Isaiah 50 · Verse 11

Isaiah 50:11

Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.
Isaiah 50:11, King James Version

Isaiah 50:11 in other translations

BSBBehold, all you who kindle a fire, who array yourselves with firebrands, walk in the light of your fire and of the firebrands you have lit! This is what you will receive from My hand: You will lie down in a place of torment.
WEBBehold, all you who kindle a fire, who adorn yourselves with torches around yourselves, walk in the flame of your fire, and among the torches that you have kindled. You will have this from my hand: you will lie down in sorrow.
ASVBehold, all ye that kindle a fire, that gird yourselves about with firebrands; walk ye in the flame of your fire, and among the brands that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of my hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.
YLTLo, all ye kindling a fire, girding on sparks, Walk ye in the light of your fire, And in the sparks ye have caused to burn, From my hand hath this been to you, In grief ye lie down!
DARBYBehold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and among the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of my hand: ye shall lie down in sorrow.
BBESee, all you who make a fire, arming yourselves with burning branches: go in the flame of your fire, and among the branches you have put a light to. This will you have from my hand, you will make your bed in sorrow.
WebsterBehold, all ye that kindle a fire, that encompass yourselves with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of my hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.

What does Isaiah 50:11 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
11. In contrast to the godly (Is 50:10), the wicked, in times of darkness, instead of trusting in God, trust in themselves (kindle a light for themselves to walk by) (Ec 11:9). The image is continued from Is 50:10, "darkness"; human devices for salvation (Pr 19:21; 16:9, 25) are like the spark that goes out in an instant in darkness (compare Job 18:6; 21:17, with Psa 18:28). sparks--not a steady light, but blazing sparks extinguished in a moment. walk--not a command, but implying that as surely as they would do so, they should lie down in sorrow (Jr 3:25). In exact proportion to mystic Babylon's previous "glorifying" of herself shall be her sorrow (Mt 25:30; 8:12; Re 18:7).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 11 Ye that kindle a fire - The fire of their own kindling, by the light of which they walk with security and satisfaction, is an image designed to express, in general, human devices and mere worldly policy, exclusive of faith, and trust in God; which, though they flatter themselves for a while with pleasing expectations and some appearance of success, shall in the end turn to the confusion of the authors. Or more particularly, as Vitringa explains it, it may mean the designs of the turbulent and factious Jews in the times succeeding those of Christ, who, in pursuit of their own desperate schemes, stirred up the war against the Romans, and kindled a fire which consumed their city and nation. That compass yourselves about with sparks "Who heap the fuel round about" - "מגוזלי megozeley, accendentes, Syr.; forte leperunt pro מאזרי meazzerey מאירי meirey; nam sequitur אור ur." - Secker. Lud. Capellus, in his criticism on this place, thinks it should be מאזרי meazzerey, from the Septuagint, κατισχυοντες. There are others who are widely different from those already described. Without faith, repentance, or a holy life, they are bold in their professed confidence in God - presumptuous in their trust in the mercy of God; and, while destitute of all preparation for and right to the kingdom of heaven, would think it criminal to doubt their final salvation! Living in this way, what can they have at the hand of God but an endless bed of sorrow! Ye shall lie down in sorrow. But there is a general sense, and accordant to the design of the prophecy, in which these words may be understood and paraphrased: Behold, all ye that kindle a fire - provoke war and contention; compass yourselves about with sparks - stirring up seditions and rebellions: walk in the light of your fire - go on in your lust of power and restless ambition. Ye shall lie down in sorrow - it will turn to your own perdition. See the Targum. This seems to refer to the restless spirit of the Jews, always stirring up confusion and strife; rebelling against and provoking the Romans, till at last their city was taken, their temple burnt to the ground, and upwards of a million of themselves destroyed, and the rest led into captivity!

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Isaiah 50:11 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.

הֵ֧ןhenhere!H2005
כֻּלְּכֶ֛םku.le.KhemO all of youH3605
קֹ֥דְחֵיKo.de.chei[who] kindleH6919
אֵ֖שׁ'esh<of> a fireH784
מְאַזְּרֵ֣יme.'a.ze.Rei[who] gird onH247
זִיק֑וֹתzi.Kot<of> firebrandsH2131
לְכ֣וּ\׀le.KhuwalkH1980
בְּא֣וּרbe.'Urby [the] light ofH217
אֶשְׁכֶ֗ם'esh.Khemfire yourH784
וּבְזִיקוֹת֙u.ve.zi.kOtand with [the] firebrandsH2131
בִּֽעַרְתֶּ֔םbi.'ar.Tem[which] you have kindledH1197
מִיָּדִי֙mi.ya.Difrom hand myH3027
הָיְתָה\־ha.ye.tah-it will belongH1961
זֹּ֣אתzotthisH2063
לָכֶ֔םla.Khemto you
לְמַעֲצֵבָ֖הle.ma.'a.tze.Vahto painH4620
תִּשְׁכָּבֽוּן\׃\ \פtish.ka.Vunyou will lie down !H7901

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

Cross references for Isaiah 50:11

  • Jeremiah 17:5-7

    Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

  • Romans 1:21-22

    Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

  • John 8:24

    I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

  • Romans 10:3

    For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

  • Matthew 15:6-8

    And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

  • Psalms 20:7-8

    Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.

  • Jonah 2:8

    They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

  • 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.

  • Isaiah 28:15-20

    Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. …

  • Isaiah 30:15-16

    For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.

  • Exodus 11:9-10

    And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt. And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.

  • Psalms 32:10

    Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
all ye.
28:15-20; 30:15,16; 55:2; Ps 20:7,8; Jer 17:5-7; Jon 2:8; Mt 15:6-8
Ro 1:21,22; 10:3
walk.
Ex 11:9,10; Eze 20:39; Am 4:4,5
This shall.
Joh 9:39
ye shall.
8:22; 65:13-16; Ps 16:4; 32:10; Mt 8:12; 22:13; Joh 8:24; 2Th 1:8,9
Re 19:20; 20:15

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

Context

  • Isaiah 50:10

    Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.

  • Isaiah 50:11

    Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.

Read all of Isaiah 50

Isaiah 50:11 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		He aquí que todos vosotros encendéis fuego, y estáis cercados de centellas: andad á la luz de vuestro fuego, y á las centellas que encendisteis. De mi mano os vendrá esto; en dolor seréis sepultados.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Voici, vous tous qui allumez un feu, qui vous entourez d’étincelles, marchez à la lumière de votre feu et des étincelles que vous avez allumées; c’est ici ce que vous aurez de ma main: vous coucherez dans la douleur.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Siehe, ihr alle, die ihr ein Feuer anzündet, mit Brandpfeilen euch rüstet: hinweg in die Glut eures Feuers und in die Brandpfeile, die ihr angesteckt habt! Solches geschieht euch von meiner Hand; in Herzeleid sollt ihr daliegen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ecce vos omnes accendentes ignem, accincti flammis: ambulate in lumine ignis vestri, et in flammis quas succendistis; de manu mea factum est hoc vobis: in doloribus dormietis.