The Meaning of Isaiah 25:5 Explained

Isaiah 25:5

KJV: Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.

YLT: As heat in a dry place, The noise of strangers Thou humblest, Heat with the shadow of a thick cloud, The singing of the terrible is humbled.

Darby: Thou hast subdued the tumult of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; as the heat, by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the terrible ones is brought low.

ASV: As the heat in a dry place wilt thou bring down the noise of strangers; as the heat by the shade of a cloud, the song of the terrible ones shall be brought low.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thou shalt bring down  the noise  of strangers,  as the heat  in a dry place;  [even] the heat  with the shadow  of a cloud:  the branch  of the terrible ones  shall be brought low. 

What does Isaiah 25:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

As a passing cloud provides relief from the heat during a drought, so the Lord gives His people relief by humbling the song of their ruthless foreign enemies.
"In either the sudden intensity of the cloudburst or the steady, enervating heat, life is threatened. Unless one has a stronghold against the flood (cf. Matthew 7:24-27) or a shade from the heat [1], there is no hope." [2]

Context Summary

Isaiah 25:1-12 - Sorrow Turned To Gladness
Here is a song of thanksgiving at the fall of Babylon. When she fell, a sigh of relief passed over the whole world, and strong, terrible nations over which she had exerted her tyranny gratefully recognized the goodness and righteousness of Jehovah. We may anticipate, as we read these glowing words, what that song will be when the spirited Babylon is overthrown, Revelation 19:1-7.
Notice how God suits Himself to our need, whether for strength, or refuge, or shadow. Take from Him what you are needing most. As the cloud draws its veil over the burning sunshine to mitigate its heat, so does God interpose to reduce the sufferings of His own. The branch, that is, the exulting song of the terrible ones, their song of triumph, shall be hushed. From Isaiah 25:6 we learn that the hunger of man for God can only be satisfied in Jesus; and from Isaiah 25:7, that the dread of death and the hereafter, which has lain heavily on humanity as a pall shall be forever ended, when Jesus comes the second time unto salvation. Compare 1 Corinthians 15:54. God will not only wipe tears from our eyes but the fountains of tears shall be dried up, Revelation 21:4. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 25

1  Song of Praise for God's Favor

What do the individual words in Isaiah 25:5 mean?

As heat in a dry place the noise of aliens You will reduce [As] heat in the shadow of a cloud the song of the terrible ones will be diminished -
כְּחֹ֣רֶב בְּצָי֔וֹן שְׁא֥וֹן זָרִ֖ים תַּכְנִ֑יעַ חֹ֚רֶב בְּצֵ֣ל עָ֔ב זְמִ֥יר עָֽרִיצִ֖ים יַעֲנֶֽה פ

כְּחֹ֣רֶב  As  heat 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹרֶב 
Sense: dryness, desolation, drought, heat.
בְּצָי֔וֹן  in  a  dry  place 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: צָיׄון  
Sense: dryness, parched land or ground.
שְׁא֥וֹן  the  noise 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שָׁאֹון 
Sense: roar, din, crash, uproar.
זָרִ֖ים  of  aliens 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: זוּר 
Sense: to be strange, be a stranger.
תַּכְנִ֑יעַ  You  will  reduce 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: כָּנַע  
Sense: to be humble, be humbled, be subdued, be brought down, be low, be under, be brought into subjection.
חֹ֚רֶב  [As]  heat 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹרֶב 
Sense: dryness, desolation, drought, heat.
בְּצֵ֣ל  in  the  shadow 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: צֵל  
Sense: shadow, shade.
עָ֔ב  of  a  cloud 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: עָב 
Sense: darkness, cloud, thicket.
זְמִ֥יר  the  song 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: זָמִיר  
Sense: song, psalm.
עָֽרִיצִ֖ים  of  the  terrible  ones 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: עָרִיץ  
Sense: awe-inspiring, terror-striking, awesome, terrifying, ruthless, mighty.
יַעֲנֶֽה  will  be  diminished 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation