Isaiah 7 24

Isaiah 7:24 kjv

With arrows and with bows shall men come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns.

Isaiah 7:24 nkjv

With arrows and bows men will come there, Because all the land will become briers and thorns.

Isaiah 7:24 niv

Hunters will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns.

Isaiah 7:24 esv

With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns.

Isaiah 7:24 nlt

The entire land will become a vast expanse of briers and thorns, a hunting ground overrun by wildlife.

Isaiah 7 verses

Isaiah 7 24 meaning

Isaiah 7:24 vividly describes a catastrophic future for Judah, where the agricultural landscape undergoes a drastic transformation. The verse portrays a reversal of society, moving from cultivation to mere subsistence. It predicts that areas once worked by farmers will become overgrown with impenetrable briers and thorns, reverting to a wild state. Consequently, men will approach these former fields not with farming implements, but armed with bows and arrows, indicating a transition to hunting for survival. This dire situation is presented as a direct consequence of divine judgment upon the land and its inhabitants, symbolizing a profound societal collapse and economic ruin.

Isaiah 7 24 Context

Isaiah chapter 7 primarily deals with the Syro-Ephraimitic War, a period when King Ahaz of Judah faces a terrifying military alliance between Aram (Syria) and Israel (Ephraim). Overwhelmed by fear, Ahaz chooses to rely on the powerful Assyrian Empire for protection, despite Isaiah's repeated prophetic warnings to trust in YHWH alone. After offering Ahaz the profound sign of Immanuel, Isaiah pivots to foretelling a more devastating consequence of Ahaz's faithless choice. While the immediate threats (Aram and Israel) will be removed by Assyria, the very Assyrian power that Ahaz embraced will turn against Judah, leading to its extensive desolation. Verses 17-25 vividly describe this impending doom, illustrating a complete breakdown of agriculture, economy, and social structure. Verse 24, within this sequence, focuses specifically on the transformation of Judah's productive farmland into a barren, thorn-filled wilderness, highlighting the depth of the judgment and the resulting struggle for mere survival.

Isaiah 7 24 Word analysis

• With arrows (בַּחִצִּים - ba-chits-tsim): Plural term for projectiles, indicating the use of hunting or battle gear. This signifies a dramatic shift from agricultural implements (like plows and hoes) to weapons, marking the collapse of normal society and a move towards a wilder, more dangerous environment where game must be hunted.
• and with bows (וּבַקֶּשֶׁת - u-va-qe-shet): Singular for "the bow," often paired with arrows, further solidifying the image of hunting or armed movement. Together, these tools highlight a regression to a more primal existence, away from settled agriculture.
• shall men come (יָב֣וֹא - ya-vo): This verb can be singular or used impersonally, suggesting "one will come" or a diminished, scattered populace. It points to individuals or small groups venturing into the desolate areas.
• thither (שָׁ֤מָּה - shammah): Refers to the places that were formerly cultivated fields but are now transformed. It emphasizes a specific, deliberate movement into these overgrown lands.
• because (כִּֽי - ki): This causal conjunction provides the direct reason for the previous statement. The land's condition (overgrown) is the root cause for people to approach it armed.
• all the land (כָּל־הָאָ֖רֶץ - kol-ha-aretz): The Hebrew kol-ha-aretz signifies the entirety of the territory, implying comprehensive, not localized, devastation across Judah.
• shall become (הָיָ֥ה - ha-yah): Expresses a complete and profound transformation from one state to another. It underscores the permanence and severity of the land's change.
• briers (שָׁמִ֖יר - sha-mir): A Hebrew term for prickly, thorny plants. It represents desolation, untamed wilderness, and agricultural ruin, often linked to the curse on the ground (Gen 3).
• and thorns (וָשַׁ֥יִת - wa-sha-yit): Another term for thorny plants or thistles. Paired with "briers," it intensifies the imagery of impenetrability, unsuitability for farming, and unchecked wild growth.

Words-group analysis:

• "With arrows and with bows shall men come thither": This phrase dramatically illustrates the extreme socio-economic reversal. The tools for productive labor (agriculture) are replaced by tools for hunting, indicative of depopulation, the cessation of settled life, and a return to survival in a wild, unmanaged landscape. It highlights a severe decline in the quality of life and safety.
• "because all the land shall become briers and thorns": This clause provides the rationale for the drastic change in human activity. The transformation of arable land into a desolate wilderness of briers and thorns is both an expression of God's judgment and a practical barrier to cultivation. It symbolizes barrenness, a reversion to the curse of sin, and the loss of divine blessing on the land's fertility, forcing people into a new mode of subsistence.

Isaiah 7 24 Bonus section

The imagery in Isaiah 7:21-25 paints a comprehensive picture of agricultural ruin, but specifically, the cattle mentioned in the surrounding verses suggest a unique aspect of this desolation. With vast areas becoming uncultivated and reverting to wilderness, there would be abundant forage, leading to an increase in livestock like cows and sheep that graze freely. This creates a situation where milk and butter might be available (Isa 7:22), but the staple crops, grains, and grapes (essential for sustenance and economic trade) would be non-existent. The need for arrows and bows in verse 24 indicates that the remaining human population must supplement their limited pastoral diet by hunting the wild animals that would thrive in this overgrown, untamed landscape. This shows not a complete lack of food, but a drastic and painful downgrade from a prosperous, settled agrarian society to a primitive, almost pastoral-nomadic, survivalist state, illustrating the profound consequences of national disobedience.

Isaiah 7 24 Commentary

Isaiah 7:24 offers a chilling prognosis of divine judgment on Judah, manifesting as total ecological and societal collapse. The verse's power lies in its stark contrast: the formerly fertile agricultural fields, the backbone of Judah's economy and lifestyle, are depicted reverting to wild, untamed wilderness. This isn't merely abandonment, but an active reclaiming by nature, expressed through an explosion of "briers and thorns," evocative of the curse from Genesis 3. This environmental shift fundamentally alters human behavior; where farmers once tilled the soil with plows, survivors must now come "with arrows and with bows," not to plant or harvest, but to hunt wild game, signifying a complete breakdown of agriculture, civil order, and settled life. It underlines a catastrophic depopulation and economic devastation, forcing the remaining inhabitants into a primitive, precarious existence. The verse therefore encapsulates the tragic irony of King Ahaz's decision to trust in foreign powers over God, leading not to security but to profound national suffering and a profound return to chaos, symbolizing spiritual barrenness in material form.