Isaiah 33:23
New International Version
Your rigging hangs loose: The mast is not held secure, the sail is not spread. Then an abundance of spoils will be divided and even the lame will carry off plunder.

New Living Translation
The enemies’ sails hang loose on broken masts with useless tackle. Their treasure will be divided by the people of God. Even the lame will take their share!

English Standard Version
Your cords hang loose; they cannot hold the mast firm in its place or keep the sail spread out. Then prey and spoil in abundance will be divided; even the lame will take the prey.

Berean Standard Bible
Your ropes are slack; they cannot secure the mast or spread the sail. Then an abundance of spoils will be divided, and even the lame will carry off plunder.

King James Bible
Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey.

New King James Version
Your tackle is loosed, They could not strengthen their mast, They could not spread the sail. Then the prey of great plunder is divided; The lame take the prey.

New American Standard Bible
Your ship’s tackle hangs slack; It cannot hold the base of its mast firmly, Nor spread out the sail. Then the prey of an abundant spoil will be divided; Those who limp will take the plunder.

NASB 1995
Your tackle hangs slack; It cannot hold the base of its mast firmly, Nor spread out the sail. Then the prey of an abundant spoil will be divided; The lame will take the plunder.

NASB 1977
Your tackle hangs slack; It cannot hold the base of its mast firmly, Nor spread out the sail. Then the prey of an abundant spoil will be divided; The lame will take the plunder.

Legacy Standard Bible
Your cords hang slack; They cannot hold the base of their mast firmly, Nor spread out the sail. Then the prey of an abundant spoil will be divided; The lame will take the plunder.

Amplified Bible
Your ship’s ropes (tackle) hang loose; They cannot hold the base of their mast firmly, Nor spread out the sail. Then an abundance of spoil and plunder will be divided; Even the lame will take the plunder.

Christian Standard Bible
Your ropes are slack; they cannot hold the base of the mast or spread out the flag. Then abundant spoil will be divided, the lame will plunder it,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Your ropes are slack; they cannot hold the base of the mast or spread out the flag. Then abundant spoil will be divided, the lame will plunder it,

American Standard Version
Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not strengthen the foot of their mast, they could not spread the sail: then was the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame took the prey.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Your cords were loosed that were not secured, and your masts were bent whose sails they did not straighten, until they divided the loot and a multitude of lame men seized the booty

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Thy cords are broken, for they had no strength: thy meat has given way, it shall not spread the sails, it shall not bear a signal, until it be given up for plunder; therefore shall many lame men take spoil.

Contemporary English Version
But your nation is a ship with its rigging loose, its mast shaky, and its sail not spread. Someday even you that are lame will take everything you want from your enemies.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thy tacklings are loosed, and they shall be of no strength: thy mast shall be in such condition, that thou shalt not be able to spread the flag. Then shall the spoils of much prey be divided: the lame shall take the spoil.

English Revised Version
Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not strengthen the foot of their mast, they could not spread the sail: then was the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame took the prey.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Your ropes hang loose, your mast isn't secure, and your sail isn't spread out. A large amount of loot will be distributed. Lame people will carry off your loot.

International Standard Version
"Your rigging hangs loose; it cannot reliably hold the mast in its place, and the sail cannot spread out. Then an abundance of spoils will be divided — even the lame will carry off plunder.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Thy tacklings are loosed; They do not hold the stand of their mast, They do not spread the sail; Then is the prey of a great spoil divided; The lame take the prey.

Literal Standard Version
Your ropes have been left, | They do not correctly strengthen their mast, | They have not spread out a sail, | Then a prey of much spoil has been apportioned, | The lame have taken spoil.

Majority Standard Bible
Your ropes are slack; they cannot secure the mast or spread the sail. Then an abundance of spoils will be divided, and even the lame will carry off plunder.

New American Bible
The rigging hangs slack; it cannot hold the mast in place, nor keep the sail spread out. Then the blind will divide great spoils and the lame will carry off the loot.

NET Bible
Though at this time your ropes are slack, the mast is not secured, and the sail is not unfurled, at that time you will divide up a great quantity of loot; even the lame will drag off plunder.

New Revised Standard Version
Your rigging hangs loose; it cannot hold the mast firm in its place, or keep the sail spread out. Then prey and spoil in abundance will be divided; even the lame will fall to plundering.

New Heart English Bible
Your rigging is untied. They couldn't strengthen the foot of their mast. They couldn't spread the sail. Then the prey of a great spoil was divided. The lame took the prey.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey.

World English Bible
Your rigging is untied. They couldn’t strengthen the foot of their mast. They couldn’t spread the sail. Then the prey of a great plunder was divided. The lame took the prey.

Young's Literal Translation
Left have been thy ropes, They strengthen not rightly their mast, They have not spread out a sail, Then apportioned hath been a prey of much spoil, The lame have taken spoil.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The LORD is Exalted
22For the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our King. It is He who will save us. 23Your ropes are slack; they cannot secure the mast or spread the sail. Then an abundance of spoils will be divided, and even the lame will carry off plunder. 24And no resident of Zion will say, “I am sick.” The people who dwell there will be forgiven of iniquity.…

Cross References
2 Kings 7:8
When the lepers reached the edge of the camp, they went into a tent to eat and drink. Then they carried off the silver, gold, and clothing, and went and hid them. On returning, they entered another tent, carried off some items from there, and hid them.

2 Kings 7:16
Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. It was then that a seah of fine flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.

Isaiah 35:6
Then the lame will leap like a deer and the mute tongue will shout for joy. For waters will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.

Ezekiel 38:13
Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its villages will ask, 'Have you come to capture the plunder? Have you assembled your hordes to carry away loot, to make off with silver and gold, to take cattle and goods, to seize great spoil?'


Treasury of Scripture

Your tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey.

thy tacklings are loosed.

Isaiah 33:21
But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.

Ezekiel 27:26-34
Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters: the east wind hath broken thee in the midst of the seas…

Acts 27:19,30-32,40,41
And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship…

then

Isaiah 33:1,4
Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee…

2 Chronicles 20:25
And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.

the lame

1 Samuel 30:10,22-24
But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor…

2 Kings 7:8
And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.

Psalm 68:12
Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.

Jump to Previous
Able Abundance Abundant Base Carry Cords Couldn't Divided Division Feeble-Footed Firm Firmly Foot Goods Great Hangs Held Hold Lame Mast Plunder Prey Property Rigging Sail Sails Secure Slack Socket Spoil Spoils Spread Stand Strengthen Stretched Strong Support Tackle Untied War
Jump to Next
Able Abundance Abundant Base Carry Cords Couldn't Divided Division Feeble-Footed Firm Firmly Foot Goods Great Hangs Held Hold Lame Mast Plunder Prey Property Rigging Sail Sails Secure Slack Socket Spoil Spoils Spread Stand Strengthen Stretched Strong Support Tackle Untied War
Isaiah 33
1. God's judgments against the enemies of the church
13. The consternation of sinners, and privileges of the godly














(23) Thy tacklings are loosed . . .--The words have been taken as applicable either to Assyria, as one of the "ships of Tarshish" that had been wrecked, or to Zion, as a vessel that had been driven by the wind and tossed, but had escaped shipwreck. On the whole, the first view seems most in harmony with the context. The terms have been taken by some critics for the cords, poles, and canvas of a tent, but the rendering of the Authorised version seems preferable.

The lame take the prey.--The wrecked Assyrian ship is represented as being plundered by those whom it came to plunder. "The lame" were commonly excluded, as incapable of active service, from sharing in the spoils. Here they also were to have their portion.

Verse 23. - Thy tacklings are loosed. The comparing of God to a river has led to the representation of Judah's enemies as warships (ver. 21). This causes Judah herself to be viewed as a ship - a badly appointed ship, which has to contend with one whose equipment is perfect. The prophet's thoughts have traveled back to the existing state of things. They could not well strengthen their mast; rather, they cannot hold firm the lower part of their mast. The mast had its lower extremity inserted into a hole in a cross-beam, and required to be kept in place by the ropes. If they were loose, it might slip out of the hole and fall overboard. They could not spread the sail; rather, they cannot spread the ensign. The ensign would seem to have been attached to the top of the mast. If the mast fell, it would no longer be spread out, so as to be seen. Then is the prey of a great spoil divided. The word "then" is emphatic. Now the disabled ship seems incapable of coping with its enemy. Then (after Assyria's overthrow) Judah will obtain an immense spoil (see ver. 4). Even the lame shall have their portion.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Your ropes
חֲבָלָ֑יִךְ (ḥă·ḇā·lā·yiḵ)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 2256: A rope, a measuring line, a district, inheritance, a noose, a company, a throe, ruin

are slack;
נִטְּשׁ֖וּ (niṭ·ṭə·šū)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5203: To pound, smite, to disperse, to thrust off, down, out, upon

they cannot
בַּל־ (bal-)
Adverb
Strong's 1077: A failure, nothing, not at all, lest

secure
יְחַזְּק֤וּ (yə·ḥaz·zə·qū)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 2388: To fasten upon, to seize, be strong, obstinate, to bind, restrain, conquer

the mast
תָּרְנָם֙ (tā·rə·nām)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8650: A pole

or spread
פָּ֣רְשׂוּ (pā·rə·śū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6566: To break apart, disperse

the sail.
נֵ֔ס (nês)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5251: A flag, a sail, a flagstaff, a signal, a token

Then
אָ֣ז (’āz)
Adverb
Strong's 227: At that time, place, therefore

an abundance
מַרְבֶּ֔ה (mar·beh)
Adverb
Strong's 4766: Increasing, greatness, greatly

of spoils
שָׁלָל֙ (šā·lāl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7998: A prey, spoil, plunder, booty

will be divided,
חֻלַּ֤ק (ḥul·laq)
Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2505: To be smooth, to apportion, separate

[and even] the lame
פִּסְחִ֖ים (pis·ḥîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 6455: Lame

will carry off plunder.
בָּ֥זְזוּ (bā·zə·zū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 962: To spoil, plunder


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 33:23 Your rigging is untied (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 33:22
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