The Meaning of Isaiah 33:20 Explained

Isaiah 33:20

KJV: Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.

YLT: See Zion, the city of our meetings, Thine eyes see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, A tent not taken down, Not removed are its pins for ever, And none of its cords are broken.

Darby: Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tent that shall not be removed, the stakes whereof shall never be pulled up, neither shall any of its cords be broken;

ASV: Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tent that shall not be removed, the stakes whereof shall never be plucked up, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Look  upon Zion,  the city  of our solemnities:  thine eyes  shall see  Jerusalem  a quiet  habitation,  a tabernacle  [that] shall not be taken down;  not one of the stakes  thereof shall ever  be removed,  neither shall any of the cords  thereof be broken. 

What does Isaiah 33:20 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Zion had a future that Isaiah"s audience needed to contemplate. It would be a place where God"s people would feast and rejoice in fellowship with Him. It would be a peaceful, secure, durable habitation-in contrast to the temporary and vulnerable tents of their nomadic forefathers, and of all the Israelites during the wilderness wanderings. The seemingly endless pilgrimages of the Israelites would finally be over.

Context Summary

Isaiah 33:13-24 - The Reward Of The Righteous
The devouring fire and everlasting burnings of Isaiah 33:14 are clearly the emblems of the divine presence. The righteous dwell in God as the bush which was baptized in the Shekinah-glory and was not consumed. The fire of His holy presence makes them holy at the same time that it protects them from their enemies. Compare with Psalms 15:1-5. They are characterized by their walk, speech, the closed fist, the stopped ears, and the shut eyes. They dwell in heights which are inaccessible to the foe, and no oppressor can cut off their supplies of hidden manna or water of life. Hezekiah, Isaiah predicts in Isaiah 33:17, would soon put off his sackcloth, and the citizens would cease to be penned up in a beleaguered city. They should recall the terror of that hour as a bad dream, recalled to be dismissed and forgotten. Zion had no river, but God would be all that a river was to other cities, without the disadvantages of navigable water which might serve for the passage of a hostile fleet. Be sure to make God your judge, lawgiver, and king. Then, notwithstanding that you limp in weakness, you shall gather your share in the great spoils of victory. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 33

1  God's judgments against the enemies of the church
13  The consternation of sinners, and privileges of the godly

What do the individual words in Isaiah 33:20 mean?

Look upon Zion the city of our appointed feasts Your eyes will see Jerusalem a home quiet a tabernacle not [that] will be taken down one will be removed of its stakes ever and any of its cords nor will be broken
חֲזֵ֣ה צִיּ֔וֹן קִרְיַ֖ת מֽוֹעֲדֵ֑נוּ עֵינֶיךָ֩ תִרְאֶ֨ינָה יְרוּשָׁלִַ֜ם נָוֶ֣ה שַׁאֲנָ֗ן אֹ֤הֶל בַּל־ יִצְעָן֙ יִסַּ֤ע יְתֵֽדֹתָיו֙ לָנֶ֔צַח וְכָל־ חֲבָלָ֖יו בַּל־ יִנָּתֵֽקוּ

חֲזֵ֣ה  Look 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: חָזָה  
Sense: to see, perceive, look, behold, prophesy, provide.
צִיּ֔וֹן  upon  Zion 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: צִיּׄון  
Sense: another name for Jerusalem especially in the prophetic books.
קִרְיַ֖ת  the  city 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: קִרְיָה 
Sense: city, town.
מֽוֹעֲדֵ֑נוּ  of  our  appointed  feasts 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: מֹועֵד  
Sense: appointed place, appointed time, meeting.
עֵינֶיךָ֩  Your  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cdc, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
תִרְאֶ֨ינָה  will  see 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֜ם  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
נָוֶ֣ה  a  home 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָוֶה 
Sense: abode, habitation, abode of shepherds or flocks, pasture.
שַׁאֲנָ֗ן  quiet 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: שַׁאֲנָן  
Sense: at ease, quiet, secure.
אֹ֤הֶל  a  tabernacle 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֹהֶל  
Sense: tent.
יִצְעָן֙  [that]  will  be  taken  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָעַן  
Sense: (Qal) to wander, travel.
יִסַּ֤ע  one  will  be  removed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָסַע  
Sense: to pull out, pull up, set out, journey, remove, set forward, depart.
יְתֵֽדֹתָיו֙  of  its  stakes 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתֵד  
Sense: pin, stake, peg, nail.
לָנֶ֔צַח  ever 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֵצַח  
Sense: eminence, perpetuity, strength, victory, enduring, everlastingness.
וְכָל־  and  any 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
חֲבָלָ֖יו  of  its  cords 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֶבֶל 
Sense: a cord, rope, territory, band, company.
בַּל־  nor 
Parse: Adverb
Root: בַּל 
Sense: not, hardly, else.
יִנָּתֵֽקוּ  will  be  broken 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָתַק  
Sense: to pull or tear or draw off or away or apart, draw out, pluck up, break, li ft, root out.