The Meaning of Isaiah 48:21 Explained

Isaiah 48:21

KJV: And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.

YLT: And they have not thirsted in waste places, He hath caused them to go on, Waters from a rock he hath caused to flow to them, Yea, he cleaveth a rock, and flow do waters.

Darby: And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts; he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; yea, he clave the rock, and the waters gushed out.

ASV: And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts; he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.

Discover Isaiah 48:21

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Isaiah 48:21?

MEANING: What does Isaiah 48:21 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Isaiah 48:21 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Isaiah 48:21?

What is the context of Isaiah 48:21?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they thirsted not [when] he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.

What does Isaiah 48:21 Mean?

Verse Meaning

In terms reminiscent of the first Exodus , Isaiah anticipated God"s miraculous and abundant providential provision of refreshment for His people when they returned to the Promised Land from Babylonia (cf. Isaiah 43:18-28).

Context Summary

Isaiah 48:17-22 - "a Light To The Gentiles"

The first division of this second part of Isaiah closes at Isaiah 48:22, with the phrase there is no peace to the wicked. The second division of part 2 closes with a similar phrase, Isaiah 57:21. The first division here ends with the proclamation for Israel to leave Babylon. They need never have gone there. If only they have been obedient in every particular theirs would have been the happy lot of Isaiah 48:18, as contrasted with Isaiah 48:22. But even under such circumstances, in captivity and as slaves of the Chaldeans the redeeming grace of God would triumph, Isaiah 48:20; Isaiah 49:5.

The second great division of Part 2 opens with Isaiah 49:1. In their first and immediate reference, these verses evidently apply to our Lord. See Acts 13:47, etc. In the mission of Jesus, the ideal of the Hebrew race was realized. As the white flower on the stalk He revealed the essential beauty and glory of the root, Isaiah 49:6. See Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:1-2; Matthew 2:14-15, etc.

There is a secondary sense, also, in which the Christian worker may appropriate many things in this glowing paragraph. Our mouth must be surrendered to God, that He may use it for His own high purposes. But do not dread the shadow of His hand. It is the quiver case in which He keeps His chosen arrows against the battle! [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 48

¹ God, to convince the people of their foreknown obstinance, revealed his prophecies
⁹ He saves them for his own sake
¹² He exhorts them to obedience, because of his power and providence
¹⁶ He laments their backwardness
²⁰ He powerfully delivers his people out of Babylon

What do the individual words in Isaiah 48:21 mean?

And not they did thirst through the deserts When He led them the waters from the rock He caused to flow for them and He split the rock and gushed out the waters

וְלֹ֣א צָמְא֗וּ בָּחֳרָבוֹת֙ הֽוֹלִיכָ֔ם מַ֥יִם מִצּ֖וּר הִזִּ֣יל לָ֑מוֹ וַיִּ֨בְקַע־ צ֔וּר וַיָּזֻ֖בוּ מָֽיִם

וְלֹ֣א	And not
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle Root: הֲלֹא Sense: not, no.
צָמְא֗וּ	they did thirst
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural Root: צָמֵא Sense: (Qal) to be thirsty.
בָּחֳרָבוֹת֙	through the deserts
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural Root: חָרְבָּה Sense: a place laid waste, ruin, waste, desolation.
הֽוֹלִיכָ֔ם	When He led them
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural Root: הָלַךְ Sense: to go, walk, come.
מַ֥יִם	the waters
Parse: Noun, masculine plural Root: מַיִם Sense: water, waters.
מִצּ֖וּר	from the rock
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular Root: צוּר Sense: rock, cliff.
הִזִּ֣יל	He caused to flow
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular Root: נָזַל Sense: to flow, distil, flow forth or down, trickle, drop.
לָ֑מוֹ	for them
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
וַיִּ֨בְקַע־	and He split
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular Root: בָּקַע Sense: to split, cleave, break open, divide, break through, rip up, break up, tear.
צ֔וּר	the rock
Parse: Noun, masculine singular Root: צוּר Sense: rock, cliff.
וַיָּזֻ֖בוּ	and gushed out
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural Root: זוּב Sense: to flow, gush, issue, discharge.
מָֽיִם	the waters
Parse: Noun, masculine plural Root: מַיִם Sense: water, waters.

What are the major concepts related to Isaiah 48:21?

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Similar Scriptures for Isaiah 48:21

		Exodus 17:6 [5]
		Isaiah 41:17-18 [5]
		Isaiah 43:19-20 [5]
		Isaiah 35:6-7 [5]
		Psalms 105:41 [4]
		Isaiah 30:25 [4]
		Isaiah 49:10 [3]
		Psalms 78:20 [3]
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		Nehemiah 9:15 [3]
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