The Meaning of Isaiah 32:20 Explained

Isaiah 32:20

KJV: Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.

YLT: Happy are ye sowing by all waters, Sending forth the foot of the ox and the ass!

Darby: Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth the feet of the ox and the ass.

ASV: Blessed are yet that sow beside all waters, that send forth the feet of the ox and the ass.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Blessed  [are] ye that sow  beside all waters,  that send forth  [thither] the feet  of the ox  and the ass. 

What does Isaiah 32:20 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The blessed residents of the land in the distant future will enjoy the best existence, represented here in a pastoral setting. They will be in right relation to God, having responded to His invitations to return to and hear the Lord ( Isaiah 31:6; Isaiah 32:9). Their blessing will consist of divine favor (cf. Psalm 32:1), personal fulfillment (cf. Psalm 112:1), and total rectitude (cf. Psalm 2:12; Psalm 37:8-9). Many amillennial interpreters take the eschatological blessings of Isaiah 32:1-8; Isaiah 32:15-18; Isaiah 32:20, as well as Isaiah 31:7, as marking the future heavenly reign of Christ throughout eternity.
In the near future, the Judahites could experience a measure of deliverance from the Assyrians by repenting. Some of them did repent. Sennacherib was not able to take Jerusalem, even though he devastated much of Judah. In the far future, the Israelites will enjoy salvation from all their enemies because they will repent at the second coming of Christ (cf. Zechariah 12:10-14; Zechariah 14:14). This did not take place after the Exile or after Pentecost on the scale that Isaiah envisioned here. God does not wait for people to repent before He acts in mercy. Rather, the goodness of God leads people to repentance (cf. Romans 2:4; Romans 11:22).
"This concludes the four [1] woes, from which the fifth [2], that immediately follows, is distinguished by the fact, that in the former the Assyrian troubles are still in the future, whereas the fifth [2] places us in the very midst of them." [4]

Context Summary

Isaiah 32:9-20 - The Fruits Of Righteousness
When Christ's kingdom is set up it will bring dismay to the poor children of fashion. For more days than there are in the year will they be troubled, Isaiah 32:10, and will smite on their breasts in lamentation, Isaiah 32:12. The prediction of Isaiah 32:15-20 includes Pentecost, and looks forward to the era which lies immediately beyond this travail of the world. What is now reckoned as a fruitful field will be regarded as a barren forest in comparison with what shall then exist. Let us remember that righteousness must precede peace. See Matthew 5:24 and Hebrews 7:2. When God's judgments are hurtling through the air, and proud cities are being leveled to the earth, let us take refuge in His loving care. In Him are our safe dwellings and our quiet resting-places. But when the world is most unquiet, let us pursue our work of salvation; for when waters overflow the banks of the river, oxen and asses may still be sent forth to make furrows for the harvest seed. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 32

1  The blessings of Christ's kingdom
9  Desolation is foreshown
14  Restoration is promised to succeed

What do the individual words in Isaiah 32:20 mean?

Blessed [are] you who sow beside all waters who send out freely the feet of the ox and the donkey -
אַשְׁרֵיכֶ֕ם זֹרְעֵ֖י עַל־ כָּל־ מָ֑יִם מְשַׁלְּחֵ֥י רֶֽגֶל־ הַשּׁ֖וֹר וְהַחֲמֽוֹר ס

אַשְׁרֵיכֶ֕ם  Blessed  [are]  you 
Parse: Interjection, second person masculine plural
Root: אֶשֶׁר 
Sense: happiness, blessedness.
זֹרְעֵ֖י  who  sow 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: זָרַע  
Sense: to sow, scatter seed.
עַל־  beside 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
מָ֑יִם  waters 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
מְשַׁלְּחֵ֥י  who  send  out  freely 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
רֶֽגֶל־  the  feet 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
הַשּׁ֖וֹר  of  the  ox 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֹׁור  
Sense: ox, bull, a head of cattle.
וְהַחֲמֽוֹר  and  the  donkey 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֲמֹור 
Sense: (he)ass.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation