Isaiah 7 25

Isaiah 7:25 kjv

And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle.

Isaiah 7:25 nkjv

And to any hill which could be dug with the hoe, You will not go there for fear of briers and thorns; But it will become a range for oxen And a place for sheep to roam.

Isaiah 7:25 niv

As for all the hills once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns; they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run.

Isaiah 7:25 esv

And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread.

Isaiah 7:25 nlt

No one will go to the fertile hillsides where the gardens once grew, for briers and thorns will cover them. Cattle, sheep, and goats will graze there.

Isaiah 7 verses

Isaiah 7 25 Meaning

This verse signifies the abandonment and devastation of the land, the culmination of divine judgment upon Israel for its disobedience. It marks a stark contrast to the preceding prophecies of deliverance.

Isaiah 7 25 Context

This verse is found in the context of Isaiah's prophecy during the reigns of Uzziah and Jotham of Judah, specifically addressing the syro-empathetic war against Judah by Syria (Aram) and Israel. King Ahaz of Judah was facing invasion and sought military aid from Assyria, an act considered by prophets like Isaiah to be a spiritual compromise, turning from reliance on God to an alliance with a pagan power. Isaiah's message in this chapter, particularly concerning the sign of the virgin and the child, offers hope amidst judgment. However, this particular verse marks a significant turn towards the severe consequences of unfaithfulness, depicting a future of utter desolation. The surrounding verses detail the impending Assyrian invasion and its devastating effects on the land and its people, driven by God's judgment.

Isaiah 7 25 Word Analysis

• וְהָיָה (və·hâ·yâ): "And it shall come to pass" or "And it will be." This phrase often introduces a significant event or a prophetic declaration, signaling a future unfolding of God's plan or judgment. It links what follows to the preceding context.
• בַּיּוֹם (bay·yō·wem): "In the day." This refers to a specific time, often the "Day of the Lord," a period of divine judgment and intervention. Here it signifies the future period of Assyrian devastation.
• הַהוּא (hå·hû): "That." A demonstrative pronoun pointing to a specific, previously mentioned or implied, day. It emphasizes the singularity and certainty of this particular time of judgment.
• מַצַּב (maṣ·ṣāḇ): "A multitude" or "a great amount." Used here to describe the large numbers of cattle that would survive and graze.
• רֹב (rōḇ): "Much," "abundance," "great number." Paired with maṣ·ṣāḇ, it emphasizes the sheer quantity, highlighting that what remains will be exceptionally abundant for its purpose.
• מִמַּלְאָה (mim·mal·’êh): "From the fullness," "from the abundance." It indicates the source of the plentiful grazing.
• הַבָּקָר (hâ·ḇā·qār): "The cattle," "the herd." Specifically refers to domesticated bovine animals.
• וְרֹב (wə·rōḇ): "And abundance," "and a great number." Further emphasizes the large quantity.
• הַצֹּאן (haṣ·ṣō·’în): "The sheep." Refers to domesticated ovine animals.
• בַּגְּיוֹת (bag·gē·yôṯ): "In the valleys" or "in the lowlands." Refers to geographical depressions or fertile plains between hills or mountains. This indicates places where the animals would graze freely.
• לִשְׁכֹּן (liš·kōn): "To dwell," "to rest," "to graze." The root shkn often relates to dwelling or inhabiting. Here, it describes the settling and feeding of the cattle.
• מֵרֹב (mē·rōḇ): "From the abundance," "from the plenty."
• הַיֶּלֶךְ (haye·lêḵ): "Going forth," "propagating," "increasing." Refers to the prolific reproduction and growth of the remaining livestock. The land, though devastated of people, would experience an abundance of animal life due to the absence of predators or human consumption, a grim indicator of desolation.

Words Group Analysis:

• "And it shall come to pass on that day": This is a typical prophetic formula introducing a future event of significant consequence, here signaling the onset of a severe judgment period.
• "a multitude from the fullness of the cattle, and abundance of the sheep": This describes the remaining livestock, so numerous that they will "graze." The paradoxical abundance of animals in a land decimated by war and exile underscores the absence of people to tend, consume, or control them. The land, cleared of human inhabitants, becomes a pasture for the few animals left.
• "in the valleys to dwell": This highlights the widespread and untended nature of their grazing, spread across the fertile lowlands without fear or restriction.
• "from the abundance going forth": This points to the prolific increase and propagation of these animals, further emphasizing the untamed and perhaps even wild nature of the surviving fauna in a human-abandoned environment.

Isaiah 7 25 Bonus Section

The imagery of unchecked animal abundance in a devastated land serves as a potent metaphor. It recalls earlier prophetic warnings of curses that would cause animals to become wild (Deut 28:29). It also anticipates descriptions of post-apocalyptic or judgment scenarios where nature reclaims human spaces. The ultimate fulfillment of judgment described here is linked to Assyrian and subsequent Babylonian exiles, which drastically depopulated the land, leading to its temporary ruin. Furthermore, this desolation is understood in a broader theological sense to include spiritual barrenness resulting from apostasy, a theme throughout scripture where disobedience leads to the land itself groaning under the weight of sin.

Isaiah 7 25 Commentary

Isaiah 7:25 marks a stark description of desolation that will follow judgment. Despite earlier promises of deliverance, this verse outlines the consequences of sustained disobedience: a land so depopulated that animals will roam and reproduce unchecked. The "fullness" and "abundance" of cattle and sheep grazing in the valleys contrasts sharply with the emptiness of human habitation. This abundance of wildlife is not a sign of prosperity, but a grim indicator of ecological imbalance caused by the absence of human life and activity. It speaks to the thoroughness of God's judgment, clearing the land for a time. The emphasis on the animals "going forth" suggests an untamed, uncontrolled proliferation in the vacuum left by humanity's removal.