King James Version

What Does Isaiah 30:24 Mean?

“The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan. clean: or, savoury: Heb. leavened”

Context

Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence. thy graven: Heb. the graven images of thy silver cast: Heb. scatter

Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.

The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan. clean: or, savoury: Heb. leavened

And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. high hill: Heb. lifted up, etc

Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.

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Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(24) **The oxen likewise and the young asses . . .**—It is, perhaps, hardly necessary to remind the reader that the verb “ear” means “plough.” **Clean provender.**—Literally, *salted. *The epithet describes what in modern phrase would be the favourite “mash” of the highest class of cattle-feeding, corn mixed with salt or alkaline herbs; and this was to be made, not, as commonly, of inferior barley and chopped straw, but of the finest winnowed grain. That this should be given not to oxen and horses only, but to the lowlier asses, made up the *ne plus ultra *of plenty.

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 30:24 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.