Isaiah 30:28
New International Version
His breath is like a rushing torrent, rising up to the neck. He shakes the nations in the sieve of destruction; he places in the jaws of the peoples a bit that leads them astray.

New Living Translation
His hot breath pours out like a flood up to the neck of his enemies. He will sift out the proud nations for destruction. He will bridle them and lead them away to ruin.

English Standard Version
his breath is like an overflowing stream that reaches up to the neck; to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction, and to place on the jaws of the peoples a bridle that leads astray.

Berean Standard Bible
His breath is like a rushing torrent that rises to the neck. He comes to sift the nations in a sieve of destruction; He bridles the jaws of the peoples to lead them astray.

King James Bible
And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.

New King James Version
His breath is like an overflowing stream, Which reaches up to the neck, To sift the nations with the sieve of futility; And there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, Causing them to err.

New American Standard Bible
His breath is like an overflowing river, Which reaches to the neck, To shake the nations back and forth in a sieve, And to put in the jaws of the peoples the bridle which leads astray.

NASB 1995
His breath is like an overflowing torrent, Which reaches to the neck, To shake the nations back and forth in a sieve, And to put in the jaws of the peoples the bridle which leads to ruin.

NASB 1977
And His breath is like an overflowing torrent, Which reaches to the neck, To shake the nations back and forth in a sieve, And to put in the jaws of the peoples the bridle which leads to ruin.

Legacy Standard Bible
His breath is like an overflowing torrent, Which reaches to the neck, To shake the nations back and forth in a sieve of worthlessness, And to put in the jaws of the peoples the bridle which staggers one to ruin.

Amplified Bible
His breath is like an overflowing river, Which reaches to the neck, To sift the nations back and forth in a sieve [of disaster], And to put in the jaws of the peoples the bridle which leads to ruin.

Christian Standard Bible
His breath is like an overflowing torrent that rises to the neck. He comes to sift the nations in a sieve of destruction and to put a bridle on the jaws of the peoples to lead them astray.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
His breath is like an overflowing torrent that rises to the neck. He comes to sift the nations in a sieve of destruction and to put a bridle on the jaws of the peoples to lead them astray.

American Standard Version
and his breath is as an overflowing stream, that reacheth even unto the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction: and a bridle that causeth to err shall be in the jaws of the peoples.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And his Spirit that overflows like a torrent unto the neck will cut off the troubling of the nations, because of their error of emptiness, and to the misleading bridle that is on the jaws of the Gentiles

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And his breath, as rushing water in a valley, shall reach as far as the neck, and be divided, to confound the nations for their vain error: error also shall pursue them, and overtake them.

Contemporary English Version
he breathes out a flood that comes up to the neck. He sifts the nations and destroys them. Then he puts a bridle in every foreigner's mouth and leads them to doom.

Douay-Rheims Bible
His breath as a torrent overflowing even to the midst of the neck, to destroy the nations unto nothing, and the bridle of error that was in the jaws of the people.

English Revised Version
and his breath is as an overflowing stream, that reacheth even unto the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and a bridle that causeth to err shall be in the jaws of the peoples.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
His breath is like an overflowing stream. It rises neck high, sifting the nations with a sieve of destruction, placing a bit in the mouths of the people to lead them astray.

Good News Translation
He sends the wind in front of him like a flood that carries everything away. It sweeps nations to destruction and puts an end to their evil plans.

International Standard Version
His breath is like an overflowing torrent, and it rises right up to the neck, to shake the nations in the sieve of destruction, and to place in the jaws of the peoples a bit that leads them astray.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And His breath is as an overflowing stream, That divideth even unto the neck, To sift the nations with the sieve of destruction; And a bridle that causeth to err shall be in the jaws of the peoples.

Literal Standard Version
And His breath [is] as an overflowing stream, | It divides to the neck, | To sift nations with a sieve of vanity, | And a bridle causing to err, | [Is] on the jaws of the peoples.

Majority Standard Bible
His breath is like a rushing torrent that rises to the neck. He comes to sift the nations in a sieve of destruction; He bridles the jaws of the peoples to lead them astray.

New American Bible
Breath like an overflowing torrent that reaches up to the neck! He will winnow the nations with a destructive winnowing and bridle the jaws of the peoples to send them astray.

NET Bible
His battle cry overwhelms like a flooding river that reaches one's neck. He shakes the nations in a sieve that isolates the chaff; he puts a bit into the mouth of the nations and leads them to destruction.

New Revised Standard Version
his breath is like an overflowing stream that reaches up to the neck— to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction, and to place on the jaws of the peoples a bridle that leads them astray.

New Heart English Bible
His breath is as an overflowing stream that reaches even to the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction; and a bridle that leads to ruin will be in the jaws of the peoples.

Webster's Bible Translation
And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.

World English Bible
His breath is as an overflowing stream that reaches even to the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction. A bridle that leads to ruin will be in the jaws of the peoples.

Young's Literal Translation
And His breath is as an overflowing stream, Unto the neck it divideth, To sift nations with a sieve of vanity, And a bridle causing to err, Is on the jaws of the peoples.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God's Mercies
27Behold, the Name of the LORD comes from afar, with burning anger and dense smoke. His lips are full of fury, and His tongue is like a consuming fire. 28His breath is like a rushing torrent that rises to the neck. He comes to sift the nations in a sieve of destruction; He bridles the jaws of the peoples to lead them astray. 29You will sing as on the night of a holy festival, and your heart will rejoice like one who walks to the music of a flute, going up to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel.…

Cross References
2 Thessalonians 2:8
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and annihilate by the majesty of His arrival.

2 Kings 19:28
Because your rage and arrogance against Me have reached My ears, I will put My hook in your nose and My bit in your mouth; I will send you back the way you came.'

Isaiah 8:8
It will pour into Judah, swirling and sweeping over it, reaching up to the neck; its spreading streams will cover your entire land, O Immanuel!

Isaiah 11:4
but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and with equity He will decide for the lowly of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth and slay the wicked with the breath of His lips.

Isaiah 28:2
Behold, the Lord has one who is strong and mighty. Like a hailstorm or destructive tempest, like a driving rain or flooding downpour, he will smash that crown to the ground.

Isaiah 28:15
For you said, "We have made a covenant with death; we have fashioned an agreement with Sheol. When the overwhelming scourge passes through it will not touch us, because we have made lies our refuge and falsehood our hiding place."

Isaiah 30:29
You will sing as on the night of a holy festival, and your heart will rejoice like one who walks to the music of a flute, going up to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel.


Treasury of Scripture

And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the middle of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.

his breath

Isaiah 11:4
But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

Psalm 18:15
Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.

Luke 22:31
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

an overflowing

Isaiah 8:8
And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.

Isaiah 28:17,18
Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place…

Isaiah 29:6
Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.

to sift.

Isaiah 19:12,14
Where are they? where are thy wise men? and let them tell thee now, and let them know what the LORD of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt…

Isaiah 33:10-12
Now will I rise, saith the LORD; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself…

Hosea 13:3
Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.

a bridle

Isaiah 37:29
Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.

2 Kings 19:28
Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.

Psalm 32:9
Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.

causing

Isaiah 19:3,13,14
And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards…

2 Samuel 17:14
And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.

1 Kings 22:20-22
And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner…

Jump to Previous
Astray Bit Breath Bridle Causeth Causing Cord Destruction Divideth Err Forth Grain Jaws Leads Midst Nations Neck Overflowing Peoples Places Reach Reaches Rising Ruin Rushing Shake Shakes Shaking Sieve Sift Stream Torrent Turning Vanity Way
Jump to Next
Astray Bit Breath Bridle Causeth Causing Cord Destruction Divideth Err Forth Grain Jaws Leads Midst Nations Neck Overflowing Peoples Places Reach Reaches Rising Ruin Rushing Shake Shakes Shaking Sieve Sift Stream Torrent Turning Vanity Way
Isaiah 30
1. The prophet threatens the people for their confidence in Egypt
8. And contempt of God's word
18. God's mercies toward his church
27. God's wrath and the people's joy, in the destruction of Assyria














(28) His breath, as an overflowing stream.--Water supplies its symbolism, as well as fire. The wrath of the judge sweeps onward like an autumn torrent, threatening to engulf all that stand in its way.

To sift the nations with the sieve of vanity.--Better, the winnowing fan of nothingness. Sifting is, as elsewhere, the symbol of judgment (so Osiris appears in Egyptian monuments armed with a flail, as the judge of the dead; Cheyne), and the "fan" in this case is one which threatens to annihilate the guilty.

A bridle in the jaws of the people.--The words find a parallel in Isaiah 37:29. The enemies of Jehovah should find themselves under a constraining power, leading them on against their will to their own destruction. Quem Deus vult perdere, prius dementat.

Verse 28. - His breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck. When the sacred writers are oppressed by the tremendous character of the revelations made to them, their metaphors are often labored and incongruous. Here, the mouth, in which there is a tongue of fire, sends forth a rush of breath, which is compared to an "overflowing stream, which reaches to the middle of the neck, "and sweeps those who try to cross it away (comp. Ezekiel 47:5) To sift the nations with the sieve of vanity. More incongruity, to be excused by the writer's theme being such as to transcend all language and all imagery. One of the Divine purposes, in all violent crashes and revolutions, is "to sift nations" - to separate in each nation the good from the bad, the precious from the vile; and this is done with "the sieve of vanity," i.e. the sieve which allows the good corn to pass through, separating from it, and keeping back, all that is vile and refuse (comp. Amos 9:9). There shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err. Another entire change in the metaphor. The result of God's interference shall be "to put a bridle in the jaws of the peoples," whereby the hand of the Almighty will guide them to their destruction.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
His breath
וְרוּח֞וֹ (wə·rū·ḥōw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit

is like a rushing
שׁוֹטֵף֙ (šō·w·ṭêp̄)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7857: To gush, to inundate, cleanse, to gallop, conquer

torrent
כְּנַ֤חַל (kə·na·ḥal)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5158: A stream, a winter torrent, a, valley, a shaft

that rises
יֶֽחֱצֶ֔ה (ye·ḥĕ·ṣeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2673: To cut, split in two, to halve

to
עַד־ (‘aḏ-)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

the neck.
צַוָּ֣אר (ṣaw·wār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6677: The back of the neck

He comes to sift
לַהֲנָפָ֥ה (la·hă·nā·p̄āh)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5130: To move to and fro, wave, sprinkle

the nations
גוֹיִ֖ם (ḡō·w·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

in a sieve
בְּנָ֣פַת (bə·nā·p̄aṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5299: A height, a sieve

of destruction;
שָׁ֑וְא (šāw)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7723: Evil, idolatry, uselessness

He bridles
וְרֶ֣סֶן (wə·re·sen)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7448: A halter, the jaw

the jaws
לְחָיֵ֥י (lə·ḥā·yê)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 3895: The cheek, the jaw-bone

of the peoples
עַמִּֽים׃ (‘am·mîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

to lead them astray.
מַתְעֶ֔ה (maṯ·‘eh)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 8582: To vacillate, reel, stray


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 30:28 His breath is as an overflowing stream (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 30:27
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