The Meaning of Isaiah 31:4 Explained

Isaiah 31:4

KJV: For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.

YLT: For thus said Jehovah unto me: 'As growl doth the lion and the young lion over his prey, Called against whom is a multitude of shepherds, From their voice he is not affrighted, And from their noise he is not humbled; So come down doth Jehovah of Hosts To war on mount Zion, and on her height.

Darby: For thus hath Jehovah said unto me: Like as the lion and the young lion growling over his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, is not afraid of their voice, nor giveth way before the multitude of them; so will Jehovah of hosts come down to war upon mount Zion, and on the hill thereof.

ASV: For thus saith Jehovah unto me, As the lion and the young lion growling over his prey, if a multitude of shepherds be called forth against him, will not be dismayed at their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so will Jehovah of hosts come down to fight upon mount Zion, and upon the hill thereof.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For thus hath the LORD  spoken  unto me, Like as the lion  and the young lion  roaring  on his prey,  when a multitude  of shepherds  is called forth  against him, [he] will not be afraid  of their voice,  nor abase  himself for the noise  of them: so shall the LORD  of hosts  come down  to fight  for mount  Zion,  and for the hill  thereof. 

What does Isaiah 31:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 31:1-9 - A Nobler Future For The Nation
Isaiah continues to denounce the contemplated alliance with Egypt. His compatriots put their trust in horses and chariots, and refused the help of their fathers' God. Yet was He not so wise as the Egyptians, and equally as strong! And were they not running a fearful risk in rejecting One who would not recall His words of threatened punishment to those who refused His help? At best, the Egyptians were men, and not God, and their cavalry, flesh. If only they would trust Him, God would defy their foes, as a lion defies a company of unarmed shepherds, Isaiah 31:4. The mother-bird hovers over her brood to protect it from the kestrel; so would He spread His covering wing over Jerusalem, Isaiah 31:5. We may have deeply revolted, yet we may turn back to God with the certainty that He will receive and rescue us, Isaiah 31:6.
Sennacherib fell by the sword of his sons. Compare Isaiah 32:8 with 2 Kings 19:36-37. How different is our glorious King, whose many-sided nature meets all our needs! Isaiah 32:2. Before Him all men are unveiled in their true characters. Only those who are royal in heart shall stand before Him, Isaiah 31:8. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 31

1  The prophet shows the folly and danger of trusting Egypt, and forsaking God
6  He exhorts to conversion
8  He shows the fall of Assyria

What do the individual words in Isaiah 31:4 mean?

For thus has spoken Yahweh to me as roars a lion and a young lion over his prey when is summoned against him a multitude of shepherds of their voice not [He] will be afraid and by their noise nor be disturbed so will come down Yahweh of hosts to fight for Mount Zion for its hill
כִּ֣י כֹ֣ה אָֽמַר־ יְהוָ֣ה ׀ אֵלַ֡י כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶהְגֶּה֩ הָאַרְיֵ֨ה וְהַכְּפִ֜יר עַל־ טַרְפּ֗וֹ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִקָּרֵ֤א עָלָיו֙ מְלֹ֣א רֹעִ֔ים מִקּוֹלָם֙ לֹ֣א יֵחָ֔ת וּמֵֽהֲמוֹנָ֖ם לֹ֣א יַֽעֲנֶ֑ה כֵּ֗ן יֵרֵד֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת לִצְבֹּ֥א עַל־ הַר־ צִיּ֖וֹן וְעַל־ גִּבְעָתָֽהּ

כֹ֣ה  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָֽמַר־  has  spoken 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֣ה ׀  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֵלַ֡י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
יֶהְגֶּה֩  roars 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָגָה  
Sense: to moan, growl, utter, muse, mutter, meditate, devise, plot, speak.
הָאַרְיֵ֨ה  a  lion 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲרִי 
Sense: lion.
וְהַכְּפִ֜יר  and  a  young  lion 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כְּפִיר 
Sense: young lion.
עַל־  over 
Parse: 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.
טַרְפּ֗וֹ  his  prey 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: טֶרֶף  
Sense: prey, food, leaf.
יִקָּרֵ֤א  is  summoned 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
עָלָיו֙  against  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
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.
מְלֹ֣א  a  multitude 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מְלֹא  
Sense: fullness, that which fills.
רֹעִ֔ים  of  shepherds 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: רָעָה 
Sense: to pasture, tend, graze, feed.
מִקּוֹלָם֙  of  their  voice 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
יֵחָ֔ת  [He]  will  be  afraid 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָתַת  
Sense: to be shattered, be dismayed, be broken, be abolished, be afraid.
וּמֵֽהֲמוֹנָ֖ם  and  by  their  noise 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: הָמֹון 
Sense: (Qal) murmur, roar, crowd, abundance, tumult, sound.
לֹ֣א  nor 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יַֽעֲנֶ֑ה  be  disturbed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָנָה 
Sense: (Qal) to be occupied, be busied with.
כֵּ֗ן  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
יֵרֵד֙  will  come  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צְבָא֔וֹת  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
לִצְבֹּ֥א  to  fight 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: צָבָא  
Sense: to go forth, wage war, fight, serve.
הַר־  Mount 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
צִיּ֖וֹן  Zion 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: צִיּׄון  
Sense: another name for Jerusalem especially in the prophetic books.
גִּבְעָתָֽהּ  its  hill 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: גִּבְעָה  
Sense: hill.