Isaiah 27:1 kjv
In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.
Isaiah 27:1 nkjv
In that day the LORD with His severe sword, great and strong, Will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan that twisted serpent; And He will slay the reptile that is in the sea.
Isaiah 27:1 niv
In that day, the LORD will punish with his sword? his fierce, great and powerful sword? Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he will slay the monster of the sea.
Isaiah 27:1 esv
In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.
Isaiah 27:1 nlt
In that day the LORD will take his terrible, swift sword and punish Leviathan, the swiftly moving serpent, the coiling, writhing serpent. He will kill the dragon of the sea.
Isaiah 27 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 27:2 | Sing of it: "a vineyard yielding wine! | Future salvation described |
| Isa 51:9 | Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD! Awake as in days of old, in the generations of long ago! Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the dragon? | God's past victories recalled |
| Psa 74:13-14 | You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food to the creatures of the wilderness. | Ancient cosmic battle imagery |
| Job 7:12 | Am I a sea or a monster, that you set a guard over me? | Job's suffering and God's sovereignty |
| Rev 13:1 | And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and on its heads were blasphemous names. | New Testament parallel to sea monster |
| Rev 20:2 | And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, | Satan's eventual binding |
| Rev 20:7 | And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be loosed from his prison | Satan's final release and defeat |
| Nahum 1:4 | He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; he makes all the rivers fail. Bashan and Carmel wither; the blossoms of Lebanon wither. | God's power over natural forces |
| Psa 8:1 | O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. | God's supreme glory |
| Psa 18:8 | smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals fanned the flame. | God's awesome power |
| Psa 29:3 | The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the LORD, it is over many waters. | God's dominion over waters |
| Psa 104:26 | There go the ships, and Leviathan that you formed to play in it. | Leviathan as part of creation |
| Psa 148:7 | Praise the LORD from the earth, you sea monsters and all . | Call to praise including sea creatures |
| Isa 14:29 | Rejoice not, O Philistia, all over, because the rod that struck you is broken. | Doom of enemy nations |
| Isa 59:19 | So they shall fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; when an enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him. | God's defense against enemies |
| Jer 10:7 | Who would not fear you, O King of nations? For that is your due. Among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is none like you. | God's supremacy over nations |
| Jer 49:19-20 | Behold, from the thicket of the Jordan he shall come up like a lion against the strong, unfailing pasture; for I will suddenly make them run away from it, and I will appoint over it that which is chosen. For who is like me, and who will summon me? What shepherd can stand before me? | God's judgment on enemy strength |
| Ezek 29:3 | Speak, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster that lies sprawling in the midst of his rivers, that has said, 'My river is my own; I made it myself.' | Pharaoh as a dragon/monster symbol |
| Ezek 32:2 | "Son of man, wail over the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, to the depths of the earth, with the fallen who go down into the pit. | Egypt's downfall prophesied |
| Zeph 1:14 | The great day of the LORD is near, it is near and hastens greatly-- the sound of the trumpet, a cry of the battle. | The day of the Lord |
| 1 Cor 15:54 | "when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. | Victory over death |
| Heb 2:14 | Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in them, that through death he might destroy the one who holds the power of death, that is, the devil— | Christ's victory over the devil |
Isaiah 27 verses
Isaiah 27 1 Meaning
On that day, the LORD will punish Leviathan, that swiftly moving serpent, Leviathan, that coiling serpent, and He will slay the monster that is in the sea. This verse describes God's ultimate triumph over His enemies, symbolizing powerful forces of evil and chaos that oppose His will and His people. It points to a future redemption and the establishment of God's kingdom.
Isaiah 27 1 Context
Chapter 27 of Isaiah begins a prophetic passage concerning the restoration of Israel and God's ultimate judgment on all His enemies. Following prophecies of judgment on scattered Israel (chapters 24-26), this chapter offers assurance of deliverance. Verse 1 sets the stage for God's decisive action against powerful, chaotic forces, representing both earthly empires that oppress God's people and supernatural forces of evil. This vision of God's sovereignty and victorious power serves as a powerful encouragement to a people facing overwhelming opposition. The historical backdrop includes periods of Babylonian, Assyrian, and later empires' dominance, and the spiritual context involves the ongoing struggle against forces aligned with Satan.
Isaiah 27 1 Word Analysis
- "On that day": (Hebrew: בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא - bayyom hahū') This temporal phrase is a common marker in prophetic literature, indicating a specific, future time of divine intervention and judgment or salvation. It points to the eschatological Day of the Lord.
- "the LORD": (Hebrew: יְהוָ֔ה - YHWH) The personal covenant name of God, emphasizing His faithfulness and redemptive power.
- "will punish": (Hebrew: יִפְקֹ֖ד - yipqōd) Can mean "to visit," "to muster," "to attend to," or "to punish." Here it carries the sense of divine reckoning and judgment.
- "Leviathan": (Hebrew: לִוְיָתָ֣ן - Liwyātān) A mythical sea monster from ancient Near Eastern cosmologies, often associated with chaos and primal forces. In biblical usage, it symbolizes powerful enemies, nations, or even supernatural entities that oppose God.
- "that swift/short": (Hebrew: בְּרִיחַ - bərīaḥ) A serpent or creature that flees or darts quickly. It highlights the creature's evasive and potentially treacherous nature.
- "serpent": (Hebrew: תַּנִּין - tannīn) A general term for a sea monster, dragon, or serpent, often symbolizing primordial chaos or powerful foes.
- "Leviathan": (Hebrew: לִוְיָתָ֣ן - Liwyātān) Repetition emphasizes its significant and fearsome nature.
- "that coiling/crooked": (Hebrew: נָחָ֔שׁ - nāḥāš) A serpent, specifically here denoting its twisted, cunning, or contorting form, signifying resistance and deception.
- "serpent": (Hebrew: בְּרִיחַ - bərīaḥ) Reinforces the image of evasiveness and strength, perhaps implying a creature difficult to capture or subdue.
- "and": (Hebrew: וְ - wə) Connects the actions of God against Leviathan.
- "He will slay": (Hebrew: הָרג - hārāg) To kill, slaughter, indicating definitive destruction.
- "the monster": (Hebrew: תַּנִּ֥ים - tannîm) Plural of tannīn, further emphasizing the might and variety of forces God will conquer.
- "that is in the sea": (Hebrew: יָֽם - yām) Refers to the vast, untamable waters, a common metaphor for the chaotic nations or the realm of evil opposed to God.
Words-group analysis:
- "Leviathan, that swift serpent, Leviathan, that coiling serpent": This repetition and parallel structure emphasizes the multifaceted and elusive nature of God's enemies. It captures their quickness to strike and their twisted, deceitful tactics.
- "the monster that is in the sea": "The sea" often represents the unregenerate world, the nations in their opposition to God, and the chaotic forces that threaten God's order. Conquering the "monster in the sea" signifies God's absolute dominion over all forces that stand against Him.
Isaiah 27 1 Bonus Section
The use of "Leviathan" echoes the creation accounts where God separated the waters and subdued primordial chaotic forces. Isaiah employs this imagery to show that the God who established order in creation is the same God who will bring definitive order through judgment and redemption. The description of Leviathan as both swift and coiling hints at its elusive nature, but God’s power is shown to be superior to any ability to escape or resist Him. Scholars suggest that this passage anticipates a future restoration of creation, where the very forces that once represented threat will be brought under God's perfect dominion.
Isaiah 27 1 Commentary
Isaiah 27:1 is a powerful prophetic declaration of God's ultimate victory over evil. The imagery of defeating "Leviathan," described as a swift and coiling serpent, draws upon ancient Near Eastern mythology but re-frames it within a monotheistic context. Instead of these forces being equal adversaries, they are mere creatures subject to the sovereign power of the LORD. Leviathan represents not just specific earthly enemies like Egypt (often symbolized as a dragon or sea monster, e.g., Ezek 29:3), but all manifestations of chaos, rebellion, and anti-God powers. This victory signifies the final subjugation of all opposing forces and the establishment of God's kingdom of peace and righteousness. It assures believers that God is not only able to save them but will ultimately triumph over every threat, bringing about a complete and decisive end to evil. The repetition of "Leviathan" underscores the thoroughness of this judgment and the ultimate defeat of these formidable powers. This promise finds its ultimate fulfillment in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has conquered sin, death, and the devil, the ultimate "monster."