The Meaning of Isaiah 26:17 Explained

Isaiah 26:17

KJV: Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD.

YLT: When a pregnant woman cometh near to the birth, She is pained -- she crieth in her pangs, So we have been from Thy face, O Jehovah.

Darby: As a woman with child, that draweth near her delivery, is in travail, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been before thee, Jehovah.

ASV: Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain and crieth out in her pangs; so we have been before thee, O Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Like  as a woman with child,  [that] draweth near  the time of her delivery,  is in pain,  [and] crieth out  in her pangs;  so have we been in thy sight,  O LORD. 

What does Isaiah 26:17 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 26:11-21 - Chastened By Suffering
When God ordains our peace, a world in arms cannot disturb us. Our peace results from the conviction that God is going before us and preparing our works. But be careful to make mention of His name, that is, to give Him the glory.
Do not be afraid of your enemies. When God brings you back from the ends of the earth, He will free you from their toils and snares. Let us, as Isaiah 26:16 suggests, pour out our prayers, as a vessel its contents; though, as the Hebrew signifies, those prayers are but whispers. It is true that apart from God we work no deliverance in the earth, Isaiah 26:18, but when He speaks, even the dead live. Jesus, the resurrection and the life, speaks in Isaiah 26:19. What comfort results to those that dwell in the dust of self-abasement and despair to look up to the ever-living Christ, from whom streams of life-giving energy come to believing hearts! Arise and sing, thou broken heart: even now the stone is being rolled from the door of thy sepulcher; the morning dew is distilling upon thee. Cast out by earth, thou shalt be welcomed by heaven, and sheltered in God's secret place till the storm-burst has spent itself. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 26

1  Trust in God's Provision

What do the individual words in Isaiah 26:17 mean?

As a pregnant [woman] when she draws near the time of her delivery is in pain and cries out in her pangs so have we been in Your sight Yahweh
כְּמ֤וֹ הָרָה֙ תַּקְרִ֣יב לָלֶ֔דֶת תָּחִ֥יל תִּזְעַ֖ק בַּחֲבָלֶ֑יהָ כֵּ֛ן הָיִ֥ינוּ מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ יְהוָֽה

הָרָה֙  a  pregnant  [woman] 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: הָרֶה 
Sense: pregnant.
תַּקְרִ֣יב  when  she  draws  near 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: קָרַב  
Sense: to come near, approach, enter into, draw near.
לָלֶ֔דֶת  the  time  of  her  delivery 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
תָּחִ֥יל  is  in  pain 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: חוּל 
Sense: to twist, whirl, dance, writhe, fear, tremble, travail, be in anguish, be pained.
תִּזְעַ֖ק  and  cries  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: זָעַק  
Sense: to cry, cry out, call, call for help.
בַּחֲבָלֶ֑יהָ  in  her  pangs 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: חֶבֶל 
Sense: a cord, rope, territory, band, company.
כֵּ֛ן  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
הָיִ֥ינוּ  have  we  been 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ  in  Your  sight 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.