King James Version

What Does Isaiah 18:4 Mean?

“For so the LORD said unto me, I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. consider: or, regard my set dwelling upon: or, after rain”

Context

That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled! scattered: or, outspread and polished meted: or, that meteth out and treadeth down: Heb. of line, line, and treading under foot have: or, despise

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye.

For so the LORD said unto me, I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. consider: or, regard my set dwelling upon: or, after rain

For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches.

They shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the fowls shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them.

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Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(4, 5) **I will take my rest . . .**—The words that follow paint with marvellous vividness the calmness and deliberation of the workings of Divine judgments. God is at once unhasting and unresting. He dwells in His resting-place (*i.e., *palace or throne), and watches the ripening of the fruit which He is about to gather. *While there is a clear heat in sunshine, while there is a dew-cloud in harvest-heat, *through all phenomenal changes, He waits still. Then, *before the harvest, when the blossom is over, and the fruit becomes the full-ripe grape, *He comes as the Lord of the vineyard, and cuts off the branches with His pruning-hooks. (Comp. the striking parallels of Æsch. *Suppl. *90-98, and Shakespeare, *Henry VIII., *3:2.)

Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Isaiah. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Isaiah 18:4 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.