Isaiah 11 · Verse 8

Isaiah 11:8

And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.
Isaiah 11:8, King James Version

Isaiah 11:8 in other translations

BSBThe infant will play by the cobra’s den, and the toddler will reach into the viper’s nest.
WEBThe nursing child will play near a cobra’s hole, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.
ASVAnd the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
YLTAnd played hath a suckling by the hole of an asp, And on the den of a cockatrice Hath the weaned one put his hand.
DARBYAnd the sucking child shall play on the hole of the adder, and the weaned child shall put forth its hand to the viper's den.
BBEAnd the child at the breast will be playing by the hole of the snake, and the older child will put his hand on the bright eye of the poison-snake.
WebsterAnd the suckling child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the den of the basilisk.

What does Isaiah 11:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
8. play--literally, "delight" himself in sport. cockatrice--a fabulous serpent supposed to be hatched from the egg of a cock. The Hebrew means a kind of adder, more venomous than the asp; Bochart supposes the basilisk to be meant, which was thought to poison even with its breath.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 The cockatrice' den - This is supposed, both by the Targum and by Kimchi, to mean the pupil of this serpent's eye. "When," says Kimchi, "he is in the mouth of his den, in an obscure place, then his eyes sparkle exceedingly: the child, seeing this, and supposing it to be a piece of crystal, or precious stone, puts forth his hand to take it. What would be very dangerous at another time, shall be safe in the days of the Messiah; for the serpent will not hurt the child."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 11:1-9

The peaceful character of Christ's kingdom and subjects. (Is. 11:1-9) The conversion of the Gentiles and Jews. (Is. 11:10-16) Verses 1-9 The Messiah is called a Rod, and a Branch. The words signify a small, tender product; a shoot, such as is easily broken off. He comes forth out of the stem of Jesse; when the royal family was cut down and almost levelled with the ground, it would sprout again. The house of David…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 11:1-9 →

Isaiah 11:8 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.

וְשִֽׁעֲשַׁ֥עve.shi.'a.Sha'and he will playH8173
יוֹנֵ֖קyo.Neka suckling-childH3243
עַל\־'al-overH5921
חֻ֣רchur[the] hole ofH2352
פָּ֑תֶןPa.tena cobraH6620
וְעַל֙ve.'Aland overH5921
מְאוּרַ֣תme.'u.Rat[the] nest ofH3975
צִפְעוֹנִ֔יtzif.'o.Nia viperH6848
גָּמ֖וּלga.Mula weaned [child]H1580
יָד֥וֹya.Dohand hisH3027
הָדָֽה\׃ha.Dahhe will put outH1911

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

Cross references for Isaiah 11:8

  • Psalms 140:3

    They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.

  • Isaiah 59:5

    They hatch cockatrice’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
cockatrice'. or, adder's.
59:5; Ps 140:3

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

Context

  • Isaiah 11:7

    And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

  • Isaiah 11:8

    And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.

  • Isaiah 11:9

    They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

Read all of Isaiah 11

Isaiah 11:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y el niño de teta se entretendrá sobre la cueva del áspid, y el recién destetado extenderá su mano sobre la caverna del basilisco.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Le nourrisson s’ébattra sur le trou de l’aspic, et l’enfant sevré étendra sa main sur l’antre de la vipère.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und der Säugling wird spielen an dem Loche der Natter, und das entwöhnte Kind seine Hand ausstrecken nach der Höhle des Basilisken.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et delectabitur infans ab ubere super foramine aspidis; et in caverna reguli qui ablactatus fuerit manum suam mittet.