Focused Passage

Isaiah 51:17-23

The LORD Comforts Zion and Calls His People to Awake

From listening to covenant ancestry, to promised Eden-like comfort for Zion, to God’s righteousness and salvation for the nations, to courage against human reproach, to prayer for the LORD’s arm to awake, to divine rebuke of fear, to Jerusalem’s awakening from the cup of wrath.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

17 Awake, awake! Rise up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of His fury; you who have drained the goblet to the dregs—the cup that makes men stagger.

18 Among all the sons she bore, there is no one to guide her; among all the sons she brought up, there is no one to take her hand.

19 These pairs have befallen you: devastation and destruction, famine and sword. Who will grieve for you? Who can comfort you?

20 Your sons have fainted; they lie at the head of every street, like an antelope in a net. They are full of the wrath of the LORD, the rebuke of your God.

21 Therefore now hear this, you afflicted one, drunken, but not with wine.

22 Thus says your Lord, the LORD, even your God, who defends His people: “See, I have removed from your hand the cup of staggering. From that goblet, the cup of My fury, you will never drink again.

23 I will place it in the hands of your tormentors, who told you: ‘Lie down, so we can walk over you,’ so that you made your back like the ground, like a street to be traversed.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 17

Original words

Awake הִתְעוֹרְרִ֣י H5782 Verb - Hitpael - Imperative - feminine singular awake הִֽתְעוֹרְרִ֗י H5782 Verb - Hitpael - Imperative - feminine singular Rise up ק֚וּמִי H6965 Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular O Jerusalem יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם H3389 Noun - proper - feminine singular you who אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative have drunk שָׁתִ֛ית H8354 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person feminine singular from the hand מִיַּ֥ד H3027 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֖ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the cup כּ֣וֹס H3563 Noun - feminine singular construct of His fury חֲמָת֑וֹ H2534 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular אֶת־ אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker you who have drained שָׁתִ֖ית H8354 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person feminine singular the goblet קֻבַּ֜עַת H6907 Noun - feminine singular construct to the dregs מָצִֽית׃ H4680 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person feminine singular the cup כּ֧וֹס H3563 Noun - feminine singular construct that makes men stagger הַתַּרְעֵלָ֛ה H8653 Article | Noun - feminine singular
Verse 18

Original words

Among all מִכָּל־ H3605 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct the sons בָּנִ֖ים H1121 Noun - masculine plural she bore יָלָ֑דָה H3205 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular there is no אֵין־ H369 Adverb one to guide מְנַהֵ֣ל H5095 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular her לָ֔הּ Preposition | third person feminine singular among all מִכָּל־ H3605 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct the sons בָּנִ֖ים H1121 Noun - masculine plural she brought up גִּדֵּֽלָה׃ H1431 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person feminine singular there is no וְאֵ֤ין H369 Conjunctive waw | Adverb one to take מַחֲזִיק֙ H2388 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular her hand בְּיָדָ֔הּ H3027 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Verse 19

Original words

These הֵ֙נָּה֙ H2007 Pronoun - third person feminine plural pairs שְׁתַּ֤יִם H8147 Number - fd have befallen קֹֽרְאֹתַ֔יִךְ H7122 Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural construct | second person feminine singular you לָ֑ךְ Preposition | second person feminine singular devastation הַשֹּׁ֧ד H7701 Article | Noun - masculine singular and destruction וְהַשֶּׁ֛בֶר H7667 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular famine וְהָרָעָ֥ב H7458 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular and sword וְהַחֶ֖רֶב H2719 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine singular Who מִ֖י H4310 Interrogative will grieve for you יָנ֣וּד H5110 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Who מִ֥י H4310 Interrogative can comfort you אֲנַחֲמֵֽךְ׃ H5162 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular | second person feminine singular

BSB notes

  • DSS, LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate; MT How can I comfort you?
Verse 20

Original words

Your sons בָּנַ֜יִךְ H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular have fainted עֻלְּפ֥וּ H5968 Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person common plural they lie שָׁכְב֛וּ H7901 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural at the head בְּרֹ֥אשׁ H7218 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of every כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct street חוּצ֖וֹת H2351 Noun - masculine plural like an antelope כְּת֣וֹא H8377 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct in a net מִכְמָ֑ר H4364 Noun - masculine singular They are full הַֽמְלֵאִ֥ים H4392 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural of the wrath חֲמַת־ H2534 Noun - feminine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֖ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular the rebuke גַּעֲרַ֥ת H1606 Noun - feminine singular construct of your God אֱלֹהָֽיִךְ׃ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular
Verse 21

Original words

Therefore לָכֵ֛ן H3651 Adverb now נָ֥א H4994 Interjection hear שִׁמְעִי־ H8085 Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular this זֹ֖את H2063 Pronoun - feminine singular you afflicted one עֲנִיָּ֑ה H6041 Adjective - feminine singular drunken וּשְׁכֻרַ֖ת H7937 Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine singular construct but not וְלֹ֥א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle with wine מִיָּֽיִן׃ס H3196 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 22

Original words

Thus כֹּֽה־ H3541 Adverb says אָמַ֞ר H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular your Lord אֲדֹנַ֣יִךְ H113 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular the LORD יְהוָ֗ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular even your God וֵאלֹהַ֙יִךְ֙ H430 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular who defends יָרִ֣יב H7378 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular His people עַמּ֔וֹ H5971 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular See הִנֵּ֥ה H2009 Interjection I have removed לָקַ֛חְתִּי H3947 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular from your hand מִיָּדֵ֖ךְ H3027 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person feminine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the cup כּ֣וֹס H3563 Noun - feminine singular construct of staggering הַתַּרְעֵלָ֑ה H8653 Article | Noun - feminine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker From that goblet קֻבַּ֙עַת֙ H6907 Noun - feminine singular construct the cup כּ֣וֹס H3563 Noun - feminine singular construct of My fury חֲמָתִ֔י H2534 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular you will never לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle drink לִשְׁתּוֹתָ֖הּ H8354 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular again תוֹסִ֥יפִי H3254 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person feminine singular . . . עֽוֹד׃ H5750 Adverb
Verse 23

Original words

I will place it וְשַׂמְתִּ֙יהָ֙ H7760 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | third person feminine singular in the hands בְּיַד־ H3027 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct of your tormentors מוֹגַ֔יִךְ H3013 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular who אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative told אָמְר֥וּ H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural you לְנַפְשֵׁ֖ךְ H5315 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person feminine singular Lie down שְׁחִ֣י H7812 Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular so we can walk over you וְנַעֲבֹ֑רָה H5674 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural so that you made וַתָּשִׂ֤ימִי H7760 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - second person feminine singular your back גֵּוֵ֔ךְ H1460 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular like the ground כָאָ֙רֶץ֙ H776 Preposition-k, Article | Noun - feminine singular like a street וְכַח֖וּץ H2351 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular to be traversed לַעֹבְרִֽים׃ס H5674 Preposition-l, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.