Isaiah 29 · Verse 17

Isaiah 29:17

Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?
Isaiah 29:17, King James Version

Isaiah 29:17 in other translations

BSBIn a very short time, will not Lebanon become an orchard, and the orchard seem like a forest?
WEBIsn’t it yet a very little while, and Lebanon will be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field will be regarded as a forest?
ASVIs it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?
YLTIs it not yet a very little, And turned hath Lebanon to a fruitful field, And the fruitful field for a forest is reckoned?
DARBYIs it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?
BBEIn a very short time Lebanon will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will seem like a wood.
WebsterIs it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?

What does Isaiah 29:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
17. turned--as contrasted with your "turnings of things upside down" (Is 29:16), there shall be other and better turnings or revolutions; the outpouring of the Spirit in the latter days (Is 32:15); first on the Jews; which shall be followed by their national restoration (see on Is 29:2; Zec 12:10) then on the Gentiles (Joe 2:28). fruitful field--literally, "a Carmel" (see on Is 10:18). The moral change in the Jewish nation shall be as great as if the wooded Lebanon were to become a fruitful field, and vice versa. Compare Mt 11:12, Greek: "the kingdom of heaven forces itself," as it were, on man's acceptance; instead of men having to seek Messiah, as they had John, in a desert, He presents Himself before them with loving invitations; thus men's hearts, once a moral desert, are reclaimed so as to bear fruits of righteousness: vice versa, the ungodly who seemed prosperous, both in the moral and literal sense, shall be exhibited in their real barrenness.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 And Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field "Ere Lebanon become like Carmel" - A mashal, or proverbial saying, expressing any great revolution of things; and, when respecting two subjects, an entire reciprocal change: explained here by some interpreters, I think with great probability, as having its principal view beyond the revolutions then near at hand, to the rejection of the Jews, and the calling of the Gentiles. The first were the vineyard of God, כרם אל kerem El, (if the prophet, who loves an allusion to words of like sounds, may be supposed to have intended one here), cultivated and watered by him in vain, to be given up, and to become a wilderness: compare Isa 5:1-7. The last had been hitherto barren; but were, by the grace of God, to be rendered fruitful. See Mat 21:43; Rom 11:30, Rom 11:31. Carmel stands here opposed to Lebanon, and therefore is to be taken as a proper name.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 29:17-24
The wonderful change here foretold, may refer to the affairs of Judah, though it looks further. When a great harvest of souls was gathered to Christ from among the Gentiles, then the wilderness was turned into a fruitful field; and the Jewish church, that had long been a fruitful field, became as a deserted forest. Those who, when in trouble, can truly rejoice in God, shall soon have cause greatly to rejoice in him. The grace of meekness contributes to the increase of our holy joy. The enemies who were powerful shall become mean and weak. To complete the repose of God's people, the scorners at home shall be cut off by judgements. All are apt to speak unadvisedly, and to mistake what they hear, but it is very unfair to make a man an offender for a word. They did all they could to bring those into trouble who told them of their faults. But He that redeemed Abraham out of his snares and troubles, will redeem those who are, by faith, his true seed, out of theirs. It will be the greatest comfort to godly parents to see their children renewed creatures, the work of God's grace. May those who now err in spirit, and murmur against the truth, come to understanding, and learn true doctrine. The Spirit of truth shall set right their mistakes, and lead them into all truth. This should encourage us to pray for those that have erred, and are deceived. All who murmured at the truths of God, as hard sayings, shall learn and be aware what God designed in all. See the change religion produces in the hearts of men, and the peace and pleasure of a humble and devout spirit.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Isaiah 29:17 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.

הֲלוֹא\־ha.lo'-¿ notH3808
עוֹד֙'OdyetH5750
מְעַ֣טme.'Ata little ofH4592
מִזְעָ֔רmiz.'Ara littleH4213
וְשָׁ֥בve.Shavand it will turnH7725
לְבָנ֖וֹןle.va.NonLebanonH3844
לַכַּרְמֶ֑לla.kar.Melinto <the> orchardH3759
וְהַכַּרְמֶ֖לve.ha.kar.Meland the orchardH3759
לַיַּ֥עַרlai.Ya.'arto <the> forestH3293
יֵחָשֵֽׁב\׃ye.cha.Shevit will be consideredH2803

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

Cross references for Isaiah 29:17

  • Isaiah 32:15

    Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.

  • Matthew 19:30

    But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

  • Hebrews 10:37

    For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

  • Ezekiel 20:46-47

    Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field; And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

  • Psalms 84:6

    Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.

  • Hosea 3:4

    For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:

  • Habakkuk 2:3

    For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

  • Psalms 107:33

    He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground;

  • Romans 11:11-17

    I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. …

  • Isaiah 5:6

    And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

  • Isaiah 63:18

    The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.

  • Matthew 21:18-19

    Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
yet a very.
63:18; Hab 2:3; Hag 2:6; Heb 10:37
Lebanon.
32:15; 35:1,2; 41:19; 49:5,6; 55:13; 65:12-16; Ho 1:9,10; Mt 19:30
Mt 21:43; Ro 11:11-17
the fruitful.
5:6; Eze 20:46,47; Ho 3:4; Mic 3:12; Zec 11:1,2; Mt 21:18,19
Ro 11:19-27

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

Context

  • Isaiah 29:16

    Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?

  • Isaiah 29:17

    Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?

  • Isaiah 29:18

    And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

Read all of Isaiah 29

Isaiah 29:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
¿No será tornado de aquí á muy poco tiempo el Líbano en Carmelo, y el Carmelo será estimado por bosque?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
N’y a-t-il pas encore très peu de temps, et le Liban sera converti en un champ fertile, et le champ fertile sera réputé une forêt?
German
Elberfelder 1871
Ist es nicht noch um ein gar Kleines, daß der Libanon sich in ein Fruchtgefilde verwandeln und das Fruchtgefilde dem Walde gleichgeachtet werden wird?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Nonne adhuc in modico et in brevi convertetur Libanus in carmel, et carmel in saltum reputabitur?