The Meaning of Isaiah 58:11 Explained

Isaiah 58:11

KJV: And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

YLT: And Jehovah doth lead thee continually, And hath satisfied in drought thy soul, And thy bones He armeth, And thou hast been as a watered garden, And as an outlet of waters, whose waters lie not.

Darby: and Jehovah will guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and strengthen thy bones; and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a water-spring, whose waters deceive not.

ASV: and Jehovah will guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in dry places, and make strong thy bones; and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the LORD  shall guide  thee continually,  and satisfy  thy soul  in drought,  and make fat  thy bones:  and thou shalt be like a watered  garden,  and like a spring  of water,  whose waters  fail  not. 

What does Isaiah 58:11 Mean?

Verse Meaning

God would also guide and sustain His people in their desert experiences. Strong bones contrast with bones that tremble or waste away because of fear, sorrow, or guilt. Physical health is often a byproduct of spiritual health (cf. James 5:15-16). Truly repentant people will also be a pleasant source of delight, encouragement, and nourishment to others (cf. Isaiah 1:30). They will refresh others, as well as themselves, because God, the source of life within them (cf. John 4:14; John 7:37-39), will manifest Himself through them.

Context Summary

Isaiah 58:1-14 - The Fast That God Has Chosen
The divorce between outward rites and inward piety has been the curse of every age. When the Pharisees were plotting our Lord's death, they refused to enter Pilate's hall. Not the bowed head, but the broken heart; not the sackcloth and ashes of the flesh, but the contrition of the soul!
Notice the three paragraphs descriptive of the experiences of the devout and consecrated soul: (1.) The conditions of blessedness, Isaiah 58:6-7. (2.) The successive items which go to make a blessed life, Isaiah 58:8-12. (3.) The true Sabbath-keeping, Isaiah 58:13-14. Primarily, it is inward, not outward. Let us be on our watch against the entrance into our hearts of all thoughts that would break the holy inward calm. Remember to imitate Nehemiah's instructions: Nehemiah 13:16-22. Let the divine peace rule within and be as a sentinel keeping the outward gate, Colossians 3:15; Philippians 4:7. Cease to follow your own ways, or find your own pleasures, or speak your own words. Delight yourself in God; so shall you sit with Christ in heavenly places and feed at the heavenly table. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 58

1  The prophet, being sent to reprove hypocrisy,
3  shows the difference between a counterfeit fast and a true
8  He declares what promises are due unto godliness
13  And to the keeping of the Sabbath

What do the individual words in Isaiah 58:11 mean?

And will guide you Yahweh continually and satisfy in drought your soul and your bones strengthen and You shall be like a garden watered and like a spring of water whose not do fail waters
וְנָחֲךָ֣ יְהוָה֮ תָּמִיד֒ וְהִשְׂבִּ֤יעַ בְּצַחְצָחוֹת֙ נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ וְעַצְמֹתֶ֖יךָ יַחֲלִ֑יץ וְהָיִ֙יתָ֙ כְּגַ֣ן רָוֶ֔ה וּכְמוֹצָ֣א מַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־ יְכַזְּב֖וּ מֵימָֽיו

וְנָחֲךָ֣  And  will  guide  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: נָחָה  
Sense: to lead, guide.
יְהוָה֮  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
תָּמִיד֒  continually 
Parse: Adverb
Root: תָּמִיד  
Sense: continuity, perpetuity, to stretch.
וְהִשְׂבִּ֤יעַ  and  satisfy 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׂבַע  
Sense: to be satisfied, be sated, be fulfilled, be surfeited.
בְּצַחְצָחוֹת֙  in  drought 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural
Root: צַחְצָחֹות  
Sense: scorched region, parched land.
נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ  your  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
וְעַצְמֹתֶ֖יךָ  and  your  bones 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֶצֶם 
Sense: bone, essence, substance.
יַחֲלִ֑יץ  strengthen 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָלַץ 
Sense: to remove, draw out, draw off, take off, withdraw, equip (for war), arm for war, rescue, be rescued.
וְהָיִ֙יתָ֙  and  You  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כְּגַ֣ן  like  a  garden 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, common singular construct
Root: גַּן 
Sense: garden, enclosure.
רָוֶ֔ה  watered 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָוֶה  
Sense: watered, saturated.
וּכְמוֹצָ֣א  and  like  a  spring 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֹוצָא  
Sense: act or place of going out or forth, issue, export, source, spring.
מַ֔יִם  of  water 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  whose 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יְכַזְּב֖וּ  do  fail 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: כָּזַב  
Sense: to lie, tell a lie, be a liar, be found a liar, be in vain, fail.
מֵימָֽיו  waters 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.