The Meaning of Isaiah 17:13 Explained

Isaiah 17:13

KJV: The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.

YLT: Nations as the wasting of many waters are wasted, And He hath pushed against it, And it hath fled afar off, And been pursued as chaff of hills before wind, And as a rolling thing before a hurricane.

Darby: The nations rush as the rushing of many waters; but he will rebuke them, and they shall flee far away, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a whirling of dust before the whirlwind:

ASV: The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but he shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like the whirling dust before the storm.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The nations  shall rush  like the rushing  of many  waters:  but [God] shall rebuke  them, and they shall flee  far off,  and shall be chased  as the chaff  of the mountains  before  the wind,  and like a rolling thing  before  the whirlwind. 

What does Isaiah 17:13 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 17

1  Syria and Israel are threatened
6  A remnant shall forsake idolatry
9  The rest shall be plagued for their impiety
12  The woe of Israel's enemies

What do the individual words in Isaiah 17:13 mean?

The nations like the rushing of waters many will rush but [God] will rebuke them and they will flee far away and be chased like the chaff of the mountains before the wind and Like a rolling thing before the whirlwind
לְאֻמִּ֗ים כִּשְׁא֞וֹן מַ֤יִם רַבִּים֙ יִשָּׁא֔וּן וְגָ֥עַר בּ֖וֹ וְנָ֣ס מִמֶּרְחָ֑ק וְרֻדַּ֗ף כְּמֹ֤ץ הָרִים֙ לִפְנֵי־ ר֔וּחַ וּכְגַלְגַּ֖ל לִפְנֵ֥י סוּפָֽה

לְאֻמִּ֗ים  The  nations 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: לְאֹם  
Sense: a people, nation.
כִּשְׁא֞וֹן  like  the  rushing 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שָׁאֹון 
Sense: roar, din, crash, uproar.
מַ֤יִם  of  waters 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
רַבִּים֙  many 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
יִשָּׁא֔וּן  will  rush 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: שָׁאָה 
Sense: crash, make a din or crash, crash into ruins, be in ruins, be desolated.
וְגָ֥עַר  but  [God]  will  rebuke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּעַר  
Sense: (Qal) to rebuke, reprove, corrupt.
וְנָ֣ס  and  they  will  flee 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
מִמֶּרְחָ֑ק  far  away 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶרְחָק  
Sense: distant place, distance, far country.
וְרֻדַּ֗ף  and  be  chased 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Pual, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָדַף  
Sense: to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after.
כְּמֹ֤ץ  like  the  chaff 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֹץ  
Sense: chaff.
הָרִים֙  of  the  mountains 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
לִפְנֵי־  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
ר֔וּחַ  the  wind 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
וּכְגַלְגַּ֖ל  and  Like  a  rolling  thing 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גַּלְגַּל 
Sense: wheel, whirl, whirlwind, whirling.
לִפְנֵ֥י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
סוּפָֽה  the  whirlwind 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: סוּפָה 
Sense: storm-wind.