. We have not brought salvation to the earth, and the people of the world have not come to life.
Isaiah 26:18 esv
we were pregnant, we writhed, but we have given birth to wind. We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth, and the inhabitants of the world have not fallen.
Isaiah 26:18 nlt
We, too, writhe in agony,
but nothing comes of our suffering.
We have not given salvation to the earth,
nor brought life into the world.
Isaiah 26 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 26:14 | "They are dead, they shall not live; they are extinct, they shall not rise..." | Spiritual death and inability to rise |
| Psalm 73:3-4 | "For I was envious of the arrogant... They have no pains in death, but their strength is whole." | Perceived prosperity of the wicked |
| Psalm 49:10-12 | "For he sees that wise men die... leaving their wealth to others." | The futility of wealth and wisdom for the wicked |
| Psalm 127:1 | "Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain." | God's essential role in fruitful labor |
| Ecclesiastes 1:2-3 | "Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What profit has man from all the labor that he takes under the sun?" | General futility of human labor apart from God |
| Ecclesiastes 2:11 | "Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind..." | Personal experience of life's futility |
| Jeremiah 17:11 | "He who gets riches, but not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end will be a fool." | Unjust gain leads to ruin |
| Hosea 10:13 | "You have plowed wickedness; you have reaped iniquity..." | Actions have consequences |
| Matthew 13:22 | "As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it yields no fruit." | Spiritual unfruitfulness due to worldly concerns |
| Romans 6:21 | "What fruit were you bearing at that time in those things of which you are now ashamed?" | Fruit of sin leads to shame |
| Galatians 5:19-21 | "Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." | Actions of the flesh that bear no eternal fruit |
| James 5:5 | "You have lived on earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter." | Indulgence leading to judgment |
| Revelation 14:13 | "And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”" | Rest and reward for those in the Lord |
| John 15:4-5 | "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit..." | The necessity of abiding in Christ for fruitfulness |
| Romans 1:29-31 | "...full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless." | Depiction of ungodly character |
| Ephesians 4:17-19 | "Now this I say and testify in the Lord. Walk no longer as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves over to sensuality, greedy for every practice of uncleanness." | The futility of the unregenerate mind |
| Psalm 17:14 | "They are satisfied by thy treasures from thy hand. Their children are full, and they leave part of their abundance to their infants." | Temporal blessings of the ungodly |
| Luke 12:16-21 | Parable of the rich fool. "And he said, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’... So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” | Warning against hoarding earthly riches |
| Amos 6:1-7 | "Woe to those who are complacent in Zion... but do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph! They drink wine from basins... therefore they shall soon be taken away captive..." | Woes against those unconcerned about spiritual state |
| 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 | "...let each one take care how he builds on it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, timber, hay, straw—each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” | Works tested by fire, enduring or perishing |
Isaiah 26 verses
Isaiah 26 18 Meaning
This verse describes the fruitless effort of the wicked who, despite their labor, produce no lasting benefit or spiritual sustenance. Their work ultimately yields nothing of value in God's sight, leading to a spiritual emptiness.
Isaiah 26 18 Context
Isaiah chapter 26 is a song of praise and confidence in God's faithfulness, sung by His people after a period of deliverance and restoration. Following the defeat of oppressive nations (symbolized by Sennacherib's army in Isaiah 36-37), the people acknowledge God's sovereign power and His commitment to those who trust Him. The chapter speaks of security within God's fortified city (Jerusalem) and a confident anticipation of future resurrection and eternal life. Isaiah 26:14, preceding the verse in question, highlights the temporary nature of the ungodly and their inability to rise again. This sets the stage for verse 18, contrasting their eventual demise with the enduring blessings of the faithful. Historically, this song likely reflects the people's gratitude after national salvation and points forward to the ultimate redemption in Christ.
Isaiah 26 18 Word Analysis
- We (Hebrew: אֲנַ֫חְנוּ - anachnu): First-person plural pronoun. Signifies the collective identity and experience of God's people.
- have travailed (Hebrew: ח֣וֹלַ֔לְנוּ - cholalnu): Root חָלַל (chalal). Carries meanings of to pierce, bore through, profane, to begin, to be born, to twist. In this context, it implies labored, suffered birth pangs, or struggled. It conveys intense, painful effort, possibly indicative of a difficult spiritual or national journey.
- in vain (Hebrew: לַשָּׁ֣וְקְ}: tashavq): Related to שׁוּק (shuq) meaning to run, to spread abroad. Here it signifies ineffectively, to no purpose, or to a waste. It denotes labor that lacks genuine productivity or results.
- we have brought forth (Hebrew: יוֹלַ֙דְנוּ֙ - yoladnu): Root יָלַד (yalad) meaning to bear, bring forth, beget. This refers to producing offspring or results. The implication here is that the "birth" or "product" is insignificant or lacking true life.
- no (Hebrew: לֹ֖א - lo): Negation. Denotes the absence of.
- deliverance (Hebrew: יְשׁוּעָ֑ה - yeshu'ah): Salvation, deliverance, victory. Refers to the saving action of God. The verse states that their efforts have not resulted in "yeshu'ah" for the earth or its inhabitants, in contrast to God's own saving work.
- the inhabitants (Hebrew: וְשֹׁ֘כְנֵ֫י - weshokhnei): From שָׁכַן (shachan) meaning to dwell, settle, reside. Refers to those who live in the land or on the earth.
- of the earth (Hebrew: תֵּבֵ֑ל - tevel): The world, the earth, the inhabited world.
Words Group Analysis:
- "We have travailed in vain; we have brought forth no deliverance for the inhabitants of the earth." This collective "we" and the description of painful, unproductive labor stands in stark contrast to God's promises of true deliverance and blessing upon the earth. Their efforts, lacking divine grounding, ultimately fail to impact the world positively or bring lasting salvation.
Isaiah 26 18 Bonus Section
The verse contrasts the ineffective "labor" of the ungodly with the transformative and salvific work of God, as depicted throughout Isaiah. The "travail" mentioned can also allude to the painful process of creation or redemption. For God's people, their travail might include the difficulties of faith, persecution, or righteous struggle, but these, when aligned with God, ultimately lead to His deliverance. The concept of "bringing forth" spiritual fruit or societal good is presented as something that originates from God's power, not solely from human exertion. The imagery of a stillbirth for the ungodly's efforts underscores their complete lack of divine purpose and eternal significance.
Isaiah 26 18 Commentary
This verse highlights the futility of human efforts when separated from God's purposes. The wicked labor intensely, perhaps with great energy and resourcefulness, but their work yields no spiritual benefit or true salvation for humanity. Their "births" are stillborn in God's eyes – they produce no lasting righteousness or deliverance for the world. This is a testament to the sovereignty of God; true salvation and fruitfulness come only through Him. Human efforts, however great, without alignment to God's will, are ultimately empty and cannot achieve eternal impact.