A Righteous King and Just Leadership
Isaiah 32:1-8
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Revelation
Isa.32.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הן: PART
- לצדק: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ימלך: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ולשרים: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- למשפט: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישרו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Psalm 72:1-4 (thematic): Prayer for the king to 'judge your people with righteousness' and 'vindicate the afflicted of the people,' echoing the ideal of a ruler who reigns in justice.
- Isaiah 11:3-5 (verbal): Portrait of the coming ruler whose reign is characterized by righteousness and upright judgment—'with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek'—paralleling language and theme.
- Jeremiah 23:5-6 (allusion): Messianic promise of a 'righteous Branch' who will reign as king and execute justice and righteousness, reflecting the royal-judicial hope of Isa. 32:1.
- Isaiah 33:22 (structural): Declaration that 'the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king,' linking the themes of kingship and righteous judgment found in Isa. 32:1.
Alternative generated candidates
- Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will govern with justice.
- Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall govern with justice.
Isa.32.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כמחבא: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רוח: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- וסתר: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- זרם: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- כפלגי: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,const
- מים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- בציון: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כצל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- סלע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כבד: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- בארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,def
- עיפה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Isaiah 25:4 (verbal): Uses nearly identical refuge imagery—'a refuge from the storm' and 'a shade from the heat' (shadow/rock and shelter language parallels Isaiah 32:2).
- Psalm 18:2 (verbal): Describes the LORD as 'my rock, my fortress, my deliverer'—verbal overlap with 'shadow of a great rock' and the motif of God as shelter/refuge.
- Proverbs 18:10 (thematic): Speaks of the name of the LORD as a 'strong tower' into which the righteous run for safety, echoing the theme of God/leader as a protective refuge.
- Psalm 46:1 (thematic): Declares 'God is our refuge and strength,' resonating with Isaiah 32:2's emphasis on protection and shelter amid danger.
- Nahum 1:7 (thematic): Calls the LORD a 'stronghold in the day of trouble,' paralleling the motif of shelter and protection against storms and distress in Isaiah 32:2.
Alternative generated candidates
- And a man shall be a shelter from the wind and a hiding place from the storm—streams of water in Zion, the shade of a great rock in a thirsty land.
- And a man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a shelter from the tempest; like streams of water in a parched land, like the shade of a great rock in a weary country.
Isa.32.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ולא: CONJ
- תשעינה: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,pl
- עיני: NOUN,f,pl,cons+1s
- ראים: VERB,qal,part,?,m,pl
- ואזני: CONJ+NOUN,f,pl,construct
- שמעים: VERB,qal,part,?,m,pl
- תקשבנה: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,pl
Parallels
- Isaiah 29:18 (verbal): Uses the same imagery of eyes being opened and ears unstopped (עֵינִים לָעִוְרִים וְאָזְנַיִם לַחֵרְשִׁים), a prophetic promise of restored perception like Isa.32:3.
- Isaiah 35:5 (verbal): Declares that the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped—very close verbal and thematic parallel about restorative sight and hearing.
- Isaiah 42:7 (thematic): Speaks of God’s servant opening the eyes of the blind and bringing prisoners out of darkness—same salvific motif of giving sight and hearing to the spiritually or physically blind/deaf.
- Matthew 13:16 (verbal): Jesus: “Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear,” echoing the praise of restored seeing/hearing and reflecting the Isaiah theme of revelation and perception.
Alternative generated candidates
- The eyes of those who see will not be dim, and the ears of those who hear will give heed.
- The eyes of those who see will be clear, and the ears of those who hear will be attentive.
Isa.32.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ולבב: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נמהרים: VERB,niphal,part,m,pl
- יבין: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לדעת: VERB,qal,inf,-,-,-
- ולשון: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- עלגים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- תמהר: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- לדבר: INF,qal
- צחות: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Isaiah 35:5-6 (verbal): Shared imagery of restored perception and speech—'the eyes of the blind...the ears of the deaf...the tongue of the mute/stammerer'—echoing the promise that formerly hesitant speakers will speak plainly.
- Exodus 4:10-12 (allusion): Moses objects to his poor speech, and God promises to put words in his mouth and teach him what to say; parallels the theme of God enabling the hesitant or stammering to speak effectively.
- Jeremiah 1:6-9 (allusion): Jeremiah protests his inability to speak and receives God's assurance—'I have put my words in your mouth'—reflecting the motif of divine empowerment for speech found in Isaiah 32:4.
- Proverbs 1:5 (thematic): Encourages the hearing and gaining of understanding ('let the wise hear and increase in learning'), paralleling the idea that those previously rash or inarticulate will come to discern and speak with clarity.
Alternative generated candidates
- The heart of the hasty will learn understanding, and the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak plainly.
- The heart of the hasty will gain understanding, and the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak plainly.
Isa.32.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לא: PART_NEG
- יקרא: VERB,niphal,impf,3,m,sg
- עוד: ADV
- לנבל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נדיב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ולכילי: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לא: PART_NEG
- יאמר: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- שוע: NOUN,prop,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Isaiah 5:20 (thematic): Denounces the inversion of moral categories—calling evil good and good evil—parallel to refusing to call the vile 'noble'.
- Ezekiel 22:28 (allusion): Condemns prophets who see false visions and give lying guidance; parallels the exposure of those wrongly honored or esteemed.
- Matthew 23:27-28 (thematic): Jesus rebukes outwardly honored religious leaders who are inwardly corrupt—similar critique of misapplied honor.
- 1 Samuel 16:7 (structural): Contrasts human misjudgment by outward appearance with God’s true knowledge—explains how the unworthy can be mistakenly called noble.
- Micah 3:11 (thematic): Condemns leaders who pervert justice and profit dishonestly, reflecting the broader theme of corrupt persons being improperly esteemed.
Alternative generated candidates
- No longer shall the fool be called noble, nor shall the scoundrel be called honorable.
- No longer shall the fool be called noble, nor shall the scoundrel be spoken of as honorable.
Isa.32.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- נבל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נבלה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ידבר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ולבו: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- יעשה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- און: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לעשות: VERB,qal,inf
- חנף: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- ולדבר: VERB,qal,inf
- אל: NEG
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- תועה: VERB,qal,part,ms,sg
- להריק: VERB,hiph,inf
- נפש: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- רעב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ומשקה: VERB,piel,part,ms,sg
- צמא: ADJ,m,sg
- יחסיר: VERB,hiph,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 10:7 (verbal): Speaks of the wicked whose mouth is full of curses, deceit and oppression—paralleling Isaiah’s emphasis on corrupt speech and malicious intent.
- Isaiah 59:4–8 (verbal): Same prophet condemns deceitful words and actions that pervert justice and harm the needy—echoes Isaiah 32:6’s link of evil speech with social harm.
- Jeremiah 23:16 (thematic): A warning not to listen to false prophets who speak peace and mislead the people—parallels Isaiah’s critique of speech that leads people away from the Lord.
- Amos 8:11–12 (thematic): Speaks of a coming ‘famine’ of hearing the word of the Lord; thematically related to Isaiah’s image of depriving the hungry and thirsty of sustenance (spiritual or material).
Alternative generated candidates
- For the fool utters folly, and his heart devises iniquity—to practice ungodliness and to speak error against the LORD; he will empty the soul of the hungry and withhold drink from the thirsty.
- For a fool utters folly, and his heart plots wickedness to practice ungodliness and to speak error against the LORD, to leave the hungry empty and to withhold drink from the thirsty.
Isa.32.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וכלי: NOUN,m,pl,const
- כליו: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3ms
- רעים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- זמות: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- יעץ: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לחבל: PREP+VERB,qal,inf
- עניים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- באמרי: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,cs
- שקר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובדבר: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אביון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- משפט: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Micah 2:1 (verbal): Speaks of those who 'plan iniquity' and 'plot evil'—language close to Isaiah 32:7's depiction of devising wicked devices and schemes against others.
- Isaiah 10:1-2 (thematic): Condemns unjust laws and decrees that 'rob the needy of justice,' paralleling Isaiah 32:7's charge against schemes and false words that oppress the poor.
- Isaiah 1:23 (thematic): Accuses leaders who love bribes, are partners with thieves, and fail to defend the fatherless—echoing the theme of corrupt counsels and injustice toward the poor in Isa. 32:7.
- Amos 5:12 (thematic): Denounces afflicting the righteous, taking bribes, and turning aside the needy at the gate—a prophetic critique of social injustice comparable to the practices criticized in Isaiah 32:7.
- Proverbs 17:23 (verbal): States that a wicked person takes a bribe to pervert justice—a concise proverbial parallel to Isaiah 32:7's depiction of deceitful speech and unjust treatment of the poor.
Alternative generated candidates
- All his implements are for mischief; he plots wicked schemes to ruin the poor with lies, and when the afflicted plead, he perverts justice.
- The tools of the unscrupulous are instruments of evil; he devises wicked schemes to ruin the poor with lies, and he perverts justice in the cause of the needy.
Isa.32.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ונדיב: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נדיבות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- יעץ: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- והוא: CONJ+PRON,3,m,sg
- על: PREP
- נדיבות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- יקום: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 15:22 (thematic): Both verses stress the importance of wise counsel for successful plans—Isaiah praises noble/counseling leadership, Proverbs notes plans prosper with counsel.
- Proverbs 11:14 (thematic): Emphasizes the necessity of guidance and advisers for stability, paralleling Isaiah’s valuation of noble counsel.
- Psalm 112:5 (verbal): Speaks of the blessedness of the generous—uses the idea/term of generosity (נדיב) and links generosity with standing/blessing, echoing Isaiah’s praise of the generous.
- Isaiah 32:1 (structural): Immediate literary context: earlier verses promise a righteous king and just princes; 32:8 develops the character of those who will rule—noble in counsel and action.
- Acts 20:35 (thematic): New Testament ethical parallel valuing giving/beneficence (‘it is more blessed to give’), resonating with Isaiah’s commendation of generosity as a hallmark of upright leaders.
Alternative generated candidates
- But a noble man devises noble things, and by noble things he will stand.
- But a generous man plans generous deeds, and by generosity he shall stand.
Behold— a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice. And a man shall be as a refuge from the wind and a shelter from the storm; like streams of water in Zion, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.
The eyes of those who see shall not be dim, and the ears of those who hear shall be attentive.
The mind of the rash will gain understanding, and the tongue of the stammerer will hasten to speak plainly.
No longer shall a fool be called noble, nor shall a scoundrel be said to be honorable.
For a fool utters folly, and his heart devises wickedness—to practice ungodliness and to speak error against the LORD; he makes the hungry go empty and withholds drink from the thirsty.
Every implement of their hands is for mischief; their device is deceit— to ruin the poor with falsehoods and to pervert the cause of the needy. But a generous man plans generous things, and by generosity he shall stand.