The Meaning of Isaiah 37:30 Explained

Isaiah 37:30

KJV: And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such as groweth of itself; and the second year that which springeth of the same: and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof.

YLT: -- And this to thee is the sign, Food of the year is self-sown grain, And in the second year the spontaneous growth, And in the third year, sow ye and reap, And plant vineyards, and eat their fruit.

Darby: And this shall be the sign unto thee: there shall be eaten this year such as groweth of itself; and in the second year that which springeth of the same; but in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards and eat the fruit thereof.

ASV: And this shall be the sign unto thee: ye shall eat this year that which groweth of itself, and in the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And this [shall be] a sign  unto thee, Ye shall eat  [this] year  such as groweth  of itself; and the second  year  that which springeth  of the same: and in the third  year  sow  ye, and reap,  and plant  vineyards,  and eat  the fruit  thereof. 

What does Isaiah 37:30 Mean?

Verse Meaning

For two years normal agriculture would be impossible around Jerusalem, but God would cause the land to produce enough to sustain the inhabitants. Probably the two years of interruption resulted from Assyrian military activity in the region. Fruitfulness has always been God"s blessing on those who trust Him. Then the third year, planting and harvesting as usual would resume. It was particularly unusual that the Judahites would be able to plant vineyards and eat their fruit shortly after that because it often took several years for new grapevines to yield a crop.

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 37

1  Hezekiah mourning, sends to Isaiah to pray for them
6  Isaiah comforts them
8  Sennacherib, going to encounter Tirhakah, sends a blasphemous letter to Hezekiah
14  Hezekiah's prayer
21  Isaiah's prophecy of the destruction of Sennacherib, and the good of Zion
36  An angel slays the Assyrians
37  Sennacherib is slain at Nineveh by his own sons

What do the individual words in Isaiah 37:30 mean?

And this [shall be] to you a sign You shall eat this year such as grows of itself and year the second what springs from the same and in year the third sow and reap and Plant vineyards - and eat the fruit of them
וְזֶה־ לְּךָ֣ הָא֔וֹת אָכ֤וֹל הַשָּׁנָה֙ סָפִ֔יחַ וּבַשָּׁנָ֥ה הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית שָׁחִ֑יס וּבַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֗ית זִרְע֧וּ וְקִצְר֛וּ וְנִטְע֥וּ כְרָמִ֖ים [ואכול] (וְאִכְל֥וּ) פִרְיָֽם

וְזֶה־  And  this  [shall  be] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
לְּךָ֣  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
הָא֔וֹת  a  sign 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֹות  
Sense: sign, signal.
אָכ֤וֹל  You  shall  eat 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
הַשָּׁנָה֙  this  year 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
סָפִ֔יחַ  such  as  grows  of  itself 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: סָפִיחַ 
Sense: outpouring.
וּבַשָּׁנָ֥ה  and  year 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית  the  second 
Parse: Article, Number, ordinal feminine singular
Root: שֵׁנִי  
Sense: second.
שָׁחִ֑יס  what  springs  from  the  same 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: סָחִישׁ 
Sense: volunteer grain.
וּבַשָּׁנָ֣ה  and  in  year 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֗ית  the  third 
Parse: Article, Number, ordinal feminine singular
Root: שְׁלִישִׁי 
Sense: third, one third, third part, third time.
זִרְע֧וּ  sow 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: זָרַע  
Sense: to sow, scatter seed.
וְקִצְר֛וּ  and  reap 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: קָצוּר 
Sense: to be short, be impatient, be vexed, be grieved.
וְנִטְע֥וּ  and  Plant 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: נָטַע  
Sense: to plant, fasten, fix, establish.
כְרָמִ֖ים  vineyards 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֶּרֶם 
Sense: vineyard.
[ואכול]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
(וְאִכְל֥וּ)  and  eat 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
פִרְיָֽם  the  fruit  of  them 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: פְּרִי  
Sense: fruit.