Isaiah 34 · Verse 9

Isaiah 34:9

And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.
Isaiah 34:9, King James Version

Isaiah 34:9 in other translations

BSBEdom’s streams will be turned to tar, and her soil to sulfur; her land will become a blazing pitch.
WEBIts streams will be turned into pitch, its dust into sulfur, and its land will become burning pitch.
ASVAnd the streams of Edom shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.
YLTAnd turned have been her streams to pitch, And her dust to brimstone, And her land hath become burning pitch.
DARBYAnd the torrents thereof shall be turned into pitch, and its dust into brimstone; yea, the land thereof shall become burning pitch:
BBEAnd its streams will be turned into boiling oil, and its dust into burning stone, and all the land will be on fire.
WebsterAnd its streams shall be turned into pitch, and its dust into brimstone, and its land shall become burning pitch.

What does Isaiah 34:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
9. Images from the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah (Ge 19:24-28; so De 29:23; Jr 49:17, 18).

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

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 34:9-17
Those who aim to ruin the church, can never do that, but will ruin themselves. What dismal changes sin can make! It turns a fruitful land into barrenness, a crowded city into a wilderness. Let us compare all we discover in the book of the Lord, with the dealings of providence around us, that we may be more diligent in seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness. What the mouth of the Lord has commanded, his Spirit will perform. And let us observe how the evidences of the truth continually increase, as one prophecy after another is fulfilled, until these awful scenes bring in more happy days. As Israel was a figure of the Christian church, so the Edomites, their bitter enemies, represent the enemies of the kingdom of Christ. God's Jerusalem may be laid in ruins for a time, but the enemies of the church shall be desolate for ever.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Isaiah 34:9 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.

וְנֶהֶפְכ֤וּve.ne.hef.Khuand they will be changedH2015
נְחָלֶ֙יהָ֙ne.cha.Lei.hatorrents itsH5158
לְזֶ֔פֶתle.Ze.fetinto pitchH2203
וַעֲפָרָ֖הּva.'a.fa.Rahand dust itsH6083
לְגָפְרִ֑יתle.ga.fe.Ritinto sulfurH1614
וְהָיְתָ֣הve.ha.ye.Tahand it will becomeH1961
אַרְצָ֔הּ'ar.Tzahland itsH776
לְזֶ֖פֶתle.Ze.fet<into> pitchH2203
בֹּעֵרָֽה\׃bo.'e.RahburningH1197

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

Cross references for Isaiah 34:9

  • Deuteronomy 29:23

    And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the Lord overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:

  • Revelation 21:8

    But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

  • Psalms 11:6

    Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.

  • Luke 17:29

    But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

  • Revelation 19:20

    And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

  • Job 18:15

    It shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his: brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.

  • Genesis 19:28

    And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

  • Jude 1:7

    Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Ge 19:28; De 29:23; Job 18:15; Ps 11:6; Lu 17:29; Jude 1:7; Re 19:20
Re 21:8

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

Context

  • Isaiah 34:8

    For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.

  • Isaiah 34:9

    And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.

  • Isaiah 34:10

    It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.

Read all of Isaiah 34

Isaiah 34:9 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y sus arroyos se tornarán en pez, y su polvo en azufre, y su tierra en pez ardiente.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et les rivières d’Édom seront changées en poix, et sa poussière en soufre, et son pays deviendra une poix brûlante;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Edoms Bäche verwandeln sich in Pech, und sein Staub in Schwefel; und sein Land wird zu brennendem Peche.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et convertentur torrentes ejus in picem, et humus ejus in sulphur; et erit terra ejus in picem ardentem.