Bible Strands
Isaiah 26:11
O LORD, Your hand is upraised, but they do not see it. They will see Your zeal for Your people and be put to shame. The fire set for Your enemies will consume them!
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The prophet addresses Yahweh directly, marking a pivot from the preceding verse’s description of the wicked man’s spiritual blindness to an expectation of imminent divine intervention.
The words — רָמָה (Ra.mah) translates literally to "it is raised," describing the lifted hand, while קִנְאָת (kin.'at) means "zeal," denoting God’s fierce commitment to His people.
The thread — The image of God’s hand lifted against foes appears in Micah 5:9, and the theme of consuming fire for adversaries is echoed in Hebrews 10:27 and Isaiah 5:24.
Why it lands — It requires readers to accept that divine timing differs from human perception, demanding patience for visible justice rather than drawing premature conclusions from current circumstances.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them.
Cross-references
- Hebrews 10:27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries.
- 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.
- Micah 5:9 Your hand will be lifted over your foes, and all your enemies will be cut off.
- Exodus 9:14 Otherwise, I will send all My plagues against you and your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth.
- 1 Samuel 5:6 Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, ravaging them and afflicting them with tumors.
- 1 Samuel 6:9 but keep watching it. If it goes up the road to its homeland, toward Beth-shemesh, it is the LORD who has brought on us this great disaster. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not His hand that punished us and that it happened by chance.”
- Job 34:27 because they turned aside from Him and had no regard for any of His ways.
- Psalms 10:12 Arise, O LORD! Lift up Your hand, O God! Do not forget the helpless.
- Psalms 21:8 Your hand will apprehend all Your enemies; Your right hand will seize those who hate You.
- Psalms 86:17 Show me a sign of Your goodness, that my enemies may see and be ashamed; for You, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me.