The Meaning of Isaiah 31:5 Explained

Isaiah 31:5

KJV: As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.

YLT: As birds flying, so doth Jehovah of Hosts Cover over Jerusalem, covering and delivering, Passing over, and causing to escape.'

Darby: As birds with outstretched wings, so will Jehovah of hosts cover Jerusalem; covering, he will also deliver, passing over, he will rescue it.

ASV: As birds hovering, so will Jehovah of hosts protect Jerusalem; he will protect and deliver it , he will pass over and preserve it .

KJV Reverse Interlinear

As birds  flying,  so will the LORD  of hosts  defend  Jerusalem;  defending  also he will deliver  [it; and] passing over  he will preserve  it. 

What does Isaiah 31:5 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 31:5 mean?

Like birds flying about so will defend Yahweh of hosts upon Jerusalem Defending and He will deliver [it] Passing over and He will preserve [it]
כְּצִפֳּרִ֣ים עָפ֔וֹת כֵּ֗ן יָגֵ֛ן יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת עַל־ יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם גָּנ֥וֹן וְהִצִּ֖יל פָּסֹ֥חַ וְהִמְלִֽיט

כְּצִפֳּרִ֣ים  Like  birds 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, common plural
Root: צִפֹּור  
Sense: bird, fowl.
עָפ֔וֹת  flying  about 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine plural
Root: עוּף 
Sense: to fly, fly about, fly away.
כֵּ֗ן  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
יָגֵ֛ן  will  defend 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּנַן  
Sense: to defend, cover, surround.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צְבָא֖וֹת  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
עַל־  upon 
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.
יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
גָּנ֥וֹן  Defending 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: גָּנַן  
Sense: to defend, cover, surround.
וְהִצִּ֖יל  and  He  will  deliver  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָצַל  
Sense: to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder.
פָּסֹ֥חַ  Passing  over 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: פָּסַח 
Sense: to pass over, spring over.
וְהִמְלִֽיט  and  He  will  preserve  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָלַט 
Sense: to slip away, escape, deliver, save, be delivered.