Isaiah 47:14
New International Version
Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame. These are not coals for warmth; this is not a fire to sit by.

New Living Translation
But they are like straw burning in a fire; they cannot save themselves from the flame. You will get no help from them at all; their hearth is no place to sit for warmth.

English Standard Version
Behold, they are like stubble; the fire consumes them; they cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. No coal for warming oneself is this, no fire to sit before!

Berean Standard Bible
Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. There will be no coals to warm them or fire to sit beside.

King James Bible
Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it.

New King James Version
Behold, they shall be as stubble, The fire shall burn them; They shall not deliver themselves From the power of the flame; It shall not be a coal to be warmed by, Nor a fire to sit before!

New American Standard Bible
“Behold, they have become like stubble, Fire burns them; They cannot save themselves from the power of the flame; There will be no coal to warm by Nor a fire to sit before!

NASB 1995
“Behold, they have become like stubble, Fire burns them; They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame; There will be no coal to warm by Nor a fire to sit before!

NASB 1977
“Behold, they have become like stubble, Fire burns them; They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame; There will be no coal to warm by, Nor a fire to sit before!

Legacy Standard Bible
Behold, they have become like stubble, Fire burns them; They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame; There will be no coal to warm by Nor a fire to sit before!

Amplified Bible
“In fact, they are like stubble; Fire burns them. They cannot save themselves from the power of the flame [much less save the nation], There is no blazing coal for warming Nor fire before which to sit!

Christian Standard Bible
Look, they are like stubble; fire burns them. They cannot rescue themselves from the power of the flame. This is not a coal for warming themselves, or a fire to sit beside!

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Look, they are like stubble; fire burns them up. They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. This is not a coal for warming themselves, or a fire to sit beside!

American Standard Version
Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: it shall not be a coal to warm at, nor a fire to sit before.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Behold, they have been as chips which the fire has burned, and they shall not save their soul from the hand of the flame. There are no coals for their fire, neither brightness sitting next to it

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Behold, they all shall be burnt up as sticks in the fire; neither shall they at all deliver their life from the flame. Because thou hast coals of fire, sit thou upon them;

Contemporary English Version
People who trust the stars are as helpless as straw in a flaming fire. No one can even keep warm, sitting by a fire that feeds only on straw.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Behold they are as stubble, fire hath burnt them, they shall not deliver them- selves from the power of the dames: there are no coals wherewith they may be warmed, nor fire, that they may sit thereat.

English Revised Version
Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: it shall not be a coal to warm at, nor a fire to sit before.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They are like straw. Fire burns them. They can't rescue themselves from the flames. There are no glowing coals to keep them warm and no fire for them to sit by.

Good News Translation
"They will be like bits of straw, and a fire will burn them up! They will not even be able to save themselves--the flames will be too hot for them, not a cozy fire to warm themselves by.

International Standard Version
"See, they are just like stubble; fire burns them up. They could not even save themselves from the power of the flame. There will be no coals for warming oneself, no fire to sit by.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Behold, they shall be as stubble; The fire shall burn them; They shall not deliver themselves From the power of the flame; It shall not be a coal to warm at, Nor a fire to sit before.

Literal Standard Version
Behold, they have been as stubble! Fire has burned them, | They do not deliver themselves from the power of the flame, | There is not a coal to warm them, a light to sit before it.

Majority Standard Bible
Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. There will be no coals to warm them or fire to sit beside.

New American Bible
See, they are like stubble, fire consumes them; They cannot deliver themselves from the spreading flames. This is no warming ember, no fire to sit before!

NET Bible
Look, they are like straw, which the fire burns up; they cannot rescue themselves from the heat of the flames. There are no coals to warm them, no firelight to enjoy.

New Revised Standard Version
See, they are like stubble, the fire consumes them; they cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. No coal for warming oneself is this, no fire to sit before!

New Heart English Bible
Look, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: it shall not be a coal to warm at, nor a fire to sit before.

Webster's Bible Translation
Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it.

World English Bible
Behold, they are like stubble. The fire will burn them. They won’t deliver themselves from the power of the flame. It won’t be a coal to warm at or a fire to sit by.

Young's Literal Translation
Lo, they have been as stubble! Fire hath burned them, They deliver not themselves from the power of the flame, There is not a coal to warm them, a light to sit before it.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Fall of Babylon Predicted
13You are wearied by your many counselors; let them come forward now and save you—your astrologers who observe the stars, who monthly predict your fate. 14Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. There will be no coals to warm them or fire to sit beside. 15This is what they are to you—those with whom you have labored and traded from youth—each one strays in his own direction; not one of them can save you.…

Cross References
Isaiah 5:24
Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes the straw, and as dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will decay and their blossoms will blow away like dust; for they have rejected the instruction of the LORD of Hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 10:17
And the Light of Israel will become a fire, and its Holy One a flame. In a single day it will burn and devour Assyria's thorns and thistles.

Isaiah 33:14
The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling grips the ungodly: "Who of us can dwell with a consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting flames?"

Isaiah 44:16
He burns half of it in the fire, and he roasts meat on that half. He eats the roast and is satisfied. Indeed, he warms himself and says, "Ah! I am warm; I see the fire."

Jeremiah 51:30
The warriors of Babylon have stopped fighting; they sit in their strongholds. Their strength is exhausted; they have become like women. Babylon's homes have been set ablaze, the bars of her gates are broken.

Jeremiah 51:32
The fords have been seized, the marshes set on fire, and the soldiers are terrified."

Nahum 1:10
For they will be entangled as with thorns and consumed like the drink of a drunkard--like stubble that is fully dry.


Treasury of Scripture

Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it.

they shall

Isaiah 40:24
Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.

Isaiah 41:2
Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.

Ezekiel 15:7
And I will set my face against them; they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them.

themselves Heb.

Matthew 10:28
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 16:26
For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

there shall

Isaiah 30:14
And he shall break it as the breaking of the potters' vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to take water withal out of the pit.

Jeremiah 51:25,26
Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain…

Revelation 18:21
And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

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Able Burn Burned Burns Coal Coals Consumes Deliver Dry Fire Flame Light Oneself Power Safe Save Seated Sit Stems Stubble Surely Themselves Warm Warming
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Able Burn Burned Burns Coal Coals Consumes Deliver Dry Fire Flame Light Oneself Power Safe Save Seated Sit Stems Stubble Surely Themselves Warm Warming
Isaiah 47
1. God's judgment upon Babylon and Chaldea
6. For their unmercifulness
7. Pride
10. And over-boldness
11. Shall be irresistible














(14) There shall not be a coal to warm at.--Better, it shall not be . . . The destroying flame shall be altogether other than the fire on the hearth, at which a man can sit and warm himself.

Verse 14. - Behold, they shall be as stubble (comp. Isaiah 5:24; Isaiah 40:24; Isaiah 41:2). A favourite metaphor with Isaiah for extreme weakness and incapacity of resistance. In Isaiah 5:24 it is connected, as here, with fire. No doubt in Palestine, as elsewhere, an accidental fire from time to time caught hold of a stubble-field, and speedily reduced it to a mass of blackened ashes. The threat here is that God's wrath shall similarly sweep over Babylon. They shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame. Mr. Cheyne translates, with much spirit, "They cannot rescue their soul from the clutch of the flame." Like those who are caught in the midst of a fire in a prairie or jungle, they have no escape - the flame is on all sides - and they cannot but perish. There shall not be a coal to warm at; rather, it is not a charcoal-fire to warm one's self at. A return to the sarcastic tone of vers. 12, 13. The conflagration which spreads around is something more than a fire to warm one's self at - it is an awful widespread devastation.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Surely
הִנֵּ֨ה (hin·nêh)
Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

they are
הָי֤וּ (hā·yū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

like stubble;
כְקַשׁ֙ (ḵə·qaš)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7179: Stubble, chaff

the fire
אֵ֣שׁ (’êš)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 784: A fire

will burn them up.
שְׂרָפָ֔תַם (śə·rā·p̄ā·ṯam)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8313: To be, on fire

They cannot
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

deliver
יַצִּ֥ילוּ (yaṣ·ṣî·lū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5337: To strip, plunder, deliver oneself, be delivered, snatch away, deliver

themselves
נַפְשָׁ֖ם (nap̄·šām)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

from the power
מִיַּ֣ד (mî·yaḏ)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3027: A hand

of the flame.
לֶֽהָבָ֑ה (le·hā·ḇāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 3852: A flash, a sharply polished blade, point of a, weapon

There will be no
אֵין־ (’ên-)
Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

coals
גַּחֶ֣לֶת (ga·ḥe·leṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1513: An ember

to warm them
לַחְמָ֔ם (laḥ·mām)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2552: To be or become warm

or fire
א֖וּר (’ūr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 217: Flame, the East

to sit
לָשֶׁ֥בֶת (lā·še·ḇeṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

beside.
נֶגְדּֽוֹ׃ (neḡ·dōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5048: A front, part opposite, a counterpart, mate, over against, before


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 47:14 Behold they shall be as stubble (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 47:13
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