The Meaning of Isaiah 33:4 Explained

Isaiah 33:4

KJV: And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.

YLT: And gathered hath been your spoil, A gathering of the caterpillar, As a running to and fro of locusts is he running on it.

Darby: And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpillar: as the running of locusts shall they run upon it.

ASV: And your spoil shall be gathered as the caterpillar gathereth: as locusts leap shall men leap upon it.

Discover Isaiah 33:4

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Isaiah 33:4?

MEANING: What does Isaiah 33:4 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Isaiah 33:4 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Isaiah 33:4?

What is the context of Isaiah 33:4?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And your spoil shall be gathered [like] the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.

What does Isaiah 33:4 Mean?

Verse Meaning

When the Lord arose against Israel"s enemies, the battle would be over almost as soon as it had started (cf. Revelation 19:19-20). The Jerusalemites would loot the spoils of war as voraciously as caterpillars and as swiftly as locusts (cf. Isaiah 37:36-37).

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 33:4 mean?

And shall be gathered Your plunder [Like] the gathering of the caterpillar as the running to and [fro] of locusts He shall run upon them

וְאֻסַּ֣ף שְׁלַלְכֶ֔ם אֹ֖סֶף הֶֽחָסִ֑יל כְּמַשַּׁ֥ק גֵּבִ֖ים שׁוֹקֵ֥ק בּֽוֹ

וְאֻסַּ֣ף	And shall be gathered
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Pual, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular Root: אָסַף Sense: to gather, receive, remove, gather in.
שְׁלַלְכֶ֔ם	Your plunder
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural Root: שָׁלָל Sense: prey, plunder, spoil, booty.
אֹ֖סֶף	[Like] the gathering
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct Root: אֹסֶף Sense: gathering, collection, harvest.
הֶֽחָסִ֑יל	of the caterpillar
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular Root: חָסִיל Sense: locust.
כְּמַשַּׁ֥ק	as the running to and [fro]
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct Root: מַשָּׁק Sense: running, rushing.
גֵּבִ֖ים	of locusts
Parse: Noun, masculine plural Root: גֵּבָה Sense: locust.
שׁוֹקֵ֥ק	He shall run
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular Root: שֹׁוקֵק Sense: to run, run about, rush, run to and fro, be eager or greedy or thirsty.
בּֽוֹ	upon them
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular

What are the major concepts related to Isaiah 33:4?

Loading Information...

Similar Scriptures for Isaiah 33:4

		Joel 2:9 [2]
		Joel 2:25 [2]
		2 Chronicles 14:13 [2]
		Isaiah 33:23 [2]
		2 Chronicles 20:25 [2]
		2 Kings 7:15-16 [1]