The Meaning of Isaiah 30:6 Explained

Isaiah 30:6

KJV: The burden of the beasts of the south: into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not profit them.

YLT: The burden of the beasts of the south. Into a land of adversity and distress, Of young lion and of old lion, Whence are viper and flying saraph, They carry on the shoulder of asses their wealth, And on the hump of camels their treasures, Unto a people not profitable.

Darby: The burden of the beasts of the south: Through a land of trouble and anguish, whence come the lioness and lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they carry their riches upon the shoulders of asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to

ASV: The burden of the beasts of the South. Through the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the lioness and the lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the humps of camels, to a people that shall not profit them .

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The burden  of the beasts  of the south:  into the land  of trouble  and anguish,  from whence [come] the young  and old lion,  the viper  and fiery  flying  serpent,  they will carry  their riches  upon the shoulders  of young asses,  and their treasures  upon the bunches  of camels,  to a people  [that] shall not profit  [them]. 

What does Isaiah 30:6 Mean?

Study Notes

burden
Babylon
The city, Babylon is not in view here, as the immediate context shows. It is important to note the significance of the name when used symbolically. "Babylon" is the Greek form: invariably in the O.T. Hebrew the word is simply Babel, the meaning of which is confusion, and in this sense the word is used symbolically.
(1) In the prophets, when the actual city is not meant, the reference is to the "confusion" into which the whole social order of the world has fallen under Gentile world-domination. (See "Times of the Gentiles," Luke 21:24 ; Revelation 16:14 ; Isaiah 13:4 gives the divine view of the welter of warring Gentile powers. The divine order is given in Isaiah 11. Israel in her own land, the centre of the divine government of the world and channel of the divine blessing; and the Gentiles blessed in association with Israel. Anything else is, politically, mere "babel."
(2) In Revelation 14:8-11 ; Revelation 16:19 the Gentile world-system is in view in connection with Armageddon; Revelation 16:14 ; Revelation 19:21 while in Revelation 17. the reference is to apostate Christianity, destroyed by the nations Revelation 17:16 headed up under the Beast; Daniel 7:8 ; Revelation 19:20 and false prophet. In Isaiah the political Babylon is in view, literally as to the then existing city, and symbolically as to the times of the Gentiles. In the Revelation both the symbolical- political and symbolical-religious Babylon are in view, for there both are alike under the tyranny of the Beast. Religious Babylon is destroyed by political Babylon Revelation 17:16 political Babylon by the appearing of the Lord Revelation 19:19-21 . That Babylon the city is not to be rebuilt is clear from; Isaiah 13:19-22 ; Jeremiah 51:24-26 ; Jeremiah 51:62-64 . By political Babylon is meant the Gentile world-system. (See "World,"; John 7:7 ; Revelation 13:8 ) It may be added that, in Scripture symbolism, Egypt stands for the world as such; Babylon for the world of corrupt power and corrupted religion; Nineveh for the pride, the haughty glory of the world.
A "burden," Heb. massa= a heavy, weighty thing, is a message, or oracle concerning Babylon, Assyria, Jerusalem, etc. It is "heavy" because the wrath of God is in it, and grievous for the prophet to declare.
Babylon
The city, Babylon is not in view here, as the immediate context shows. It is important to note the significance of the name when used symbolically. "Babylon" is the Greek form: invariably in the O.T. Hebrew the word is simply Babel, the meaning of which is confusion, and in this sense the word is used symbolically.
(1) In the prophets, when the actual city is not meant, the reference is to the "confusion" into which the whole social order of the world has fallen under Gentile world-domination. (See "Times of the Gentiles," Luke 21:24 ; Revelation 16:14 ; Isaiah 13:4 gives the divine view of the welter of warring Gentile powers. The divine order is given in Isaiah 11. Israel in her own land, the centre of the divine government of the world and channel of the divine blessing; and the Gentiles blessed in association with Israel. Anything else is, politically, mere "babel."
(2) In Revelation 14:8-11 ; Revelation 16:19 the Gentile world-system is in view in connection with Armageddon; Revelation 16:14 ; Revelation 19:21 while in Revelation 17. the reference is to apostate Christianity, destroyed by the nations Revelation 17:16 headed up under the Beast; Daniel 7:8 ; Revelation 19:20 and false prophet. In Isaiah the political Babylon is in view, literally as to the then existing city, and symbolically as to the times of the Gentiles. In the Revelation both the symbolical- political and symbolical-religious Babylon are in view, for there both are alike under the tyranny of the Beast. Religious Babylon is destroyed by political Babylon Revelation 17:16 political Babylon by the appearing of the Lord Revelation 19:19-21 . That Babylon the city is not to be rebuilt is clear from; Isaiah 13:19-22 ; Jeremiah 51:24-26 ; Jeremiah 51:62-64 . By political Babylon is meant the Gentile world-system. (See "World,"; John 7:7 ; Revelation 13:8 ) It may be added that, in Scripture symbolism, Egypt stands for the world as such; Babylon for the world of corrupt power and corrupted religion; Nineveh for the pride, the haughty glory of the world.

Context Summary

Isaiah 30:1-17 - Fatal Reliance On Human Aid
Toward the close of the 8th century, b.c. Jerusalem sent ambassadors to seek help from Egypt against Assyria, in distinct defiance of God's repeated warnings. Isaiah denounced this as adding sin to sin. Even though their princes reached Zoan and Hanes, capital cities, and succeeded in their object, it would not help them. The beasts of burden might traverse the deserts with presents and bribes, but all would be in vain. These truths, however, were unpalatable, and the politicians endeavored to silence the prophet, Isaiah 30:9-11. All sin recoils on the sinner. At first his efforts seem to protect him, but soon the wall begins to bulge, then it totters, finally it falls. The true policy, urged by Isaiah in Isaiah 30:15, would be to renounce these efforts for Egyptian help and return to rest in the loving care of God. In returning and rest they would be saved! Oh, that we were more quiet and calm in the face of danger, hushing our fears, stilling our throbbing hearts, and leaning back on the everlasting arms! God cannot fail you, ye fearful saints. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 30

1  The prophet threatens the people for their confidence in Egypt
8  And contempt of God's word
18  God's mercies toward his church
27  God's wrath and the people's joy, in the destruction of Assyria

What do the individual words in Isaiah 30:6 mean?

The burden against the beasts of the Negev Through a land of trouble and anguish the lioness and lion from which [came] the viper and fiery serpent flying they will carry on the backs of young donkeys their riches and on the humps of camels their treasures to a people not [who] shall profit
מַשָּׂ֖א בַּהֲמ֣וֹת נֶ֑גֶב בְּאֶרֶץ֩ צָרָ֨ה וְצוּקָ֜ה לָבִ֧יא וָלַ֣יִשׁ מֵהֶ֗ם אֶפְעֶה֙ וְשָׂרָ֣ף מְעוֹפֵ֔ף יִשְׂאוּ֩ עַל־ כֶּ֨תֶף עֲיָרִ֜ים חֵֽילֵהֶ֗ם וְעַל־ דַּבֶּ֤שֶׁת גְּמַלִּים֙ אֽוֹצְרֹתָ֔ם עַל־ עַ֖ם לֹ֥א יוֹעִֽילוּ

מַשָּׂ֖א  The  burden  against 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַשָּׂא 
Sense: load, bearing, tribute, burden, lifting.
בַּהֲמ֣וֹת  the  beasts 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: בְּהֵמָה  
Sense: beast, cattle, animal.
נֶ֑גֶב  of  the  Negev 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶגֶב  
Sense: south-country, Nekeb, south.
בְּאֶרֶץ֩  Through  a  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
צָרָ֨ה  of  trouble 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: צָרָה 
Sense: straits, distress, trouble.
וְצוּקָ֜ה  and  anguish 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: צֹוק 
Sense: constraint, distress, strait.
לָבִ֧יא  the  lioness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶבֶא 
Sense: lion.
וָלַ֣יִשׁ  and  lion 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִשׁ  
Sense: lion.
מֵהֶ֗ם  from  which  [came] 
Parse: Preposition-m, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
אֶפְעֶה֙  the  viper 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶפְעֶה  
Sense: a viper, snake.
וְשָׂרָ֣ף  and  fiery  serpent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂרָף  
Sense: serpent, fiery serpent.
מְעוֹפֵ֔ף  flying 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עוּף 
Sense: to fly, fly about, fly away.
יִשְׂאוּ֩  they  will  carry 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
כֶּ֨תֶף  the  backs 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: כָּתֵף  
Sense: shoulder, shoulder-blade, side, slope.
עֲיָרִ֜ים  of  young  donkeys 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עִיר 
Sense: he-ass, male ass.
חֵֽילֵהֶ֗ם  their  riches 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: חַיִל 
Sense: strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army.
וְעַל־  and  on 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
דַּבֶּ֤שֶׁת  the  humps 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: דַּבֶּשֶׁת  
Sense: hump (of camel).
גְּמַלִּים֙  of  camels 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: גָּמָל  
Sense: camel.
אֽוֹצְרֹתָ֔ם  their  treasures 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹוצָר  
Sense: treasure, storehouse.
עַ֖ם  a  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
יוֹעִֽילוּ  [who]  shall  profit 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָעַל  
Sense: (Hiphil) to gain, profit, benefit, avail.