The Meaning of Isaiah 27:4 Explained

Isaiah 27:4

KJV: Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together.

YLT: Fury is not in Me; Who giveth Me a brier -- a thorn in battle? I step into it, I burn it at once.

Darby: Fury is not in me. Oh that I had briars and thorns in battle against me! I would march against them, I would burn them together.

ASV: Wrath is not in me: would that the briers and thorns were against me in battle! I would march upon them, I would burn them together.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Fury  [is] not in me: who would set  the briers  [and] thorns  against me in battle?  I would go  through them, I would burn  them together. 

What does Isaiah 27:4 Mean?

Verse Meaning

He would not be angry with Israel in that future day (cf. Romans 3:21-26; Romans 5:8-11), as He had been in the past. If enemies tried to damage His vineyard, He would destroy them (cf. Isaiah 5:6).

Context Summary

Isaiah 27:1-13 - God's Care For His Vineyard
Throughout these chapters we must remember that the doom of Babylon and the restoration of God's people are symbolical of other events, for which the world is preparing. Then Babylon the Great shall give place to the Holy City, which comes down out of heaven from God. Egypt and Babylon are represented by the leviathan, a general term applicable to any great water animal. The one had its Nile, the other its Euphrates. Parallel with the destruction of our foes is God's care of His own people. The Church is His vineyard. We do not keep Him, but He, us. Not for a moment does He relax His care. Those who oppose His purposes are trampled down as briars beneath the booted foot. In Isaiah 5:6 we have a prevision of the ultimate mission of the Hebrew race.
Note the difference in Isaiah 27:7-11 between punishment and chastisement. The former is irremediable and destructive, the latter is always in measure. The rough wind is stayed in the day of the east wind. Its object is to purge away our sins. After the captivity idolatry ceased out of Israel. How tenderly God gathers His wanderers-one by one as hand-picked fruit; even those who had wandered farthest and were ready to perish! [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 27

1  The Deliverance of Israel

What do the individual words in Isaiah 27:4 mean?

Fury [is] not in Me who would set Against Me briers [and] thorns in battle I would go through them I would burn them together
חֵמָ֖ה אֵ֣ין לִ֑י מִֽי־ יִתְּנֵ֜נִי שָׁמִ֥יר שַׁ֙יִת֙ ؟ בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔ה אֶפְשְׂעָ֥ה בָ֖הּ אֲצִיתֶ֥נָּה יָּֽחַד

חֵמָ֖ה  Fury 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֵמָא 
Sense: heat, rage, hot displeasure, indignation, anger, wrath, poison, bottles.
אֵ֣ין  [is]  not 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
לִ֑י  in  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
יִתְּנֵ֜נִי  would  set  Against  Me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
שָׁמִ֥יר  briers 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁמִיר 
Sense: thorn(s), adamant, flint.
שַׁ֙יִת֙  [and]  thorns 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁיִת  
Sense: thorn bushes.
؟ בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔ה  in  battle 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְחָמָה  
Sense: battle, war.
אֶפְשְׂעָ֥ה  I  would  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: פָּשַׂע  
Sense: (Qal) to step, march, step forward.
בָ֖הּ  through  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
אֲצִיתֶ֥נָּה  I  would  burn  them 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: צוּת  
Sense: (Hiphil) to kindle, burn, set on fire.
יָּֽחַד  together 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַחַד 
Sense: union, unitedness adv.