The Meaning of Isaiah 33:2 Explained

Isaiah 33:2

KJV: O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.

YLT: O Jehovah, favour us, for thee we have waited, Be their arm, in the mornings, Yea, our salvation in time of adversity.

Darby: Jehovah, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be their arm every morning, yea, our salvation in the time of trouble.

ASV: O Jehovah, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou our arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

O LORD,  be gracious  unto us; we have waited  for thee: be thou their arm  every morning,  our salvation  also in the time  of trouble. 

What does Isaiah 33:2 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The faithful remnant in Judah prayed to the Lord, evidently as the enemy approached Jerusalem. These godly Judeans asked for Yahweh"s grace on the ground that they had trusted in Him (cf. Isaiah 30:18-19). They asked Him to be the daily strength of those who opposed the destroyer, Assyria. They also requested deliverance for the Jerusalemites when Assyria attacked.
"Never underestimate the power of a praying minority." [1]

Context Summary

Isaiah 33:1-12 - God Exalted In Judgment
Here we have the final prediction against Sennacherib. He had dealt very treacherously by returning against Jerusalem, though he had taken a heavy ransom to leave it unmolested, 2 Kings 18:16. In Isaiah 33:2 Isaiah recalls the daily prayer offered by the priests in the Temple, when they heard of the steady advance of the foe. It was quite true that nations had fled before the dreaded Assyrian, Isaiah 33:3; but in this case those precedents would be reversed, Isaiah 33:4, because the Lord would appear for His people, Isaiah 33:5. That was a sweet assurance that the prophet gave to Hezekiah in Isaiah 33:6 -to sustain his spirit through the strain of the invasion described in Isaiah 33:7-8. God always gives us a promise on the eve of trial. He victuals His ships ere He exposes them to the storm. Though God sometimes seems to sleep yet when the hour strikes for the deliverance of His people, He will not tarry for a single moment. Be of good cheer; He will ride upon the wings of the wind to succor you! [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 33:2 mean?

Yahweh be gracious to us for You we have waited Be their arm every morning also Our salvation in the time of trouble
יְהוָ֥ה חָנֵּ֖נוּ לְךָ֣ קִוִּ֑ינוּ הֱיֵ֤ה זְרֹעָם֙ לַבְּקָרִ֔ים אַף־ יְשׁוּעָתֵ֖נוּ בְּעֵ֥ת צָרָֽה

יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
חָנֵּ֖נוּ  be  gracious  to  us 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, first person common plural
Root: חָנַן 
Sense: to be gracious, show favour, pity.
לְךָ֣  for  You 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
קִוִּ֑ינוּ  we  have  waited 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: קָוָה 
Sense: to wait, look for, hope, expect.
זְרֹעָם֙  their  arm 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: זְרֹועַ  
Sense: arm, forearm, shoulder, strength.
לַבְּקָרִ֔ים  every  morning 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: בֹּקֶר 
Sense: morning, break of day.
אַף־  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אַף  
Sense: also, yea, though, so much the more adv.
יְשׁוּעָתֵ֖נוּ  Our  salvation 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: יְשׁוּעָה  
Sense: salvation, deliverance.
בְּעֵ֥ת  in  the  time 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common singular construct
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
צָרָֽה  of  trouble 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: צָרָה 
Sense: straits, distress, trouble.