Isaiah 44:4
Isaiah 44:4 in Multiple Translations
They will sprout among the grass like willows by flowing streams.
And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.
and they shall spring up among the grass, as willows by the watercourses.
And they will come up like grass in a well-watered field, like water-plants by the streams.
They will grow up among the grass, like willows beside streams.
And they shall grow as among the grasse, and as the willowes by the riuers of waters.
And they have sprung up as among grass, As willows by streams of water.
and they will spring up among the grass, as willows by the watercourses.
And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the watercourses.
And they shall spring up among the herbs, as willows beside the running waters.
They will grow up like [SIM] grass grows along the water, like [SIM] willow/poplar trees grow well along a riverbank.
Berean Amplified Bible — Isaiah 44:4
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 44:4 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
וְ/צָמְח֖וּ
בְּ/בֵ֣ין
חָצִ֑יר
כַּ/עֲרָבִ֖ים
עַל
יִבְלֵי
מָֽיִם
וְ/צָמְח֖וּ
tsâmach
H6779
to spring
Conj | V-Qal-3cp
בְּ/בֵ֣ין
bêyn
H996
between
Prep | Prep
חָצִ֑יר
châtsîyr
H2682
grass
N-ms
כַּ/עֲרָבִ֖ים
ʻârâb
H6155
willow
Prep | N-fp
עַל
ʻal
H5921
upon
Prep
יִבְלֵי
yâbâl
H2988
stream
N-mp
מָֽיִם
mayim
H4325
Water (Gate)
N-mp
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Isaiah 44:4
וְ/צָמְח֖וּ
tsâmach
H6779
"to spring"
Conj | V-Qal-3cp
To spring or grow is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which can describe plants, hair, or even ideas. It's used to talk about new life or development, like a seed sprouting or a person's speech growing more fluent.
Definition: 1) to sprout, spring up, grow up 1a)(Qal) 1a1) to sprout, spring up 1a1a) of plants 1a1b) of hair 1a1c) of speech (fig.) 1b) (Piel) to grow abundantly or thickly 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to cause to grow 1c2) to cause to sprout
Usage: Occurs in 32 OT verses. KJV: bear, bring forth, (cause to, make to) bud (forth), (cause to, make to) grow (again, up), (cause to) spring (forth, up). See also: Genesis 2:5; Psalms 104:14; Psalms 85:12.
בְּ/בֵ֣ין
bêyn
H996
"between"
Prep | Prep
Between is the meaning of this preposition, used to show a location or a choice, like either or, as seen in Exodus where it describes the space between two objects.
Definition: : between between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between
Usage: Occurs in 248 OT verses. KJV: among, asunder, at, between (-twixt...and), [phrase] from (the widest), [idiom] in, out of, whether (it be...or), within. See also: Genesis 1:4; Joshua 24:7; Psalms 68:14.
חָצִ֑יר
châtsîyr
H2682
"grass"
N-ms
In the Bible, this word can mean grass or a type of plant, like a leek. It appears in Numbers 5:18, describing a ritual involving holy water and a grain offering.
Definition: 1a) grass 1b) of the quickly perishing (fig.)
Usage: Occurs in 20 OT verses. KJV: grass, hay, herb, leek. See also: Numbers 11:5; Psalms 147:8; Psalms 37:2.
כַּ/עֲרָבִ֖ים
ʻârâb
H6155
"willow"
Prep | N-fp
In the Bible, this word refers to a type of tree, specifically a willow or poplar, often found near water sources like rivers. It's mentioned in passages like Ezekiel and Isaiah, describing a tree with dark wood. The willow tree has cultural significance in Jewish tradition.
Definition: 1) poplar, willow 1a) a tree characterised by dark wood
Usage: Occurs in 5 OT verses. KJV: willow. See also: Leviticus 23:40; Psalms 137:2; Isaiah 15:7.
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.
יִבְלֵי
yâbâl
H2988
"stream"
N-mp
This Hebrew word refers to a stream or watercourse, often used for irrigation. It's a simple, descriptive term used in various biblical contexts.
Definition: 1) a stream, watercourse 1a) as irrigating
Usage: Occurs in 2 OT verses. KJV: (water-) course, stream. See also: Isaiah 30:25; Isaiah 44:4.
מָֽיִם
mayim
H4325
"Water (Gate)"
N-mp
This word means water, referring to a liquid or a source of refreshment. It appears in the Bible as a literal and figurative term, including references to wasting or urine. The word is used in various contexts, such as in Genesis and Leviticus.
Definition: This name means water, refreshment
Usage: Occurs in 525 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)). See also: Genesis 1:2; Leviticus 14:9; Joshua 18:15.
Study Notes — Isaiah 44:4
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Isaiah 44:4 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 44:4
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 44:4
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Isaiah 44:4
- Trapp's Commentary on Isaiah 44:4
- Ellicott's Commentary on Isaiah 44:4
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Isaiah 44:4
- Cambridge Bible on Isaiah 44:4
- Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 44:4
- Whedon's Commentary on Isaiah 44:4
- Sermons on Isaiah 44:4
Context — The LORD Has Chosen Israel
2This is the word of the LORD, your Maker, who formed you from the womb and who will help you: “Do not be afraid, O Jacob My servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and currents on the dry ground. I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.
4They will sprout among the grass like willows by flowing streams.
5One will say, ‘I belong to the LORD,’ another will call himself by the name of Jacob, and still another will write on his hand, ‘The LORD’s,’ and will take the name of Israel.” 6Thus says the LORD, the King and Redeemer of Israel, the LORD of Hosts: “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God but Me.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaiah 58:11 | The LORD will always guide you; He will satisfy you in a sun-scorched land and strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. |
| 2 | Psalms 1:3 | He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does. |
| 3 | Psalms 92:13–15 | Planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. In old age they will still bear fruit; healthy and green they will remain, to proclaim, “The LORD is upright; He is my Rock, and in Him there is no unrighteousness.” |
| 4 | Ezekiel 17:5 | He took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil; he placed it by abundant waters and set it out like a willow. |
| 5 | Acts 4:4 | But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand. |
| 6 | Psalms 137:1–2 | By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the willows we hung our harps, |
| 7 | Acts 5:14 | Yet more and more believers were brought to the Lord—large numbers of both men and women. |
| 8 | Isaiah 61:11 | For as the earth brings forth its growth, and as a garden enables seed to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations. |
| 9 | Acts 2:41–47 | Those who embraced his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to the believers that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. A sense of awe came over everyone, and the apostles performed many wonders and signs. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they shared with anyone who was in need. With one accord they continued to meet daily in the temple courts and to break bread from house to house, sharing their meals with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. |
| 10 | Job 40:22 | The lotus plants conceal him in their shade; the willows of the brook surround him. |
Isaiah 44:4 Summary
[Isaiah 44:4 is a beautiful picture of what happens when God's people are filled with His Spirit and His Word. Just like willows thrive by streams of water, believers can flourish and grow in their faith when they are connected to God's presence and power, as seen in Psalms 92:12-14. This growth is not just about us, but about being a source of life and nourishment to those around us, much like the description in Matthew 5:13-16 of believers being salt and light in the world.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean for God's people to 'sprout among the grass like willows by flowing streams'?
This phrase, found in Isaiah 44:4, symbolizes the flourishing and growth of God's people, much like the way willows thrive by streams, as seen in Psalms 1:3, where a blessed person is compared to a tree planted by streams of water.
How does this verse relate to the Holy Spirit?
The image of sprouting by flowing streams is connected to the pouring out of God's Spirit in Isaiah 44:3, indicating that the flourishing of God's people is a result of the Holy Spirit's work, as also seen in Ezekiel 36:27 where God promises to put His Spirit within His people.
What kind of growth can we expect as believers?
The growth described in Isaiah 44:4 is not just physical or numerical, but also spiritual, as believers are nourished by the 'flowing streams' of God's presence and Word, much like the growth described in Ephesians 4:15-16, where believers grow up in every way into Christ.
Is this verse only for Israel or does it apply to all believers?
While Isaiah 44:4 is addressed to Israel, the principle of spiritual growth and flourishing by the power of the Holy Spirit applies to all believers, as seen in Romans 11:17-24, where Gentile believers are grafted into the olive tree of God's people, and in John 7:37-39, where Jesus promises rivers of living water to all who believe in Him.
Reflection Questions
- How have you experienced spiritual growth and flourishing in your life, and what 'streams' have nourished you?
- What are some areas in your life where you feel dry and in need of the 'pouring out' of God's Spirit, as mentioned in Isaiah 44:3?
- In what ways can you, like a willow by a stream, be a source of comfort, shade, and nourishment to those around you?
- How does the promise of Isaiah 44:4 encourage you to trust in God's care and provision for your life, even in times of uncertainty?
Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 44:4
And they shall spring up as among the grass,.... That is, such on whom the Spirit of the Lord shall be poured with his gifts and grace, and with the blessings of it: by the "grass" may be meant
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 44:4
And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. They - thy "seed" and "offspring;" literally, thy offshoots (Isaiah 44:3).
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Isaiah 44:4
They shall spring up as among the grass; they shall increase and flourish like grass, and those herbs and plants which grow up in the midst of it.
Trapp's Commentary on Isaiah 44:4
Isaiah 44:4 And they shall spring up [as] among the grass, as willows by the water courses.Ver. 4. As willows by the water courses.] Not only as the grass, but by a further growth, as the willows, which are often looped, sed ab ipso vulnere vires sumunt, but soon thrust forth new branches; and though cut down to the bottom, yet will grow up again; so will the Church and her children. Uberius resurgunt, altiusque excrescunt.
Ellicott's Commentary on Isaiah 44:4
(4) As willows.—The same word as in Psalms 137:2 and Isaiah 15:7. Botanists identify it with a species of Viburnum, which grows on the banks of streams, rather than with the “weeping” or other species of Salix.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Isaiah 44:4
Verse 4. They shall spring up as among the grass - "They shall spring up as the grass among the waters"] בבין חציר bebeyn chatsir, "They shall spring up in the midst of, or rather, in among, the grass." This cannot be right: eleven MSS., and thirteen editions, have כבין kebeyn, or כבן keben. Twenty-four MSS. read it without the י yod, בבן beben, in the son of the grass; and so reads the Chaldee; בבן beben, in the son of the grass. Twenty-four MSS. of Dr. Kennicott's, thirty-three of De Rossi's, and one of my own, with six editions, have this reading. The Syriac, מבין mibbeyn. The true reading is in all probability כבין kebeyn; and the word מים mayim, which should have followed it, is lost out of the text: but it is happily supplied by the Septuagint, ὡςαναμεσονὑδατος, as among the water. "In every place where there is water, there is always grass; for water makes every thing grow in the east." Sir John Chardin's note on 1Kg 17:5. Harmer's Observations i. 64.
Cambridge Bible on Isaiah 44:4
4. spring up as among the grass] R.V., more accurately, omits “as”; but the text is unquestionably corrupt. There is no doubt that the LXX. preserves the true reading: spring up as grass among the waters. (Instead of the impossible ααοηφιψ, read λαιοξινηφιψ.) willows] or poplars; see on ch. Isaiah 15:7.
Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 44:4
And they shall spring up - The idea is, that as plants and trees planted by water-courses, and in well-watered fields, grow and flourish, so should their children grow in virtue, hope, piety, and zeal.
Whedon's Commentary on Isaiah 44:4
4. They — Jehovah’s spiritual seed, converted Jews and Gentiles. Spring up as among the grass — In Isaiah 40:6-8, grass was the emblem for perishable mankind.
Sermons on Isaiah 44:4
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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Memoirs: 5.\tDays of Revival\t 129 by Robert Murray M'Cheyne | Robert Murray M'Cheyne reflects on the days of revival in Dundee, where he was joyfully welcomed back by his congregation after a period of absence. He describes the profound emoti |
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A Man of Discipline by Zac Poonen | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the concept of fasting and the type of fast that God desires. He emphasizes that God is not pleased with a fast that is only outwardly observ |
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No Peace for the Wicked by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the story of King David and his guilt after taking the widow of a fallen soldier as his wife. David felt restless and burdened by his wrongdoi |
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How the Spirit Leads Us - Part 6 by Zac Poonen | This sermon emphasizes the process of spiritual cleansing and growth in a believer's life. It distinguishes between the initial cleansing of past sins through Christ's blood at sal |
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John's Gospel - Streams of Living Water by John Vissers | In this sermon, the speaker describes a significant event in the Gospel of John that took place during the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. The festival was a time of celebration |
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The Letter S by Walter Wilson | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of being close to God and having a personal relationship with Him. They use the analogy of sheep and a shepherd to illustrate |
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Thirsting After God by Keith Price | In this sermon, the speaker shares a personal experience of walking through a narrow passageway with his friends. He then introduces the concept of the various images of Jesus in t |