Isaiah 30:17

Isaiah 30:17 in Multiple Translations

Berean Standard Bible BSB

A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee, until you are left alone like a pole on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill.

King James Version KJV

One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill.

American Standard Version ASV

One thousand shall flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on a hill.

Bible in Basic English BBE

A thousand will go in fear before one; even before five you will go in flight: till you are like a pillar by itself on the top of a mountain, and like a flag on a hill.

Free Bible Version FBV

Just one of them will chase after a thousand of you. Just five of them will make you all run away. All that will be left of you will look like a flag fluttering on the top of a mountain, a banner waving on a hill.

Geneva Bible 1599 GNV

A thousand as one shall flee at the rebuke of one: at the rebuke of fiue shall ye flee, till ye be left as a ship maste vpon the top of a mountaine, and as a beaken vpon an hill.

Young's Literal Translation YLT

One thousand because of the rebuke of one, Because of the rebuke of five ye flee, Till ye have been surely left as a pole On the top of the mountain, And as an ensign on the height.

World English Bible WEB

One thousand will flee at the threat of one. At the threat of five, you will flee until you are left like a beacon on the top of a mountain, and like a banner on a hill.

Noah Webster Bible WBS

One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on a hill.

Douay-Rheims 1899 DRV

A thousand men shall flee for fear of one: and for fear of five shall you flee, till you be left as the mast of a ship on the top of a mountain, and as an ensign upon a hill.

Translation for Translators T4T

As a result, 1,000 of you will flee when only one of them pursues you! When only five of their soldiers threaten to kill you, all of you will flee. Only a few of you will be left, like [SIM] a single flagpole on top of a mountain with one signal flag on the pole.”

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Berean Amplified Bible — Isaiah 30:17

BAB

Word Study

Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.

Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.

Isaiah 30:17 Interlinear (Deep Study)

BIB

HEB אֶ֣לֶף אֶחָ֗ד מִ/פְּנֵי֙ גַּעֲרַ֣ת אֶחָ֔ד מִ/פְּנֵ֛י גַּעֲרַ֥ת חֲמִשָּׁ֖ה תָּנֻ֑סוּ עַ֣ד אִם נוֹתַרְתֶּ֗ם כַּ/תֹּ֨רֶן֙ עַל רֹ֣אשׁ הָ/הָ֔ר וְ/כַ/נֵּ֖ס עַל הַ/גִּבְעָֽה

אֶ֣לֶף ʼeleph H505 thousand Adj

אֶחָ֗ד ʼechâd H259 one Adj

מִ/פְּנֵי֙ pânîym H6440 face Prep | N-cp

גַּעֲרַ֣ת gᵉʻârâh H1606 rebuke N-fs

אֶחָ֔ד ʼechâd H259 one Adj

מִ/פְּנֵ֛י pânîym H6440 face Prep | N-cp

גַּעֲרַ֥ת gᵉʻârâh H1606 rebuke N-fs

חֲמִשָּׁ֖ה châmêsh H2568 five Adj

תָּנֻ֑סוּ nûwç H5127 to flee V-Qal-Imperf-2mp

עַ֣ד ʻad H5704 till Prep

אִם ʼim H518 if Conj

נוֹתַרְתֶּ֗ם yâthar H3498 to remain V-Niphal-Perf-2mp

כַּ/תֹּ֨רֶן֙ tôren H8650 mast Prep | N-ms

עַל ʻal H5921 upon Prep

רֹ֣אשׁ rôʼsh H7218 head N-ms

הָ/הָ֔ר har H2022 mountain Art | N-ms

וְ/כַ/נֵּ֖ס nêç H5251 ensign Conj | Prep | N-ms

עַל ʻal H5921 upon Prep

הַ/גִּבְעָֽה gibʻâh H1389 Gibeat Art | N-fs

Hebrew Word Study

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Hebrew Word Reference — Isaiah 30:17

אֶ֣לֶף ʼeleph H505 "thousand" Adj

A thousand, as in Exodus 20:6 where God shows love to thousands of people. It represents a large number or a company of people under one leader, like an army or a group of soldiers.

Definition: : thousand 1) a thousand 1a) as numeral 2) a thousand, company 2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops

Usage: Occurs in 390 OT verses. KJV: thousand. See also: Genesis 20:16; Joshua 3:4; 2 Kings 18:23.

אֶחָ֗ד ʼechâd H259 "one" Adj

In the Bible, this Hebrew word means one or united, and is used to describe something that is single or unique. It is often translated as one, first, or alone. For example, in Genesis 1:5, God calls the light day and the darkness night, and separates them into one thing from another.

Definition: 1) one (number) 1a) one (number) 1b) each, every 1c) a certain 1d) an (indefinite article) 1e) only, once, once for all 1f) one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one 1g) first 1h) eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal)

Usage: Occurs in 739 OT verses. KJV: a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), [phrase] eleven, every, few, first, [phrase] highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together, See also: Genesis 1:5; Exodus 36:26; Numbers 7:70.

מִ/פְּנֵי֙ pânîym H6440 "face" Prep | N-cp

This word means face or presence, like being in front of someone or something. It's used in many contexts, like in Genesis, Exodus, and Psalms, to describe interactions and relationships.

Definition: : face 1) face 1a) face, faces 1b) presence, person 1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim) 1d) face (of animals) 1e) face, surface (of ground) 1f) as adv of loc/temp 1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before 1g) with prep 1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of

Usage: Occurs in 1891 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, [idiom] him(-self), [phrase] honourable, [phrase] impudent, [phrase] in, it, look(-eth) (-s), [idiom] me, [phrase] meet, [idiom] more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), [idiom] on, open, [phrase] out of, over against, the partial, person, [phrase] please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, [phrase] regard, right forth, [phrase] serve, [idiom] shewbread, sight, state, straight, [phrase] street, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them(-selves), through ([phrase] -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), [phrase] upon, upside ([phrase] down), with(-in, [phrase] -stand), [idiom] ye, [idiom] you. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 43:31; Exodus 30:16.

גַּעֲרַ֣ת gᵉʻârâh H1606 "rebuke" N-fs

A rebuke is a stern warning or correction, often given to someone who has done wrong. It is a way of reproof, aiming to guide the person back to the right path.

Definition: a rebuke, reproof

Usage: Occurs in 14 OT verses. KJV: rebuke(-ing), reproof. See also: 2 Samuel 22:16; Proverbs 13:8; Psalms 18:16.

אֶחָ֔ד ʼechâd H259 "one" Adj

מִ/פְּנֵ֛י pânîym H6440 "face" Prep | N-cp

This word means face or presence, like being in front of someone or something. It's used in many contexts, like in Genesis, Exodus, and Psalms, to describe interactions and relationships.

גַּעֲרַ֥ת gᵉʻârâh H1606 "rebuke" N-fs

A rebuke is a stern warning or correction, often given to someone who has done wrong. It is a way of reproof, aiming to guide the person back to the right path.

Definition: a rebuke, reproof

Usage: Occurs in 14 OT verses. KJV: rebuke(-ing), reproof. See also: 2 Samuel 22:16; Proverbs 13:8; Psalms 18:16.

חֲמִשָּׁ֖ה châmêsh H2568 "five" Adj

This Hebrew word simply means the number five. It is used throughout the Bible to describe quantities of five, such as five loaves of bread in Matthew 14:17. It can also mean a multiple of five.

Definition: 1) five 1a) five (cardinal number) 1b) a multiple of five (with another number) 1c) fifth (ordinal number)

Usage: Occurs in 272 OT verses. KJV: fif(-teen), fifth, five ([idiom] apiece). See also: Genesis 5:6; Numbers 31:45; Ezra 2:66.

תָּנֻ֑סוּ nûwç H5127 "to flee" V-Qal-Imperf-2mp

To flee means to quickly leave a place, like escaping from danger, as seen in the Bible when David fled from King Saul. It can also mean to disappear or vanish. In the book of Psalms, it describes God delivering his people from harm.

Definition: 1) to flee, escape 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to flee 1a2) to escape 1a3) to take flight, m depart, disappear 1a4) to fly (to the attack) on horseback 1b) (Polel) to drive at 1c) (Hithpolel) to take flight 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to put to flight 1d2) to drive hastily 1d3) to cause to disappear, hide Aramaic equivalent: nud (נוּד "to flee" H5111)

Usage: Occurs in 143 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] abate, away, be displayed, (make to) flee (away, -ing), put to flight, [idiom] hide, lift up a standard. See also: Genesis 14:10; 2 Samuel 17:2; Psalms 60:6.

עַ֣ד ʻad H5704 "till" Prep

This Hebrew word means until or as far as, describing a point in time or space. It's used in the Bible to set boundaries or limits, like in Exodus when describing the Israelites' journey.

Definition: prep 1) as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as 1a) of space 1a1) as far as, up to, even to 1b) in combination 1b1) from...as far as, both...and (with 'min' -from) 1c) of time 1c1) even to, until, unto, till, during, end 1d) of degree 1d1) even to, to the degree of, even like conj 2) until, while, to the point that, so that even Aramaic equivalent: ad (עַד "till" H5705)

Usage: Occurs in 1128 OT verses. KJV: against, and, as, at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as), (hither-) to, [phrase] how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that, till, toward, until, when, while, ([phrase] as) yet. See also: Genesis 3:19; Exodus 32:20; Numbers 23:24.

אִם ʼim H518 "if" Conj

This Hebrew word is used to express conditions or questions, like if or whether. It can also be used to make oaths or express wishes, as in Oh that! It appears in various forms in the KJV, including if, though, and when.

Definition: : if/whether_or/though 1) if 1a) conditional clauses 1a1) of possible situations 1a2) of impossible situations 1b) oath contexts 1b1) no, not 1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or 1d) when, whenever 1e) since 1f) interrogative particle 1g) but rather

Usage: Occurs in 931 OT verses. KJV: (and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), though, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] unless, [phrase] verily, when, whereas, whether, while, [phrase] yet. See also: Genesis 4:7; Exodus 22:3; Leviticus 27:27.

נוֹתַרְתֶּ֗ם yâthar H3498 "to remain" V-Niphal-Perf-2mp

The Hebrew word 'yâthar' means to remain or be left, and can also mean to excel or have more than enough, often translated as 'remain' or 'preserve'.

Definition: 1) to be left over, remain, remain over, leave 1a) (Qal) remainder (participle) 1b) (Niphal) to be left over, remain over, be left behind 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to leave over, leave 1c2) to save over, preserve alive 1c3) to excel, show pre-eminence 1c4) to show excess, have more than enough, have an excess

Usage: Occurs in 101 OT verses. KJV: excel, leave (a remnant), left behind, too much, make plenteous, preserve, (be, let) remain(-der, -ing, -nant), reserve, residue, rest. See also: Genesis 30:36; 2 Samuel 9:1; Psalms 79:11.

כַּ/תֹּ֨רֶן֙ tôren H8650 "mast" Prep | N-ms

A pole or mast, often used on a ship or as a flagstaff. It is also translated as a beacon, serving as a guide or signal, and is mentioned in the Bible as a visible marker or symbol.

Definition: beacon, mast, flagpole

Usage: Occurs in 3 OT verses. KJV: beacon, mast. See also: Isaiah 30:17; Isaiah 33:23; Ezekiel 27:5.

עַל ʻal H5921 "upon" Prep

This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.

Definition: prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) 1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity) 1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion) 1h) to (as a dative)

Usage: Occurs in 4493 OT verses. KJV: above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, [idiom] with. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 24:13; Genesis 41:33.

רֹ֣אשׁ rôʼsh H7218 "head" N-ms

This Hebrew word means chief or prince, and is used to describe leaders in the Bible, such as in the book of 1 Samuel. It signifies a position of authority and importance.

Definition: : head 1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning 1a) head (of man, animals) 1b) top, tip (of mountain) 1c) height (of stars) 1d) chief, head (of man, city, nation, place, family, priest) 1e) head, front, beginning 1f) chief, choicest, best 1g) head, division, company, band 1h) sum

Usage: Occurs in 547 OT verses. KJV: band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, [idiom] every (man), excellent, first, forefront, (be-)head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), [idiom] lead, [idiom] poor, principal, ruler, sum, top. See also: Genesis 2:10; Numbers 17:18; 2 Samuel 4:7.

הָ/הָ֔ר har H2022 "mountain" Art | N-ms

A mountain or hill, sometimes used to describe a spiritual high point. In the Bible, it can refer to a real mountain or a figurative one. The word is often translated as hill or mount.

Definition: : mount/hill hill, mountain, hill country, mount

Usage: Occurs in 486 OT verses. KJV: hill (country), mount(-ain), [idiom] promotion. See also: Genesis 7:19; Deuteronomy 3:12; Judges 18:13.

וְ/כַ/נֵּ֖ס nêç H5251 "ensign" Conj | Prep | N-ms

A nes is a flag or banner, often used as a signal or standard. It can also refer to a sail or flagstaff, and is sometimes used figuratively as a symbol or token.

Definition: 1) something lifted up, standard, signal, signal pole, ensign, banner, sign, sail 1a) standard (as rallying point), signal 1b) standard (pole) 1c) ensign, signal

Usage: Occurs in 20 OT verses. KJV: banner, pole, sail, (en-) sign, standard. See also: Numbers 21:8; Isaiah 31:9; Psalms 60:6.

עַל ʻal H5921 "upon" Prep

This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.

הַ/גִּבְעָֽה gibʻâh H1389 "Gibeat" Art | N-fs

Gibeat refers to a small hill, with the name meaning hill, and is another spelling of Gibeah. It appears in various KJV translations as hill or little hill.

Definition: This name means hill Another spelling of giv.ah (גִּבְעָה "Gibeah" H1390H)

Usage: Occurs in 71 OT verses. KJV: hill, little hill. See also: Genesis 49:26; Isaiah 30:17; Psalms 65:13.

Study Notes — Isaiah 30:17

Show Verse Quote Highlights

Context
Cross References
Isaiah 30:17 Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
Reflection Questions
Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 30:17
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 30:17
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Isaiah 30:17
Trapp's Commentary on Isaiah 30:17
Ellicott's Commentary on Isaiah 30:17
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Isaiah 30:17
Cambridge Bible on Isaiah 30:17
Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 30:17
Whedon's Commentary on Isaiah 30:17
Sermons on Isaiah 30:17

Context — The Worthless Treaty with Egypt

15For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said: “By repentance and rest you would be saved; your strength would lie in quiet confidence— but you were not willing.” 16“No,” you say, “we will flee on horses.” Therefore you will flee! “We will ride swift horses,” but your pursuers will be faster.

17A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee, until you are left alone like a pole on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill.

18Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He rises to show you compassion, for the LORD is a just God. Blessed are all who wait for Him. 19O people in Zion who dwell in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will surely be gracious when you cry for help; when He hears, He will answer you.

Cross References

	Reference	Text (BSB)
1	Deuteronomy 28:25	The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will march out against them in one direction but flee from them in seven. You will be an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.
2	Joshua 23:10	One of you can put a thousand to flight, because the LORD your God fights for you, just as He promised.
3	Deuteronomy 32:30	How could one man pursue a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up?
4	Leviticus 26:36	As for those of you who survive, I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies, so that even the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to flight. And they will flee as one flees the sword, and fall when no one pursues them.
5	Leviticus 26:8	Five of you will pursue a hundred, and a hundred of you will pursue ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.
6	Proverbs 28:1	The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
7	John 15:2–6	He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.
8	Romans 11:17	Now if some branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others to share in the nourishment of the olive root,
9	Isaiah 27:11	When its limbs are dry, they are broken off. Women come and use them for kindling; for this is a people without understanding. Therefore their Maker has no compassion on them, and their Creator shows them no favor.
10	Isaiah 1:7–8	Your land is desolate; your cities are burned with fire. Foreigners devour your fields before you— a desolation demolished by strangers. And the Daughter of Zion is abandoned like a shelter in a vineyard, like a shack in a cucumber field, like a city besieged.

Isaiah 30:17 Summary

[Isaiah 30:17 is saying that when we don't trust in God, even small threats can make us very afraid and cause us to run away, like the Israelites who wanted to flee on horses in Isaiah 30:16, but when we trust in God, we can have peace and confidence, as described in Psalm 23:4, where God is our shepherd and guide.]

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean to flee at the threat of one or five in Isaiah 30:17?

This verse illustrates the idea that even a small threat can cause great fear and panic when we are not trusting in God, as seen in the Israelites' lack of faith in Isaiah 30:15-16, and is similar to the fear described in Leviticus 26:36, where God's people are said to flee even when no one is pursuing them.

How does this verse relate to the idea of trusting in God's strength?

Isaiah 30:17 shows that when we trust in our own strength, like the Israelites who said 'we will flee on horses' in Isaiah 30:16, we will ultimately be left alone and vulnerable, but when we trust in God's strength, as described in Psalm 28:7, we can have confidence and peace.

What is the significance of the pole on a mountaintop and the banner on a hill in this verse?

The pole on a mountaintop and the banner on a hill in Isaiah 30:17 are symbols of isolation and vulnerability, emphasizing the consequences of trusting in our own strength rather than God's, as seen in Deuteronomy 32:30, where one person chases a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, but with God's help, as in Isaiah 31:1-3, we can have true strength and protection.

How does God's character relate to this verse?

Despite the warning of judgment in Isaiah 30:17, God's character is one of grace and compassion, as seen in Isaiah 30:18, where He longs to be gracious to His people, and in Lamentations 3:22-23, where His mercies are new every morning, and His faithfulness is great.

Reflection Questions

What are some areas in my life where I am trusting in my own strength rather than God's, and how can I surrender those areas to Him?
How does the idea of fleeing at the threat of one or five make me think about my own fears and anxieties, and what can I do to replace those fears with trust in God?
In what ways can I be like a pole on a mountaintop or a banner on a hill, isolated and vulnerable, and how can I seek God's protection and strength in those areas?
What does it mean to wait for God, as described in Isaiah 30:18, and how can I cultivate a spirit of waiting and trusting in my own life?

Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 30:17

One thousand [shall flee] at the rebuke of one,.... A troop of horse, consisting of a thousand men, shall flee upon the attack and onset of a single person, so dispirited should they be, and so

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 30:17

One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill. One thousand - Hebrew, 'elep (H505) 'echad.

Matthew Poole's Commentary on Isaiah 30:17

Shall flee; which words are fitly supplied out of the following clause. At the rebuke; either, 1. At his real rebuke, upon his assault or onset; or rather, 2. At his verbal rebuke, upon his mere threats, as fearing that he will proceed from words to blows. Shall ye flee; all of you, how numerous soever. Till ye be left as a beacon, & c.; till you be generally destroyed, and but a few of you left.

Trapp's Commentary on Isaiah 30:17

Isaiah 30:17 One thousand [shall flee] at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill.Ver. 17. One thousand shall flee.] See Deuteronomy 32:30, with the note. Until ye be left as a beacon.] Heb., A mast - i.e., a very poor few, or all alone, shred of all you had. This was fulfilled when Sennacherib wasted the country, even to the very walls of Jerusalem. Paucitatem salvandorum nobis insinuat, saith Oecolampadius.

Ellicott's Commentary on Isaiah 30:17

(17) One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one.—The hyperbole is natural and common enough (Deuteronomy 32:30; Joshua 23:10; Leviticus 26:8); but the fact that the inscription of King Piankhi Mer. Amon., translated in Records of the Past, ii. 84, gives it in the self-same words (“many shall turn their backs on a few; and one shall rout a thousand”) as his boast of the strength of Egypt, may have given a special touch of sarcasm to Isaiah’s words. As a beacon upon the top of a mountain.—Literally, as a pine. As with a poet’s eye, the prophet paints two of the most striking emblems of solitariness: the tall pine standing by itself on the mountain height, the flag-staff seen alone far off against the sky. (Comp. the lowlier imagery of Isa 1:8.)

Adam Clarke's Commentary on Isaiah 30:17

Verse 17. At the rebuke of five shall ye flee - "At the rebuke of five, ten thousand of you shall flee"] In the second line of this verse a word is manifestly omitted, which should answer to one thousand in the first: the Septuagint supply πολλοι, רבים rabbim. But the true word is רבבה rebabah, as I am persuaded any one will be convinced, who will compare the following passages with this place: - "How should one chase a thousand; And two put ten thousand (רבבה) to flight?" Deuteronomy 32:30. "And five of you shall chase a hundred; And a hundred of you shall chase (רבבה) ten thousand." Leviticus 26:8.

Cambridge Bible on Isaiah 30:17

17. Their flight will be disgraceful. The words at the rebuke of five seem to weaken the force of the preceding hyperbole; hence some critics would insert “a myriad” in the second clause, after Leviticus 26:8; Deuteronomy 32:30. beacon means “flag-staff” (elsewhere “mast”), cf. ch. Isaiah 33:23. 18 is frequently explained as a concluding threat—“Therefore will the Lord wait before having mercy on you”; will postpone your deliverance. But this interpretation does violence to the terms of the verse, which is really the introduction of a new section, full of glorious promises. The “waiting” of Jehovah is that of anxious expectancy for the opportune moment of intervention; His “exaltation” denotes His readiness to act. The emendation “he will be silent” for “he will be exalted” is unnecessary. It is difficult, however, to explain the conjunction “therefore,” after Isaiah 30:17; unless we can hold that it has adversative force (= “even under these circumstances,” “nevertheless”). The new passage seems to belong to a different time, and to continue another train of thought: see Isaiah 29:15-24. a God of judgment] or “justice.” that wait for him] Cf. ch. Isaiah 8:17; Psalms 33:20, &c.

Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 30:17

One thousand ... - The sense of this is, that you shall be easily alarmed and overcome by those who are inferior in numbers and strength. The number ‘one thousand,’ is put for a large indefinite number; probably meaning all.

Whedon's Commentary on Isaiah 30:17

15-17. The same Holy One continues. On condition alone of your turning back from Egypt and resting in my commands and counsels, can you be saved.

Sermons on Isaiah 30:17

	Sermon	Description
	One a Majority! by C.H. Spurgeon	C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes that one person with God is a majority, illustrating that divine strength can overcome any odds. He references biblical examples such as Gideon, Abram, Mos
	Praise by Hans R. Waldvogel	In this sermon, the preacher discusses the story of Elijah and his servant when they saw the mountains full of chariots, representing the enemy. The preacher emphasizes that when w
	America's Greatest Need by B.R. Lakin	Dr. B. R. Lakin delivers a powerful sermon titled 'America’s Greatest Need,' emphasizing the importance of patriotism, gratitude, responsibility, and faith in God for the nation's
	"Stronger Than he." by Watchman Nee	Watchman Nee emphasizes that Christ, the 'Stronger than he,' empowers believers to overcome sin and Satan through the Holy Spirit. He stresses the necessity of maintaining our posi
	Christ and His Children by C.H. Spurgeon	The preacher delves into the concept of timidity, exploring its various facets such as lack of mental or moral strength, reticence, cowardice, and shameful fear. Drawing from bibli
	Parables of Jesus - 02 Paying the Price by Zac Poonen	In this sermon, the speaker focuses on the parables of Jesus in Mark's Gospel, specifically the parables related to paying the price to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ. The firs
	Isaiah Chapter 30 by Stephen Kaung	In this sermon, the speaker addresses the issue of having a hard heart and not helping those in need. He tells a story of a brother who watched another brother drown multiple times