Yahweh has sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, “Surely I will no more give your grain to be food for your enemies, and foreigners will not drink your new wine, for which you have labored,
Parallel Translations
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Yahweh has sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, “Surely I will no more give your grain to be food for your enemies, and foreigners will not drink your new wine, for which you have labored,
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The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:
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The LORD hath sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength: Surely I will no more give thy corn to be food for thine enemies; and strangers shall not drink thy wine, for which thou hast laboured;
Cross-references (9)
Passages linked to Isaiah 62:8 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Isaiah 65:21-23 They will build houses and inhabit them. They will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They will not build and another inhabit. They will not plant and another eat: for the days of my people will be like the days of a tree, and my chosen will long enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain nor give birth for calamity; for they are the offspring of Yahweh’s blessed and their descendants with them.
- Judges 6:3-6 So it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the children of the east came up against them. They encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, until you come to Gaza. They left no sustenance in Israel, and no sheep, ox, or donkey. For they came up with their livestock and their tents. They came in as locusts for multitude. Both they and their camels were without number; and they came into the land to destroy it. Israel was brought very low because of Midian; and the children of Israel cried to Yahweh.
- Deuteronomy 28:33 A nation which you don’t know will eat the fruit of your ground and all of your work. You will only be oppressed and crushed always,
- Deuteronomy 28:31 Your ox will be slain before your eyes, and you will not eat any of it. Your donkey will be violently taken away from before your face, and will not be restored to you. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and you will have no one to save you.
- Ezekiel 20:5 Tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “In the day when I chose Israel, and swore to the offspring of the house of Jacob, and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I swore to them, saying, ‘I am Yahweh your God;’
- Leviticus 26:16 I also will do this to you: I will appoint terror over you, even consumption and fever, that shall consume the eyes, and make the soul to pine away. You will sow your seed in vain, for your enemies will eat it.
- Deuteronomy 32:40 For I lift up my hand to heaven and declare, as I live forever,
- Isaiah 1:7 Your country is desolate. Your cities are burned with fire. Strangers devour your land in your presence and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
- Jeremiah 5:17 They will eat up your harvest and your bread, which your sons and your daughters should eat. They will eat up your flocks and your herds. They will eat up your vines and your fig trees. They will beat down your fortified cities in which you trust with the sword.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (13 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Isa 62:8 The LORD hath sworn by his right…
Isa 62:8 The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn [to be] meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:
Ver. 8. The Lord hath sworn by his right hand,] i.e., By his almighty power, or, as Oecolampadius holdeth, by his Son, "by whom he made the world," and "upholdeth all things." {Heb 1:2-3}
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Surely, I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies.] Or, If I do, yet I will give you to "suffer with joy the spoiling of your goods, as knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance." {Heb 10:34} Spiritual security and safety, from the devil and all the enemies of our souls, is also signified by this similitude of protection against corporal enemies and plunderers, saith Piscator.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain This and the next verse are much to the…
This and the next verse are much to the same purpose, wherein the prophet, to encourage them to their industrious endeavours, tells them that the Lord had
sworn to see to the prosperity of Jerusalem; and he names the
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hand, to signify his faithfulness, as the giving of our hand notes our fidelity; and arm, to signify his power,
the arm of his strength, i.e. his strong arm: these being eminently to be engaged and put forth for his people, he swears by them.
Surely I will no more give; or, If I give; a usual aposiopesis; an abrupt form of swearing, implying something of an imprecation, as great as can be expressed: q.d. Never account me faithful or almighty, if I accomplish not this.
The sons of the stranger: see Isa 61:5.
Shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured: the meaning is, That meat, and drink, and all necessaries that thou hast laboured for, the Babylonians took away from thee; but now it shall be so no more, he will not give thee up to the will of thine enemies.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain The Lord hath sworn by his right hand, and…
The Lord hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength,.... By Christ, say some, who is the arm of the Lord, the power of God, by whom he made the world, and upholds all things; but though he sometimes is said to swear unto him, and concerning him, yet is never said to swear by him; rather the attribute of omnipotence is here designed; as God is sometimes said to swear by his holiness, so here by his almighty power; the consideration of which itself is a great encouragement to faith, to believe the fulfilment of promises, because God is able; but his swearing by it is a further confirmation of it; it is as if he had said, let me not be thought to be the omnipotent God I am, if I do not do so and so; or as sure as I have such a right hand, and arm of strength, what follows shall certainly be accomplished:
surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the strangers shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured: this was threatened to the people of Israel, in case of sinning against God, and revolting from him; and was accomplished in the times of their captivity in Babylon, Deu 28:33 but here it is promised, and the strongest assurance given, it should be so no more; which cannot respect the deliverance of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity; for it is certain that after that their enemies did eat their corn, and drink their wine; the Romans came and took away their city and nation, as they feared, and all their good things; wherefore this must refer to future times, to times yet to come, when this people, being converted, shall be restored to their own land, and enjoy great plenty of good things, and never more be disturbed by their enemies: though all this may be understood in a spiritual sense of the "corn" and "wine" of the Gospel, and the ministration of it; which was first provided for them, and they were invited to partake of it; and in preparing which the apostles and first ministers of the word, being Jews, "laboured"; but they rejecting it, it was carried to the Gentiles, who had been their "enemies", and were "aliens" from the commonwealth of Israel, which they gladly received and fed upon; but now it is promised, that the Gospel, being again brought unto them, should no more be taken from them, but ever continue with them; even all the means of grace, and ordinances of the Gospel, for the comfort and refreshment of their souls.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Isa 62:8-9. The Lord hath sworn by his right…
Isa 62:8-9. The Lord hath sworn by his right hand — “Lifting up the hand was a ceremony used in swearing, Deu 32:40; Eze 20:5; Eze 20:15. And here God swears by that very hand which used to be held up at the taking of an oath; that is, he swears by his power and might, as it follows, that the enemies of his people should not interrupt that peace and plenty which he should give them, but that they should quietly enjoy his blessings with hearts full of thankfulness for them. This must relate to some happier condition than the Jews enjoyed after their return from captivity, when their enemies frequently invaded them, and, at last, the Romans destroyed both their temple and nation.” — Lowth. The passage is undoubtedly metaphorical; and is to be understood of the free and undisturbed enjoyment of the spiritual blessings of religion, which God will grant the Christian Church in the latter days: and “the oath which ushers in this promise proves that it will be exactly and punctually performed.” See Joe 2:24; and Joe 3:18; Jer 31:12; Zec 9:17. The expressions in the next verse, particularly in the latter part of it, allude to the ordinances of the law, which required the people to spend their first-fruits, and other hallowed things, at the temple, in a thankful acknowledgment to God for his blessings, Deu 12:11; and Deu 14:23; Deu 14:26.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain The Lord hath sworn by his right hand -…
The Lord hath sworn by his right hand - An oath was taken in various forms among the ancients. It was usually done by lifting up the hand toward beaten and appealing to God. As God could swear by no greater Heb 6:13, he is represented as swearing by himself (see the notes at Isa 45:23). Here he is represented as swearing by his right hand and by his arm - the strong instrument by which he would accomplish his purposes to defend and save his people. The sense is, that he solemnly pledged the strength of his arm to deliver them, and restore them to their own land.
Surely I will no more give - Margin, as in Hebrew, ‘If I give.’ That is, I will not give.
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Thy corn to be meat - The word ‘corn’ in the Scriptures means all kinds of grain - especially wheat, barley, etc. The word ‘meat’ was formerly used to denote all kinds of food, and was not restricted as it is now usually to animal food. The meaning is, that they should not be subjected to the evils of foreign invasion and conquest.
And the sons of the stranger - Foreigners, Isa 60:10.
Shall not drink thy wine - The productions of your toil shall be safe, and you shall enjoy them yourselves. All this denotes a state of safety and prosperity, such as there would be if they were allowed to cultivate the soil without interruption, and were permitted to enjoy the fruit of their labors.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Hand; inviolably, Deuteronomy xxxii. 40. The Persians deemed this…
Hand; inviolably, Deuteronomy xxxii. 40. The Persians deemed this oath most sacred. (Calmet) --- Darius just expiring, said to Polycrates, "By thee I give this right hand to Alexander," (Plut.[Plutarch?]) that he may revenge my death. --- Wine. The Church cannot be deprived of her faith or of her God.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain sworn by . . . right hand--His mighty instrument…
sworn by . . . right hand--His mighty instrument of accomplishing His will (compare Isa 45:23; Heb 6:13).
sons of . . . stranger--Foreigners shall no more rob thee of the fruit of thy labors (compare Isa 65:21-22).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 8, 9. Sworn by… hand… arm — Possibly in…
8, 9. Sworn by… hand… arm — Possibly in answer to the foregoing provided-for intercessions, Jehovah swears by “hand” and “arm” — symbols of strength — pledging infinite power to fulfil his promise.
Possibly this wrought an effect which may be paraphrased as follows: “As I am the eternal Jehovah, I never more will suffer Zion’s enemies, near or far, home or foreign, within or without, to plunder or cut off her supplies of corn and wine, both of which herself alone shall forever enjoy in the spirit of praise… in the courts of my holiness.” Enemies, abroad or near at hand, may here represent Zion’s moral foes or hinderances, within or without; and “corn” and “wine” are symbols of abounding spiritual sustenance and joy.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 8. The Lord hath sworn by his right hand…
8. The Lord hath sworn by his right hand &c.] i.e. so surely as He has the power to help. Cf. ch. Isa_45:23, Isa_54:9.
the sons of the stranger] R.V. strangers.
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thy wine] Lit. “new wine,” must.
8, 9. Jehovah has sworn that the Israelites shall no longer be spoiled by their enemies, but shall be secured in the peaceful enjoyment of the fruits of the ground. The phrase “no longer” seems to imply that at the time of writing the community was exposed to the depredations of its hostile neighbours. This would be an additional indication of post-exilic authorship, which is confirmed by the mention of the Temple courts in the end of Isa_62:9.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (8) The Lord hath sworn . . .—The principle…
(8) The Lord hath sworn . . .—The principle of the Epistle to the Hebrews (Heb_6:13) is recognised here. Jehovah can swear by nothing less than that which is the symbol of His own greatness, identified with Himself.
I will no more give thy corn . . .—The words throw us back upon the early history of Israel, subject at any time to the desolating attacks of Midianites (Jdg_6:4; Jdg_6:11), Assyrians (Isa_16:9), and Philistines (2Ch_28:18). The new blessing stands in special contrast with the curse of Deu_28:33; Deu_28:51.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain The Lord hath sworn. In answer to the representations…
The Lord hath sworn. In answer to the representations of the "remembrancers," God solemnly binds himself by an oath to come to the relief of the people, to restore them to their own land, and to give them the enjoyment of its fruits in peace. By his right hand. God commonly swears "by himself", (Gen_22:16 Isa_45:23 Jer_49:13 Amo_6:5) or "by his holiness". (Psa_89:35 Amo_4:2) Once he swears "by his great Name", (Jer_44:26) and once "by the excellency of Jacob". (Amo_8:7) There is no other place in Scripture where he swears "by his right hand and arm emblems of his power to act. Thy corn... thy wine; i.e. the fruits of thy land. Hitherto, even when Israel was in possession of Palestine, its fruits were constantly destroyed, or carried off, by the raids of hostile neighbours. Henceforth this plundering should cease.
Vers. 8, 9. The value of security, etc.
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The principal lesson here is the inestimable advantage of national independence and consequent individual security. But other lessons also stand out from the passage, viz.
I THE REALITY OF NATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY. It is very clearly implied that Israel had suffered grievously in the past as a nation, because of God"s wrath. She had sinned and had been condemned, and she had paid the penalty of suffering from a cruel and rapacious invasion; so that her citizens ate not of the corn they had sown, and drank not of the wine they had planted. God makes nations as well as individuals to pay due penalty for their transgressions. Hence we have
II THE INDIVIDUAL OBLIGATION which this fact entails. It is impossible for any man to sever himself from the community of which he is a member; he is not at liberty to leave the national course, to be decided by other men, while he gives himself up to more congenial labours. No man can divest himself of his responsibilities as a citizen of his country; every man is bound to exert his influence on behalf of liberty, righteousness, peace, virtue, godliness.
III THE VALUE OF SECURITY. If it be uncertain whether men will reap what they sow, if it is probable that strangers will partake of the fruit of men"s toil, there will be a constantly and powerfully disturbing force at work. But security will promote:
1. Order and good government.
2. Industry occupation, enterprise, the useful arts.
3. Benevolence the origination and growth of philanthropic institutions.
4. Piety the erection of sacred structures and the establishment of religious organizations.
1. Let the prosperity which is the fruit of security be consecrated by gratitude and benevolence. "Eat and praise the Lord," bring the wine "into the courts or his holiness." Beware of a selfish and complacent spirit, (see Deu_6:12) and cultivate carefully and devoutly a spirit of gratitude toward God and kindness toward man.
2. Appreciate at its full worth and give God thanks for the national security which is enjoyed. It is not one of the smaller mercies we have received at his hand that we have no fear of being displaced by any "stranger," that we are so secure of the fruits of our toil. This sense of safety and stability has contributed largely to the resources at our command, and is adding incalculably to the best movements and measures of our time.
3. Rejoice in and bless God for the fact that even though we may not reap all that we sow here, there is a future in which the workman shall be amply and gloriously rewarded. C. (Psa_126:6 1Co_15:58)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 by his right hand and by the arm of…
by his right hand and by the arm of his strength
The right hand and arm represent power and authority. AT: "by his power and authority" (See: Metonymy)
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Surely I will no longer give your grain as food for your enemies
This means Yahweh will not let enemies conquer the people of Israel and take their grain anymore. Perhaps enemies took the grain in the past as a tax or to feed their own armies.
I will no longer give your grain as food for your enemies ... Foreigners will not drink your new wine
These statements are set together for emphasis and completion. (See: Parallelism)
those who harvest the grain ... those who pick the grapes
These statements are set together for emphasis and completion. (See: Parallelism)
translationWords
right hand
grain
alien
wine
works
harvest
praise
grape
holy
sanctuary
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 62:8 The Lord swore an oath just as he…
62:8 The Lord swore an oath just as he did when he had sworn an oath to Noah (Gen 8:20–9:17), to Abraham (Gen 22:16; see also Luke 1:73; Heb 6:13), and to David (Ps 89:3). • I will never again hand you over: In order to punish and purge a remnant from his people, God had intentionally brought in the Assyrians and Babylonians to decimate them (see Isa 6:12-13). He would never do this again.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.