The Meaning of Isaiah 32:1 Explained

Isaiah 32:1

KJV: Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.

YLT: Lo, for righteousness doth a king reign, As to princes, for judgment they rule.

Darby: Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.

ASV: Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice.

Discover Isaiah 32:1

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Isaiah 32:1?

MEANING: What does Isaiah 32:1 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Isaiah 32:1 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Isaiah 32:1?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Behold, a king  shall reign  in righteousness,  and princes  shall rule  in judgment. 

What does Isaiah 32:1 Mean?

Study Notes

king
.
In chapters 32-35. the same blended meanings of near and far fulfilments are found. The near view is still of Sennacherib's invasion, the far view of the day of the Lord. Isaiah 2:10-22 ; Revelation 19:11-21 and the kingdom blessing to follow.
And I will camp
Here, as often in prophecy, and especially in Isaiah, the near and far horizons blend. The near view is of Sennacherib's invasion and the destruction of the Assyrian host by the angel of the Lord (Isaiah 36, 37.); the far view is that of the final gathering of the Gentile hosts against Jerusalem at the end of the great tribulation Psalms 2:5 ; Revelation 7:14 when a still greater deliverance will be wrought. (See "Times of the Gentiles,"; Luke 21:24 ; Revelation 16:14 . The same remark applies also to Isaiah 28:14-18 where there is a near reference to the Egyptian alliance ("we have made a covenant," etc.), while the reference to the stone Isaiah 29:16 carries the meaning forward to the end-time, and the covenant of unbelieving Israel with the Beast. Daniel 9:27 .

Verse Meaning

The king and the princes of the future will not panic but will rule righteously (cf. Isaiah 31:9). This is Messiah (chs9; 11) who embodies righteousness. His princes are His executives, His vice-regents. [1] They stand in contrast to the unrighteous princes of Judah who advocated alliance with Egypt (cf. Isaiah 29:15-16; Isaiah 30:1-2).

Context Summary

Isaiah 32:1-8 - A Nobler Future For The Nation
Isaiah continues to denounce the contemplated alliance with Egypt. His compatriots put their trust in horses and chariots, and refused the help of their fathers' God. Yet was He not so wise as the Egyptians, and equally as strong! And were they not running a fearful risk in rejecting One who would not recall His words of threatened punishment to those who refused His help? At best, the Egyptians were men, and not God, and their cavalry, flesh. If only they would trust Him, God would defy their foes, as a lion defies a company of unarmed shepherds, Isaiah 31:4. The mother-bird hovers over her brood to protect it from the kestrel; so would He spread His covering wing over Jerusalem, Isaiah 31:5. We may have deeply revolted, yet we may turn back to God with the certainty that He will receive and rescue us, Isaiah 31:6.
Sennacherib fell by the sword of his sons. Compare Isaiah 32:8 with 2 Kings 19:36-37. How different is our glorious King, whose many-sided nature meets all our needs! Isaiah 32:2. Before Him all men are unveiled in their true characters. Only those who are royal in heart shall stand before Him, Isaiah 31:8. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 32

1  The blessings of Christ's kingdom
9  Desolation is foreshown
14  Restoration is promised to succeed

What do the individual words in Isaiah 32:1 mean?

Behold in righteousness will reign a king and princes with justice will rule
הֵ֥ן לְצֶ֖דֶק יִמְלָךְ־ מֶ֑לֶךְ וּלְשָׂרִ֖ים לְמִשְׁפָּ֥ט יָשֹֽׂרוּ

הֵ֥ן  Behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
לְצֶ֖דֶק  in  righteousness 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: צֶדֶק  
Sense: justice, rightness, righteousness.
יִמְלָךְ־  will  reign 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָלַךְ 
Sense: to be or become king or queen, reign.
מֶ֑לֶךְ  a  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וּלְשָׂרִ֖ים  and  princes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
לְמִשְׁפָּ֥ט  with  justice 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
יָשֹֽׂרוּ  will  rule 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׂרַר  
Sense: to be or act as prince, rule, contend, have power, prevail over, reign, govern.

What are the major concepts related to Isaiah 32:1?

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