Isaiah 51:20 kjv
Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the LORD, the rebuke of thy God.
Isaiah 51:20 nkjv
Your sons have fainted, They lie at the head of all the streets, Like an antelope in a net; They are full of the fury of the LORD, The rebuke of your God.
Isaiah 51:20 niv
Your children have fainted; they lie at every street corner, like antelope caught in a net. They are filled with the wrath of the LORD, with the rebuke of your God.
Isaiah 51:20 esv
Your sons have fainted; they lie at the head of every street like an antelope in a net; they are full of the wrath of the LORD, the rebuke of your God.
Isaiah 51:20 nlt
For your children have fainted and lie in the streets,
helpless as antelopes caught in a net.
The LORD has poured out his fury;
God has rebuked them.
Isaiah 51 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 51:20 | Your sons have fainted; they lie at the head of every street... | Direct fulfillment of judgment |
| Jeremiah 15:2 | Those destined for death, to death; those for the sword, to the sword... | Similar judgment language |
| Jeremiah 15:3 | I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, declares the LORD: sword, dogs... | Specific instruments of destruction |
| Lamentations 2:11 | My eyes fail from weeping, my stomach churns, my liver is poured out on the ground... | Expression of deep suffering and loss |
| Lamentations 2:18 | Their heart cried out to the Lord. O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run... | Cry of anguish in a time of distress |
| Lamentations 2:19 | Arise, cry out in the night at the beginning of the night watches! Pour out your... | Plea for divine intervention |
| Ezekiel 14:21 | For thus says the Lord GOD: How much more when I send against Jerusalem my four... | Divine declaration of multiple judgments |
| Ezekiel 30:16 | I will scatter the Egyptians, and I will strike down the whole of Egypt... | Judgment upon Egypt, often linked with Israel's fate |
| Amos 4:10 | "I sent plagues upon you as in Egypt; I killed your young men by the sword... | Recounting past divine discipline |
| Amos 5:3 | For thus says the LORD GOD: The city that marches out a thousand will have a... | Prophecy of defeat and overwhelming loss |
| Amos 8:10 | I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation... | Transformation of joy into sorrow |
| Matthew 11:21 | "Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre... | Woes pronounced upon cities for unbelief |
| Luke 10:13 | "Woe to you, Chorazin! For if the mighty works done in your sight had been done... | Woes pronounced upon cities for unbelief |
| Revelation 6:8 | And behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. | Symbolic representation of death and destruction |
| Revelation 18:10 | Standing at a distance, in fear of its torment, crying, ‘“Alas! Alas! you great city... | Cry of distress over a fallen city |
| 2 Corinthians 7:1 | Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every... | Call to purity in light of God's promises |
| 1 Peter 1:17 | And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially, consider him therefore... | Importance of righteous judgment |
| Psalm 38:7 | For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease, and there is no soundness in my... | Personal experience of suffering |
| Psalm 73:4 | For they have noanguish in their death, their strength is | Contrast with the wicked |
| Proverbs 10:28 | The hope of the righteous is gladness, but the expectation of the wicked perish. | Contrast between righteous and wicked outcomes |
| Isaiah 1:30 | For you shall be like an oak whose leaf withers, and like a garden without water. | Imagery of desolation and helplessness |
| Isaiah 9:14 | So the LORD cuts off from Israel head and tail, palm shoot and | Divine judgment striking the leadership and people |
Isaiah 51 verses
Isaiah 51 20 Meaning
This verse depicts a severe judgment upon a nation. It describes individuals afflicted with a terrible and painful illness, lying on their faces, utterly humbled and broken, unable to find any help or comfort from anywhere.
Isaiah 51 20 Context
Isaiah 51:20 is part of a larger prophetic oracle of judgment against the people of Israel, particularly in the context of exile or severe national distress. The preceding verses (Isaiah 51:17-19) vividly describe Jerusalem as a drunkard, reeling from the cup of God's wrath, with no one to guide or support her. This verse continues that imagery, portraying the devastation wrought by this divine judgment. It speaks to a specific historical context where the nation, or a significant portion of it, is facing catastrophic consequences for its disobedience and apostasy. The language used reflects the ultimate breakdown of social order and individual well-being under extreme affliction.
Isaiah 51 20 Word Analysis
- And: Connects the preceding imagery of the city's suffering to the condition of its inhabitants.
- your: Possessive pronoun indicating ownership and a direct relationship between God and the people addressed.
- sons: Refers to the male population, often representative of the people as a whole, but can also specifically denote children and heirs.
- have fainted: (Hebrew: _ (
amalu) - literally "grown weak," "become weary," or "labored," often used in the context of extreme exhaustion, defeat, or despair. - they: Pronoun referring back to the "sons."
- lie: (Hebrew: _ (
shavvu) - "to lie down," "to be laid low," often in defeat or in a place of distress or waiting. - at the head: (Hebrew: _ (
rosh) - "head," "chief," "top," or "beginning." In this context, it signifies prominent or exposed places. - of every street: (Hebrew: _ (
rekhov)) - "street," "broad place," or "public square." These were typically busy, visible areas, now sites of utter desolation and suffering.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "your sons have fainted": This phrase paints a picture of utter prostration and loss of strength. It suggests a state of profound weakness, where even the youthful vitality has been extinguished by hardship or fear. It's more than mere tiredness; it's a collapse under immense pressure.
- "they lie at the head of every street": This places the afflicted in the most public and exposed positions. The "head of every street" would be the intersections, the places where people gather or pass by. Being laid low there signifies complete helplessness, a lack of shelter or sanctuary, and public exposure of their misery. It underscores the thoroughness of the judgment.
Isaiah 51 20 Bonus Section
The imagery of individuals lying in the streets is not merely descriptive but serves as a potent symbol. In ancient Near Eastern culture, public spaces like streets and town squares were crucial for social interaction, commerce, and political life. To find the people prostrate in these very places signifies the complete paralysis and demise of the community's public existence and functioning. It represents the absence of leadership, protection, and even the basic dignity of being able to stand or move to safety. This scene reflects a state of national death or total incapacitation under judgment, where no succor is found.
Isaiah 51 20 Commentary
The verse starkly illustrates the consequence of divine judgment falling upon a disobedient people. The nation's "sons"—its future and strength—are depicted as utterly broken, incapacitated by overwhelming suffering or fear. Their position "at the head of every street" signifies a state of complete vulnerability and public disgrace, lacking any strength or dignity, completely exposed to the consequences of their downfall. This image reflects a profound societal breakdown where no segment of the population, not even the young men, can withstand the force of God's unleashed judgment.