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Updated Bible Version

Isaiah 1:4

Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, sons that deal corruptly! they have forsaken Yahweh, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are estranged backward.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Backsliders;   Church;   Israel, Prophecies Concerning;   Wicked (People);   Scofield Reference Index - Israel;   Kingdom;   Thompson Chain Reference - Anger;   Backsliding;   Deterioration-Development;   God;   God's;   Righteous-Wicked;   Wicked, the;   Wickedness;   Wrath-Anger;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Anger of God, the;   Forsaking God;   Jerusalem;   Jews, the;   Sins, National;   Titles and Names of the Wicked;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Holy, Holiness;   Isaiah;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Church;   Isaiah;   Israel;   Judah, tribe and kingdom;   Word;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Evil;   Jews, Judaism;   Knowledge of God;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ah!;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Son of God;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Holy One of Israel;   Isaiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Gift, Giving;   Glory;   God;   Isaiah;   Isaiah, Book of;   Nations;   Regeneration;   Sanctification, Sanctify;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Resurrection;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ah;   Children of God;   Gentiles;   Isaiah;   Obadiah, Book of;   Provocation;   Satan;   Seed;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Education;   Gentile;   God, Children of;   Holiness;   Parallelism in Hebrew Poetry;   Repentance;  

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
Alas, sinful nation,People heavy with iniquity,Seed of evildoers,Sons who act corruptly!They have forsaken Yahweh;They have spurned the Holy One of Israel;They have become estranged from Him.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Alas, sinful nation, People weighed down with iniquity, Offspring of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the LORD, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have turned away from Him.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Ah sinnefull nation, a people laden with iniquitie, a seede of the wicked, corrupt children: they haue forsaken the Lorde, they haue prouoked the holy one of Israel vnto anger, they are gone backwarde.
Darby Translation
Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that corrupt themselves! They have forsaken Jehovah; they have despised the Holy One of Israel; they are turned away backward.
New King James Version
Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward.
Literal Translation
Woe, sinful nation, a people heavy with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, sons who corrupt! They have forsaken Jehovah; they have scorned the Holy One of Israel. They are estranged backward.
Easy-to-Read Version
Oh, what a sinful nation! Their guilt is like a heavy weight that they must carry. They are evil, destructive children. They left the Lord and insulted the Holy One of Israel. They turned away and treated him like a stranger.
World English Bible
Ah sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A seed of evil-doers, Children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken Yahweh. They have despised the Holy One of Israel. They are estranged and backward.
King James Version (1611)
Ah sinnefull nation, a people laden with iniquitie, a seede of euill doers, children that are corrupters: they haue forsaken the Lord, they haue prouoked the Holy one of Israel vnto anger, they are gone away backward.
King James Version
Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord , they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Alas for this synful people, which are experte in blasphemies, a frawerde generacion, vnnatural children. They haue forsaken the LORDE, they haue prouoked the holy one of Israel vnto anger, and are gone bacward.
Amplified Bible
Ah, sinful nation, A people loaded down with wickedness [with sin, with injustice, with wrongdoing], Offspring of evildoers, Sons who behave corruptly! They have abandoned (rejected) the LORD, They have despised the Holy One of Israel [provoking Him to anger], They have turned away from Him.
American Standard Version
Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children that deal corruptly! they have forsaken Jehovah, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are estranged and gone backward.
Bible in Basic English
O nation full of sin, a people weighted down with crime, a generation of evil-doers, false-hearted children: they have gone away from the Lord, they have no respect for the Holy One of Israel, their hearts are turned back from him.
Webster's Bible Translation
Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger, they are gone away backward.
New English Translation
The sinful nation is as good as dead, the people weighed down by evil deeds. They are offspring who do wrong, children who do wicked things. They have abandoned the Lord , and rejected the Holy One of Israel. They are alienated from him.
Contemporary English Version
Israel, you are a sinful nation loaded down with guilt. You are wicked and corrupt and have turned from the Lord , the holy God of Israel.
Complete Jewish Bible
"Oh, sinful nation, a people weighed down by iniquity, descendants of evildoers, immoral children! They have abandoned Adonai , spurned the Holy One of Isra'el, turned their backs on him!
Geneva Bible (1587)
Ah, sinfull nation, a people laden with iniquitie: a seede of the wicked, corrupt children: they haue forsaken the Lord: they haue prouoked the holy one of Israel to anger: they are gone backewarde.
George Lamsa Translation
Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, an offspring of evildoers, children that are corrupt; you have forsaken the LORD, you have provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger, you have gone away backward.
Hebrew Names Version
Ah sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A seed of evil-doers, Children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD. They have despised the Holy One of Yisra'el. They are estranged and backward.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children that deal corruptly; they have forsaken the LORD, they have contemned the Holy One of Israel, they are turned away backward.
New Living Translation
Oh, what a sinful nation they are— loaded down with a burden of guilt. They are evil people, corrupt children who have rejected the Lord . They have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.
New Life Bible
O sinful nation, people weighed down with sin, children of those who do wrong, sons who act in a sinful way! They have left the Lord. They have hated the Holy One of Israel. They have turned away from Him.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Ah sinful nation, a people full of sins, an evil seed, lawless children: ye have forsaken the Lord, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
English Revised Version
Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children that deal corruptly: they have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are estranged and gone backward.
Berean Standard Bible
Alas, O sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children of depravity! They have forsaken the LORD; they have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him.
New Revised Standard
Ah, sinful nation, people laden with iniquity, offspring who do evil, children who deal corruptly, who have forsaken the Lord , who have despised the Holy One of Israel, who are utterly estranged!
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Alas! a nation - committing sin, a people - burdened with iniquity, a seed - practising wickedness, sons - acting corruptly. They have forsaken Yahweh despised the Holy One of Israel, - Are estranged and gone back.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Woe to the sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a wicked seed, ungracious children: they have forsaken the Lord, they have blasphemed the Holy One of Israel, they are gone away backwards.
Lexham English Bible
Ah, sinful nation, a people heavy with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly. They have forsaken Yahweh; they have despised the holy one of Israel. They are estranged and gone backward.
English Standard Version
Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord , they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged.
New American Standard Bible
Oh, sinful nation, People weighed down with guilt, Offspring of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the LORD, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have turned away from Him.
New Century Version
How terrible! Israel is a nation of sin, a people loaded down with guilt, a group of children doing evil, children who are full of evil. They have left the Lord ; they hate God, the Holy One of Israel, and have turned away from him as if he were a stranger.
Good News Translation
You are doomed, you sinful nation, you corrupt and evil people! Your sins drag you down! You have rejected the Lord , the holy God of Israel, and have turned your backs on him.
Christian Standard Bible®
Oh sinful nation, people weighed down with iniquity, brood of evildoers, depraved children! They have abandoned the Lord ; they have despised the Holy One of Israel; they have turned their backs on Him.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Wo to the synful folk, to the puple heuy in wickidnesse, to the weiward seed, to the cursid sones; thei han forsake the Lord, thei han blasfemyd the hooli of Israel, thei ben aliened bacward.
Revised Standard Version
Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, sons who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged.
Young's Literal Translation
Ah, sinning nation, a people heavy [with] iniquity, A seed of evil doers, sons -- corrupters! They have forsaken Jehovah, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have gone away backward.

Contextual Overview

2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for Yahweh has spoken: I have nourished and brought up sons, and they have rebelled against me. 3 The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master's crib; [but] Israel does not know, my people do not consider. 4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, sons that deal corruptly! they have forsaken Yahweh, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are estranged backward. 5 Why will you be still stricken, that you revolt more and more? the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6 From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it; [but] wounds, and bruises, and fresh stripes: they haven't been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with oil. 7 Your country is desolate; your cities are burned with fire; your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. 8 And the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. 9 Except Yahweh of hosts had left to us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, we should have been like Gomorrah.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ah sinful: Isaiah 1:23, Isaiah 10:6, Isaiah 30:9, Genesis 13:13, Matthew 11:28, Acts 7:51, Acts 7:52, Revelation 18:5

laden with iniquity: Heb. of heaviness

a seed: Isaiah 57:3, Isaiah 57:4, Numbers 32:14, Psalms 78:8, Jeremiah 7:26, Jeremiah 16:11, Jeremiah 16:12, Matthew 3:7, Matthew 23:33

children: Jeremiah 2:33, Ezekiel 16:33

forsaken: Deuteronomy 29:25, Deuteronomy 31:16, Judges 10:10, Jeremiah 2:13, Jeremiah 2:17, Jeremiah 2:19

provoked: Isaiah 3:8, Isaiah 65:3, Deuteronomy 32:19, Psalms 78:40, Jeremiah 7:19, 1 Corinthians 10:22

the Holy: Isaiah 5:19, Isaiah 5:24, Isaiah 12:6, Isaiah 29:19, Isaiah 30:11, Isaiah 30:12, Isaiah 30:15, Isaiah 37:23, Isaiah 41:14, Isaiah 41:16, Isaiah 41:20, Psalms 89:18, Jeremiah 50:29, Jeremiah 51:5

gone away backward: Heb. alienated, or separated, Psalms 58:3, Jeremiah 2:5, Jeremiah 2:31, Romans 8:7, Colossians 1:24

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 31:29 - corrupt yourselves Deuteronomy 32:5 - They have corrupted themselves Deuteronomy 32:15 - then he Joshua 23:12 - go back 1 Kings 15:34 - walked 1 Kings 19:14 - forsaken 2 Kings 2:23 - little children Psalms 14:1 - They are Isaiah 3:5 - child Isaiah 31:6 - deeply Isaiah 59:12 - our transgressions Jeremiah 6:28 - corrupters Jeremiah 7:28 - nor Jeremiah 8:19 - Why Jeremiah 15:6 - thou art Jeremiah 30:15 - for the Jeremiah 32:32 - they Ezekiel 9:9 - The iniquity Ezekiel 14:5 - estranged Ezekiel 16:45 - that loatheth Daniel 9:11 - all Zephaniah 1:6 - turned Zephaniah 2:1 - O nation Luke 15:13 - and took 2 Timothy 3:6 - laden

Cross-References

Genesis 1:10
And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters he called Seas: and God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:12
And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:18
and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:25
And God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind: and God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:31
And God saw everything that he had made, and, look, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Ecclesiastes 2:13
Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.
Ecclesiastes 11:7
Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Ah sinful nation,..... Or "sinning nation" y; that was continually sinning, doing nothing else but sin, the reverse of what they were chosen to be, Deuteronomy 7:6. These words are said, either as calling and crying to them, to cause them to hear and hearken to what is said, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi observe, and as הוי is used in

Isaiah 55:1 or by way of complaint and lamentation, as Jarchi thinks, because of their general and continued wickedness, see

1 Kings 13:30, or by way of threatening, as in Isaiah 1:24 and so the Targum paraphrases it,

"woe to them who are called a holy people, and have sinned:''

and so the Vulgate Latin and Arabic versions render it, "woe to the sinning nation"; their ruin is at hand:

a people laden with iniquity; full of sin; they multiplied offences, as in the Chaldee paraphrase: they were "heavy" with them, as the word z signifies, yet felt not, nor complained of, the burden of them:

a seed of evil doers; this is not said of their fathers, but of themselves, as Jarchi observes; they had been planted a right seed, but now were degenerate, a wicked generation of men.

Children that are corrupters; of themselves and others, by their words and actions; who had corrupted their ways, as the Targum adds; and so Kimchi and Aben Ezra.

They have forsaken the Lord; the worship of the Lord, as the Targum interprets it; the ways and ordinances of God, forsook the assembling of themselves together, neglected the hearing of the word, and attendance on the worship of the Lord's house:

they have provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger; by their numerous sins, both of omission and commission:

they are gone away backward; were become backsliders and revolters, had apostatized from God and his worship, turned their backs on him, and cast his law behind them. The characters here given not only agree with the Jews in the times of Isaiah, but also with those in the times of Christ and his apostles, Matthew 12:39.

y גוי חטא "gens peccatrix", Sept. V. L. Syr. Ar. z כבד עין "gravi iniquitate", V. L.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ah! sinful nation - The word rendered ‘ah!’ - הוי hôy - is not a mere exclamation, expressing astonishment. It is rather an interjection denouncing threatening, or punishment. ‘Wo to the sinful nation.’ Vulgate, ‘Vae genti peccatrici.’ The corruption pertained to the nation, and not merely to a part. It had become general.

Laden with iniquity - The word translated “laden” - כבד kebed - denotes properly anything “heavy,” or burdensome; from כבד kâbad, “to be heavy.” It means that they were oppressed, and borne down with the “weight” of their sins. Thus we say, Sin sits “heavy” on the conscience. Thus Cain said, ‘My punishment is greater than I can bear;’ Genesis 4:13. The word is applied to an “employment” as being burdensome; Exodus 18:18 : ‘This thing is too “heavy” for thee.’ Numbers 11:14 : ‘I am not able to bear eli this people alone; it is too “heavy” for me.’ It is applied also to a “famine,” as being heavy, severe, distressing. Genesis 12:10 : ‘For the famine was “grievous” (כבד kâbed, heavy) in the land;’ Genesis 41:31. It is also applied to “speech,” as being heavy, dull, unintelligible. Exodus 4:10 : ‘I am slow (heavy כבד kebad) of speech, and of a slow (heavy כבד kebad) tongue.’ It is not applied to sin in the Scriptures, except in this place, or except in the sense of making atonement for it. The idea however, is very striking - that of a nation - an entire people, bowed and crushed under the enormous weight of accumulated crimes. To pardon iniquity, or to atone for it, is represented by bearing it, as if it were a heavy burden. Exodus 28:38, Exodus 28:43, ‘That Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things.’ Leviticus 10:17 : ‘God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation.’ Leviticus 22:9; Leviticus 16:22; Numbers 18:1; Isaiah 53:6 : ‘Jehovah hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.’ Isaiah 53:11 : ‘He shall bear their iniquities.’ 1 Peter 2:24 : ‘Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree.’

A seed - זרע zera‛, from זרע zâra‛, to sow, to scatter, to disperse. It is applied to seed sown in a field; Judges 6:3; Genesis 1:11-12; Genesis 47:23; to plants set out, or engrafted; or to planting, or transplanting a nation. Isaiah 17:10 : ‘And thou shalt set it (תזרענוּ tizerâ‛enû shalt sow, or plant it) with strange slips.’ Hence, it is applied to children, posterity, descendants, from the resemblance to seed sown, and to a harvest springing up, and spreading. The word is applied by way of eminence to the Jews, as being the seed or posterity of Abraham, according to the promise that his seed should be as the stars of heaven; Genesis 12:7; Genesis 13:15-16; Genesis 15:5, Genesis 15:18; Genesis 17:7, ...

Children - Hebrew sons - the same word that is used in Isaiah 1:2. They were the adopted people or sons of God, but they had now become corrupt.

That are corrupters - mashchiytiym - משׁחיתים mashechı̂ythı̂ym, from שׁחת shachath, to destroy, to lay waste, as an invading army does a city or country; Joshua 22:33; Genesis 19:13. To destroy a vineyard; Jeremiah 12:10. To break down walls; Ezekiel 26:4. Applied to conduct, it means to destroy, or lay waste virtuous principles; to break down the barriers to vice; to corrupt the morals. Genesis 6:12 : ‘And God looked upon the earth, and it was corrupt - נשׁחתה nı̂shechâthâh; for all flesh had corrupted his way - השׁחית hı̂shechı̂yth - upon the earth;’ Deuteronomy 4:16; Deuteronomy 31:29; Judges 2:19. They were not merely corrupt themselves, but they corrupted others by their example. This is always the case. When people become infidels and profligates themselves, they seek to make as many more as possible. The Jews did this by their wicked lives. The same charge is often brought against them; see Judges 2:12; Zephaniah 3:7.

They have provoked - Hebrew נאצוּ nı̂'ătsû ‘They have despised the Holy One;’ compare Proverbs 1:30; Proverbs 5:12; Proverbs 15:5. Vulgate, ‘They have blasphemed.’ Septuagint, παρωργίσατε parōrgisate. ‘You have provoked him to anger.’ The meaning is, that they had so despised him, as to excite his indignation.

The Holy One of Israel - God; called the Holy One of Israel because he was revealed to them as their God, or they were taught to regard him as the sacred object of their worship.

They are gone away backward - Lowth: ‘They have turned their backs upon him.’ The word rendered “they are gone away,” נזרוּ nâzorû, from זור zûr, means properly, to become estranged; to be alienated. Job 19:13 : ‘Mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me.’ It means especially that declining from God, or that alienation, which takes place when people commit sin; Psalms 78:30.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 1:4. Ah sinful nation - "Degenerate"] Five MSS., one of them ancient, read משחתים moschathim, without the first י yod, in hophal corrupted, not corrupters. See the same word in the same form, and in the same sense, Proverbs 25:26.

Are corrupters - "Are estranged"] Thirty-two MSS., five ancient, and two editions, read נזורו nazoru; which reading determines the word to be from the root זור zur, to alienate, not from נזר nazar, to separate; so Kimchi understands it. See also Annotat. in Noldium, 68.

They are gone away backward - "They have turned their backs upon him."] So Kimchi explains it: "they have turned unto him the back and not the face." See Jeremiah 2:27; Jeremiah 7:24. I have been forced to render this line paraphrastically; as the verbal translation, "they are estranged backward," would have been unintelligible.


 
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