Isaiah 42 25

Isaiah 42:25 kjv

Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.

Isaiah 42:25 nkjv

Therefore He has poured on him the fury of His anger And the strength of battle; It has set him on fire all around, Yet he did not know; And it burned him, Yet he did not take it to heart.

Isaiah 42:25 niv

So he poured out on them his burning anger, the violence of war. It enveloped them in flames, yet they did not understand; it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.

Isaiah 42:25 esv

So he poured on him the heat of his anger and the might of battle; it set him on fire all around, but he did not understand; it burned him up, but he did not take it to heart.

Isaiah 42:25 nlt

Therefore, he poured out his fury on them
and destroyed them in battle.
They were enveloped in flames,
but they still refused to understand.
They were consumed by fire,
but they did not learn their lesson.

Isaiah 42 verses

Isaiah 42 25 Meaning

Isaiah 42:25 describes the consequence of Israel's persistent disobedience: God's intense wrath, manifesting as destructive warfare and consuming fire, was poured out upon them. Despite enduring these severe judgments and the widespread devastation they brought, the people remained spiritually blind and unrepentant. They failed to recognize these calamities as divine discipline from the Lord, nor did they truly ponder their ways or turn back to Him in heart and mind.

Isaiah 42 25 Context

Isaiah 42 is pivotal in presenting the Servant of the Lord, who will bring justice and salvation to the nations (vv. 1-9). This divine mission is then contrasted sharply with the spiritual condition of Israel. Verses 18-25 serve as a lament over Israel's spiritual deafness and blindness. Although God chose them as His witnesses (v. 19), they failed to comprehend His mighty acts or their own covenant responsibilities. Verse 25 acts as the concluding statement for this section, affirming that the widespread destruction and calamities Israel experienced (e.g., the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles) were direct consequences of God's wrath due to their disobedience and rejection of His law (vv. 24). Despite suffering severe judgment intended to turn them back to God, they remained uncomprehending and impenitent. Historically, this points to the devastations leading to and during the Babylonian captivity, a period of immense national trauma.

Isaiah 42 25 Word analysis

• So he poured out (וַיִּשְׁפֹּךְ, vayyishpokh): From the verb shapakh (שָׁפַךְ), meaning "to pour out, shed." This signifies an overwhelming, complete, and unreserved discharge. It emphasizes the intensity and abundance of God's wrath, likening it to a flood or torrent, fully expressed and unrestrained. Used in connection with blood, anger, or even the Holy Spirit, it implies full release.
• on them (עָלָיו, 'alav): Refers directly to Jacob/Israel, who in previous verses (42:24) were given up to plunderers because they sinned against the Lord. It clearly identifies the recipients of this divine judgment.
• the heat of his anger (חֲמָה, chamah): Meaning "heat," "rage," "poison," "fury." It describes a burning, scorching, intense form of anger, often with a destructive implication. This noun perfectly connects with the later imagery of fire, indicating God's passionate displeasure.
• and the fury of war (וְעֶזּוּת מִלְחָמָה, və'eẓẓut milḥamah): 'Eẓẓut means "might," "strength," "fierceness," or "violence." Milḥamah is "war" or "battle." This isn't merely war, but war marked by extreme force, violence, and severity, divinely ordained and empowered, making it uniquely devastating. It signifies that the conflict itself was an expression of God's might against His people.
• it set them on fire (וַתְּלַהֲטֵהוּ, vattəlahatehu): From the verb lahat (לָהַט), "to flame," "burn brightly," "kindle." This reinforces the destructive, consuming nature of God's anger and the war. It's an active, engulfing burning, not passive.
• all around (מִסָּבִיב, missaviv): Signifies comprehensive, encompassing destruction, indicating that the judgment affected them from every side, leaving no aspect of their lives untouched or unaffected. It was a complete encirclement of calamity.
• but they did not understand (וְלֹא יָדָע, vəlo' yada'): Yada' (יָדַע) means "to know," "perceive," "recognize," "discern." It points to a failure of intellectual and spiritual perception. They experienced the suffering but failed to connect it to its divine cause or to their own transgressions, thus lacking true insight into the situation.
• it burned them (וַתִּבְעַר בּוֹ, vattiv'ar bo): From the verb ba'ar (בָּעַר), another word for "to burn" or "consume." This repetition and slightly different verb choice ("lahat" focusing on flaming brightly, "ba'ar" on consuming) intensify the imagery of destruction and underline the overwhelming nature of the experience. It wasn't a quick blaze, but an ongoing, consuming fire.
• but they did not take it to heart (וְלֹא־שָׂם עַל־לֵב, vəlo'-sam 'al-lev): An idiomatic expression meaning "to pay attention," "to consider deeply," "to reflect seriously," "to repent." The "heart" (lev) in Hebrew thought is the seat of intellect, will, and emotion. This indicates not merely a lack of intellectual understanding (yada'), but a failure of the will to process the experience, to internalize its message, or to be moved to repentance and change. Their spiritual insensitivity was profound.

Words-group Analysis:

• "he poured out...the heat of his anger and the fury of war": This vividly portrays divine wrath as an active, potent force, discharged through instruments like military conflict. It’s a purposeful and overwhelming release of judgment directly from God.
• "it set them on fire all around...it burned them": The repetition and distinct verbs for "burning" amplify the extent and intensity of the devastation. The judgment was total and consuming, reaching every aspect of their existence, consistent with descriptions of city sieges and destruction.
• "but they did not understand...but they did not take it to heart": These two phrases highlight the profound spiritual blindness and stubbornness of Israel. The first emphasizes a failure of perception or recognition of God's hand, while the second deepens this to an internal refusal to genuinely reflect, repent, or learn from their severe experience. They lacked both cognitive and volitional spiritual response.

Isaiah 42 25 Bonus section

The profound spiritual insensitivity described in Isaiah 42:25, where overwhelming calamity fails to bring understanding or repentance, foreshadows the continued spiritual blindness that plagues Israel throughout prophetic literature and into the New Testament, as seen in passages like Matt 13:14-15. This pattern highlights a critical biblical principle: experiencing God's judgment does not automatically lead to turning towards Him; true change requires a yielded heart, which Israel tragically lacked in this period. The irony is stark: God raises up a "Servant" in this very chapter to open blind eyes, but His own chosen people remain blind even in their discipline.

Isaiah 42 25 Commentary

Isaiah 42:25 underscores a painful truth about Israel: their experience of divine judgment, delivered through devastating warfare and fire, did not lead to repentance or recognition of God's righteous hand. God's pouring out of His burning anger and fierce war was not random calamity but a direct, intense consequence of their deep-seated covenant disobedience. The description emphasizes the thoroughness of the judgment – "all around," "burned them" – illustrating that their entire national fabric was engulfed. Yet, tragically, they remained impervious. Their failure to "understand" suggests a lack of discernment concerning the source and purpose of their suffering. Furthermore, not taking it "to heart" reveals a spiritual stubbornness; they refused to let the lessons penetrate their inner being, prompt self-reflection, or lead to a change in their spiritual trajectory. This verse thus starkly portrays God's severe but just discipline met with His people's unyielding spiritual insensitivity, illustrating a deep chasm between divine action and human reception.