Isaiah 33:4 — Word Study
WLCוְאֻסַּ֣ף שְׁלַלְכֶ֔ם אֹ֖סֶף הֶֽחָסִ֑יל כְּמַשַּׁ֥ק גֵּבִ֖ים שׁוֹקֵ֥ק בּֽוֹ׃
BSAYour spoil, [O nations,]shâlâl [plunder, booty] is gatheredʼâçaph [collected, amassed] as by locustschâçîyl [like a swarm of caterpillers] like a swarmmashshâq△ [mass, multitude] of locustsgêb△ [grasshoppers, devouring insects] men sweepshâqaq [rush, run]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְאֻסַּ֣ף | and it will be gathered | Verb, Pual, sequential perfect third person masculine singular |
| שְׁלַלְכֶ֔ם | plunder your | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| אֹ֖סֶף | gathering of | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| הֶֽחָסִ֑יל | locust[s] | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| כְּמַשַּׁ֥ק | like [the] rushing of | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| גֵּבִ֖ים | locusts | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| שׁוֹקֵ֥ק | [someone will be] rushing | Verb, Qal, participle (active) masculine singular |
| בּֽוֹ׃ | on it | Preposition, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Your spoil, O nations, is gathered as by locusts; like a swarm of locusts men sweep over it. |
| KJV | And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them. |
| ASV | And your spoil shall be gathered as the caterpillar gathereth: as locusts leap shall men leap upon it. |
| YLT | And gathered hath been your spoil, A gathering of the caterpillar, As a running to and fro of locusts is he running on it. |
| WEB | Your plunder will be gathered as the caterpillar gathers. Men will leap on it as locusts leap. |
| BBE | And the goods taken in war will be got together like the massing of young locusts; men will be rushing on them like the rushing of locusts. |
The translations agree on the gathering aspect of אֻסַּף — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause is followed by a comparative phrase and a simile, illustrating the method and manner of the gathering.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbאָסַף
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
2 of 8 occur nowhere else in the Old Testament — words chosen on purpose.
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 33:4
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 — The Judgment on Nationsgenerated
Isaiah 33:4 describes the gathering of plunder from nations, likening it to a swarm of locusts. This imagery conveys the swift and overwhelming nature of judgment upon those who oppose God. The surrounding verses highlight the power of God's voice and His exalted position, emphasizing His sovereignty over all nations, as seen in Isaiah 33:3 and Isaiah 33:5.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaiah 33:23 | Your ropes are slack; they cannot secure the mast or spread the sail. Then an abundance of spoils will be divided, and even the lame will carry off plunder. |
| 2 | 2 Kings 7:15–16 | And they tracked them as far as the Jordan, and indeed, the whole way was littered with the clothing and equipment the Arameans had thrown off in haste. So the scouts returned and told the king. |
| 3 | 2 Chronicles 14:13 | Then Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar. The Cushites fell and could not recover, for they were crushed before the LORD and His army. So the people of Judah carried off a great amount of plunder |
| 4 | 2 Chronicles 20:25 | Then Jehoshaphat and his people went to carry off the plunder, and they found on the bodies an abundance of goods and valuables —more than they could carry away. They were gathering the plunder for three days because there was so much. |
| 5 | Joel 2:9–25 | They storm the city; they run along the wall; they climb into houses, entering through windows like thieves. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אֻסַּף, ve.'u.Safgenerated
The Hebrew verb אָסַף (acaph) means to gather or collect, often for a specific purpose. In this verse, it is in the Pual form, indicating a passive action where the nations' plunder is being gathered by an unspecified agent.
This verb encompasses actions such as assembling or removing, and its usage here suggests a forceful collection of spoils, much like a harvest. The context of judgment adds weight to the gathering, portraying it as a divine act.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses gathered to translate אֻסַּף.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb of the sentence is אֻסַּף, it will be gathered, which governs the subject and describes the action being taken. The structure includes noun phrases that elaborate on the subject, such as the plunder and the locusts.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the action of gathering, with the subject following the verb, which is typical in Hebrew prose.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates אֻסַּף as συναξθήσεται, meaning 'it will be gathered.' This choice reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew meaning of gathering.
The use of συναγάγῃ for אֹסֶף also indicates the gathering context, suggesting a consistent interpretation across the translations.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Isaiah 33:4 describes how the nations' plunder is gathered like a swarm of locusts. This imagery illustrates the overwhelming nature of God's judgment, emphasizing that the plunder will be swiftly collected, similar to how locusts sweep over fields.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The locusts symbolize the overwhelming and destructive nature of the gathering of plunder, indicating the swift judgment upon nations.
The surrounding verses emphasize God's power and authority, setting the stage for the judgment described in this verse.
Plunder refers to the spoils or booty taken from enemies, especially in the context of war.
Gathering signifies the culmination of judgment and the collection of what belongs to God, reinforcing His sovereignty over nations.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I see God's judgment manifesting in the world today?
- How can I understand the concept of gathering in my own life, particularly in terms of community and resources?
- What does this passage teach me about the nature of God's authority over nations?
- How can I apply the imagery of locusts to understand the urgency of responding to God's call?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Isaiah 33:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd your spoil shall be gathered [like] the gathering of the caterpillar,.... This is the answer of the Lord to the prayer of his church, signifying that their enemies should flee, be scattered, and
Read John Gill on Isaiah 33 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWoe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee!
Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 33 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleYour spoil, that treasure which you have raked together by spoiling divers people, shall be gathered by the Jews at Jerusalem, when you shall be forced to flee away with all possible speed, leaving your spoils behind you. Like the gathering of the caterpillar; either, 1. Passively, with as much ease, and in as great numbers, as caterpillars are gathered and destroyed. Or rather, 2. Actively, as appears from the next clause; as caterpillars or locusts (for the word signifies either) gather and devour all the fruits of the earth; which was a common plague in those countries. As the running to and fro of locusts; as locusts, especially when they are sent and armed by commission from God, come…
Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 33 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsIsaiah 33:4 And your spoil shall be gathered [like] the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.Ver. 4. And your spoils shall be gathered.] The spoil of the Assyrian’ s camp now become yours. Like the gathering of caterpillars.] Quae ad hominum concursum omnes repente disperguntur, which are soon rid, when men set themselves to destroy them.
Read John Trapp on Isaiah 33 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(4) Your spoil . . .—The words are addressed to the invader. He who came to spoil should find himself spoiled. As caterpillars and locusts devour the green herbage, so should he (or they, the indefinite pronoun standing for the people of Jerusalem) strip his camp of all its treasures.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 33 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges4. like the gathering of the caterpillar] i.e. “as the caterpillar gathers.” The last word (meaning “devourer”) is one of many names for the locust. It is sometimes taken as gen. of obj. (“as men gather locusts”), the creature being an article of diet among the poorer classes in the East; but this is opposed to the next clause. On the “running” of the locust, see Joe 2:9, where the same verb is employed. The locusts in the figure represent the Israelites (Isaiah 33:23).
Read Cambridge on Isaiah 33 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleAnd your spoil - The booty that the Assyrian army bad gathered in their march toward Jerusalem, and which would now be left by them to be collected by the Jews.
Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 33 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible3, 4. The prophet is not left in doubt. He sees the answer. The deliverance is yet future, but he sees it as if it were past, or now transpiring.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Isaiah 33 →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
Your spoil, O nations, is gathered as by locusts; like a swarm of locusts men sweep over it.
Your plunder will be gathered as the caterpillar gathers. Men will leap on it as locusts leap.
Your spoil, O nations, is gathered as by locusts; like a swarm of locusts men sweep over it.
Your plunder disappears as if locusts were eating it; they swarm over it like locusts!
Tyndale line
And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.
And your spoil shall be gathered as the caterpillar gathereth: as locusts leap shall men leap upon it.
And your spoil shall be gathered as the caterpiller gathereth: as locusts leap shall they leap upon it.
And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpillar: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.
And your spoyle shall be gathered like the gathering of caterpillers: and he shall go against him like the leaping of grashoppers.
Strictly literal
And your spoil shall be gathered [like] the gathering of the caterpillar: as the running of locusts shall they run upon it.
And gathered hath been your spoil, A gathering of the caterpillar, As a running to and fro of locusts is he running on it.
And Your spoil has been gathered, || A gathering of the caterpillar, || As a running to and fro of locusts || He is running on it.
And your spoil shall be gathered as the cricket gathereth: as locusts run about, so shall people hasten after it.
Your spoil is gathered as the locusts gather; as locusts leap, men leap on it.
From the Latin
And your spoils shall be gathered together as the locusts are gathered, as when the ditches are full of them.
Simplified
You plunder defeated enemy armies like caterpillars eating up plants; like an attack of swarming locusts.
And the goods taken in war will be got together like the massing of young locusts; men will be rushing on them like the rushing of locusts.
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 and the Septuagint show agreement in the core elements of the verse, with the Septuagint matching six of the eight words from the Hebrew. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain variations with some words restored by editors, but the overall message remains consistent.
וְאֻסַּ֣ף שְׁלַלְכֶ֔ם אֹ֖סֶף הֶֽחָסִ֑יל כְּמַשַּׁ֥ק גֵּבִ֖ים שׁוֹקֵ֥ק בּֽוֹ׃
6 of the 8 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.
ואסף שלל׳כמה [אסף] [החסל] [כמשק] [גבים] [שוקק] [ב׳ו]
1 word on the leather — 1 partly restored, 6 supplied entire by an editor.
ואסף שלל׳כמ אסף החסיל משק גבים שקק ב׳ו
8 words on the leather.
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 33:4
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.
אָסַף (acaph) is a Hebrew verb meaning to gather or remove. It encompasses a range of actions including collecting, assembling, and withdrawing. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hithpael, indicating different nuances like gathering individuals or being gathered. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.
אָסַף 209 vb. gather, remove
Qal
gather, collect
gather an individual into company of others
bring up the rear of
gather and take away, remove, withdraw
Niph.
assemble, be gathered, reflex.
pass. of Qal 2
Pass. of Qal 4; be taken away, removed, perish
Pi.
gather harvest
take in, receive into
as subst. rearguard, rearward
Pu. be gathered, of men
Hithp. gather themselves
base
H622 אָסַף gather, remove
622 'acaph aw-saf'
a primitive root; to gather for any purpose; hence, to
receive, take away, i.e. remove (destroy, leave behind, put
up, restore, etc.):--assemble, bring, consume, destroy,
felch, gather (in, together, up again), X generally, get
(him), lose, put all together, receive, recover (another from
leprosy), (be) rereward, X surely, take (away, into, up), X
utterly, withdraw.
אָסַף (a.saph) — to gather.
1) to gather, receive, remove, gather in
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to gather, collect
1a2) to gather (an individual into company of others)
1a3) to bring up the rear
1a4) to gather and take away, remove, withdraw
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to assemble, be gathered
1b2) (pass of Qal 1a2)
1b2a) to be gathered to one's fathers
1b2b) to be brought in or into (association with others)
1b3) (pass of Qal 1a4)
1b3a) to be taken away, removed, perish
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to gather (harvest)
1c2) to take in, receive into
1c3) rearguard, rearward (subst)
1d) (Pual) to be gathered
1e) (Hithpael) to gather oneself or themselves
Conj | V-Pual-3ms — Verb · Pual · sequential perfect third person masculine singularHc/VPq3ms
שָׁלָל (shalal) refers to prey, spoil, or plunder, often in the context of war. It is derived from the root word שָׁלַל (H7997). The term encompasses various forms of gain, including private plunder and booty. The entries consistently emphasize its association with spoils of war.
שָׁלָל 75 n.m. prey, spoil, plunder, booty
base
H7998 שָׁלָל prey, spoil, plunder, booty
7998 shalal shaw-lawl'
from 7997; booty:--prey, spoil.
see HEBREW for 07997
שָׁלָל (sha.lal) — spoil.
1) prey, plunder, spoil, booty
1a) prey
1b) booty, spoil, plunder (of war)
1c) plunder (private)
1d) gain (meaning uncertain)
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp2mp
The Hebrew word אֹ֫סֵף (oceph) means 'gathering' or 'collection,' particularly in the context of fruits or harvests. It is derived from the root meaning associated with gathering (H622). The entries consistently emphasize its use as a noun referring to the act or result of gathering.
אֹ֫סֵף n.m. gathering
base
H625 אֹ֫סֵף gathering
625 'oceph o'-sef
from 622; a collection (of fruits):--gathering.
see HEBREW for 0622
אֹ֫סֵף (o.seph) — gathering.
gathering, collection, harvest
HNcmsc — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
חָסִיל (chaciyl) refers to a type of locust or caterpillar, derived from the root meaning 'ravager.' The entries consistently describe it as a locust, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
חָסִיל n.m. a kind of locust
base
H2625 חָסִיל a kind of locust
2625 chaciyl khaw-seel'
from 2628; the ravager, i.e. a locust:--caterpillar.
see HEBREW for 02628
חָסִיל (cha.sil) — locust.
locust
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
מַשָּׁק (mashshaq) refers to rapid motion, specifically the act of running or rushing. It is derived from the root meaning to traverse quickly. The term appears in contexts such as Isaiah 33:4, where it conveys a sense of swift movement.
[מַשָּׁק] n.[m.] running, rushing;—cstr. Is 33:4
ref
H4944 [מַשָּׁק] running, rushing
4944 mashshaq mash-shawk'
from 8264; a traversing, i.e. rapid motion:--running to and
fro.
see HEBREW for 08264
מַשָּׁק (mash.shaq) — rushing.
running, rushing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHR/Ncmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
גֵּב (gev) means 'locust,' derived from the idea of a swarm or collection. The word appears in Isaiah 33:4, and its roots suggest a connection to cutting, possibly referring to the locust's feeding habits. The entries consistently define it as a locust without significant disagreement.
[גֵּב] n.[m.] locust (name from swarm, collection) Is 33:4
ref
H1357 [גֵּב] locust (name from swarm, collection)
1357 geb gabe
probably from 1461 (compare 1462); a locust (from its
cutting):--locust.
see HEBREW for 01461
see HEBREW for 01462
גֵּב (gev) — locust.
locust
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
שָׁקַק (sha.qaq) is a Hebrew verb meaning to run, rush, or move eagerly. It conveys a sense of urgency and can imply a greedy or intense desire. The entries describe its usage in various forms, including Qal and Hithpalpel, indicating actions like running about or rushing back and forth.
[שָׁקַק] vb. run, run about, rush
Qal rush at, upon
Hithpalp. of chariots, they rush to and fro.
base
H8264 [שָׁקַק] run, run about, rush
8264 shaqaq shaw-kak'
a primitive root; to course (like a beast of prey); by
implication, to seek greedily:--have appetite, justle one
against another, long, range, run (to and fro).
שָׁקַק (sha.qaq) — to rush.
1) to run, run about, rush, run to and fro, be eager or greedy or thirsty
1a) (Qal) roving, ranging, longing, rush out upon (participle)
1b) (Hithpalpel) to rush to and fro, rush back and forth
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singularHVqrmsa
וֹ (o) — him.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine singular
HR/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp3ms