The Meaning of Isaiah 33:14 Explained

Isaiah 33:14

KJV: The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

YLT: Afraid in Zion have been sinners, Seized hath trembling the profane: Who doth dwell for us -- consuming fire, Who doth dwell for us -- burnings of the age?

Darby: The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling hath surprised the hypocrites: Who among us shall dwell with the consuming fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting flames?

ASV: The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling hath seized the godless ones: Who among us can dwell with the devouring fire? who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The sinners  in Zion  are afraid;  fearfulness  hath surprised  the hypocrites.  Who among us shall dwell  with the devouring  fire?  who among us shall dwell  with everlasting  burnings? 

What does Isaiah 33:14 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The spectacular demonstration of God"s holiness in Assyria"s defeat would terrify sinners in Zion, those Jews who were unrepentant in Isaiah"s day. They would realize that they could not reside in His holy presence because of their sins.
"That Yahweh is a devouring fire is understood throughout the OT as a symbol of his holiness. The essence of worship is to recognize the gift of his mercy which makes it possible and even desirable to live in near contact with the Holy One." [1]

Context Summary

Isaiah 33:13-24 - The Reward Of The Righteous
The devouring fire and everlasting burnings of Isaiah 33:14 are clearly the emblems of the divine presence. The righteous dwell in God as the bush which was baptized in the Shekinah-glory and was not consumed. The fire of His holy presence makes them holy at the same time that it protects them from their enemies. Compare with Psalms 15:1-5. They are characterized by their walk, speech, the closed fist, the stopped ears, and the shut eyes. They dwell in heights which are inaccessible to the foe, and no oppressor can cut off their supplies of hidden manna or water of life. Hezekiah, Isaiah predicts in Isaiah 33:17, would soon put off his sackcloth, and the citizens would cease to be penned up in a beleaguered city. They should recall the terror of that hour as a bad dream, recalled to be dismissed and forgotten. Zion had no river, but God would be all that a river was to other cities, without the disadvantages of navigable water which might serve for the passage of a hostile fleet. Be sure to make God your judge, lawgiver, and king. Then, notwithstanding that you limp in weakness, you shall gather your share in the great spoils of victory. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 33

1  God's judgments against the enemies of the church
13  The consternation of sinners, and privileges of the godly

What do the individual words in Isaiah 33:14 mean?

Are afraid in Zion the sinful has seized Fearfulness the hypocrites Who shall dwell among us with the fire devouring who among us with burnings everlasting
פָּחֲד֤וּ בְצִיּוֹן֙ חַטָּאִ֔ים אָחֲזָ֥ה רְעָדָ֖ה חֲנֵפִ֑ים מִ֣י ׀ יָג֣וּר לָ֗נוּ ؟ אֵ֚שׁ אוֹכֵלָ֔ה מִי־ לָ֖נוּ מוֹקְדֵ֥י ؟ עוֹלָֽם

פָּחֲד֤וּ  Are  afraid 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: פָּחַד  
Sense: to fear, tremble, revere, dread, be in awe or dread.
בְצִיּוֹן֙  in  Zion 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: צִיּׄון  
Sense: another name for Jerusalem especially in the prophetic books.
חַטָּאִ֔ים  the  sinful 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: חַטָּא  
Sense: sinners adj.
אָחֲזָ֥ה  has  seized 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָחוּז 
Sense: grasp, take hold, seize, take possession.
רְעָדָ֖ה  Fearfulness 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: רַעַד 
Sense: trembling, fear.
חֲנֵפִ֑ים  the  hypocrites 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: חָנֵף 
Sense: hypocritical, godless, profane, hypocrite, irreligious.
יָג֣וּר  shall  dwell 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: גּוּר 
Sense: to sojourn, abide, dwell in, dwell with, remain, inhabit, be a stranger, be continuing, surely.
לָ֗נוּ  among  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
؟ אֵ֚שׁ  with  the  fire 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
אוֹכֵלָ֔ה  devouring 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
לָ֖נוּ  among  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
מוֹקְדֵ֥י  with  burnings 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מֹוקֵד  
Sense: a burning mass, burning, hearth.
؟ עוֹלָֽם  everlasting 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.