Isaiah 22:19 — Word Study
WLCוַהֲדַפְתִּ֖יךָ מִמַּצָּבֶ֑ךָ וּמִמַּעֲמָֽדְךָ֖ יֶהֶרְסֶֽךָ׃
BSAI will remove youHâdaph [thrust, drive, or push] from officematstsâb [your position, station, or place of authority] and you will be oustedhâraç▸ [pulled down, overthrown, or destroyed] from your positionmaʻămâd [office, or state or ministry]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַהֲדַפְתִּ֖יךָ | and I will push you | Verb qal sequential perfect first person common singular, suffix |
| מִמַּצָּבֶ֑ךָ | from office your | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| וּמִמַּעֲמָֽדְךָ֖ | and from post your | Conjunction, preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| יֶהֶרְסֶֽךָ׃ | he will tear down you | Verb qal imperfect third person masculine singular, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | I will remove you from office, and you will be ousted from your position. |
| KJV | And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down. |
| ASV | And I will thrust thee from thine office; and from thy station shalt thou be pulled down. |
| YLT | And I have thrust thee from thy station, And from thine office he throweth thee down. |
| WEB | I will thrust you from your office. You will be pulled down from your station. |
| BBE | And I will have you forced out of your place of authority, and pulled down from your position. |
Where they part company is מַצָּב and מַעֲמָד — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence has a main clause followed by two prepositional phrases, indicating the removal from two distinct positions of authority.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Isaiah 22:19
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Judgment Against a Leadergenerated
Isaiah 22:19 speaks of God's judgment, where He declares that a leader will be removed from their position and authority. This moment is part of a larger prophecy concerning the downfall of those who misuse their power, highlighting God's sovereignty over leadership. The surrounding verses illustrate the consequences of pride and the eventual rise of a new leader, Eliakim, as seen in the subsequent verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 40:11–12 | Unleash the fury of your wrath; look on every proud man and bring him low. |
| 2 | Psalm 75:6–7 | For exaltation comes neither from east nor west, nor out of the desert, |
| 3 | Ezekiel 17:24 | Then all the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD. I bring the tall tree down and make the low tree tall. I dry up the green tree and make the withered tree flourish. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it.’” |
| 4 | Luke 1:52 | He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has exalted the humble. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — הָדַף, ha.dafgenerated
The verb הָדַף (hadaph) means to thrust, push, or drive away. It is used in contexts where someone is expelled or deposed, indicating a forceful removal from a position.
In this verse, the form is a perfect tense, first person singular, indicating that the speaker (God) will act decisively to remove the leader from their office. This choice of word emphasizes the authority and power behind the action of removal.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb in this verse is הֲדַפְתִּי (ha.daf.Ti), meaning 'I will push', which governs the actions that follow. The structure is straightforward, with a clear subject-verb-object format.
The sentence is composed of two main actions: the removal from office and the tearing down of the leader, both indicating a decisive judgment by God.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates הָדַף as ἀφαιρεθήσῃ (aphairethēsei), meaning 'you will be taken away'. This choice emphasizes the act of removal, aligning with the Hebrew meaning but focusing on the consequence rather than the force of the action.
The Greek rendering of מַצָּב and מַעֲמָד as σου suggests a personal loss of position, reinforcing the idea of personal accountability in leadership.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Isaiah 22:19 states that God will remove a leader from their office and tear down their authority. This reflects God's judgment on those who misuse their power, showing that He has the ultimate authority over leadership.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Being removed from office signifies a loss of authority and responsibility, often due to failure or wrongdoing, as seen in God's judgment.
The tearing down of authority illustrates God's power to judge and replace leaders who do not uphold justice and righteousness.
This verse serves as a reminder that leaders are accountable for their actions and that God ultimately governs all authority.
We learn that God values righteousness and justice in leadership, and that misuse of power leads to consequences.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I see authority being misused in my community?
- How can I ensure that I act justly in positions of influence?
- What does this passage teach me about accountability in leadership?
- How can I support leaders who strive to uphold righteousness?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Isaiah 22:19 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd I will drive thee from thy station,.... Or thou shalt be driven from it, according to my word; this is said by the prophet, and expresses his being degraded from his office by the king, according
Read John Gill on Isaiah 22 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down. State - office. Shall he (God) pull thee down. A similar change of persons occurs, Isaiah 34:16.
Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 22 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleAnd I; the Lord, whose words these are, , as is manifest from the following verses. Shall he; the Lord; such sudden changes of persons being very usual in these writings.
Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 22 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsIsaiah 22:19 And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down.Ver. 19. And I must drive thee from thy station.] This was done in part when, as of a great master of the court, chancellor, lord marshal, or lord high treasurer - for so many ways the word Sochem is rendered - he was made scribe or secretary, which was a far inferior place, but much more when all that befell him that is threatened, as it did, no doubt.
Read John Trapp on Isaiah 22 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(19) I will drive thee . . . shall he pull thee down.—The change of person has led some interpreters to refer the latter clause to Hezekiah. Such changes, however, are common enough in Hebrew prophetic speech (e.g., Isaiah 10:12; Isaiah 42:13-14), and Jehovah is the subject of both clauses.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 22 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 19. I will drive thee] אהרסך ehersecha, in the first person, Syr. Vulg.
Read AdamClarke on Isaiah 22 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges19. The subject here is Jehovah; the change of person resembles that in Isaiah 10:12. After Isaiah 22:18, the verse reads like an anti-climax, but it is added to prepare for
Read Cambridge on Isaiah 22 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleAnd from thy state - From thy office; thy place of trust and responsibility. Shall he pull thee down - That is, “God” shall do it. The prophet here uses the third person instead of the first.
Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 22 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
I will remove you from office, and you will be ousted from your position.
I will thrust you from your office. You will be pulled down from your station.
I will remove you from office, and you will be ousted from your position.
I will remove you from your office; you will be thrown down from your position.
Tyndale line
And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down.
And I will thrust thee from thine office; and from thy station shalt thou be pulled down.
And I will thrust thee from thine office, and from thy station shall he pull thee down.
And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down.
And I wil driue thee from thy station, and out of thy dwelling will he destroy thee.
Strictly literal
And I will drive thee from thine office, and from thy station will I pull thee down.
And I have thrust thee from thy station, And from thine office he throweth thee down.
And I have thrust you from your station, || And he throws you down from your office.
And I will cast thee out from thy station, and from thy post shall he pull thee down.
“I will thrust you from your office and from your station. You will be pulled down.
From the Latin
And I will drive thee out From thy station, and depose thee from thy ministry.
Simplified
I will push you out of office, I will strip you of your position.
And I will have you forced out of your place of authority, and pulled down from your position.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text states: "וַהֲדַפְתִּ֖יךָ מִמַּצָּבֶ֑ךָ וּמִמַּעֲמָֽדְךָ֖ יֶהֶרְסֶֽךָ׃" The Septuagint aligns closely with the Masoretic Text, matching three out of four words, although it presents them in a different order and structure. The Dead Sea Scrolls, particularly 1Qisaa, also agree with the Masoretic Text, preserving the same four words: "והדפתי׳ך ממצב׳ך וממעמד׳ך הרס׳ך". However, 1Q8 and 4Q55 contain only part of the text, with three words supplied by an editor, while 4Q60 has three words preserved and one supplied, indicating some variation in the manuscript tradition. Overall, the core message remains consistent across the witnesses, with minor differences in preservation and editorial restoration.
וַהֲדַפְתִּ֖יךָ מִמַּצָּבֶ֑ךָ וּמִמַּעֲמָֽדְךָ֖ יֶהֶרְסֶֽךָ׃
3 of the 4 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
והדפתי׳ך ממצב׳ך וממעמד׳ך הרס׳ך
4 words on the leather.
[והדפתי׳ך] [ממצב׳ך] [וממעמד׳ך] [יהרס׳ך]
nothing on the leather here — 4 supplied entire by an editor.
והדפתי׳ך [ממצב׳ך] [וממעמד׳ך] [יהרס׳ך]
1 word on the leather — 3 supplied entire by an editor.
[והדפתי׳ך] ממצב׳ך וממעמד׳כ יהסיר׳ך
3 words on the leather — 1 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Isaiah 22:19
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
הָדַף (Hadaph) is a Hebrew verb meaning to thrust, push, or drive away. It encompasses actions like casting out or expelling, and can also imply deposing someone. The entries consistently highlight its use in the context of physical force or removal.
[הָדַף] vb. thrust, push, drive
Qal
thrust, push
thrust out, drive out
= depose
base
H1920 [הָדַף] thrust, push, drive
1920 Hadaph haw-daf'
a prim root; to push away or down:--cast away (out), drive,
expel, thrust (away).
הָדַף (ha.daph) — to thrust.
1) to thrust, push, drive, cast away, cast out, expel, thrust away
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to thrust, push
1a2) to drive out, thrust out
1a3) to depose
Conj | V-Qal-1cs | Suff — Verb qal sequential perfect first person common singular · suffixHc/Vqq1cs/Sp2ms
The Hebrew word מַצָּב (matstsab) refers to a standing-place or station, often in a military context, such as a garrison or post. It is derived from a root meaning 'to stand' and can also denote an office or position. The entries consistently emphasize its use in describing fixed locations or roles.
מַצָּב n.m. standing-place, station, garrison
base
H4673 מַצָּב standing-place, station, garrison
4673 matstsab mats-tsawb'
from 5324; a fixed spot; figuratively, an office, a military
post:--garrison, station, place where...stood.
see HEBREW for 05324
מַצָּב (mats.tsav) — station.
1) station, garrison, standing-place
1a) standing-place (of feet)
1b) station, office, position
1c) garrison, post, outpost
Prep | N-ms | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms
מַעֲמָד (ma`amad) refers to an office or function, encompassing meanings like attendance, service, and position. It is derived from the root meaning to stand or wait, suggesting a role or station someone occupies. The entries consistently emphasize its application in contexts related to duty or service.
[מַעֲמָד] n.[m.] office, function, service
station, office, post
office, function
service, prob. specif. waiting at table (strictly mode of standing)
base
H4612 [מַעֲמָד] office, function, service
4612 ma`amad mah-am-awd'
from 5975; (figuratively) a position:--attendance, office,
place, state.
see HEBREW for 05975
מַעֲמָד (ma.a.mad) — office.
1) attendance, office, function, service
1a) station, office, post
1b) office, function
1c) service
Conj | Prep | N-ms | Suff — Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHC/R/Ncmsc/Sp2ms
הָרַס (harac) is a Hebrew verb meaning to throw down, break, or tear down. It covers a range of actions including overthrowing, destroying, and breaking through. The entries indicate it can be used in various forms, such as Qal, Niphal, and Piel, each reflecting different nuances of the action.
הָרַס vb. throw down, break or tear down
Qal
throw down, tear down
break down, break away
break through
Niph. be thrown or torn down
Pi. overthrow, tear down
base
H2040 הָרַס throw down, break or tear down .. throw down, tear down
. break down, break away
. break through
. be thrown or torn down
. overthrow, tear down
2040 harac haw-ras'
a primitive root; to pull down or in pieces, break,
&Š destroy:--beat down, break (down, through), destroy,
overthrow, pluck down, pull down, ruin, throw down, X utterly.
הָרַס (ha.ras) — to overthrow.
1) to tear down, break down, overthrow, beat down, break, break through, destroy, pluck down, pull down, throw down, ruined, destroyer, utterly
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to throw down, tear down
1a2) to break through
1a3) to break down, break away
1b) (Niphal) to be torn down, be thrown down
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to overthrow, tear down
1c2) destroyer (participle)
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms | Suff — Verb qal imperfect third person masculine singular · suffixHVqi3ms/Sp2ms