Isaiah 1:30
New International Version
You will be like an oak with fading leaves, like a garden without water.

New Living Translation
You will be like a great tree with withered leaves, like a garden without water.

English Standard Version
For you shall be like an oak whose leaf withers, and like a garden without water.

Berean Standard Bible
For you will become like an oak whose leaves are withered, like a garden without water.

King James Bible
For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.

New King James Version
For you shall be as a terebinth whose leaf fades, And as a garden that has no water.

New American Standard Bible
For you will be like an oak whose leaf withers away, Or like a garden that has no water.

NASB 1995
For you will be like an oak whose leaf fades away Or as a garden that has no water.

NASB 1977
For you will be like an oak whose leaf fades away, Or as a garden that has no water.

Legacy Standard Bible
For you will be like an oak whose leaf withers away Or as a garden that has no water.

Amplified Bible
For you will be like an oak whose leaf withers and dies And like a garden that has no water.

Christian Standard Bible
For you will become like an oak whose leaves are withered, and like a garden without water.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For you will become like an oak whose leaves are withered, and like a garden without water.

American Standard Version
For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.

Contemporary English Version
You will be like a grove of trees dying in a drought.

English Revised Version
For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You will be like an oak whose leaves wither and like a garden without water.

Good News Translation
You will wither like a dying oak, like a garden that no one waters.

International Standard Version
You'll be like an oak whose leaf is withering, like an unwatered garden.

Majority Standard Bible
For you will become like an oak whose leaves are withered, like a garden without water.

NET Bible
For you will be like a tree whose leaves wither, like an orchard that is unwatered.

New Heart English Bible
For you shall be as an oak whose leaf fades, and as a garden that has no water.

Webster's Bible Translation
For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.

World English Bible
For you shall be as an oak whose leaf fades, and as a garden that has no water.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
For you are as an oak whose leaf is fading, "" And as a garden that has no water.

Young's Literal Translation
For ye are as an oak whose leaf is fading, And as a garden that hath no water.

Smith's Literal Translation
For ye shall be as an oak the leaf withering, and as a garden which there no water to it.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
When you shall be as an oak with the leaves falling off, and as a garden without water.

Catholic Public Domain Version
when you were like an oak with falling leaves, and like a garden without water.

New American Bible
You shall become like a terebinth whose leaves wither, like a garden that has no water.

New Revised Standard Version
For you shall be like an oak whose leaf withers, and like a garden without water.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For they shall be like an oak whose leaves have fallen, and like a garden that has no water.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because they will be as the oak that sheds its leaves and like a garden that has no water
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
For ye shall be as a terebinth whose leaf fadeth, And as a garden that hath no water.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For they shall be as a turpentine tree that has cast its leaves, and as a garden that has no water.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Corruption of Zion
29Surely you will be ashamed of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be embarrassed by the gardens that you have chosen. 30For you will become like an oak whose leaves are withered, like a garden without water. 31The strong man will become tinder and his work will be a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench the flames.…

Cross References
Jeremiah 17:8
He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor does it cease to produce fruit.

Psalm 1:3
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.

Ezekiel 17:24
Then all the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD. I bring the tall tree down and make the low tree tall. I dry up the green tree and make the withered tree flourish. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it.’”

Hosea 9:16
Ephraim is struck down; their root is withered; they cannot bear fruit. Even if they bear children, I will slay the darlings of their wombs.

Matthew 21:19
Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. “May you never bear fruit again!” He said. And immediately the tree withered.

Luke 13:6-9
Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. / So he said to the keeper of the vineyard, ‘Look, for the past three years I have come to search for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Therefore cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ / ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone again this year, until I dig around it and fertilize it. ...

Jeremiah 11:16
The LORD once called you a flourishing olive tree, beautiful with well-formed fruit. But with a mighty roar He will set it on fire, and its branches will be consumed.

Ezekiel 19:12
But it was uprooted in fury, cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up its fruit. Its strong branches were stripped off and they withered; the fire consumed them.

Job 8:11-13
Does papyrus grow where there is no marsh? Do reeds flourish without water? / While the shoots are still uncut, they dry up more quickly than grass. / Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so the hope of the godless will perish.

Psalm 92:12-14
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. / Planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. / In old age they will still bear fruit; healthy and green they will remain,

Matthew 7:19
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

John 15:6
If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.

Mark 11:20-21
As they were walking back in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from its roots. / Peter remembered it and said, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree You cursed has withered.”

Jeremiah 6:9
This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Glean the remnant of Israel as thoroughly as a vine. Pass your hand once more like a grape gatherer over the branches.”

Ezekiel 31:3-14
Look at Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches that shaded the forest. It towered on high; its top was among the clouds. / The waters made it grow; the deep springs made it tall, directing their streams all around its base and sending their channels to all the trees of the field. / Therefore it towered higher than all the trees of the field. Its branches multiplied, and its boughs grew long as it spread them out because of the abundant waters. ...


Treasury of Scripture

For you shall be as an oak whose leaf fades, and as a garden that has no water.

ye shall be

Isaiah 5:6
And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

Jeremiah 17:5,6
Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD…

Ezekiel 17:9,10,24
Say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? it shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof…

garden

Isaiah 58:11
And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

Jeremiah 31:12
Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.

Ezekiel 31:4
The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field.

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Isaiah 1
1. Isaiah complains of Judah for her rebellion
5. He laments her judgments
10. He upbraids their whole service
16. He exhorts to repentance, with promises and threats
21. Bewailing their wickedness, he denounces God's judgments
25. He promises grace
28. And threatens destruction to the wicked














For you will become like an oak
The oak tree is often a symbol of strength and endurance in the Bible. However, in this context, it represents something that was once strong but is now deteriorating. The oak's decline symbolizes the spiritual and moral decay of the people of Judah. This imagery is used to convey the consequences of turning away from God. The oak's strength is compromised, reflecting the nation's weakened state due to sin and rebellion.

whose leaves are withered
Withered leaves indicate a lack of life and vitality. In the biblical context, leaves often symbolize prosperity and blessing (Psalm 1:3). The withering of the leaves suggests a loss of divine favor and the resulting spiritual barrenness. This imagery serves as a warning of the consequences of forsaking God's commandments and the resulting judgment. It also reflects the broader theme of Israel's unfaithfulness and the resulting desolation.

like a garden without water
A garden without water is a powerful image of desolation and neglect. Water is essential for life and growth, symbolizing the sustenance that comes from God. In the arid climate of the Near East, water is a precious resource, and its absence leads to barrenness. This phrase underscores the spiritual drought experienced by the people due to their disobedience. It echoes other biblical passages where water represents the Holy Spirit and God's provision (John 4:14, Isaiah 44:3). The lack of water signifies the absence of God's presence and blessing, leading to spiritual desolation.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Isaiah
A major prophet in the Old Testament, Isaiah is the author of the book that bears his name. He prophesied to the Kingdom of Judah during a time of moral and spiritual decline.

2. Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, which Isaiah addresses in his prophecies. Judah was experiencing social injustice and idolatry, leading to God's judgment.

3. Oak Tree
In this context, the oak symbolizes strength and stability. However, a withered oak represents decay and loss of vitality, reflecting the spiritual state of Judah.

4. Garden
Gardens are typically symbols of life and abundance. A garden without water signifies barrenness and desolation, illustrating the spiritual drought in Judah.

5. God's Judgment
The overarching event in this passage is God's impending judgment on Judah for their unfaithfulness and rebellion.
Teaching Points
Spiritual Vitality Requires Nourishment
Just as a garden needs water, our spiritual lives require the living water of God's Word and Spirit. Without it, we wither spiritually.

The Danger of Superficial Faith
Like a withered oak, a faith that is not deeply rooted in God will not withstand trials. We must cultivate a deep, genuine relationship with God.

Consequences of Spiritual Neglect
Ignoring our spiritual health leads to desolation and judgment, as seen in Judah's example. We must prioritize our relationship with God to avoid spiritual drought.

Repentance and Restoration
Isaiah's message is not just one of judgment but also of hope. God calls His people to repentance, promising restoration and renewal.

Community and Accountability
Just as a garden thrives with care, our spiritual growth is supported by community and accountability within the body of Christ.(30) Ye shall be . . .--Men were to think of the pleasant places that had tempted them, not as they had seen them, fresh and green, but as burnt up and withered, and then were to see in that desolation a parable of their own future. The word for "strong" occurs only in Amos 2:9, where we find "strong as the oaks."

Verse 30. - Ye shall be as an oak, etc. Contrast the case of the godly, whose "leaf shall not wither" (Psalm 1:3).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
For
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

you will become
תִֽהְי֔וּ (ṯih·yū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

like an oak
כְּאֵלָ֖ה (kə·’ê·lāh)
Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 424: An oak, other strong tree

whose leaves
עָלֶ֑הָ (‘ā·le·hā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5929: A leaf, foliage

are withered,
נֹבֶ֣לֶת (nō·ḇe·leṯ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5034: To wilt, to fall away, fail, faint, to be foolish, wicked, to despise, disgrace

like a garden
וּֽכְגַנָּ֔ה (ū·ḵə·ḡan·nāh)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1593: A garden

without
אֵ֥ין (’ên)
Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

water.
מַ֖יִם (ma·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 1:30 For you shall be as an oak (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 1:29
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