Isaiah 7:25 For fear of the briers and thorns, you will no longer traverse the hills once tilled by the hoe; they will become places for oxen to graze and sheep to trample.

◄ Isaiah 7:25 ►

New International Version
As for all the hills once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns; they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run.

New Living Translation
No one will go to the fertile hillsides where the gardens once grew, for briers and thorns will cover them. Cattle, sheep, and goats will graze there.

English Standard Version
And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread.

Berean Standard Bible
For fear of the briers and thorns, you will no longer traverse the hills once tilled by the hoe; they will become places for oxen to graze and sheep to trample.

King James Bible
And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle.

New King James Version
And to any hill which could be dug with the hoe, You will not go there for fear of briers and thorns; But it will become a range for oxen And a place for sheep to roam.

New American Standard Bible
As for all the hills which used to be cultivated with the plow, you will not go there for fear of briars and thorns; but they will become a place for pasturing oxen and for sheep to trample.

NASB 1995
As for all the hills which used to be cultivated with the hoe, you will not go there for fear of briars and thorns; but they will become a place for pasturing oxen and for sheep to trample.

NASB 1977
And as for all the hills which used to be cultivated with the hoe, you will not go there for fear of briars and thorns; but they will become a place for pasturing oxen and for sheep to trample.

Legacy Standard Bible
As for all the hills which used to be cultivated with the hoe, you will not go there for fear of briars and thorns; but they will become a place for pasturing oxen and for sheep to trample.

Amplified Bible
As for all the hills which used to be cultivated with the pick and the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of briars and thorns; but they will become a place where oxen are pastured and where sheep tread.

Christian Standard Bible
You will not go to all the hills that were once tilled with a hoe, for fear of the thorns and briers. Those hills will be places for oxen to graze and for sheep to trample.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You will not go to all the hills that were once tilled with a hoe, for fear of the thorns and briers. Those hills will be places for oxen to graze and for sheep to trample.

American Standard Version
And all the hills that were digged with the mattock, thou shalt not come thither for fear of briers and thorns; but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of sheep.

Contemporary English Version
The hills where you once planted crops will be overgrown with thorns and thistles. You will be afraid to go there, and your cattle, sheep, and goats will be turned loose on those hills.

English Revised Version
And all the hills that were digged with the mattock; thou shalt not come thither for fear of briers and thorns, but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of sheep.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
And you will no longer be able to go to all the hills which used to be cultivated because they will be filled with briars and thorns. It will be a place for turning oxen loose and letting sheep run."

Good News Translation
All the hills where crops were once planted will be so overgrown with thorns that no one will go there. It will be a place where cattle and sheep graze."

International Standard Version
As for all the hills that used to be cultivated with a hoe, you won't go there, because you'll fear iron briars and thorns. Nevertheless, those hills will be reserved as a pasture where cattle will feed and where sheep will graze."

Majority Standard Bible
For fear of the briers and thorns, you will no longer traverse the hills once tilled by the hoe; they will become places for oxen to graze and sheep to trample.

NET Bible
They will stay away from all the hills that were cultivated, for fear of the thorns and briers. Cattle will graze there and sheep will trample on them.

New Heart English Bible
All the hills that were cultivated with the hoe, you shall not come there for fear of briers and thorns; but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of sheep."

Webster's Bible Translation
And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle.

World English Bible
All the hills that were cultivated with the hoe, you shall not come there for fear of briers and thorns; but it shall be for the sending out of oxen, and for sheep to tread on.”

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And all the hills that are kept in order with a mattock, "" There does not come [for] fear of brier and thorn, "" And it has been for the sending forth of ox, "" And for the treading of sheep!

Young's Literal Translation
And all the hills that with a mattock are kept in order, Thither cometh not the fear of brier and thorn, And it hath been for the sending forth of ox, And for the treading of sheep!'

Smith's Literal Translation
And all the mountains which shall be dressed with the hoe, the fear of sharp points and thorns shall not come there: and it was for the sending forth of the ox and for the treading of sheep.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And as for all the hills that shall be raked with a rake, the fear of thorns and briers shall not come thither, but they shall be for the ox to feed on, and the lesser cattle to tread upon.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But as for all the mountains, which will be dug with a hoe, the terror of thorns and briers will not approach those places. And there will be pasture land for oxen, and a range for cattle.”

New American Bible
But as for all the hills which were hoed with a mattock, for fear of briers and thorns you will not go there; they shall become a place for cattle to roam and sheep to trample.

New Revised Standard Version
and as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not go there for fear of briers and thorns; but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And on all the hills that once were ploughed with a plough, you shall not go for fear of briers and thorns; but it shall become pasture for cattle and for the treading of sheep.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And all the mountains were ploughed with a plow, and the fear of thickets and of thorns shall not enter there, and it will be a place of grazing for oxen and a place of treading for sheep

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And all the hills that were digged with the mattock, thou shalt not come thither for fear of briers and thorns, but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of sheep.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And every mountain shall be certainly ploughed: there shall no fear come thither: for there shall be from among the barren ground and thorns that whereon cattle shall feed and oxen shall tread.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Judgment to Come
…24Men will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns. 25For fear of the briers and thorns, you will no longer traverse the hills once tilled by the hoe; they will become places for oxen to graze and sheep to trample.

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Isaiah 5:6
I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and thorns and briers will grow up. I will command the clouds that rain shall not fall on it.”

Isaiah 32:13-14
and for the land of my people, overgrown with thorns and briers—even for every house of merriment in this city of revelry. / For the palace will be forsaken, the busy city abandoned. The hill and the watchtower will become caves forever—the delight of wild donkeys and a pasture for flocks—

Micah 3:12
Therefore, because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, and the temple mount a wooded ridge.

Jeremiah 4:26
I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert. All its cities were torn down before the LORD, before His fierce anger.

Jeremiah 12:10-11
Many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard; they have trampled My plot of ground. They have turned My pleasant field into a desolate wasteland. / They have made it a desolation; desolate before Me, it mourns. All the land is laid waste, but no man takes it to heart.

Hosea 10:8
The high places of Aven will be destroyed—it is the sin of Israel; thorns and thistles will overgrow their altars. Then they will say to the mountains, “Cover us!” and to the hills, “Fall on us!”

Zephaniah 1:13
Their wealth will be plundered and their houses laid waste. They will build houses but not inhabit them, and plant vineyards but never drink their wine.

2 Kings 19:29
And this will be a sign to you, O Hezekiah: This year you will eat what grows on its own, and in the second year what springs from the same. But in the third year you will sow and reap; you will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

2 Chronicles 36:21
So the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest all the days of the desolation, until seventy years were completed, in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah.

Leviticus 26:33-35
But I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out a sword after you as your land becomes desolate and your cities are laid waste. / Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths all the days it lies desolate, while you are in the land of your enemies. At that time the land will rest and enjoy its Sabbaths. / As long as it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not receive during the Sabbaths when you lived in it.

Deuteronomy 28:23-24
The sky over your head will be bronze, and the earth beneath you iron. / The LORD will turn the rain of your land into dust and powder; it will descend on you from the sky until you are destroyed.

Psalm 107:34
and fruitful land into fields of salt, because of the wickedness of its dwellers.

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. ...

Mark 11:13-14
Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if there was any fruit on it. But when He reached it, He found nothing on it except leaves, since it was not the season for figs. / Then He said to the tree, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again.” And His disciples heard this statement.

Treasury of Scripture

And on all hills that shall be dig with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle.

but it

Isaiah 7:21,22
And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep; …

Isaiah 13:20-22
It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there…

Isaiah 17:2
The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

Jump to Previous

Blackberries Briars Brier Briers Cattle Cultivated Digged Dug Fear Forth Hills Hoe Hoed Kept Lesser Mattock Mountains Once Order Ox Oxen Pasturing Places Sending Sheep Spade Thither Thorn Thorns Trample Tread Treading Turned Used Worked

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Isaiah 7

1. Ahaz, being troubled with fear of Rezin and Pekah, is comforted by Isaiah
10. Ahaz, having liberty to choose a sign, and refusing it, has for a sign, Christ promised
17. His judgment is prophesied to come by Assyria

Berean Study Bible

And as for all the hills
The phrase "all the hills" refers to the elevated lands that were once productive and fertile. In the Hebrew context, hills often symbolize places of strength and prosperity. Historically, these hills were cultivated and provided sustenance. The mention of "all" emphasizes the totality of the transformation that is to occur, indicating a widespread change affecting the entire landscape.

once cultivated with the hoe
The word "cultivated" suggests a time of productivity and care, where the land was actively worked and maintained. The "hoe" is a simple agricultural tool, symbolizing human effort and diligence in tending to the land. This phrase evokes a sense of nostalgia for a past era of abundance and human stewardship, which is now lost.

you will no longer go there
This phrase indicates a significant shift in behavior and accessibility. The people who once frequented these hills for agricultural purposes will abandon them. The change is not due to a lack of desire but rather a necessity driven by fear and danger, highlighting a loss of control and security.

for fear of the briers and thorns
"Briers and thorns" are often used in Scripture to symbolize desolation, curse, and the consequences of sin (Genesis 3:18). They represent obstacles and dangers that make the land inhospitable. The fear mentioned here is a direct result of these natural impediments, illustrating the transformation from a place of life to one of desolation.

they will become places
This phrase marks a transition in the purpose and use of the land. The hills, once cultivated and productive, will now serve a different function. The inevitability of this change is underscored by the certainty of the word "will."

for pasturing oxen
The "pasturing of oxen" suggests a return to a more primitive and less cultivated use of the land. Oxen, as beasts of burden, are associated with basic agricultural work. Their presence indicates a shift from human cultivation to a more natural, untamed state, where the land is no longer actively managed by people.

and for sheep to trample
Sheep trampling the land further emphasizes the degradation of the once-cultivated hills. Trampling implies a lack of care and a disregard for the land's previous value. Sheep, often seen as symbols of innocence and simplicity, here contribute to the image of a landscape that has reverted to a wild and unmanaged state.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(25) And on all hills that shall be digged . . .--Better, "that are digged" or that used to be digged with the hoe. The picture of devastation is completed. On the hill-sides, every inch of which was once brought under careful vine culture, "Thou wilt not enter for fear of thorns and briars" i.e., thou wilt not venture on the task of tilling the soil in face of such disarrangements. What would be the use of hoeing such a tangled mass of brushwood? At the best it must be left for such pasturage as oxen and sheep might find there as they browsed, and they by their trampling should but increase the mischief. The rendering of the Authorised version conveys the thought that where there was the careful culture thus described, there should be an exception to the general desolation. Below this, if we accept it, there may be a spiritual meaning like that of Jeremiah 4:3 (Kay).

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 25. - On all hills that shall be digged; rather, that shall have been digged in former times, whether for corn cultivation or for any other. There shall not come thither the fear of briers (so Ewald and Kay). But almost all other commentators translate, "Thou shalt not come thither for fear of briers," etc. The briers and thorns of the East tear the clothes and the flesh. It shall be; i.e. "each such place shall be." For the sending forth of oxen; rather, for the sending in of oxen. Men shall send their cattle into them, as alone able to penetrate the jungle without hurt. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTE.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

For fear
יִרְאַ֖ת (yir·’aṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3374: Fear, reverence

of the thorns
וָשָׁ֑יִת (wā·šā·yiṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7898: Scrub, trash, wild growth of weeds, briers

and briers,
שָׁמִ֣יר (šā·mîr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8068: A thorn, a gem, the diamond

you will no longer
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

traverse
תָב֣וֹא (ṯā·ḇō·w)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

the hills
הֶהָרִ֗ים (he·hā·rîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2022: Mountain, hill, hill country

once tilled
יֵעָ֣דֵר֔וּן (yê·‘ā·ḏê·rūn)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 5737: To arrange as a battle, a vineyard, to muster, to miss

by the hoe;
בַּמַּעְדֵּר֙ (bam·ma‘·dêr)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4576: A, hoe

they will become
וְהָיָה֙ (wə·hā·yāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

[places] for oxen
שׁ֔וֹר (šō·wr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7794: A head of cattle (bullock, ox, etcetera)

to graze
לְמִשְׁלַ֣ח (lə·miš·laḥ)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4916: A sending out, presentation, seizure

and sheep
שֶֽׂה׃ (śeh)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7716: A member of a, flock, a sheep, goat

to trample.
וּלְמִרְמַ֖ס (ū·lə·mir·mas)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4823: Trampling place, trampling

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OT Prophets: Isaiah 7:25 All the hills that were cultivated (Isa Isi Is)