The Meaning of Isaiah 37:31 Explained

Isaiah 37:31

KJV: And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward:

YLT: And it hath continued -- the escaped Of the house of Judah that hath been left -- To take root beneath, And it hath made fruit upward.

Darby: And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward;

ASV: And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the remnant  that is escaped  of the house  of Judah  shall again  take root  downward,  and bear  fruit  upward: 

What does Isaiah 37:31 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Additionally, the surviving remnant of the Judahites would increase in numbers and become stronger, like the plants just mentioned. They would enjoy security and prosperity.

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 37:31 mean?

And shall again who have escaped of the house of Judah the remnant take root downward and bear fruit upward
וְיָ֨סְפָ֜ה פְּלֵיטַ֧ת בֵּית־ יְהוּדָ֛ה הַנִּשְׁאָרָ֖ה שֹׁ֣רֶשׁ לְמָ֑טָּה וְעָשָׂ֥ה פְרִ֖י לְמָֽעְלָה

וְיָ֨סְפָ֜ה  And  shall  again 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָסַף 
Sense: to add, increase, do again.
פְּלֵיטַ֧ת  who  have  escaped 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: פְּלֵיטָה  
Sense: escape, deliverance.
בֵּית־  of  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוּדָ֛ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
הַנִּשְׁאָרָ֖ה  the  remnant 
Parse: Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: שָׁאַר  
Sense: to remain, be left over, be left behind.
שֹׁ֣רֶשׁ  take  root 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֹׁרֶשׁ  
Sense: root.
לְמָ֑טָּה  downward 
Parse: Preposition-l, Adverb
Root: מַטָּה  
Sense: downwards, below.
וְעָשָׂ֥ה  and  bear 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
פְרִ֖י  fruit 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פְּרִי  
Sense: fruit.
לְמָֽעְלָה  upward 
Parse: Preposition-l, Adverb, third person feminine singular
Root: מַעַל 
Sense: higher part, upper part adv.