What does Isaiah 51:20 mean?
"Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the LORD, the rebuke of thy God." - Isaiah 51:20
Isaiah 51:20 (KJV) says, "Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God."
The book of Isaiah is a prophetic book in the Old Testament that contains messages of judgment and restoration. This particular verse is part of a larger passage in which the prophet Isaiah is speaking to the nation of Israel, reminding them of God's promises and warnings.
In this specific verse, Isaiah is conveying a powerful image of the desperate state of the people of Israel. The phrase "Thy sons have fainted" speaks to the exhaustion and weariness of the nation. The imagery of them lying at the head of all the streets emphasizes their public humiliation and vulnerability. It paints a picture of a people who are defeated and brought low.
The next part of the verse, "as a wild bull in a net," further emphasizes the helplessness and entrapment of the people. A wild bull caught in a net is a symbol of being overcome by a force greater than oneself. It represents the inability to free oneself from a dire situation.
The verse then states that the people are "full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God." This highlights the divine judgment that the people are experiencing. This judgment is not merely a consequence of their actions, but it is also a manifestation of God's anger and disappointment towards them.
The overall theme of this verse is one of despair and judgment. It speaks to the consequences of the nation's disobedience and unfaithfulness to God. The people of Israel are depicted as being in a state of utter defeat and helplessness, unable to extricate themselves from the dire situation they find themselves in. It is a powerful and evocative portrayal of the consequences of turning away from God.
In a broader context, this verse is part of a larger passage in which Isaiah is calling the people of Israel to remember the faithfulness of God and to turn back to Him. Throughout the book of Isaiah, there is a recurring theme of God's judgment for disobedience and His offer of restoration for those who repent and return to Him. This verse fits into that larger theme, serving as a warning to the people of Israel about the consequences of their actions, but also holding out the hope of restoration if they change their ways.
In terms of symbolism, the image of "Thy sons have fainted" can be seen as a metaphor for the spiritual weakness and exhaustion of the nation. The comparison of the people to a "wild bull in a net" symbolizes their entrapment and inability to break free from their circumstances. The "fury of the Lord" and the "rebuke of thy God" symbolize the divine judgment that the people are facing.
In conclusion, Isaiah 51:20 (KJV) presents a powerful and evocative portrayal of the consequences of disobedience and unfaithfulness to God. It serves as a warning to the people of Israel, but it also holds out the hope of restoration if they turn back to God. This verse is part of a larger narrative of judgment and restoration in the book of Isaiah, emphasizing the importance of faithfulness and obedience to God.
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Isaiah 51:20 - "Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the LORD, the rebuke of thy God."
"Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the LORD, the rebuke of thy God." - Isaiah 51:20
Isaiah 51:21 - "¶ Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine:"
Isaiah 51:15 - "But I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD of hosts is his name."
"¶ Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine:" - Isaiah 51:21
Isaiah 51:14 - "The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail."
Isaiah 51:2 - "Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him."
Jeremiah 51:20 - "Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;"
Isaiah 51:19 - "These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee?"
Isaiah 51:10 - "Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?"
Isaiah 51:7 - "¶ Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings."
Isaiah 51:1 - "Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged."
"For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody." - Isaiah 51:3
Isaiah 51:9 - "¶ Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?"
Isaiah 51:5 - "My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust."
Isaiah 51:17 - "¶ Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out."
Isaiah 51:8 - "For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation."
Isaiah 51:12 - "I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;"
Isaiah 51:18 - "There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up."
Isaiah 51:11 - "Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away."
Isaiah 51:4 - "¶ Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people."
Isaiah 51:13 - "And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?"
Isaiah 51:16 - "And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people."
Isaiah 51:23 - "But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over."
Isaiah 51:22 - "Thus saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again:"
Isaiah 51:3 - "For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody."
"But I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD of hosts is his name." - Isaiah 51:15
Isaiah 3:20 - "The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,"
Isaiah 20:5 - "And they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory."
Isaiah 20:3 - "And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;"