Isaiah 1 · Verse 24

Isaiah 1:24

Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:

Isaiah 1:24, King James Version

Isaiah 1:24 in other translations

BSB	Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: “Ah, I will be relieved of My foes and avenge Myself on My enemies.
WEB	Therefore the Lord, GOD of Armies, the Mighty One of Israel, says: “Ah, I will get relief from my adversaries, and avenge myself on my enemies.
ASV	Therefore saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies;
YLT	Therefore--the affirmation of the Lord--Jehovah of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: Ah, I am eased of Mine adversaries, And I am avenged of Mine enemies,
DARBY	Therefore saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: Ah! I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies.
BBE	For this reason the Lord, the Lord of armies, the Strong One of Israel, has said, I will put an end to my haters, and send punishment on those who are against me;
Webster	Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of my adversaries, and avenge me of my enemies:

What does Isaiah 1:24 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

24. Lord ... Lord--Adonai, Jehovah. mighty One of Israel--mighty to take vengeance, as before, to save. Ah--indignation. ease me--My long tried patience will find relief in at last punishing the guilty (Eze 5:13). God's language condescends to human conceptions.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 24 Ah, I will ease me "Aha! I will be eased" - Anger, arising from a sense of injury and affront, especially from those who, from every consideration of duty and gratitude, ought to have behaved far otherwise, is an uneasy and painful sensation: and revenge, executed to the full on the offenders, removes that uneasiness, and consequently is pleasing and quieting, at least for the present. Ezekiel, Eze 5:13, introduces God expressing himself in the same manner: - "And mine anger shall be fully accomplished; And I will make my fury rest upon them; And I will give myself ease." This is a strong instance of the metaphor called anthropopathia, by which, throughout the Scriptures, as well the historical as the poetical parts, the sentiments sensations, and affections, the bodily faculties qualities, and members, of men, and even of brute animals, are attributed to God, and that with the utmost liberty and latitude of application. The foundation of this is obvious; it arises from necessity; we have no idea of the natural attributes of God, of his pure essence, of his manner of existence, of his manner of acting: when therefore we would treat on these subjects, we find ourselves forced to express them by sensible images. But necessity leads to beauty; this is true of metaphor in general, and in particular of this kind of metaphor, which is used with great elegance and sublimity in the sacred poetry; and what is very remarkable, in the grossest instances of the application of it, it is generally the most striking and the most sublime. The reason seems to be this: when the images are taken from the superior faculties of the human nature, from the purer and more generous affections, and applied to God, we are apt to acquiesce in the notion; we overlook the metaphor, and take it as a proper attribute; but when the idea is gross and offensive as in this passage of Isaiah, where the impatience of anger and the pleasure of revenge is attributed to God, we are immediately shocked at the application; the impropriety strikes us at once, and the mind, casting about for something in the Divine nature analogous to the image, lays hold on some great, obscure, vague idea, which she endeavors to comprehend, and is lost in immensity and astonishment. See De Sacr. Poesi. Hebr. Praeel. 16 sub. fin., where this matter is treated and illustrated by examples.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 1:21-31

Neither holy cities nor royal ones are faithful to their trust, if religion does not dwell in them. Dross may shine like silver, and the wine that is mixed with water may still have the colour of wine. Those have a great deal to answer for, who do not help the oppressed, but oppress them. Men may do much by outward restraints; but only God works effectually by the influences of his Spirit, as a Spirit of Judgment…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 1:21-31 →

Isaiah 1:24 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

לָכֵ֗ןla.Khen<to> thereforeH3651

נְאֻ֤םne.'Um[the] utterance ofH5002

הָֽאָדוֹן֙ha.'a.dOnthe lordH113

יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahwehH3068

צְבָא֔וֹתtze.va.'otof hostsH6635

אֲבִ֖יר'a.Vir[the] mighty one ofH46

יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478

ה֚וֹיHowoe!H1945

אֶנָּחֵ֣ם'e.na.ChemI will ease myselfH5162

מִצָּרַ֔יmi.tza.Raifrom foes myH6862

וְאִנָּקְמָ֖הve.'i.na.ke.Mahand I will avenge myselfH5358

מֵאוֹיְבָֽי\׃me.'oy.Vaifrom enemies myH341

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 1:24

Isaiah 60:16
Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.
Isaiah 49:26
And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.
Deuteronomy 28:63
And it shall come to pass, that as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it.
Isaiah 61:2
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
Ezekiel 5:13
Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause my fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted: and they shall know that I the Lord have spoken it in my zeal, when I have accomplished my fury in them.
Isaiah 35:4
Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
Psalms 132:2
How he sware unto the Lord, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob;
Deuteronomy 32:43
Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.
Proverbs 1:25-26
But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
Hebrews 10:13
From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
Ezekiel 16:42
So will I make my fury toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry.
Revelation 18:8
Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

the mighty.
30:29; 49:26; 60:16; Jer 50:34; Re 18:8
Ah.
De 28:63; 32:43; Pr 1:25,26; Eze 5:13; 16:42; 21:17; Heb 10:13

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Isaiah 1:23
Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.
Isaiah 1:24
Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:
Isaiah 1:25
And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:

Read all of Isaiah 1

Isaiah 1:24 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Por tanto, dice el Señor Jehová de los ejércitos, el Fuerte de Israel: Ea, tomaré satisfacción de mis enemigos, vengaréme de mis adversarios:
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	C’est pourquoi le Seigneur, l’ Éternel des armées, le Puissant d’Israël, dit: Ha! je me satisferai en mes adversaires, et je me vengerai de mes ennemis;
German Elberfelder 1871	Darum spricht der Herr, Jehova der Heerscharen, der Mächtige Israels: Ha! ich werde mich letzen an meinen Widersachern und Rache nehmen an meinen Feinden.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Propter hoc ait Dominus, Deus exercituum, Fortis Israël: Heu! consolabor super hostibus meis, et vindicabor de inimicis meis.