Isaiah 62:8

The LORD has sworn by His right hand and by His mighty arm: “Never again will I give your grain to your enemies for food, nor will foreigners drink the new wine for which you have toiled.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The LORD addresses Judah in response to the intercessory prayer for Jerusalem's establishment in Isaiah 62:7. He declares a binding oath that agricultural harvests will no longer be seized by foreign powers.

The words — נִשְׁבַּע (nishba') means "he swears an oath," marking Yahweh's solemn commitment by His right hand and mighty arm. אֶתֵּן (etein) translates literally as "I will give," introducing the negative conditional structure of the promise.

The thread — This guarantee of restored harvests aligns with the land restoration in Isaiah 65:21 and directly reverses the plunder cycles recorded in Judges 6:3 and Deuteronomy 28:31.

Why it lands — The text requires the reader to accept that divine protection supersedes human exploitation, demanding reliance on God's sworn guarantee rather than present conditions.

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

נִשְׁבַּ֧עnish.Ba'he swears an oath יְהוָ֛הYah.wehYahweh בִּֽימִינ֖וֹbi./mi.N/oby/ right [hand]/ his וּבִזְר֣וֹעַu./vi/z.Ro.a'and/ by/ [the] arm of עֻזּ֑וֹu.Z/ostrength/ his אִם־'im-if אֶתֵּן֩'e.TenI will give אֶת־'et-<obj.>דְּגָנֵ֨ךְde.ga.Ne/khgrain/ your ע֤וֹדodagain מַֽאֲכָל֙ma.'a.Khalfood לְאֹ֣יְבַ֔יִךְle./'O.ye.Va.yi/khto/ enemies/ your וְאִם־ve./'im-and/ if יִשְׁתּ֤וּyish.Tuthey will drink בְנֵֽי־ve.nei-sons of נֵכָר֙ne.Kharforeignness תִּֽירוֹשֵׁ֔ךְti.ro.She/khnew wine/ your אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sherwhich יָגַ֖עַתְּya.Ga.'atyou have laboredבּֽוֹ׃b/ofor/ it

King James Version

The Lord hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:

Cross-references

Isaiah 65:21 They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
Judges 6:3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east would come up and invade them,
Deuteronomy 28:31 Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will not eat any of it. Your donkey will be taken away and not returned to you. Your flock will be given to your enemies, and no one will save you.
Deuteronomy 28:33 A people you do not know will eat the produce of your land and of all your toil. All your days you will be oppressed and crushed.
Ezekiel 20:5 and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt. With an uplifted hand I said to them, ‘I am the LORD your God.’
Leviticus 26:16 then this is what I will do to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror, wasting disease, and fever that will destroy your sight and drain your life. You will sow your seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it.
Deuteronomy 32:40 For I lift up My hand to heaven and declare: As surely as I live forever,
Isaiah 1:7 Your land is desolate; your cities are burned with fire. Foreigners devour your fields before you—a desolation demolished by strangers.
Jeremiah 5:17 They will devour your harvest and food; they will consume your sons and daughters; they will eat up your flocks and herds; they will feed on your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust.”