Isaiah 27:4
Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together.
Original Language Analysis
מִֽי
H4310
מִֽי
Strong's:
H4310
Word #:
4 of 12
who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix
יִתְּנֵ֜נִי
is not in me who would set
H5414
יִתְּנֵ֜נִי
is not in me who would set
Strong's:
H5414
Word #:
5 of 12
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
שָׁמִ֥יר
the briers
H8068
שָׁמִ֥יר
the briers
Strong's:
H8068
Word #:
6 of 12
a thorn; also (from its keenness for scratching) a gem, probably the diamond
שַׁ֙יִת֙
and thorns
H7898
שַׁ֙יִת֙
and thorns
Strong's:
H7898
Word #:
7 of 12
scrub or trash, i.e., wild growth of weeds or briers (as if put on the field)
בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔ה
against me in battle
H4421
בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔ה
against me in battle
Strong's:
H4421
Word #:
8 of 12
a battle (i.e., the engagement); generally, war (i.e., war-fare)
אֶפְשְׂעָ֥ה
I would go
H6585
אֶפְשְׂעָ֥ה
I would go
Strong's:
H6585
Word #:
9 of 12
to stride (from spreading the legs), i.e., rush upon
Cross References
Hebrews 6:8But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.Isaiah 10:17And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;Matthew 3:12Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.2 Samuel 23:6But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:
Historical Context
Ancient Israelites knew briers and thorns as curses from the Fall (Genesis 3:18), agricultural nuisances, and symbols of judgment. God's promise to burn these enemies while protecting the vineyard reversed the curse. For New Testament believers, Christ became a curse for us (Galatians 3:13), wearing a crown of thorns (Matthew 27:29) and bearing God's fury so we might be God's protected vineyard. The early church facing persecution found comfort knowing God's wrath was against their enemies, not them.
Questions for Reflection
- What does the absence of God's fury toward the vineyard teach about the New Covenant and Christ's atoning work?
- How should knowing that God fights against threats to His people ('briers and thorns') encourage believers facing opposition?
- In what ways has God's fury been redirected from believers to their spiritual enemies through the cross?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together. God declares that His former fury (chemah, חֵמָה, burning anger) against the vineyard is gone—a dramatic reversal from chapter 5:25 where His anger burned against His people. The rhetorical question challenges any who would oppose: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? (mi yitteneni shamir shayi bamil chamah, מִי יִתְּנֵנִי שָׁמִיר שַׁיִת בַּמִּלְחָמָה).
Briers and thorns (shamir vashayit, שָׁמִיר וָשַׁיִת) symbolize worthless, destructive elements that choke fruitful plants—used in 5:6 for what would grow in the judged vineyard. Now these enemies of the vineyard face God's wrath instead of the vineyard itself. I would go through them, I would burn them together (ep'se'ah bah atsitenah yachad, אֶפְשְׂעָה בָהּ אֲצִיתֶנָּה יָחַד) uses military language of marching through enemies and burning them completely. The twice-repeated "I would" emphasizes God's readiness to defend His vineyard. His fury has turned from His people to their enemies—a gospel picture of Christ bearing wrath so believers receive protection (Romans 8:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:9).