Isaiah 9 · Verse 4

Isaiah 9:4

For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.
Isaiah 9:4, King James Version

Isaiah 9:4 in other translations

BSBFor as in the day of Midian You have shattered the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, and the rod of their oppressor.
WEBFor the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as in the day of Midian.
ASVFor the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, thou hast broken as in the day of Midian.
YLTBecause the yoke of its burden, And the staff of its shoulder, the rod of its exactor, Thou hast broken as in the day of Midian.
DARBYFor thou hast broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.
BBEFor by your hand the yoke on his neck and the rod on his back, even the rod of his cruel master, have been broken, as in the day of Midian.
WebsterFor thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

What does Isaiah 9:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. The occasion of the "joy," the deliverance not only of Ahaz and Judah from the Assyrian tribute (2Ki 16:8), and of Israel's ten tribes from the oppressor (2Ki 15:19), but of the Jewish Christian Church from its last great enemy. hast--the past time for the future, in prophetic vision; it expresses the certainty of the event. yoke of his burden--the yoke with which he was burdened. staff of ... shoulder--the staff which strikes his shoulder [Maurer]; or the wood, like a yoke, on the neck of slaves, the badge of servitude [Rosenmuller]. day of Midian--(Jud 7:8-22). As Gideon with a handful of men conquered the hosts of Midian, so Messiah the "child" (Is 9:6) shall prove to be the "Prince of peace," and the small Israel under Him shall overcome the mighty hosts of Antichrist (compare Mi 5:2-5), containing the same contrast, and alluding also to "the Assyrian," the then enemy of the Church, as here in Isaiah, the type of the last great enemy. For further analogies between Gideon's victory and the Gospel, compare 2Co 4:7, with Jud 7:22. As the "dividing of the spoil" (Is 9:3) was followed by that which was "not joy," the making of the idolatrous ephod (Jud 8:24-27), so the gospel victory was soon followed by apostasy at the first, and shall be so again after the millennial overthrow of Antichrist (Re 20:3, 7-9), previous to Satan's last doom (Re 20:10).

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

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 9:1-7

The Son that should be born, and his kingdom. (Is. 9:1-7) The judgments to come upon Israel, and on the enemies of the kingdom of Christ. (Is. 9:8-21) Verses 1-7 The Syrians and Assyrians first ravaged the countries here mentioned, and that region was first favoured by the preaching of Christ. Those that want the gospel, walk in darkness, and in the utmost danger. But when the gospel comes to any place, to any soul…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 9:1-7 →

Isaiah 9:4 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.

כִּ֣י\׀kiforH3588
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
עֹ֣ל'ol[the] yoke ofH5923
סֻבֳּל֗וֹsu.bo.Loburden itsH5448
וְאֵת֙ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
מַטֵּ֣הma.Teh[the] staff ofH4294
שִׁכְמ֔וֹshikh.Moshoulder itsH7926
שֵׁ֖בֶטShe.vet[the] rod ofH7626
הַנֹּגֵ֣שׂha.no.Gesthe [one who] oppressesH5065
בּ֑וֹbo<in> it
הַחִתֹּ֖תָha.chi.To.tayou will shatterH2865
כְּי֥וֹםke.Yomlike [the] day ofH3117
מִדְיָֽן\׃mid.YanMidianH4080

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

Cross references for Isaiah 9:4

  • Jeremiah 30:8

    For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him:

  • Isaiah 14:25

    That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders.

  • Isaiah 10:26-27

    And the Lord of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt. And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

  • Nahum 1:13

    For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder.

  • Isaiah 54:14

    In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

  • Isaiah 49:26

    And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

  • Isaiah 14:3-5

    And it shall come to pass in the day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve, That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers.

  • Leviticus 26:13

    I am the Lord your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.

  • Genesis 27:40

    And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

  • Isaiah 30:31-32

    For through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod. And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the Lord shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it.

  • Judges 8:10-12

    Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword. And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure. And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.

  • Isaiah 10:5

    O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
For thou hast broken. or, When thou brakest.
14:25; 47:6; Ge 27:40; Le 26:13; Jer 30:8; Na 1:13
the staff.
10:5,27; 14:3-5; 30:31,32; Ps 125:3
as in the day.
10:26; Jud 6:1-6; 7:22-25; 8:10-12; Ps 83:9-11

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

Context

  • Isaiah 9:3

    Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

  • Isaiah 9:4

    For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

  • Isaiah 9:5

    For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.

Read all of Isaiah 9

Isaiah 9:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque tú quebraste su pesado yugo, y la vara de su hombro, y el cetro de su exactor, como en el día de Madián.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Car toute chaussure de guerre qu’on chausse pour le tumulte, et le manteau roulé dans le sang, seront un embrasement, la pâture du feu.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn das Joch ihrer Last und den Stab ihrer Schulter, den Stock ihres Treibers hast du zerschlagen wie am Tage Midians.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Jugum enim oneris ejus, et virgam humeri ejus, et sceptrum exactoris ejus superasti, sicut in die Madian.