Isaiah 51 17

Isaiah 51:17 kjv

Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.

Isaiah 51:17 nkjv

Awake, awake! Stand up, O Jerusalem, You who have drunk at the hand of the LORD The cup of His fury; You have drunk the dregs of the cup of trembling, And drained it out.

Isaiah 51:17 niv

Awake, awake! Rise up, Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes people stagger.

Isaiah 51:17 esv

Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering.

Isaiah 51:17 nlt

Wake up, wake up, O Jerusalem!
You have drunk the cup of the LORD's fury.
You have drunk the cup of terror,
tipping out its last drops.

Isaiah 51 verses

Isaiah 51 17 meaning

Isaiah 51:17 is a profound call to Jerusalem, personified as a fallen and suffering woman, to awaken and rise from her state of profound desolation and despair. The verse declares that she has fully experienced God's severe judgment, having drunk the cup of His burning wrath down to its bitterest dregs, staggering from its effects. This command signifies a pivotal turning point, marking the complete cessation of her period of divine punishment and foreshadowing her impending restoration and liberation.

Isaiah 51 17 Context

Isaiah 51 is a chapter of comfort and reassurance directed to the exiled people of Judah during their captivity in Babylon. Prior to verse 17, God repeatedly reminds His people of His enduring power and faithfulness, recalling the miracle of Abraham and Sarah (vv. 1-2) and promising future comfort and blessing for Zion (vv. 3-8). He then assures them that His power is absolute, capable of defeating their enemies and delivering them as He did at the Red Sea (vv. 9-16). Despite these strong affirmations, the people remain in a state of despair. Verse 17 acts as a dramatic transition. It is the immediate response to their lament and fear of continuing oppression. Having firmly established His ability and intent to save, God now directly addresses Jerusalem's suffering, declaring its end, and calls her to act, initiating her return to life and strength after prolonged divine judgment. Historically, this aligns with the period of the Babylonian exile (6th century BCE), where Jerusalem lay in ruins and its inhabitants, once proud, were living in deep humiliation and despair.

Isaiah 51 17 Word analysis

• Awake, awake (עוּרִי, עוּרִי - ʿūri, ʿūri): A repeated imperative, feminine singular, intensely urgent call for Jerusalem (personified as a woman) to rouse herself from a state of prostration, sleep, or deep desolation. The repetition emphasizes the immediate necessity and the profound change being commanded, signifying a shift from passivity and stupor to alertness and readiness for action.
• stand up (קוּמִי - qûmi): An imperative, feminine singular, reinforcing the command to rise. This parallels "awake," suggesting an ascent from a fallen, defeated, or dormant position. It implies regaining one's footing and strength, emerging from a state of incapacitation.
• O Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם - Yerûšālaim): The direct object of the commands, personified as a woman. This identifies the addressee as the city and its inhabitants, who have collectively endured severe hardship.
• which hast drunk (שָׁתִית - šāṭît): Perfect tense verb, indicating a completed past action. It emphasizes that the drinking of the cup, symbolizing judgment, is a fully realized and finished experience.
• at the hand of the LORD (מִיַּד יְהוָה - miyyad Yahweh): Clearly designates God as the sole source and administrator of the judgment. It underscores divine sovereignty over Jerusalem's suffering, meaning her trials were not random fate but God's deliberate act.
• the cup of his fury (כּוֹס חֲמָתוֹ - kôs ḥamātô): A powerful metaphor. The "cup" represents divine judgment and wrath, while "fury" (חֲמָה - ḥamāh) denotes intense, hot, and righteous anger. This indicates a severe and deserved punishment.
• thou hast drunken (שָׁתִית - šāṭît): A reiteration of the completed action, reinforcing the completeness and exhaustiveness of Jerusalem's experience of judgment.
• the dregs (קַבַּעַת - qabbá): A specific, unique Hebrew word for the sediment or residue at the very bottom of a cup. Drinking the dregs signifies experiencing the fullest, most bitter, and most potent part of the judgment, leaving nothing untasted.
• of the cup of trembling (כּוֹס הַתַּעֵלָה - kôs hattaʿēlâ): taʿēlâ often means "staggering," "giddiness," "reeling." This describes the physical and psychological effects of drinking the cup—utter weakness, instability, disorientation, and terror caused by the divine judgment.
• and wrung them out (מִצִּיתָ - miṣṣîtā): Literally, "squeezed out" or "drained to the last drop." This vivid image conveys that Jerusalem experienced the judgment in its absolute totality, enduring every last vestige of the divine wrath.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem": This tripartite command acts as an emphatic declaration for an end to despair and a call to a new reality. The repetition and successive imperatives stress urgency and transformation from lethargy and defeat.
• "which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury": Establishes the divine origin of suffering, making it clear that Jerusalem's past plight was not from random events or human cruelty alone but a controlled act of divine judgment. The "cup of fury" points to God's justified, severe response to Israel's sin.
• "thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out": Intensifies the imagery of complete and utter judgment. The "dregs" and "wrung them out" emphasize the exhaustive and bitter nature of Jerusalem's suffering, enduring every painful aspect until the very end, confirming that the punishment's course is now fully run.

Isaiah 51 17 Bonus section

• Dramatic Irony and Shift: The powerful call for Jerusalem to "awake" stands in stark contrast to previous lamentations where the people themselves called upon God to "awake" (Isa 51:9). Here, God initiates the awakening for His people, reversing their previous plea, signifying His active involvement and commitment to their salvation.
• Metaphorical Transition: The cup of wrath is a well-established biblical metaphor. Here, its imagery reaches its climax, demonstrating the exhaustive nature of judgment, thereby clearing the way for new, positive metaphors of hope and peace to follow (e.g., God putting the cup in the hand of their tormentors in Isa 51:22).
• Purpose of Repetition: The double "Awake, awake" and the repeated phrase about "drinking the cup" are stylistic devices common in prophetic literature. They are not mere repetition but serve to intensify the command, highlight its urgency, and confirm the completeness of the experience.
• Abolition of Trembling: The explicit mention of the "cup of trembling" signifies a future free from fear and instability for Jerusalem, as the source of that terror has been fully consumed.

Isaiah 51 17 Commentary

Isaiah 51:17 marks a dramatic turning point within the book's message of comfort and restoration. Addressing Jerusalem, the prophet uses powerful personification and metaphorical language to convey God's direct message. The imperative "Awake, awake, stand up" serves as a direct summons from God for Jerusalem to shed its posture of despair and desolation. This awakening is possible precisely because the full measure of divine judgment has been experienced. The imagery of the "cup of fury" underscores that Jerusalem's suffering was a righteous, deliberate act from the hand of the LORD, not a result of foreign gods' superiority or mere historical accident. Having drunk not just the cup, but "the dregs" and having "wrung them out," highlights the completeness and severity of the punishment. Every last drop of the bitter judgment has been consumed, ensuring that the penalty for past disobedience has been fully paid. This full completion of suffering allows for the call to arise, signaling an end to God's wrath and ushering in an era of comfort and renewal for His people.