Isaiah 29 17

Isaiah 29:17 kjv

Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?

Isaiah 29:17 nkjv

Is it not yet a very little while Till Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, And the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest?

Isaiah 29:17 niv

In a very short time, will not Lebanon be turned into a fertile field and the fertile field seem like a forest?

Isaiah 29:17 esv

Is it not yet a very little while until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest?

Isaiah 29:17 nlt

Soon ? and it will not be very long ?
the forests of Lebanon will become a fertile field,
and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops.

Isaiah 29 verses

Isaiah 29 17 meaning

Isaiah 29:17 proclaims an imminent, radical transformation initiated by God. What was once proud, barren, or unyielding (symbolized by Lebanon) will soon become remarkably fruitful and productive. Concurrently, that which was already fruitful will be elevated to an even greater state of abundance and natural majesty, like a dense forest, indicating a divine overturning of established order and an unparalleled spiritual and physical blessing.

Isaiah 29 17 Context

Isaiah chapter 29 begins with a prophecy against Ariel (Jerusalem), describing God's judgment upon the city, causing distress and humiliation (Is 29:1-8). The prophet then criticizes Judah's spiritual dullness, blindness, and deafness, describing them as a people who approach God with their lips but whose hearts are far from Him (Is 29:9-16). They are characterized by hypocrisy, human-devised plans, and a complete reversal of divine order where human wisdom replaces God's. This spiritual blindness is likened to a sealed scroll that none can read. Isaiah 29:17 marks a dramatic shift, moving from pronouncements of judgment and spiritual stupor to a prophecy of radical transformation and restoration. It heralds a future period of divine intervention that will overturn the present state of affairs, preceding further promises of the deaf hearing, the blind seeing, and the humble rejoicing in the Lord (Is 29:18-24). Historically, this passage likely pertains to the period of Assyrian threat to Judah in the 8th century BC, anticipating both immediate deliverance and ultimate spiritual renewal.

Isaiah 29 17 Word analysis

• Is it not yet a very little while (הֲלוֹא עוֹד מְעַט מְעָט - Ha-lo 'od me'at me'at):

  • Ha-lo (הֲלוֹא) is an interrogative particle often used to introduce a rhetorical question expecting a strong affirmative answer, akin to "Surely, is it not...?" or "Indeed, will it not...?"
  • 'Od me'at me'at (עוֹד מְעַט מְעָט) emphatically means "still a very little while," or "very, very soon." The doubling of me'at (short/little) serves to intensify the sense of imminence, highlighting the brevity of the period before God's promised action takes place. This stresses divine certainty and a swift, albeit divinely timed, fulfillment.

• Lebanon (לְבָנוֹן - Levanon):

  • Geographically, Lebanon refers to the mountainous region north of Israel, renowned for its majestic cedar forests, symbolizing strength, pride, and grandeur.
  • In prophetic contexts, Lebanon can signify a wild, untamed, uncultivated region (Is 10:33-34, Zec 11:1), or a symbol of human pride and lofty arrogance destined for judgment. Here, it likely represents the spiritually desolate, unfruitful, or resistant aspect of the world, or even unredeemed humanity/Judah itself, seemingly impervious to change.

• will be turned into (נֶהְפַּךְ לְ - neh'pakh l'-):

  • Derived from the Hebrew root הָפַךְ (hafak), meaning "to turn, overturn, change, transform."
  • The niphal form (neh'pakh) signifies a passive, often divine, action, meaning "it will be turned." This is a strong verb indicating a radical, complete reversal or metamorphosis, an act of God that fundamentally alters the nature of something.

• a fruitful field (כַּרְמֶל - Karmel):

  • Literally, "Carmel," which is a fertile mountain range in Israel known for its rich soil, orchards, and vineyards.
  • Generically, karmel signifies a richly productive, cultivated field, garden, or orchard. It symbolizes blessing, abundance, fertility, and spiritual fruitfulness, in contrast to barrenness or wildness.

• and the fruitful field (וְהַכַּרְמֶל - Ve-ha-Karmel):

  • The waw (וְ - ve) prefix means "and," connecting this to the previous statement. Ha-Karmel refers to this now-fruitful field, which could be the newly transformed Lebanon, or perhaps another category of land/people (e.g., initially productive but needing further divine enhancement).

• will be regarded as (לַחֹרֶשׁ יֵחָשֵׁב - la-choresh ye'cha'shev):

  • Ye'cha'shev (יֵחָשֵׁב) from חָשַׁב (chashav), meaning "to think, reckon, esteem, consider, count." The niphal passive means "it will be reckoned/considered/counted as."
  • This implies a change not only in the actual state but also in how it is perceived and valued. It's a reclassification or elevation in status and reality.

• a forest (חֹרֶשׁ - choresh):

  • Refers to a dense thicket, wood, or forest. While karmel suggests cultivated fertility, choresh implies a wilder, often denser, and naturally abundant growth, sometimes denoting uncultivated majesty or overwhelming spread.
  • The transition from karmel to choresh could signify an abundance so profound it transcends human cultivation, a wilder, more widespread, or more majestically impressive manifestation of fruitfulness than even the best agricultural land.

Words-group analysis:

• "Is it not yet a very little while": This emphatic declaration stresses the imminent nature of God's action. Despite present delays or spiritual dormancy, God's intervention is not far off, and His transformative work will commence swiftly and certainly. This period of waiting is brief from an eternal perspective, reassuring the faithful of divine punctuality.
• "Lebanon will be turned into a fruitful field": This dramatic imagery depicts God's power to radically change barrenness or unyielding pride into rich, cultivated productivity. "Lebanon" (the proud, wild, or desolate) transforming into a "fruitful field" (Karmel) symbolizes a profound spiritual renewal, turning hardened hearts to righteousness and desolated lands into places of blessing. It implies a total divine reversal.
• "and the fruitful field will be regarded as a forest": This further transformation signifies an even greater, perhaps miraculous, overflowing abundance. The previously cultivated "fruitful field" will achieve a state comparable to a dense "forest"—suggesting a natural, abundant growth, perhaps wilder and more widespread than mere cultivation, surpassing human efforts and expectations. It implies a flourishing that is boundless, encompassing even broader areas or populations, symbolizing the overwhelming grace and kingdom growth that includes all peoples, possibly reflecting the ingathering of Gentiles into the spiritual fold.

Isaiah 29 17 Bonus section

This prophecy can be interpreted on multiple layers: a near-term political deliverance for Judah, the spiritual transformation brought about by the Messiah's first coming, and the eschatological fulfillment in the Kingdom of God and the New Creation. The phrase "yet a very little while" from God's eternal perspective allows for these varied layers of fulfillment across time. The transition from "fruitful field" (Karmel) to "forest" (Choresh) also carries implications for the scope of God's kingdom. While the "fruitful field" implies Israel as a cultivated vineyard (Is 5), the "forest" could symbolize the ingathering of the Gentiles, an uncultivated but vast and dense expanse, which would surpass the initial limited bounds of Israel in terms of numbers and widespread spiritual impact. This aligns with later prophecies in Isaiah that extend God's salvation to all nations. The reversal of fortunes also implies a divine judgment that precedes the blessing, bringing low the proud (like Lebanon's lofty cedars often symbolizing arrogance) before raising up the humble.

Isaiah 29 17 Commentary

Isaiah 29:17 offers a striking prophetic vision of reversal and extraordinary blessing following periods of judgment and spiritual apathy described earlier in the chapter. The verse's core message is one of imminent, divine transformation. "Lebanon," often symbolizing pride, untamed nature, or unyielding spiritual barrenness, will be completely "turned into a fruitful field" (Karmel), representing an immediate shift from desolation to intense productivity and spiritual vitality. This initial transformation speaks to God's power to cultivate life and righteousness where none seemed possible.

The prophecy then intensifies, stating that this "fruitful field" will in turn "be regarded as a forest." This isn't merely a return to prosperity but an exponential, almost miraculous increase in abundance that transcends normal cultivation. A "forest" suggests wild, natural, dense, and far-reaching growth, potentially symbolizing a spiritual outpouring so vast it surpasses human capacity for organization or containment. This double transformation foreshadows a complete overturning of natural and spiritual conditions—the unyielding becoming fruitful, and the fruitful becoming super-abundant. It signifies a profound renewal of creation and spirit, echoing Messianic promises of new life, inclusion (especially the Gentiles often symbolized by widespread natural growth), and an overwhelming display of God's grace and power that changes both the reality and the perception of things. This points to the new covenant reality where the desolate places of the human heart and world are transformed into flourishing spiritual landscapes.

Examples for practical usage:

1. Hope in desolation: For those experiencing a barren spiritual season or personal hardship, this verse offers hope that "a very little while" can bring forth radical fruitfulness through God's intervention.
2. Unexpected growth: It reminds believers that God's plans for their lives or ministries can exceed mere "fruitful fields" and expand into a "forest" of unforeseen and widespread influence.
3. Divine reversal: In seemingly hopeless situations, this prophecy encourages faith in God's ability to turn around what appears set, from pride to humility, from barrenness to abundance.