The Meaning of Isaiah 43:17 Explained

Isaiah 43:17

KJV: Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.

YLT: Who is bringing forth chariot and horse, A force, even a strong one: 'Together they lie down -- they rise not, They have been extinguished, As flax they have been quenched.'

Darby: who bringeth forth chariot and horse, army and power they lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched as tow:

ASV: who bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the mighty man (they lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched as a wick):

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Which bringeth forth  the chariot  and horse,  the army  and the power;  they shall lie down  together,  they shall not rise:  they are extinct,  they are quenched  as tow. 

What does Isaiah 43:17 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 43:14-28 - A Way In The Wilderness
Let uptake care lest we thwart God's purpose in our lives. We were made to show forth His praise, Isaiah 43:21; but we must beware of causing a revoking of His gracious purpose (See Numbers 14:34, r.v. margin): by prayerlessness, Isaiah 43:22; by the neglect of little things, Isaiah 43:23; by the lack of sweetness and tenderness in our disposition, Isaiah 43:24. "Be not high-minded, but fear; for if God spared not the natural branches, neither will He spare thee," Romans 11:20-21, r.v.
On the other hand, directly sin is repented of and put away, it is blotted out, Isaiah 43:25. It is persistence in sin that causes God to turn from us. If we forsake what is evil, as soon as we are conscious of it, "the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin." It is blotted out as a cloud from the sky and no more remembered against us forever. This is done for God's own sake. The reason for our salvation and deliverance is not in us, but in Him. The cross of shame and sorrow was His own expedient, and the Lamb in the midst of the throne is the emblem of the divine Atonement, which was commenced and finished by the inexplicable grace of God. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 43

1  The Lord comforts the church with his promises
8  He appeals to the people for witness of his omnipotence
14  He foretells them the destruction of Babylon
18  And his wonderful deliverance of his people
22  He reproves the people as inexcusable

What do the individual words in Isaiah 43:17 mean?

Who brings forth the chariot and horse the army and the power together they shall lie down not they shall rise they are extinguished like a wick they are quenched
הַמּוֹצִ֥יא רֶֽכֶב־ וָס֖וּס חַ֣יִל וְעִזּ֑וּז יַחְדָּ֤ו יִשְׁכְּבוּ֙ בַּל־ יָק֔וּמוּ דָּעֲכ֖וּ כַּפִּשְׁתָּ֥ה כָבֽוּ

הַמּוֹצִ֥יא  Who  brings  forth 
Parse: Article, Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
רֶֽכֶב־  the  chariot 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֶכֶב  
Sense: a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders.
וָס֖וּס  and  horse 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סוּס 
Sense: swallow, swift.
חַ֣יִל  the  army 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַיִל 
Sense: strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army.
וְעִזּ֑וּז  and  the  power 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עִזּוּז  
Sense: powerful, mighty.
יַחְדָּ֤ו  together 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַחַד 
Sense: union, unitedness adv.
יִשְׁכְּבוּ֙  they  shall  lie  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁכַב  
Sense: to lie down.
יָק֔וּמוּ  they  shall  rise 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
דָּעֲכ֖וּ  they  are  extinguished 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: דָּעַךְ  
Sense: to go out, be extinguished, dry up.
כַּפִּשְׁתָּ֥ה  like  a  wick 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: פִּשְׁתָּה  
Sense: flax.
כָבֽוּ  they  are  quenched 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: כָּבָה  
Sense: to quench, put out, be put out, be quenched, be extinguished.