Isaiah 24:20
The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
Original Language Analysis
תָּנ֤וּעַ
shall reel
H5128
תָּנ֤וּעַ
shall reel
Strong's:
H5128
Word #:
1 of 13
to waver, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively (as subjoined)
תָּנ֤וּעַ
shall reel
H5128
תָּנ֤וּעַ
shall reel
Strong's:
H5128
Word #:
2 of 13
to waver, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively (as subjoined)
וְהִֽתְנוֹדְדָ֖ה
and shall be removed
H5110
וְהִֽתְנוֹדְדָ֖ה
and shall be removed
Strong's:
H5110
Word #:
5 of 13
to nod, i.e., waver; figuratively, to wander, flee, disappear; also (from shaking the head in sympathy), to console, deplore, or (from tossing the hea
וְכָבַ֤ד
thereof shall be heavy
H3513
וְכָבַ֤ד
thereof shall be heavy
Strong's:
H3513
Word #:
7 of 13
to be heavy, i.e., in a bad sense (burdensome, severe, dull) or in a good sense (numerous, rich, honorable); causatively, to make weighty (in the same
עָלֶ֙יהָ֙
H5921
עָלֶ֙יהָ֙
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
8 of 13
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
פִּשְׁעָ֔הּ
and the transgression
H6588
פִּשְׁעָ֔הּ
and the transgression
Strong's:
H6588
Word #:
9 of 13
a revolt (national, moral or religious)
וְנָפְלָ֖ה
upon it and it shall fall
H5307
וְנָפְלָ֖ה
upon it and it shall fall
Strong's:
H5307
Word #:
10 of 13
to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)
וְלֹא
H3808
וְלֹא
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
11 of 13
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
Cross References
Isaiah 19:14The LORD hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit.Isaiah 29:9Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.Amos 8:14They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beer-sheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.Daniel 11:19Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.Revelation 18:21And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
Historical Context
Isaiah 24-27 (the 'Isaiah Apocalypse') shifts from specific nation judgments (chapters 13-23) to universal, cosmic judgment. Written in the 8th century BC, this prophetic vision transcends its immediate context to describe end-times events. Early Christians and Reformers saw here descriptions of final judgment preceding the New Heavens and New Earth.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the image of earth staggering under transgression's weight personify creation's groaning under sin (Romans 8:22)?
- What does it mean that sin has cosmic consequences, not just personal or social ones?
- How should the certainty of earth's final collapse shape our priorities and investments in this present world?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard (נוֹעַ תָּנוּעַ אֶרֶץ כַּשִּׁכּוֹר)—The verb nua (stagger, reel) appears twice (intensified infinitive), conveying violent instability. The earth (erets) staggers like a shikkor (drunkard) who has lost all equilibrium. And shall be removed like a cottage—The Hebrew melunah refers to a temporary field shelter, a flimsy hut that strong winds easily blow away. The earth itself, seemingly stable and permanent, becomes as unstable as a drunk and as fragile as a shack.
The transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it (וְכָבַד עָלֶיהָ פִּשְׁעָהּ)—The verb kavad (heavy, weighty) describes crushing weight. Human pesha (rebellion, transgression) accumulates mass until the earth cannot bear it. And it shall fall, and not rise again—This eschatological finality points beyond historical judgments to the ultimate cosmic upheaval. The verb naphal (fall) with negative lo-tosif qum (will not rise again) indicates permanent collapse. Peter describes this same event: 'the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up' (2 Peter 3:10). This isn't mere political upheaval but cosmic dissolution under sin's unbearable weight.