Isaiah 44:27 — Word Study
WLCהָאֹמֵ֥ר לַצּוּלָ֖ה חֳרָ֑בִי וְנַהֲרֹתַ֖יִךְ אוֹבִֽישׁ׃
BSAwho saysʼâmar [to command, speak with authority] to the depths of the seatsûwlâh△ [the deep, the abyss, the ocean, the deep waters] Be drychârab [desolate, wither away] and I will dry upyâbêsh▸ [cause to wither, make dry] your currentsnâhâr [rivers, streams, floods]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הָאֹמֵ֥ר | who says | Particle, verb qal participle (active) masculine singular |
| לַצּוּלָ֖ה | to the ocean-deep | Preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| חֳרָ֑בִי | be dried up | Verb, Qal, imperative second person feminine singular |
| וְנַהֲרֹתַ֖יִךְ | and rivers your | Conjunction, noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
| אוֹבִֽישׁ׃ | I will make dry | Verb, Hiphil, imperfect first person common singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | who says to the depths of the sea, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up your currents,’ |
| KJV | That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: |
| ASV | that saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers; |
| YLT | Who is saying to the deep, Be dry, and thy rivers I cause to dry up, |
| WEB | who says to the deep, ‘Be dry,’ and ‘I will dry up your rivers,’ |
| BBE | Who says to the deep, Be dry, and I will make your rivers dry: |
Where they part company is not noted here, as the translations agree on the key phrases.
The main clause is followed by an imperative and a promise, creating a clear structure that emphasizes God's command and intention.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbחָרֵב
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 5 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word 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 44:27
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 — God's Sovereignty Over Creationgenerated
Isaiah 44:27 is part of a passage where God demonstrates His sovereignty and power over the natural world. He speaks to the depths of the sea, commanding it to be dry, which illustrates His authority to control creation. This verse emphasizes God's ability to fulfill His promises, as seen in the surrounding verses where He addresses the restoration of Jerusalem and the fate of Cyrus.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaiah 11:15–16 | The LORD will devote to destruction the gulf of the Sea of Egypt; with a scorching wind He will sweep His hand over the Euphrates. He will split it into seven streams for men to cross with dry sandals. |
| 2 | Isaiah 42:15 | I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation. I will turn the rivers into dry land and drain the marshes. |
| 3 | Isaiah 43:16 | Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the surging waters, |
| 4 | Isaiah 51:15 | For I am the LORD your God who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the LORD of Hosts is His name. |
| 5 | Psalm 74:15 | You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up the ever-flowing rivers. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חָרֵב, cho.Ra.vigenerated
The Hebrew word חָרֵב (charab) is a verb that means to dry up or make desolate. It can also convey the sense of destruction or devastation. In this context, it expresses God's command for the sea to become dry, highlighting His power to alter natural states.
The imperative form used here indicates a direct command, emphasizing God's authority. This word is often associated with destruction, but here it serves to illustrate God's control over the elements, demonstrating His ability to bring about change.
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 finite verb אֹמֵ֥ר (omer), meaning 'says', governs the entire verse, with multiple phrases elaborating on what is being commanded. The structure emphasizes God's authoritative speech as the central action.
The sentence is built around this command, with the prepositional phrase לַצּוּלָ֖ה (la.tzu.Lah), meaning 'to the depths', and the subsequent phrases detailing the command to dry up the rivers, creating a clear hierarchy of action and intention.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates אֹמֵ֥ר as λέγων, which means 'saying'. This choice reflects a straightforward rendering of the Hebrew command, maintaining the authoritative tone of God's speech.
The word לַצּוּלָ֖ה is rendered as ἀβύσσῳ, meaning 'abyss', which emphasizes the depths of the sea and aligns with the Hebrew's focus on the ocean's vastness.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Isaiah 44:27 shows God commanding the depths of the sea to dry up. This demonstrates His authority over nature and His ability to fulfill His promises, as He speaks with power to change the physical world.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
God is commanding the depths of the sea to become dry, showing His power to control nature and fulfill His purposes.
The depths of the sea symbolize chaos and power, and God's command demonstrates His authority over even the most formidable aspects of creation.
Drying up the rivers signifies God's ability to bring desolation or restoration, depending on His will and purpose.
This verse illustrates God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises, as He has the power to change circumstances and bring about His plans.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I need to recognize God's authority and power?
- How can I trust in God's promises when I face seemingly impossible situations?
- What does it mean for me to respond to God's commands in my life?
- How can I share the truth of God's sovereignty over creation with others?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers reference this verse to discuss God's power and authority. Quotations from Ephrem the Syrian and Basil of Caesarea illustrate their interpretations of God's command over creation.
“I will dry up your rivers,” that is, he will extend his hand over the Euphrates. In a different way, we may intend that the Lord will destroy the devil and his frauds, into which he plunges people as into a sea.Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 44 →
Yet there will be a time when all things will be burned up by fire, as Isaiah says when he addresses the God of the universe: [You] “who say to the deep, ‘Be thou desolate, and I will dry up all your rivers.’ ” Casting aside, therefore,Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 44 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Isaiah 44:27 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThat saith to the deep, be dry,.... The Targum is, "that saith to Babylon, be desolate;'' and most interpreters, Jewish and Christian, understand it of Babylon, which was situated in a watery place,
Read John Gill on Isaiah 44 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThat saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers - referring to the Euphrates, which has turned into a different channel,
Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 44 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThat with a word can and will dry up the sea (which in Scripture is very frequently called the deep, as , &c.) and rivers, and remove all impediments, and make the way plain, that my people may return. Some think these words relate to that stratagem of Cyrus, whereby he diverted, and in a great measure dried up, the river Euphrates, and made it passable for his army. But he seems rather to allude to that great action of God’ s drying up the Red Sea and Jordan, to give passage to the Israelites.
Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 44 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsIsaiah 44:27 That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:Ver. 27. That saith to the deep, Be dry,] i.e., That will put it into the heart of Cyrus to dry up Euphrates, and so to take Babylon; which, according to some, is here called the deep or abyss, because situated in a plain well watered with various rivers, had wealth at will, and many princes who ran into her, as rivers do into the sea. And I will dry up thy rivers.] This Basil expounds of the end of the world. Hex., lib. ii.
Read John Trapp on Isaiah 44 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(27) That saith to the deep—i.e., to the Euphrates. The words find a literal fulfilment in the strategical operation by which Cyrus turned the river from its usual bed into the Sepharvaim channel, and thus enabled his soldiers to cross on foot (Herod. i. 191). Symbolically the words may mean simply the destruction of the power of Babylon, of which its river was the emblem. (Comp. Revelation 16:12.)
Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 44 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 27. That saith to the deep, Be dry - "Who saith to the deep, Be thou wasted"] Cyrus took Babylon by laying the bed of the Euphrates dry, and leading his army into the city by night through the empty channel of the river. This remarkable circumstance, in which the event so exactly corresponded with the prophecy, was also noted by Jeremiah, Jeremiah 50:38; Jeremiah 51:36. "A drought shall be upon her waters, and they shall be dried up: - I will lay her sea dry And I will scorch up her springs." It is proper here to give some account of the means and method lay which the stratagem of Cyrus was effected. The Euphrates in the middle of the summer, from the melting of the snows on the…
Read AdamClarke on Isaiah 44 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges27. the deep] is a figure for the obstacles to the deliverance of Israel. It has been thought by some commentators (including Vitringa and Lowth) that the verse contains an allusion to the well-known stratagem by which Cyrus is said to have got possession of Babylon (Herodotus 1. 185–191). The Hebrew word for “deep” might no doubt be applied to a river, as a cognate word is in Zechariah 10:11. But the recently discovered Cyrus-inscriptions seem to shew that the narrative of Herodotus is legendary. See Introd. p. xviii.
Read Cambridge on Isaiah 44 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThat saith to the deep, Be dry - Lowth supposes, that this refers to the fact that Cyrus took Babylon by diverting from their course the waters of the river Euphrates, and thus leaving the bed of the
Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 44 →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
who says to the depths of the sea, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up your currents,’
who says to the deep, ‘Be dry,’ and ‘I will dry up your rivers,’
who says to the depths of the sea, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up your currents,’
who says to the deep sea, ‘Be dry! I will dry up your sea currents,’
Tyndale line
That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:
that saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers;
that saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:
That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:
He saith to the deepe, Be drye and I will drye vp thy floods.
Strictly literal
that saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers;
Who is saying to the deep, Be dry, and thy rivers I cause to dry up,
Who is saying to the deep, || Be dry, and your rivers I cause to dry up,
That saith to the deep, Be dry, and thy rivers will I dry up;
who says to the deep sea, 'Be dry, and I will dry up your currents.'
From the Latin
Who say to the deep: Be thou desolate, and I will dry up thy rivers.
Simplified
When I order deep waters, ‘Dry up!’ I will make sure the rivers dry up!
Who says to the deep, Be dry, and I will make your rivers dry:
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, Septuagint, and the Dead Sea Scrolls show agreement in the wording of Isaiah 44:27. The scrolls contain variations in the number of words preserved, but the essential command remains consistent across all witnesses.
הָאֹמֵ֥ר לַצּוּלָ֖ה חֳרָ֑בִי וְנַהֲרֹתַ֖יִךְ אוֹבִֽישׁ׃
5 of the 5 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.
האומר לצולה חרבי ונהרותי׳ך אוביש
5 words on the leather.
האומר לצולה חרבי ונהרתי׳ך אוביש
4 words on the leather — 1 partly restored.
האמר לצולה חרבי ונהרתי׳ך [אוביש]
3 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 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 44:27
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.
אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.
אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say
Qal
Say
Say in the heart (= think)
Promise
Command (esp. late)
Niph. be said, told
Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
Hithp. act proudly, boast
base
H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say
. Say in the heart (= think)
. Promise
. Command (esp. late)
. be said, told
. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
. act proudly, boast
559 'amar aw-mar'
a primitive root; to say (used with great
latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,
certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),
commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X
expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,
publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X
suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),
utter, X verily, X yet.
אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.
1) to say, speak, utter
1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend
1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called
1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly
1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch
Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)
Art | V-Qal — Particle · verb qal participle (active) masculine singularHTd/Vqrmsa
צוּלָה (tsuwlah) refers to an ocean-deep or abyss, derived from a root meaning to sink. It is used in contexts related to depth, particularly in Isaiah 44:27.
צוּלָה n.f. ocean-deep;—Is 44:27.
done
H6683 צוּלָה ocean-deep
6683 tsuwlah tsoo-law'
from an unused root meaning to sink: an abyss (of the
sea):--deep.
צוּלָה (tsu.lah) — deep.
ocean-deep, deep, ocean depth
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHRd/Ncfsa
חָרֵב (charab) is a Hebrew verb with meanings related to dryness and destruction. It can refer to being dry or dried up, as well as to making something waste or desolate. Additionally, it can mean to attack or slay. The entries indicate a range of uses, from physical desiccation to metaphorical desolation, but do not present any significant disagreement among lexicons.
[חָרֵב] vb. be dry, dried up
Qal be dry, dried up
Pu. of fresh bow-strings
Hiph. of י׳ drying up rivers
base
[חָרֵב] be waste, desolate
Qal be waste, desolate
Niph. as adj., desolate city
Hiph. lay waste, make desolate
Hoph. she is laid waste
base
[חָרַב] vb. (Aram. and rare) attack, smite down
Qal attack
Niph. the kings have attacked one another, fought together
Hoph. 2 K 3:23
base
H2717a חָרֵב be dry, dried up H2717b חָרֵב be waste, desolate H2717c חָרַב attack, smite down
2717 charab khaw-rab'
or chareb {khaw-rabe'}; a primitive root; to parch (through
drought) i.e. (by analogy,) to desolate, destroy, kill:--
decay, (be) desolate, destroy(-er), (be) dry (up), slay, X
surely, (lay, lie, make) waste.
חָרֵב (cha.rev) — to dry.
1) to be dry, be dried up
1a) (Qal) to be dried, be dried up
1b) (Pual) to be dried
1c) (Hiphil) to dry up
1d) (Hophal) to be dried up
חָרֵב (cha.rev) — to destroy.
1) to be waste, lay waste, make desolate, be desolate, be in ruins
1a) (Qal) to be waste, be desolate
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be made desolate
1b2) desolate (participle)
1c) (Hiphil) to lay waste, make desolate
1d) (Hophal) to be laid waste
Aramaic equivalent: cha.rav (חֲרַב "be wasted" H2718)
חָרַב (cha.rav) — to slay.
to attack, smite down, slay, fight
V-Qal-Impv-2fs — Verb · Qal · imperative second person feminine singularHVqv2fs
נָהָר (nahar) means 'stream' or 'river' and can refer to various water bodies, including the Nile and Euphrates. It also has a figurative sense of prosperity. The word is derived from a root meaning related to flowing water and has an Aramaic equivalent, נְהַר (ne.har).
נָהָר 120 n.m. stream, river
base
H5104 נָהָר stream, river
5104 nahar naw-hawr'
from 5102; a stream (including the sea; expec. the Nile,
Euphrates, etc.); figuratively, prosperity:--flood, river.
see HEBREW for 05102
נָהָר (na.har) — River.
This name means stream, river
Another name of pe.rat (פְּרָת "Euphrates" H6578)
נָהָר (na.har) — river.
1) stream, river
1a) stream, river
1b) (underground) streams
Aramaic equivalent: ne.har (נְהַר "river" H5103H)
Conj | N-mp | Suff — Conjunction · noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHC/Ncfpc/Sp2fs
יָבֵשׁ (yabesh) primarily means to be dry or to wither. It can refer to something that is dried up or lacking moisture, as well as the act of drying something out. The word has different forms, including Qal (to be dry), Piel (to make dry), and Hiphil (to dry up). It conveys a sense of desiccation or loss of vitality.
יָבֵשׁ vb. be dry, dried up, withered
Qal
be dry, dried up without moisture
be dried up
Pi. make dry, dry up
Hiph. dry up, make dry
dry up water
make dry, wither
exhibit dryness
base
H3001 יָבֵשׁ be dry, dried up, withered
3001 yabesh yaw-bashe'
a primitive root; to be ashamed, confused or disappointed;
also (as failing) to dry up (as water) or wither (as
herbage):--be ashamed, clean, be confounded, (make) dry (up),
(do) shame(-fully), X utterly, wither (away).
יָבֵשׁ (ya.vesh) — to wither.
1) to make dry, wither, be dry, become dry, be dried up, be withered
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be dry, be dried up, be without moisture
1a2) to be dried up
1b) (Piel) to make dry, dry up
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to dry up, make dry
1c1a) to dry up (water)
1c1b) to make dry, wither
1c1c) to exhibit dryness
V-Hiphil-Imperf-1cs — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect first person common singularHVhi1cs