The Meaning of Isaiah 37:27 Explained

Isaiah 37:27

KJV: Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded: they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.

YLT: And their inhabitants are feeble-handed, They were broken down, and are dried up. They have been the herb of the field, And the greenness of the tender grass, Grass of the roofs, And blasted corn, before it hath risen up.

Darby: And their inhabitants were powerless, they were dismayed and put to shame; they were as the grass of the field and the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and grain blighted before it be grown up.

ASV: Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded; they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as a field of grain before it is grown up.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore their inhabitants  [were] of small  power,  they were dismayed  and confounded:  they were [as] the grass  of the field,  and [as] the green  herb,  [as] the grass  on the housetops,  and [as corn] blasted  before  it be grown up. 

What does Isaiah 37:27 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 37

1  Hezekiah mourning, sends to Isaiah to pray for them
6  Isaiah comforts them
8  Sennacherib, going to encounter Tirhakah, sends a blasphemous letter to Hezekiah
14  Hezekiah's prayer
21  Isaiah's prophecy of the destruction of Sennacherib, and the good of Zion
36  An angel slays the Assyrians
37  Sennacherib is slain at Nineveh by his own sons

What do the individual words in Isaiah 37:27 mean?

Therefore their inhabitants [had] little power they were dismayed and confounded they were [as] the grass of the field and the green herb [As] the grass on the housetops and [grain] blighted before it is grown
וְיֹֽשְׁבֵיהֶן֙ קִצְרֵי־ יָ֔ד חַ֖תּוּ וָבֹ֑שׁוּ הָי֞וּ עֵ֤שֶׂב שָׂדֶה֙ וִ֣ירַק דֶּ֔שֶׁא חֲצִ֣יר גַּגּ֔וֹת וּשְׁדֵמָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י קָמָֽה

וְיֹֽשְׁבֵיהֶן֙  Therefore  their  inhabitants  [had] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person feminine plural
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
קִצְרֵי־  little 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural construct
Root: קָצֵר  
Sense: short, impatient.
יָ֔ד  power 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
חַ֖תּוּ  they  were  dismayed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָתַת  
Sense: to be shattered, be dismayed, be broken, be abolished, be afraid.
וָבֹ֑שׁוּ  and  confounded 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: בֹּושׁ 
Sense: to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed.
הָי֞וּ  they  were 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
עֵ֤שֶׂב  [as]  the  grass 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵשֶׂב  
Sense: herb, herbage, grass, green plants.
שָׂדֶה֙  of  the  field 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
וִ֣ירַק  and  the  green 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יָרָק  
Sense: herbs, herbage, vegetables, garden greens.
דֶּ֔שֶׁא  herb 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דֶּשֶׁא  
Sense: grass, new grass, green herb, vegetation, young.
חֲצִ֣יר  [As]  the  grass  on 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חָצִיר 
Sense: grass, leek, green grass, herbage.
גַּגּ֔וֹת  the  housetops 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: גָּג  
Sense: roof, top, housetop.
וּשְׁדֵמָ֖ה  and  [grain]  blighted 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁדֵמָה  
Sense: field.
לִפְנֵ֥י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
קָמָֽה  it  is  grown 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: קָמָה  
Sense: standing grain.