Isaiah 4:4
New International Version
The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.

New Living Translation
The Lord will wash the filth from beautiful Zion and cleanse Jerusalem of its bloodstains with the hot breath of fiery judgment.

English Standard Version
when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning.

Berean Standard Bible
when the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains from the heart of Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.

King James Bible
When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

New King James Version
When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning,

New American Standard Bible
When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning,

NASB 1995
When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning,

NASB 1977
When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning,

Legacy Standard Bible
When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and rinsed away the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning,

Amplified Bible
When the Lord has washed away the [moral] filth of the daughters of Zion and has cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning,

Christian Standard Bible
when the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodguilt from the heart of Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
when the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodguilt from the heart of Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning.

American Standard Version
when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of justice, and by the spirit of burning.

Contemporary English Version
after the LORD sends a fiery judgment to clean the city and its people of their violent deeds.

English Revised Version
when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The Lord will wash away the filth of Zion's people. He will clean bloodstains from Jerusalem with a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning.

Good News Translation
By his power the Lord will judge and purify the nation and wash away the guilt of Jerusalem and the blood that has been shed there.

International Standard Version
when the LORD will have washed away the filth of the women of Zion, cleaning up Jerusalem's guilt by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of tempest.

Majority Standard Bible
when the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains from the heart of Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.

NET Bible
At that time the sovereign master will wash the excrement from Zion's women, he will rinse the bloodstains from Jerusalem's midst, as he comes to judge and to bring devastation.

New Heart English Bible
when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from its midst, by the spirit of justice, and by the spirit of burning.

Webster's Bible Translation
When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst of it by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

World English Bible
when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from within it, by the spirit of justice and by the spirit of burning.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
If the Lord has washed away "" The filth of daughters of Zion, "" And purges the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, "" By the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

Young's Literal Translation
If the Lord hath washed away The filth of daughters of Zion, And the blood of Jerusalem purgeth from her midst, By the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

Smith's Literal Translation
When Jehovah washed out the excrements of the daughters of Zion, and he shall cleanse the blood of Jerusalem from her midst with the spirit of judgment, and with the spirit of burning.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
If the Lord shall wash away the filth of the daughters of Sion, and shall wash away the blood of Jerusalem out of the midst thereof, by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then the Lord will have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and will have washed away the blood of Jerusalem from its midst, by means of a spirit of judgment and a spirit of intense devotion.

New American Bible
When the Lord washes away the filth of the daughters of Zion, And purges Jerusalem’s blood from her midst with a blast of judgment, a searing blast,

New Revised Standard Version
once the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
When the LORD shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the bloodshed from the midst of Jerusalem, by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of purging.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And LORD JEHOVAH shall wash the impurity of the daughters of Zion, and blood will be put far away from the inside of Jerusalem, in The Spirit of Judgment and in The Burning Spirit
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of destruction.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For the Lord shall wash away the filth of the sons and daughters of Sion, and shall purge out the blood from the midst of them, with the spirit of judgement, and the spirit of burning.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Remnant in Zion
3Whoever remains in Zion and whoever is left in Jerusalem will be called holy—all in Jerusalem who are recorded among the living— 4when the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains from the heart of Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire. 5Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud of smoke by day and a glowing flame of fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a canopy,…

Cross References
Ezekiel 36:25-27
I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. / I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. / And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.

Malachi 3:2-3
But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap. / And He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the LORD in righteousness.

Zechariah 13:1
“On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the people of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.

Jeremiah 33:8
And I will cleanse them from all the iniquity they have committed against Me, and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against Me.

Psalm 51:7
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Joel 2:28-29
And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. / Even on My menservants and maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

Ezekiel 37:23
They will no longer defile themselves with their idols or detestable images, or with any of their transgressions. I will save them from all their apostasies by which they sinned, and I will cleanse them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.

Zechariah 12:10
Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

Jeremiah 31:33-34
“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people. / No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.”

Ezekiel 11:19-20
And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh, / so that they may follow My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.

Matthew 3:11-12
I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. / His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

John 3:5
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

Titus 3:5
He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Hebrews 9:14
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!


Treasury of Scripture

When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the middle thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

washed away

Isaiah 3:16
Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:

Lamentations 1:9
Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O LORD, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified himself.

Ezekiel 16:6-9
And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live…

have purged

Isaiah 26:20,21
Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast…

Ezekiel 24:7-14
For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust; …

Matthew 23:37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

by the spirit

Isaiah 9:5
For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.

Ezekiel 22:18-22
Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver…

Malachi 3:2,3
But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: …

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Blood Bloodshed Burning Clean Cleanse Cleansed Daughters Destruction Filth Fire Jerusalem Judging Judgment Justice Midst Purged Purgeth Scoured Sin Spirit Thereof Wash Washed Wind Women Zion
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Isaiah 4
1. In the extremity of evils, Christ's kingdom shall be a sanctuary.














When the Lord
This phrase emphasizes the sovereignty and initiative of God in the process of purification. The Hebrew word for "Lord" here is "Yahweh," the covenant name of God, which underscores His faithfulness and authority. Historically, this reflects God's ongoing relationship with Israel, where He acts as both judge and redeemer. The use of "when" indicates a future certainty, a promise that God Himself will intervene in the affairs of His people.

has washed away
The imagery of washing signifies purification and renewal. The Hebrew root "rachats" means to wash or cleanse, often used in ceremonial contexts. This reflects the spiritual cleansing necessary for the people of God to be restored to holiness. In a broader biblical context, this washing prefigures the cleansing work of Christ, who washes away sin through His sacrifice.

the filth of the daughters of Zion
"Daughters of Zion" refers to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, often symbolizing the collective people of God. "Filth" here is a metaphor for sin and moral impurity. The Hebrew word "tso'ah" suggests defilement and uncleanness. This phrase highlights the need for spiritual purification among God's people, a theme consistent throughout the prophetic literature.

and cleansed the bloodstains
The term "cleansed" comes from the Hebrew "duach," meaning to rinse or purge. "Bloodstains" symbolize guilt and the consequences of sin, particularly violence and injustice. This cleansing is not merely external but addresses the deep-seated corruption within the community. It points to the necessity of atonement and reconciliation with God.

from the heart of Jerusalem
"Heart" in Hebrew is "leb," often representing the inner life, including thoughts, emotions, and will. "Jerusalem" is not just a physical city but a spiritual center for God's people. This phrase indicates that the transformation God promises is profound, reaching the very core of the community's identity and spiritual life.

by a spirit of judgment
The "spirit of judgment" refers to God's righteous and discerning action. The Hebrew word "ruach" for "spirit" can mean breath, wind, or spirit, indicating a dynamic and powerful force. Judgment here is not merely punitive but corrective, aimed at restoring righteousness and justice among God's people.

and a spirit of fire
Fire in biblical symbolism often represents purification and the presence of God. The "spirit of fire" suggests a refining process, burning away impurities to leave what is pure and holy. This imagery is consistent with the refining fire described in other scriptures, such as Malachi 3:2-3, where God purifies His people like a refiner purifies silver.

(4) When the Lord shall have washed away the filth . . .--This serves as the connecting link with Isaiah 3:16-24. The prophet has not forgotten the daughters of Zion. Jehovah will wash away, as with the baptism of repentance, the "filth," the moral uncleanness, that lay beneath their outward show of beauty. The "blood of Jerusalem," in the next verse, has a wide range of meaning, from the "murders" of Isaiah 1:15; Isaiah 1:21, to the Moloch sacrifices in which the women had borne a conspicuous part (Psalm 106:38; Isaiah 57:5; Ezekiel 22:2-3). . . . Verse 4. - When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (see Isaiah 3:16-24). Sin must not be merely repented of and pardoned; it must be put away. There could be no Jerusalem, in which all should be "called holy," until the moral defilement of the daughters of Zion was swept away. Purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst (comp. Isaiah 1:15; Isaiah 59:3). It is possible, however, that the murder of infants in sacrifice to Moloch may be in the prophet's mind. Ahaz "burnt his children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen" (2 Chronicles 28:3). Manasseh did the same (2 Chronicles 33:6): and the practice was probably widespread among the people long before Isaiah's time (see Psalm 106:38; Isaiah 57:5). By the spirit of burning; or, by a blast of burning; i.e. a fiery blast which shall destroy everything (comp. Isaiah 1:31).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
when
אִ֣ם ׀ (’im)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

the Lord
אֲדֹנָ֗י (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136: The Lord

has washed away
רָחַ֣ץ (rā·ḥaṣ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7364: To wash, wash off or away, bathe

the filth
צֹאַ֣ת (ṣō·’aṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 6675: Excrement, dirt, pollution

of the daughters
בְּנוֹת־ (bə·nō·wṯ-)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 1323: A daughter

of Zion
צִיּ֔וֹן (ṣî·yō·wn)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6726: Zion -- a mountain in Jerusalem, also a name for Jerusalem

and cleansed
יָדִ֣יחַ (yā·ḏî·aḥ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1740: To rinse, cleanse away by rinsing or washing

the bloodstains
דְּמֵ֥י (də·mê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed

from the heart
מִקִּרְבָּ֑הּ (miq·qir·bāh)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7130: The nearest part, the center

of Jerusalem
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם (yə·rū·šā·lim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel

by a spirit
בְּר֥וּחַ (bə·rū·aḥ)
Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit

of judgment
מִשְׁפָּ֖ט (miš·pāṭ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

and a spirit
וּבְר֥וּחַ (ū·ḇə·rū·aḥ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - common singular
Strong's 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit

of fire.
בָּעֵֽר׃ (bā·‘êr)
Verb - Piel - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 1197: To kindle, consume, to be, brutish


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 4:4 When the Lord shall have washed away (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 4:3
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