King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change [them into] cedars.
Complete Jewish Bible:
"The bricks have fallen, but we will rebuild with cut stone; the sycamore-fig trees have been chopped down, but we will replace them with cedars."
Berean Standard Bible:
“The bricks have fallen, but we will rebuild with finished stone; the sycamores have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.”
American Standard Version:
The bricks are fallen, but we will build with hewn stone; the sycomores are cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
The bricks{H3843} are fallen down{H5307}, but we will build{H1129} with hewn stones{H1496}: the sycomores{H8256} are cut down{H1438}, but we will change{H2498} them into cedars{H730}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Malachi 1:4
- Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever.
1 Kings 10:27
- And the king made silver [to be] in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he [to be] as the sycomore trees that [are] in the vale, for abundance.
1 Kings 7:9
- All these [were of] costly stones, according to the measures of hewed stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, and [so] on the outside toward the great court.
1 Kings 7:12
- And the great court round about [was] with three rows of hewed stones, and a row of cedar beams, both for the inner court of the house of the LORD, and for the porch of the house.
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Commentary for Isaiah 9:10
Isaiah 9:10 is a verse that reflects the proud and defiant response of the northern kingdom of Israel, specifically the tribe of Ephraim, after a partial and temporary deliverance from the aggression of the Assyrians, as described in the preceding chapters of Isaiah. The historical context is set during the period when the northern kingdom was facing the threat of Assyrian invasion and conquest. The verse itself is part of a longer prophetic oracle that extends through Isaiah 9:11-21.
In this verse, the people of Israel are acknowledging the destruction caused by the enemy—the fallen bricks and cut-down sycomore trees—symbolizing the devastation of their cities and the desolation of their land. However, instead of humbly seeking the Lord's guidance and repenting of their sins, which had led to this calamity, the leaders and people resolve to rebuild their nation with greater splendor and strength. They boast that they will replace the ruined bricks with finely cut stones, suggesting a fortification of their defenses, and they will replace the sycomore trees, which were common and considered inferior, with cedars, which were highly valued for their durability and used in the construction of temples and palaces.
The themes present in this verse include human pride and self-reliance, a lack of trust in God, and the failure to recognize the true cause of their suffering—their apostasy and unfaithfulness to the covenant with the Lord. The people's determination to rebuild without acknowledging their spiritual state is a direct affront to God's sovereignty and a rejection of the need for repentance. Isaiah, through this prophecy, warns that such arrogance will only lead to further judgment and eventual ruin, as the Assyrians would return to complete their conquest and the northern kingdom would ultimately fall.
In summary, Isaiah 9:10 captures the hardened hearts of the Israelites as they respond to divine discipline with misplaced confidence in their own strength and resources, rather than turning back to God. This verse serves as a poignant reminder of the consequences of pride and the importance of humility and obedience before the Lord.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H3843
There are 10 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לְבֵנָה
Transliteration: lᵉbênâh
Pronunciation: leb-ay-naw'
Description: from לָבַן; a brick (from the whiteness of the clay); (altar of) brick, tile. - Strong's Number: H5307
There are 403 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָפַל
Transliteration: nâphal
Pronunciation: naw-fal'
Description: a primitive root; to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative); be accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide (by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall (away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have (inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for פָּלַל), lay (along), (cause to) lie down, light (down), be ([idiom] hast) lost, lying, overthrow, overwhelm, perish, present(-ed, -ing), (make to) rot, slay, smite out, [idiom] surely, throw down. - Strong's Number: H1129
There are 345 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בָּנָה
Transliteration: bânâh
Pronunciation: baw-naw'
Description: a primitive root; to build (literally and figuratively); (begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make, repair, set (up), [idiom] surely. - Strong's Number: H1496
There are 11 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: גָּזִית
Transliteration: gâzîyth
Pronunciation: gaw-zeeth'
Description: from גָּזָה; something cut, i.e. dressed stone; hewed, hewn stone, wrought. - Strong's Number: H8256
There are 7 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שִׁקְמָה
Transliteration: shiqmâh
Pronunciation: shik-maw'
Description: or (feminine) שִׁקְמָה; of uncertain derivation; a sycamore (usually the tree); sycamore (fruit, tree). - Strong's Number: H1438
There are 23 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: גָּדַע
Transliteration: gâdaʻ
Pronunciation: gaw-dah'
Description: a primitive root; to fell a tree; generally, to destroy anything; cut (asunder, in sunder, down, off), hew down. - Strong's Number: H2498
There are 27 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חָלַף
Transliteration: châlaph
Pronunciation: khaw-laf'
Description: a primitive root; properly, to slide by, i.e. (by implication) to hasten away, pass on, spring up, pierce or change; abolish, alter, change, cut off, go on forward, grow up, be over, pass (away, on, through), renew, sprout, strike through. - Strong's Number: H730
There are 466 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֶרֶז
Transliteration: ʼerez
Pronunciation: eh-rez'
Description: from אָרַז; a cedar tree (from the tenacity of its roots); cedar (tree).