Isaiah 9 · Verse 10

Isaiah 9:10

The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.

Isaiah 9:10, King James Version

Isaiah 9:10 in other translations

BSB	“The bricks have fallen, but we will rebuild with finished stone; the sycamores have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.”
WEB	“The bricks have fallen, but we will build with cut stone. The sycamore fig trees have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.”
ASV	The bricks are fallen, but we will build with hewn stone; the sycomores are cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.
YLT	‘Bricks have fallen, and hewn work we build, Sycamores have been cut down, and cedars we renew.'
DARBY	The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones; the sycamore trees are cut down, but we will replace them with cedars.
BBE	The bricks have come down, but we will put up buildings of cut stone in their place: the sycamores are cut down, but they will be changed to cedars.
Webster	The bricks have fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones; the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.

What does Isaiah 9:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

10. bricks--in the East generally sun-dried, and therefore soon dissolved by rain. Granting, say the Ephraimites to the prophet's threat, that our affairs are in a ruinous state, we will restore them to more than their former magnificence. Self-confident unwillingness to see the judgments of God (Is 26:11). hewn stones--(1Ki 5:17). sycamores--growing abundantly on the low lands of Judea, and though useful for building on account of their antiseptic property (which induced the Egyptians to use them for the cases of their mummies), not very valuable. The cedar, on the other hand, was odorous, free from knots, durable, and precious (1Ki 10:27). "We will replace cottages with palaces."

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 10 The bricks - "The eastern bricks," says Sir John Chardin, (see Harmer's Observ. I., p. 176), "are only clay well moistened with water, and mixed with straw, and dried in the sun." So that their walls are commonly no better than our mud walls; see Maundrell, p. 124. That straw was a necessary part in the composition of this sort of bricks, to make the parts of the clay adhere together, appears from Exodus 5. These bricks are properly opposed to hewn stone, so greatly superior in beauty and durableness. The sycamores, which, as Jerome on the place says, are timber of little worth, with equal propriety are opposed to the cedars. "As the grain and texture of the sycamore is remarkably coarse and spongy, it could therefore stand in no competition at all (as it is observed, Isa 9:10) with the cedar, for beauty and ornament." - Shaw, Supplement to Travels, p. 96. We meet with the same opposition of cedars to sycamores, 1Kgs 10:27, where Solomon is said to have made silver as the stones, and cedars as the sycamores in the vale for abundance. By this mashal, or figurative and sententious speech, they boast that they shall easily be able to repair their present losses, suffered perhaps by the first Assyrian invasion under Tiglath-pileser; and to bring their affairs to a more flourishing condition than ever. Some of the bricks mentioned above lie before me. They were brought from the site of ancient Babylon. The straw is visible, kneaded with the clay; they are very hard, and evidently were dried in the sun; for they are very easily dissolved in water.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 9:8-21

Those are ripening apace for ruin, whose hearts are unhumbled under humbling providences. For that which God designs, in smiting us, is, to turn us to himself; and if this point be not gained by lesser judgments, greater may be expected. The leaders of the people misled them. We have reason to be afraid of those that speak well of us, when we do ill. Wickedness was universal, all were infected with it. They shall be…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 9:8-21 →

Isaiah 9:10 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.

לְבֵנִ֥יםle.ve.NimbricksH3843

נָפָ֖לוּna.Fa.luthey have fallenH5307

וְגָזִ֣יתve.ga.Zitand hewn [stone]H1496

נִבְנֶ֑הniv.Nehwe will rebuildH1129

שִׁקְמִ֣יםshik.MimsycamoresH8256

גֻּדָּ֔עוּgu.Da.'uthey have been cut downH1438

וַאֲרָזִ֖יםva.'a.ra.Zimand cedarsH730

נַחֲלִֽיף\׃na.cha.Lifwe will substituteH2498

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

Cross references for Isaiah 9:10

Malachi 1:4
Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the Lord of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever.
1 Kings 10:27
And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.
1 Kings 7:9-12
All these were of costly stones, according to the measures of hewed stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, and so on the outside toward the great court. And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits. And above were costly stones, after the measures of hewed stones, and cedars. And the great court round about was with three rows of hewed stones, and a row of cedar beams, both for the inner court of the house of the Lord, and for the porch of the house.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

bricks.
1Ki 7:9-12; 10:27; Mal 1:4

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

Context

Isaiah 9:9
And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart,
Isaiah 9:10
The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.
Isaiah 9:11
Therefore the Lord shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together;

Read all of Isaiah 9

Isaiah 9:10 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Los ladrillos cayeron, mas edificaremos de cantería; cortaron los cabrahigos, mas cedros pondremos en su lugar.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Mais l’ Éternel suscitera les adversaires de Retsin contre lui, et armera ses ennemis,
German Elberfelder 1871	Die Ziegelsteine sind eingefallen, aber mit behauenen Steinen bauen wir auf; die Sykomoren sind abgehauen, aber wir setzen Cedern an ihre Stelle.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Lateres ceciderunt, sed quadris lapidibus ædificabimus; sycomoros succiderunt, sed cedros immutabimus.