Isaiah 33:11 - The LORD is Exalted

Audio Bible

Context

The LORD is Exalted
…10“Now I will arise,” says the LORD. “Now I will lift Myself up. Now I will be exalted. 11You conceive chaff; you give birth to stubble. Your breath is a fire that will consume you. 12The peoples will be burned to ashes, like thorns cut down and set ablaze.…

Cross References

Psalm 7:14
Behold, the wicked man travails with evil; he conceives trouble and births falsehood.Job 15:35
They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb is pregnant with deceit.”Hosea 8:7
For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. There is no standing grain; what sprouts fails to yield flour. Even if it should produce, the foreigners would swallow it up.Galatians 6:7-8
Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. / The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.James 1:15
Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.Proverbs 22:8
He who sows injustice will reap disaster, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.Matthew 7:16-20
By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? / Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. / A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ...Jeremiah 12:13
They have sown wheat but harvested thorns. They have exhausted themselves to no avail. Bear the shame of your harvest because of the fierce anger of the LORD.”Micah 2:1
Woe to those who devise iniquity and plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they accomplish it because the power is in their hands.Romans 6:21
What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death.Isaiah 59:4
No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case honestly. They rely on empty pleas; they tell lies; they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.Hosea 10:13
You have plowed wickedness and reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your own way and in the multitude of your mighty men,Matthew 13:24-30
Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. / But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away. / When the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared. ...2 Corinthians 9:6
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.Proverbs 1:31
So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

Isaiah 8:9,10
Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces…

Isaiah 10:7-14
Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few…

Isaiah 17:13
The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.

your

Isaiah 5:24
Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 30:30-33
And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones…

Isaiah 31:8,9
Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited…

Jump to Previous

Jump to Next

Isaiah 33

You conceive chaff;
This phrase uses agricultural imagery to convey the futility of the people's efforts. In ancient Israel, chaff was the husk separated from the grain during threshing, considered worthless and discarded. The metaphor suggests that the plans and actions of the people are empty and without substance. This aligns with the broader biblical theme of human efforts apart from God being ultimately fruitless, as seen in Psalm 1:4, where the wicked are compared to chaff driven by the wind.

you give birth to stubble.
Stubble refers to the leftover stalks after a field has been harvested, another symbol of worthlessness. The imagery of giving birth to stubble emphasizes the idea of producing something that lacks value and is destined for destruction. This can be connected to the concept of spiritual barrenness, where actions not rooted in righteousness lead to emptiness. The futility of relying on human strength and wisdom is echoed in passages like Jeremiah 17:5-6, which contrasts the cursed man who trusts in man with the blessed man who trusts in the Lord.

Your breath is a fire that will consume you.
This phrase highlights the self-destructive nature of the people's actions. In biblical symbolism, fire often represents judgment and purification. Here, the breath, which can symbolize life and spirit, becomes a consuming fire, indicating that their own words and deeds will lead to their downfall. This can be seen as a warning of divine judgment, similar to the fire imagery in Isaiah 30:27-30, where God's breath is described as a consuming fire. The self-destructive consequences of sin are a recurring theme in Scripture, reminding believers of the importance of aligning with God's will to avoid such outcomes.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Isaiah
A major prophet in the Old Testament, Isaiah is the author of the book. He prophesied during the reigns of several kings of Judah and is known for his messages of both judgment and hope.

2. Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, often the primary audience of Isaiah's prophecies. During Isaiah's time, Judah faced threats from surrounding nations and internal corruption.

3. Assyria
A dominant empire during Isaiah's time, often seen as an instrument of God's judgment against Israel and Judah for their unfaithfulness.

4. Jerusalem
The capital city of Judah, frequently mentioned in Isaiah's prophecies as both a place of impending judgment and future restoration.

5. God's Judgment
A recurring theme in Isaiah, where God warns of the consequences of sin and rebellion, often using vivid imagery to convey the seriousness of His message.

Teaching Points

The Futility of Sinful Endeavors
Just as chaff and stubble are worthless, so are the pursuits that are not rooted in God's righteousness. Our efforts apart from God will ultimately lead to destruction.

The Consequences of Rebellion
The imagery of fire consuming highlights the inevitable judgment that comes from living in opposition to God's will. It serves as a warning to turn back to God.

The Power of Words
The "breath" that becomes a consuming fire can be seen as a metaphor for the destructive power of words and actions that are not aligned with God's truth.

Call to Repentance
This verse serves as a call to examine our lives and turn away from pursuits that lead to spiritual emptiness, urging us to seek God's guidance and righteousness.

Hope in God's Redemption
While the verse speaks of judgment, it also points to the need for redemption, which is available through faith in Christ, who offers a way out of the cycle of sin and judgment.

(11) Ye shall conceive chaff . . .--Primarily the words are addressed to the Assyrian invaders, but not without a side glance at all who had been weaving their own webs of policy instead of trusting in Jehovah. Scheme and result, conception and parturition, would be alike worthless.

Your breath, as fire . . .--"Breath," the hot panting of rage; this, instead of working the destruction of Judah, should prove suicidal.

Verse 11. - Ye shall conceive chaff. The Assyrian plans against Jerusalem shall be mere "chaff" and "stubble." They shall come to naught. Nay, the fury of the foe against Jerusalem shall be the fire to destroy them. Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

You conceive
תַּהֲר֥וּ (ta·hă·rū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 2029: To conceive, become pregnant

chaff;
חֲשַׁ֖שׁ (ḥă·šaš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2842: Dry grass

you give birth to
תֵּ֣לְדוּ (tê·lə·ḏū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage

stubble.
קַ֑שׁ (qaš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7179: Stubble, chaff

Your breath
רוּחֲכֶ֕ם (rū·ḥă·ḵem)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit

is a fire
אֵ֖שׁ (’êš)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 784: A fire

that will consume you.
תֹּאכַלְכֶֽם׃ (tō·ḵal·ḵem)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular | second person masculine plural
Strong's 398: To eat

Links

Isaiah 33:11 NIV
Isaiah 33:11 NLT
Isaiah 33:11 ESV
Isaiah 33:11 NASB
Isaiah 33:11 KJVIsaiah 33:11 BibleApps.com
Isaiah 33:11 Biblia Paralela
Isaiah 33:11 Chinese Bible
Isaiah 33:11 French Bible
Isaiah 33:11 Catholic BibleOT Prophets: Isaiah 33:11 You will conceive chaff (Isa Isi Is)