Isaiah 26 19

Isaiah 26:19 kjv

Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

Isaiah 26:19 nkjv

Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead.

Isaiah 26:19 niv

But your dead will live, LORD; their bodies will rise? let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy? your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.

Isaiah 26:19 esv

Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.

Isaiah 26:19 nlt

But those who die in the LORD will live;
their bodies will rise again!
Those who sleep in the earth
will rise up and sing for joy!
For your life-giving light will fall like dew
on your people in the place of the dead!

Isaiah 26 verses

Isaiah 26 19 Meaning

This verse speaks of the resurrection of the righteous, where their spiritual life, once dormant or "dead" to sin, will flourish and come to vibrant life again through God's power. It describes the dead bodies of God's people as dew, which brings forth new life and vegetation.

Isaiah 26 19 Context

Isaiah 26 is a song of praise and trust in the Lord following a victory, possibly over a formidable enemy like Assyria or Babylon. The chapter moves from anticipating God's deliverance and judgment on enemies to a confident affirmation of Zion's security and future redemption. This specific verse, occurring near the end of the chapter, shifts focus to the ultimate hope of God's people: the resurrection and the everlasting life they will experience with God. It contrasts the past oppression and seemingly inert state of God's people with a future revival that is sure and brought about by divine power.

Isaiah 26 19 Word Analysis

• Your (Hebrew: ךךּ – *at)
  • Possessive pronoun, indicating something belonging to or associated with the Lord.
• dead (Hebrew: מֵתִים – metim)
  • Plural of met, meaning dead or deceased. Refers to deceased people.
• shall live (Hebrew: יִחְי֥וּ – yichyu)
  • Third person plural future of chayah, meaning to live, be alive, revived, preserved alive. Implies a revival or coming back to life.
• your (Hebrew: ךּ – atekh)
  • Possessive pronoun, again pointing to what belongs to the Lord, but with a feminine plural ending referring to the community's "dew."
• own (Hebrew: נְטִיפֹ֤ת – netifot)
  • Plural of netiphah, meaning a drop, specifically dew. Metaphorically, it signifies nourishment and life-giving sustenance.
• dew (Hebrew: הַטַּל — haṭṭal)
  • The article ha- means "the." Ṭal refers to dew. It symbolizes God's refreshing presence and life-giving power.
• but (Hebrew: כִּ֣י – ki)
  • Conjunction indicating a strong contrast or explanation.
• the earth (Hebrew: אָ֔רֶץ — arets)
  • Can mean ground, land, or earth. Here it refers to the earthly realm, possibly even the realm of the dead from which they will arise.
• shall cast out (Hebrew: תִּפְלַ֥ט — tiflet)
  • Third person feminine singular future of palat, meaning to escape, be delivered, cast out, or yield. In this context, it signifies that the earth itself will expel or release its dead.
• dead (Hebrew: רְפָאִ֖ים — repha'im)
  • A collective noun often referring to the shades of the dead in the underworld, often associated with pagan deities or spirits. It emphasizes the state of being among the deceased.

Words-group analysis

• "Your dead shall live; your dew of (resurrection)": This phrase encapsulates the core promise of resurrection. "Your dead" are those belonging to the Lord, implying a covenant relationship. "Your dew" highlights that the resurrection life comes from God's refreshing, life-giving power. The metaphor of dew signifies a gentle yet potent force that revives.
• "The earth will cast out the dead": This conveys that the grave or the realm of death is not an ultimate prison. The earth itself, under God's command, will yield up those who have died, specifically "the dead," suggesting the shades or bodies of those who had died.

Isaiah 26 19 Bonus Section

The concept of "dew" as a symbol of divine renewal and life-giving power is found elsewhere in scripture. In Hosea 14:5, the Lord promises to be "like the dew" to Israel, signifying His restorative blessing. This imagery strongly supports the interpretation of Isaiah 26:19 as a promise of resurrection, where God Himself is the source of revived life, a spiritual and bodily restoration brought about by His abundant grace. The Hebrew word repha'im (used for "dead") can sometimes refer to shadowy beings of the underworld, further highlighting the desperate state from which God will rescue His people.

Isaiah 26 19 Commentary

This verse is a powerful prophetic glimpse of the resurrection of the righteous. It assures believers that death is not the final end. God's people, though they die, will experience a future revival. The "dew" imagery emphasizes the vitalizing, refreshing, and life-giving power of God's presence and action. Just as dew revives parched ground, God's power will bring His people back to life. The resurrection is an active process where even the earth relinquishes its dead, as commanded by God. This event signifies the ultimate triumph of life over death and God's ultimate victory for His covenant people.