The Meaning of Isaiah 29:21 Explained

Isaiah 29:21

KJV: That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.

YLT: Causing men to sin in word, And for a reprover in the gate lay a snare, And turn aside into emptiness the righteous.

Darby: that make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and pervert the judgment of the righteous by futility.

ASV: that make a man an offender in his cause, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just with a thing of nought.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

That make a man  an offender  for a word,  and lay a snare  for him that reproveth  in the gate,  and turn aside  the just  for a thing of nought. 

What does Isaiah 29:21 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 29

1  God's heavy judgment upon Jerusalem
7  The insatiableness of her enemies
9  The senselessness
13  And deep hypocrisy of the people
17  A promise of sanctification to the godly

What do the individual words in Isaiah 29:21 mean?

Who make an offender a man by a word and for him who reproves in the gate lay a snare and turn aside by empty [words] the just -
מַחֲטִיאֵ֤י אָדָם֙ בְּדָבָ֔ר וְלַמּוֹכִ֥יחַ בַּשַּׁ֖עַר יְקֹשׁ֑וּן וַיַּטּ֥וּ בַתֹּ֖הוּ צַדִּֽיק ס

מַחֲטִיאֵ֤י  Who  make  an  offender 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
אָדָם֙  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
בְּדָבָ֔ר  by  a  word 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
וְלַמּוֹכִ֥יחַ  and  for  him  who  reproves 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article, Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָכַח  
Sense: to prove, decide, judge, rebuke, reprove, correct, be right.
בַּשַּׁ֖עַר  in  the  gate 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
יְקֹשׁ֑וּן  lay  a  snare 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: קוּשׁ  
Sense: (Qal) to lay bait or lure, lay a snare, lure.
וַיַּטּ֥וּ  and  turn  aside 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
בַתֹּ֖הוּ  by  empty  [words] 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: תֹּהוּ  
Sense: formlessness, confusion, unreality, emptiness.
צַדִּֽיק  the  just 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: צַדִּיק  
Sense: just, lawful, righteous.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation