Isaiah 51:18 kjv
There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up.
Isaiah 51:18 nkjv
There is no one to guide her Among all the sons she has brought forth; Nor is there any who takes her by the hand Among all the sons she has brought up.
Isaiah 51:18 niv
Among all the children she bore there was none to guide her; among all the children she reared there was none to take her by the hand.
Isaiah 51:18 esv
There is none to guide her among all the sons she has borne; there is none to take her by the hand among all the sons she has brought up.
Isaiah 51:18 nlt
Not one of your children is left alive
to take your hand and guide you.
Isaiah 51 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 51:17 | Behold, take it at your hand, even the dregs of the cup of His fury. | God’s wrath poured out |
| Lam 4:21 | O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in Teman, exalt thyself. | Judgment on Edom |
| Lam 1:18 | The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against His commandment. | Jerusalem's confession |
| Jer 25:15 | For thus says the LORD God of Israel to me, “Take this cup of the wine of wrath out of my hand…”. | Jeremiah receives the cup |
| Jer 25:17 | That I drank from the LORD’s hand and gave all the nations to drink. | Nations drink God’s wrath |
| Jer 51:7 | Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD’s hand, that made all the earth drunken. | Babylon's judgment |
| Psa 75:8 | For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he pours out of the same. | God’s cup of judgment |
| Rev 14:10 | The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured without mixture into the cup of his indignation. | Cup of God’s wrath |
| Rev 16:19 | And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. | Babylon receives wrath |
| Psa 60:3 | Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment. | Israel's distress |
| Isa 29:9 | Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. | Spiritual drunkenness |
| Jer 49:12 | For lo, they that were meet to receive the inheritance shall drink of no inheritance; and art thou it that shalt altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt drink of my cup. | Edom's judgment |
| Hab 2:16 | Thou art filled with vanity instead of glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD’s right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shame shall be upon thy glory. | Judgment on the proud |
| Eze 23:32 | Thou art put to shame for the lewdness of thy whoredom… | Judgment on spiritual harlotry |
| Joel 3:4 | Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompense? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompense upon your own head. | Judgment on enemies |
| Obad 1:16 | For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been. | Judgment on the nations |
| Deut 28:28 | The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and with blindness, and with astonishment of heart. | Consequences of disobedience |
| Deut 28:34 | And he shall put thee out of the cities, and put thee into the houses of them that keep and hold thy soul; but the LORD shall not give thee rest for the sole of thy foot. | Loss of possession |
| Ps 137:8 | O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. | Blessing to avenger |
| Jer 17:1 | The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars. | Judah's sin recorded |
Isaiah 51 verses
Isaiah 51 18 Meaning
This verse describes the profound suffering and desolation experienced by Jerusalem and its people, who have drunk the full cup of God's wrath. It paints a picture of extreme hardship and abandonment.
Isaiah 51 18 Context
This verse is found in Isaiah chapter 51, which is part of the section known as the "Book of Consolation." It follows prophecies of judgment against Israel's enemies and offers a message of hope and restoration to Jerusalem. However, before the full restoration is described, there is a reminder of the intense suffering Jerusalem has endured as a consequence of its sin and rebellion against God. The preceding verses speak of God's fierce anger, comparing it to a cup of intoxicating wine that has been drunk to the last drop by the afflicted. This verse serves to underscore the severity of God's judgment, even as comfort is about to be offered.
Isaiah 51 18 Word Analysis
- וְאֵ֥ין (və’ên): "and there is no" or "and there is none." This emphasizes the completeness of the absence.
- לָהּ (lāh): "to her" or "for her." Referring to Zion or Jerusalem.
- מְנַחֵ֖ם (mənaḥêm): "comforter." The root n-ḥ-m relates to comfort, solace, or consolation. It is used repeatedly in this section of Isaiah (e.g., Isa 51:12, 51:19, 52:2).
- מִכֹּל (mikōl): "from all" or "of all." Reinforces the idea that no source of comfort can be found.
- בָּנָֽיִךְ׃ (bā·nā·yiḵ): "your sons." This refers to the people or children of Jerusalem/Zion. The suffix indicates "your" (feminine singular), referring to the city.
Words-group Analysis
- "and there is no comforter for her, of all her sons": This phrase powerfully conveys the utter desolation and abandonment. Not even her own offspring, the people who should be her strength and support, can offer solace. This highlights a deep spiritual and communal brokenness. The inability of her own "sons" to comfort her implies a situation where they are themselves overwhelmed by suffering or estranged from her, perhaps due to the judgment.
Isaiah 51 18 Bonus Section
This verse illustrates a theological concept where human efforts and relationships fail to provide lasting comfort when God’s judgment is active. The ultimate comforter in Jewish tradition and Christian theology is God Himself. This idea is echoed in the New Testament by Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter (Paraclete), who would come to abide with believers forever (John 14:16). The barrenness described in Isaiah 51:18 serves as a stark precursor to the abundant comfort promised in the later verses of this chapter and throughout Scripture.
Isaiah 51 18 Commentary
Isaiah 51:18 vividly portrays a state of ultimate distress. Jerusalem, personified as a woman abandoned by her children, finds no source of comfort even from her own kin. This reflects the devastating impact of sin and judgment, where social and familial bonds can be shattered by overwhelming hardship. The verse underscores that in the deepest moments of God's righteous anger, earthly comforts and even familial support are rendered insufficient. The absence of a "comforter" from "all her sons" signifies a complete collapse of human means of solace, pointing towards the necessity of divine intervention for true comfort and restoration.