Isaiah 32:7

Authorized King James Version

The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.

Word-by-Word Analysis
#1
וְכֵלַ֖י
also of the churl
niggardly
#2
כֵּלָ֣יו
The instruments
something prepared, i.e., any apparatus (as an implement, utensil, dress, vessel or weapon)
#3
רָעִ֑ים
are evil
bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)
#4
ה֚וּא
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo
#5
זִמּ֣וֹת
wicked devices
a plan, especially a bad one
#6
יָעָ֔ץ
he deviseth
to advise; reflexively, to deliberate or resolve
#7
לְחַבֵּ֤ל
to destroy
to wind tightly (as a rope), i.e., to bind; specifically, by a pledge; figuratively, to pervert, destroy; also to writhe in pain (especially of partur
#8
עֲנִוִּים֙
depressed (figuratively), in mind (gentle) or circumstances (needy, especially saintly)
#9
בְּאִמְרֵי
words
something said
#10
שֶׁ֔קֶר
with lying
an untruth; by implication, a sham (often adverbial)
#11
וּבְדַבֵּ֥ר
speaketh
perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
#12
אֶבְי֖וֹן
H34
even when the needy
destitute
#13
מִשְׁפָּֽט׃
right
properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, ind

Analysis

The salvation theme here intersects with the metanarrative of redemption running from Genesis to Revelation. Biblical theology recognizes this as part of a unified storyline from the promise in Genesis 3:15 to its fulfillment in Christ. The phrase emphasizing divine revelation contributes to our systematic understanding of Christian doctrine and connects to the broader scriptural witness about God's saving work from the Exodus to the cross.

Historical Context

The literary and historical milieu of the literary conventions and historical circumstances of biblical literature shapes this text's meaning. The historical development of salvation within the theological tradition of Isaiah Understanding the ancient worldview that shaped the author's theological expression helps modern readers appreciate why the author emphasizes divine revelation in this particular way.

Questions for Reflection

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