The Meaning of Isaiah 1:7 Explained

Isaiah 1:7

KJV: Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

YLT: Your land is a desolation, your cities burnt with fire, Your ground, before you strangers are consuming it, And a desolation as overthrown by strangers!

Darby: Your country is desolate; your cities are burned with fire; your land, strangers eat it up in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

ASV: Your country is desolate; your cities are burned with fire; your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Your country  [is] desolate,  your cities  [are] burned  with fire:  your land,  strangers  devour  it in your presence, and [it is] desolate,  as overthrown  by strangers. 

What does Isaiah 1:7 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 1:1-9 - The Ingratitude Of A Favored Nation
This chapter forms the preface to the prophecies of Isaiah. It is a clear and concise statement of the points at issue between Jehovah and His people. Special urgency was given to these appeals, when first uttered, from the fact which was well-known to the Hebrew politicians and people, that Assyria was preparing for a great war of conquest, which would be directed specially against Jerusalem and her allies. This chapter is east in the form of an assize, a crown case in which God is both complainant and judge. The conviction of sinfulness which the prophet desired to secure, was sought, not by appealing to a code of laws which had been transgressed, but by showing the ingratitude with which Israel had repaid the fatherly love of God. It is the personal element in sin that most quickly convicts men. "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" "Thou art the man!" "He hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace!" [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 1

1  Isaiah complains of Judah for her rebellion
5  He laments her judgments
10  He upbraids their whole service
16  He exhorts to repentance, with promises and threats
21  Bewailing their wickedness, he denounces God's judgments
25  He promises grace
28  And threatens destruction to the wicked

What do the individual words in Isaiah 1:7 mean?

Your country [is] desolate Your cities [are] burned with fire your land in your presence Strangers devour - and [it is] desolate as overthrown by strangers
אַרְצְכֶ֣ם שְׁמָמָ֔ה עָרֵיכֶ֖ם שְׂרֻפ֣וֹת אֵ֑שׁ אַדְמַתְכֶ֗ם לְנֶגְדְּכֶם֙ זָרִים֙ אֹכְלִ֣ים אֹתָ֔הּ וּשְׁמָמָ֖ה כְּמַהְפֵּכַ֥ת זָרִֽים

אַרְצְכֶ֣ם  Your  country  [is] 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
שְׁמָמָ֔ה  desolate 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁמָמָה 
Sense: devastation, waste, desolation.
עָרֵיכֶ֖ם  Your  cities  [are] 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
שְׂרֻפ֣וֹת  burned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine plural
Root: שָׂרַף  
Sense: to burn.
אֵ֑שׁ  with  fire 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
אַדְמַתְכֶ֗ם  your  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אֲדָמָה 
Sense: ground, land.
לְנֶגְדְּכֶם֙  in  your  presence 
Parse: Preposition-l, second person masculine plural
Root: נֶגֶד  
Sense: what is conspicuous, what is in front of adv.
זָרִים֙  Strangers 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: זוּר 
Sense: to be strange, be a stranger.
אֹכְלִ֣ים  devour 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
אֹתָ֔הּ  - 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person feminine singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
וּשְׁמָמָ֖ה  and  [it  is]  desolate 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁמָמָה 
Sense: devastation, waste, desolation.
כְּמַהְפֵּכַ֥ת  as  overthrown  by 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מַהְפֵּכָה  
Sense: overthrow, destruction.
זָרִֽים  strangers 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: זוּר 
Sense: to be strange, be a stranger.