Isaiah 21 · Verse 17

Isaiah 21:17

And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the Lord God of Israel hath spoken it.
Isaiah 21:17, King James Version

Isaiah 21:17 in other translations

BSBThe remaining archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.” For the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.
WEBand the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, will be few; for the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken it.”
ASVand the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be few; for Jehovah, the God of Israel, hath spoken it.
YLTAnd the remnant of the number of bow-men, The mighty of the sons of Kedar are few, For Jehovah, God of Israel, hath spoken!'
DARBYand the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the sons of Kedar, shall be diminished: for Jehovah, the God of Israel, hath spoken.
BBEAnd the rest of the bowmen, the men of war of the children of Kedar, will be small in number: for the Lord, the God of Israel, has said it.
WebsterAnd the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the LORD God of Israel hath spoken it.

What does Isaiah 21:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
17. residue ... diminished--The remnant of Arab warriors, famous in the bow, left after the invasion, shall be small.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 The archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar "The mighty bowmen of the sons of Kedar" - Sagittariorum fortium, Vulg.; transposing the two words, and reading גבורי קשה gibborey kesheth; which seems to be right. The strong men of the bow, the most excellent archers. For the Lord - hath spoken it "For Jehovah hath spoken it" - The prophetic Carmina of Marcius, foretelling the battle of Cannae, lib. 25:12, conclude with the same kind of solemn form: Nam mihi ita Jupiter fatus est; "Thus hath Jupiter spoken to me." Observe that the word נאם naam, to pronounce, to declare, is the solemn word appropriated to the delivering of prophecies: "Behold, I am against the prophets, saith (נאם naam, pronounceth) Jehovah, who use their tongues, וינאמו נאם vaiyinamu neum, and solemnly pronounce, He hath pronounced it;" Jer 23:31. What God says shall most assuredly come to pass; he cannot be deceived.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 21:13-17

The Arabians lived in tents, and kept cattle. A destroying army shall be brought upon them, and make them an easy prey. We know not what straits we may be brought into before we die. Those may know the want of necessary food who now eat bread to the full. Neither the skill of archers, nor the courage of mighty men, can protect from the judgments of God. That is poor glory, which will thus quickly come to nothing…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 21:13-17 →

Isaiah 21:17 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.

וּשְׁאָ֧רu.she.'Arand [the] remnant ofH7605
מִסְפַּר\־mis.par-a number ofH4557
קֶ֛שֶׁתKe.shetbowmenH7198
גִּבּוֹרֵ֥יgi.bo.Rei[the] warriors ofH1368
בְנֵֽי\־ve.nei-[the] people ofH1121
קֵדָ֖רke.DarKedarH6938
יִמְעָ֑טוּyim.'A.tuthey will be fewH4591
כִּ֛יkiforH3588
יְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֵֽי\־'e.lo.hei-[the] God ofH430
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
דִּבֵּֽר\׃\ \סdi.Berhe has spokenH1696

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

Cross references for Isaiah 21:17

  • Numbers 23:19

    God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

  • Zechariah 1:6

    But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

  • Isaiah 1:20

    But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

  • Matthew 24:35

    Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

  • Isaiah 17:4-5

    And in that day it shall come to pass, that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean. And it shall be as when the harvestman gathereth the corn, and reapeth the ears with his arm; and it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim.

  • Jeremiah 44:29

    And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the Lord, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil:

  • Psalms 107:39

    Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow.

  • Isaiah 10:18-19

    And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth. And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
archers. Heb. bows. the mighty.
10:18,19; 17:4,5; Ps 107:39
for.
1:20; Nu 23:19; Jer 44:29; Zec 1:6; Mt 24:35

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

Context

  • Isaiah 21:16

    For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail:

  • Isaiah 21:17

    And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the Lord God of Israel hath spoken it.

Read all of Isaiah 21

Isaiah 21:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y las reliquias del número de los valientes flecheros, hijos de Cedar, serán apocadas: porque Jehová Dios de Israel lo ha dicho.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et le reste du nombre des archers des hommes forts des fils de Kédar sera amoindri; car l’ Éternel, le Dieu d’Israël, a parlé.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und die übriggebliebene Zahl der Bogen, der Helden der Söhne Kedars, wird gering sein; denn Jehova, der Gott Israels, hat geredet.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et reliquiæ numeri sagittariorum fortium de filiis Cedar imminuentur; Dominus enim Deus Israël locutus est.