The Meaning of Isaiah 32:15 Explained

Isaiah 32:15

KJV: Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.

YLT: Till emptied out on us is the Spirit from on high, And a wilderness hath become a fruitful field, And the fruitful field for a forest is reckoned.

Darby: until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness become a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.

ASV: until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness become a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Until the spirit  be poured  upon us from on high,  and the wilderness  be a fruitful field,  and the fruitful field  be counted  for a forest. 

What does Isaiah 32:15 Mean?

Verse Meaning

These reversals would not be final, however. God"s Spirit would effect an even greater change later in the future (cf. Psalm 104:30; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Joel 2:28; Zechariah 12:10). Then the wilderness would become fertile, and what was presently considered fertile would become a veritable jungle so full of large plants would it be (cf. Isaiah 30:23-26). The creation will burgeon, the divine curse will be removed, and the damage that sin has caused will be reversed (cf. Isaiah 29:17).

Context Summary

Isaiah 32:9-20 - The Fruits Of Righteousness
When Christ's kingdom is set up it will bring dismay to the poor children of fashion. For more days than there are in the year will they be troubled, Isaiah 32:10, and will smite on their breasts in lamentation, Isaiah 32:12. The prediction of Isaiah 32:15-20 includes Pentecost, and looks forward to the era which lies immediately beyond this travail of the world. What is now reckoned as a fruitful field will be regarded as a barren forest in comparison with what shall then exist. Let us remember that righteousness must precede peace. See Matthew 5:24 and Hebrews 7:2. When God's judgments are hurtling through the air, and proud cities are being leveled to the earth, let us take refuge in His loving care. In Him are our safe dwellings and our quiet resting-places. But when the world is most unquiet, let us pursue our work of salvation; for when waters overflow the banks of the river, oxen and asses may still be sent forth to make furrows for the harvest seed. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 32

1  The blessings of Christ's kingdom
9  Desolation is foreshown
14  Restoration is promised to succeed

What do the individual words in Isaiah 32:15 mean?

Until is poured upon us the Spirit from on high and becomes the wilderness a fruitful field - and the fruitful field as a forest is counted
עַד־ יֵ֨עָרֶ֥ה עָלֵ֛ינוּ ר֖וּחַ מִמָּר֑וֹם וְהָיָ֤ה מִדְבָּר֙ לַכַּרְמֶ֔ל [וכרמל] (וְהַכַּרְמֶ֖ל) לַיַּ֥עַר יֵחָשֵֽׁב

עַד־  Until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
יֵ֨עָרֶ֥ה  is  poured 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָרָה  
Sense: to be bare, be nude, uncover, leave destitute, discover, empty, raze, pour out.
עָלֵ֛ינוּ  upon  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
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.
ר֖וּחַ  the  Spirit 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
מִמָּר֑וֹם  from  on  high 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָרֹום  
Sense: height.
וְהָיָ֤ה  and  becomes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
מִדְבָּר֙  the  wilderness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
לַכַּרְמֶ֔ל  a  fruitful  field 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כַּרְמֶל 
Sense: plantation, garden-land, orchard, fruit orchard.
[וכרמל]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
(וְהַכַּרְמֶ֖ל)  and  the  fruitful  field 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כַּרְמֶל 
Sense: plantation, garden-land, orchard, fruit orchard.
לַיַּ֥עַר  as  a  forest 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעַר 
Sense: forest, wood, thicket, wooded height.
יֵחָשֵֽׁב  is  counted 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָשַׁב 
Sense: to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make a judgment, imagine, count.