The Meaning of Isaiah 4:4 Explained

Isaiah 4:4

KJV: When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

YLT: If the Lord hath washed away The filth of daughters of Zion, And the blood of Jerusalem purgeth from her midst, By the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

Darby: when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have scoured out the blood of Jerusalem from its midst, by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

ASV: when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of justice, and by the spirit of burning.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

When the Lord  shall have washed away  the filth  of the daughters  of Zion,  and shall have purged  the blood  of Jerusalem  from the midst  thereof by the spirit  of judgment,  and by the spirit  of burning. 

What does Isaiah 4:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 4:1-6 - Vanity And Selfish Luxury Condemned
This paragraph opens with the majestic figure of Jehovah Himself, who arises to judge the misrulers and plead the cause of the poor. The prophet enumerates the trinkets of the women of Israel, who had given themselves up to luxury and corruption. Woman is the priestess and prophetess of the home and religion, and when she forsakes the level of spiritual influence for that of physical adornment, the salt has lost its savor and the whole commonwealth suffers. The manhood of a land is lost, morally and spiritually when woman falls from her high estate; and there could be no hope for Jerusalem until the divine fire had consumed the filth of her daughters, and the oppressive selfishness of her sons. Then once more each home in Jerusalem would have the same blessed signs of the divine presence as had once been granted to the Tabernacle-the shadowing cloud by day and the gleam of the Shekinah-fire by night. Let us claim these for our homes also! [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 4

1  In the extremity of evils, Christ's kingdom shall be a sanctuary

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

When has washed away the Lord - the filth of the daughters of Zion and the blood of Jerusalem purged from her midst by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning
אִ֣ם ׀ רָחַ֣ץ אֲדֹנָ֗י אֵ֚ת צֹאַ֣ת בְּנוֹת־ צִיּ֔וֹן וְאֶת־ דְּמֵ֥י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם יָדִ֣יחַ מִקִּרְבָּ֑הּ בְּר֥וּחַ מִשְׁפָּ֖ט וּבְר֥וּחַ בָּעֵֽר

רָחַ֣ץ  has  washed  away 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָחַץ  
Sense: to wash, wash off, wash away, bathe.
אֲדֹנָ֗י  the  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
אֵ֚ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
צֹאַ֣ת  the  filth 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: צֹאָה  
Sense: filth, excrement.
בְּנוֹת־  of  the  daughters 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
צִיּ֔וֹן  of  Zion 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: צִיּׄון  
Sense: another name for Jerusalem especially in the prophetic books.
דְּמֵ֥י  the  blood 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם  of  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
יָדִ֣יחַ  purged 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דּוּחַ  
Sense: to rinse, cleanse away by rinsing, cast out, purge, wash, washing.
מִקִּרְבָּ֑הּ  from  her  midst 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: קֶרֶב  
Sense: midst, among, inner part, middle.
בְּר֥וּחַ  by  the  spirit 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common singular construct
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
מִשְׁפָּ֖ט  of  judgment 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
וּבְר֥וּחַ  and  by  the  spirit 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, common singular
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
בָּעֵֽר  of  burning 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Infinitive absolute
Root: בָּעַר 
Sense: to burn, consume, kindle, be kindled.