Lexical Summary tsulah: Depth, deep, abyss Original Word: צוּלָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance deep From an unused root meaning to sink: an abyss (of the sea) -- deep. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition (ocean) deep NASB Translation depth of the sea (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs צוּלָה noun feminine ocean-deep; — Isaiah 44:27. Topical Lexicon Overview צוּלָה appears only once in Scripture, Isaiah 44:27. The term evokes the immense and threatening depths of the sea—an emblem of chaos that only the Creator can command. In context, the Lord declares His absolute sovereignty: “who says to the deep, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up your currents’ ” (Isaiah 44:27). By a single word He turns the watery abyss into parched land, demonstrating power that overwhelms every rival deity, king, or circumstance. Biblical Context Isaiah 40–48 consoles exiled Judah with a series of courtroom scenes in which God summons idols and nations to witness His uniqueness. The decree over the צוּלָה forms part of the legal evidence. Immediately afterward (Isaiah 44:28) the Lord names Cyrus, centuries before his birth, as the shepherd who will rebuild Jerusalem. Drying the sea and guiding a foreign ruler both prove that the covenant God of Abraham controls nature and history alike. Creation Motif Genesis 1:2 pictures the primal deep as formless and dark until the Spirit hovers and the divine word brings cosmos out of chaos. Isaiah’s use of צוּלָה deliberately echoes that scene: the same Creator who once restrained the waters still rules them. The passage bridges creation and redemption; the God who spoke light into being now speaks liberation for His people. Deliverance Motif Isaiah’s imagery recalls the Exodus, where the Lord “parted the waters” (Exodus 14:21) and later “rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up” (Psalm 106:9). By invoking those memories, the prophet assures the exiles that a second, greater deliverance is certain. What Babylon represents—an apparently impassable depth—will be rendered “dry” at God’s command. Prophetic Significance for Israel Within Isaiah 44 the drying of the deep anchors three linked promises: 1. Restoration of Jerusalem (Isaiah 44:26). Each event seemed impossible from an exilic vantage point, yet the Lord ties them to a single demonstration of authority over the sea. The prophecy began fulfillment when Cyrus captured Babylon by diverting the Euphrates, literally turning a riverbed into dry ground for his troops—an historical footnote that reinforces the metaphor. Typology Fulfilled in Christ New Testament writers portray Jesus as the One who commands the elements: “He rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm” (Matthew 8:26). The authority hinted at in Isaiah 44:27 reaches its climax when Christ subdues both the natural world and the deeper abyss of sin and death, triumphing through His resurrection (Colossians 2:12-15). Practical Ministry Insights • Divine sovereignty: The Lord’s word carries final authority in every arena—nature, politics, personal life. Related Passages for Study Genesis 1:1-10; Exodus 14:21-31; Joshua 3:13-17; Psalm 74:13-14; Psalm 106:9; Isaiah 51:10; Matthew 8:23-27; Revelation 16:12. Forms and Transliterations לַצּוּלָ֖ה לצולה laṣ·ṣū·lāh laṣṣūlāh latztzuLahLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 44:27 HEB: הָאֹמֵ֥ר לַצּוּלָ֖ה חֳרָ֑בִי וְנַהֲרֹתַ֖יִךְ NAS: [It is I] who says to the depth of the sea, 'Be dried KJV: That saith to the deep, Be dry, INT: says to the depth be dried your rivers 1 Occurrence |
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