Isaiah 30:13
Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.
Original Language Analysis
לָכֵ֗ן
H3651
לָכֵ֗ן
Strong's:
H3651
Word #:
1 of 15
properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction) rightly or so (in various applications to manner
יִֽהְיֶ֤ה
H1961
יִֽהְיֶ֤ה
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
2 of 15
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
הַזֶּ֔ה
H2088
כְּפֶ֣רֶץ
shall be to you as a breach
H6556
כְּפֶ֣רֶץ
shall be to you as a breach
Strong's:
H6556
Word #:
6 of 15
a break (literally or figuratively)
נֹפֵ֔ל
ready to fall
H5307
נֹפֵ֔ל
ready to fall
Strong's:
H5307
Word #:
7 of 15
to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)
נִבְעֶ֖ה
swelling out
H1158
נִבְעֶ֖ה
swelling out
Strong's:
H1158
Word #:
8 of 15
to gush over, i.e., to swell; (figuratively) to desire earnestly; by implication to ask
נִשְׂגָּבָ֑ה
in a high
H7682
נִשְׂגָּבָ֑ה
in a high
Strong's:
H7682
Word #:
10 of 15
to be (causatively, make) lofty, especially inaccessible; by implication, safe, strong; used literally and figuratively
אֲשֶׁר
H834
אֲשֶׁר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
11 of 15
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
לְפֶ֖תַע
at an instant
H6621
לְפֶ֖תַע
at an instant
Strong's:
H6621
Word #:
13 of 15
a wink, i.e., moment (used only [with or without preposition] adverbially, quickly or unexpectedly)
Cross References
Isaiah 29:5Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.Psalms 62:3How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.Proverbs 29:1He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.1 Kings 20:30But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Ben-hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern cities depended on massive mud-brick or stone walls for defense. A bulging wall was a terrifying sight—engineers would recognize imminent collapse. Isaiah uses this common fear to illustrate spiritual danger. Within a century, Jerusalem's actual walls would be breached by Babylon (2 Kings 25:4), vindicating his prophecy.
Questions for Reflection
- What 'bulging walls' of compromise in your life appear stable but are structurally compromised?
- How does God's patience before judgment create false security rather than opportunity for repentance?
- What 'instant' collapses have you witnessed when long-tolerated sin finally brought consequences?
Analysis & Commentary
This iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall—The Hebrew perets (פֶּרֶץ/breach) describes structural failure, a bulging crack in a defensive wall. The participle swelling out (בָּצֵעַ/batze'a) depicts a wall bowing outward under pressure, moments from catastrophic collapse. Isaiah's architectural metaphor is devastating: the very sin they trusted for security becomes their ruin.
Whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant (פִּתְאֹם/pit'om)—after prolonged structural stress, collapse is instantaneous. This imagery prophesies both historical judgment (Babylonian conquest, 586 BC) and eschatological suddenness (1 Thessalonians 5:3, "sudden destruction"). Sin's consequences often appear stable until catastrophic failure.