Isaiah 30 27

Isaiah 30:27 kjv

Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:

Isaiah 30:27 nkjv

Behold, the name of the LORD comes from afar, Burning with His anger, And His burden is heavy; His lips are full of indignation, And His tongue like a devouring fire.

Isaiah 30:27 niv

See, the Name of the LORD comes from afar, with burning anger and dense clouds of smoke; his lips are full of wrath, and his tongue is a consuming fire.

Isaiah 30:27 esv

Behold, the name of the LORD comes from afar, burning with his anger, and in thick rising smoke; his lips are full of fury, and his tongue is like a devouring fire;

Isaiah 30:27 nlt

Look! The LORD is coming from far away,
burning with anger,
surrounded by thick, rising smoke.
His lips are filled with fury;
his words consume like fire.

Isaiah 30 verses

Isaiah 30 27 meaning

Isaiah 30:27 presents a vivid and formidable image of the Lord's direct and imminent intervention in judgment. It describes God manifesting with overwhelming power and righteous wrath. His "Name," representing His very essence and authority, approaches with consuming anger, heavy smoke, indignation on His lips, and a tongue that is a devouring fire. This portrays a majestic, awe-inspiring, and terrifying display of divine justice against His adversaries.

Isaiah 30 27 Context

Isaiah chapter 30 primarily addresses Judah's rebellious act of seeking an alliance with Egypt for protection against Assyria, rather than trusting in the Lord. God explicitly warns against this reliance on human power, pronouncing woe upon them for their stubbornness and disobedience. He details the futility of their plan and the severe judgment that will fall upon them because of their faithlessness (vv. 1-17). Despite this strong pronouncement of judgment, the chapter takes a hopeful turn, offering a glorious future of restoration and blessing for a penitent remnant. Verses 18-26 describe a time when the Lord will have compassion, respond to their prayers, and provide abundantly, clearing the way for healing and flourishing. Verse 27, therefore, falls within this broader prophetic context, announcing the Lord's powerful and decisive coming. While the immediate judgment targets their enemies (Assyria, as elaborated in v. 31), it also signifies the complete and necessary purification for the promised blessings to unfold, removing obstacles to His presence among His people.

Isaiah 30 27 Word analysis

• Behold (הִנֵּה, `hinnēh`): An emphatic interjection. It demands immediate attention, signifying that what follows is profoundly important, certain, and divinely revealed. It signals a dramatic entry or disclosure.
• the Name of the Lord (שֵׁם יְהוָה, `shēm YHWH`): "The Name" refers not merely to a designation but to God's manifested character, presence, authority, and power. `YHWH` is the covenant name of God, revealing Him as the ever-existing, active, and personal God. This phrase emphasizes God Himself in His full, active essence.
• comes (בָּא, `bā’`): An imperfect participle, indicating an ongoing, imminent, or certainly approaching action. It's not a mere possibility but an unstoppable, active movement.
• from afar (מֵרָחֹוק, `mērāḥoq`): Signifies divine transcendence and unexpectedness from a human perspective. God operates on His own timeline and from His eternal counsels, showing His sovereignty. It underscores the profound distance between humanity and God's exalted sphere, yet He intervenes directly.
• burning (בֹּעֵר, `bō‘ēr`): An active participle from `bā‘ar`, meaning to burn intensely, to consume with fire. It conveys an unstoppable, consuming heat and ferocity.
• His anger (אַפּוֹ, `‘appōw`): Literally "His nose" or "nostrils," which flare in intense rage. It is a common metonymy in Hebrew for intense wrath or fury, depicting strong, passionate divine displeasure.
• and in thick rising smoke (וְכֹבֶד מַשָּׂאָה, `wəḵōṇeḏ maśśā’āh`): `kōḇeḏ` means "heaviness, weight," implying density and oppression. `maśśā’āh` denotes "uprising smoke" or "pillar of smoke." Together, it portrays an overwhelming, dark, and potentially suffocating cloud, typical of divine manifestation in judgment (like on Sinai).
• His lips (שְׂפָתָיו, `səfātāw`): Anthropomorphism, representing the source of divine utterance and decrees. God's spoken word holds ultimate power.
• are full of (מָלְאוּ, `māl’û`): Filled to overflowing, complete saturation. There is no emptiness or reservation; the expression is total.
• indignation (זָעַם, `zā‘am`): Refers to intense displeasure, wrath, fury, or a curse. It implies a deep-seated, righteous anger that often results in punitive action. It is a judgment from God, not merely a human emotion.
• and His tongue (וּלְשֹׁנוֹ, `ûləšōwnô`): Another anthropomorphic image of divine speech, but specifically highlights its power and function in judgment.
• is like (כְּאֵשׁ, `kə’ēš`): The prefix `kə-` means "like" or "as," drawing a direct comparison.
• a devouring fire (אֹכָלֶת, `’ōḵāleṯ`): From `’āḵal`, "to eat, consume." This specifies fire that is not just hot but actively consumes, destroys, and leaves nothing behind. It symbolizes God's absolute power to destroy evil completely and swiftly.

• "Behold, the Name of the Lord comes from afar": This phrase highlights God's sovereignty and His deliberate, decisive action. His intervention is not a reaction to human events, but a manifestation from His eternal purpose, transcending all human limitations of time and space.
• "burning with His anger, and in thick rising smoke": These grouped words form a powerful sensory image of a divine theophany steeped in judgmental intensity. It evokes the fear and awe associated with God's holy presence, specifically when dealing with sin and rebellion, much like the revelation at Sinai (Ex 19) but with a clear focus on consuming wrath.
• "His lips are full of indignation, and His tongue is like a devouring fire": This section emphasizes the vocal aspect of God's judgment. It's not a silent, impersonal force, but a declared, purposeful act. His very words are instruments of consuming judgment, signifying that divine judgment is a pronouncement that carries irresistible and destructive power against wickedness.

Isaiah 30 27 Bonus section

• The vivid anthropomorphic language used (lips, tongue, nostrils implied by "anger") humanizes divine attributes to make the concept of God's wrath comprehensible and intensely impactful. This helps the original audience connect with an otherwise abstract notion of divine judgment.
• The imagery in this verse often foreshadows not only immediate historical judgments (e.g., against Assyria) but also serves as a type for greater, future, and ultimate divine judgments, including the final judgment and the day of the Lord.
• While terrifying to God's enemies, this very manifestation of wrath is a source of hope and vindication for the oppressed and faithful. It means their cries for justice are heard and will be answered by an omnipotent God.
• The "coming from afar" can also signify that this judgment is not an impulsive act, but rooted in God's eternal character and righteous counsels, ensuring its just nature.

Isaiah 30 27 Commentary

Isaiah 30:27 portrays an arresting image of the Lord's impending intervention, depicting Him as a sovereign judge appearing with overwhelming majesty and righteous fury. His "Name," signifying His full essence and active presence, approaches from a transcendental sphere, asserting His ultimate authority. The descriptors—burning anger, dense smoke, indignant lips, and a consuming fire-like tongue—collectively emphasize the uncontainable power, intensity, and thoroughness of God's judgment. This is not a slow, simmering discontent, but a dramatic, decisive, and all-encompassing purification. The anthropomorphisms serve to vividly communicate God's personal and passionate response to rebellion, a wrath that will relentlessly clear all opposition to His perfect will, making way for the future blessings promised to His faithful. This verse serves both as a potent warning against defiance and a foundational assurance that God will indeed execute justice for His people.