The Meaning of Isaiah 33:17 Explained

Isaiah 33:17

KJV: Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.

YLT: A king in his beauty, see do thine eyes, They see a land afar off.

Darby: Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty; they shall behold the land that is far off.

ASV: Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold a land that reacheth afar.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thine eyes  shall see  the king  in his beauty:  they shall behold  the land  that is very far off. 

What does Isaiah 33:17 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The prophet now assumed that his audience was righteous. Not only will the righteous be with God in the future ( Isaiah 33:16), but they will even see the excellent king (cf. Psalm 45:3). They will also see a broad land in which there can be freedom of movement. An amillennial interpretation follows.
"It is the Messiah in the glory of His wondrous reign over His Church that is here in view." [1]

Context Summary

Isaiah 33:13-24 - The Reward Of The Righteous
The devouring fire and everlasting burnings of Isaiah 33:14 are clearly the emblems of the divine presence. The righteous dwell in God as the bush which was baptized in the Shekinah-glory and was not consumed. The fire of His holy presence makes them holy at the same time that it protects them from their enemies. Compare with Psalms 15:1-5. They are characterized by their walk, speech, the closed fist, the stopped ears, and the shut eyes. They dwell in heights which are inaccessible to the foe, and no oppressor can cut off their supplies of hidden manna or water of life. Hezekiah, Isaiah predicts in Isaiah 33:17, would soon put off his sackcloth, and the citizens would cease to be penned up in a beleaguered city. They should recall the terror of that hour as a bad dream, recalled to be dismissed and forgotten. Zion had no river, but God would be all that a river was to other cities, without the disadvantages of navigable water which might serve for the passage of a hostile fleet. Be sure to make God your judge, lawgiver, and king. Then, notwithstanding that you limp in weakness, you shall gather your share in the great spoils of victory. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 33

1  God's judgments against the enemies of the church
13  The consternation of sinners, and privileges of the godly

What do the individual words in Isaiah 33:17 mean?

The King in His beauty will see Your eyes they will see the land that is very far off
מֶ֥לֶךְ בְּיָפְי֖וֹ תֶּחֱזֶ֣ינָה עֵינֶ֑יךָ תִּרְאֶ֖ינָה אֶ֥רֶץ מַרְחַקִּֽים

מֶ֥לֶךְ  The  King 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
בְּיָפְי֖וֹ  in  His  beauty 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יֳפִי  
Sense: beauty.
תֶּחֱזֶ֣ינָה  will  see 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: חָזָה  
Sense: to see, perceive, look, behold, prophesy, provide.
עֵינֶ֑יךָ  Your  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cdc, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
תִּרְאֶ֖ינָה  they  will  see 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
אֶ֥רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מַרְחַקִּֽים  that  is  very  far  off 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מֶרְחָק  
Sense: distant place, distance, far country.