Isaiah 26:18
Isaiah 26:18 in Multiple Translations
We were with child; we writhed in pain; but we gave birth to wind. We have given no salvation to the earth, nor brought any life into the world.
We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have given birth to wind; no salvation has come to the earth through us, and no children have come into the world.
However, even though we became pregnant and we tossed about in pain, we gave birth to nothing but air. We did not bring about the salvation of the earth, and the people of the world have not become alive.
We haue coceiued, we haue borne in paine, as though we should haue brought forth winde: there was no helpe in the earth, neither did the inhabitants of the world fall.
We have conceived, we have been pained. We have brought forth as it were wind, Salvation we do not work in the earth, Nor do the inhabitants of the world fall.
We have been with child. We have been in pain. We gave birth, it seems, only to wind. We have not worked any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance on the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
We have conceived, and been as it were in labour, and have brought forth wind: we have not wrought salvation on the earth, therefore the inhabitants of the earth have not fallen.
We had severe pain, but nothing good resulted [MET] from it. We have not rescued our people from being conquered by our enemies, and we have not given birth to children who will rule the world correctly (OR, not defeated the armies that have attacked other nations.
Berean Amplified Bible — Isaiah 26:18
BAB
Word Study
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Isaiah 26:18 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
הָרִ֣ינוּ
חַ֔לְנוּ
כְּמ֖וֹ
יָלַ֣דְנוּ
ר֑וּחַ
יְשׁוּעֹת֙
בַּל
נַ֣עֲשֶׂה
אֶ֔רֶץ
וּ/בַֽל
יִפְּל֖וּ
יֹשְׁבֵ֥י
תֵבֵֽל
הָרִ֣ינוּ
hârâh
H2029
to conceive
V-Qal-Perf-1cp
חַ֔לְנוּ
chûwl
H2342
to twist
V-Qal-Perf-1cp
כְּמ֖וֹ
kᵉmôw
H3644
like
Prep
יָלַ֣דְנוּ
yâlad
H3205
to beget
V-Qal-Perf-1cp
ר֑וּחַ
rûwach
H7307
spirit
N-cs
יְשׁוּעֹת֙
yᵉshûwʻâh
H3444
salvation
N-fp
בַּל
bal
H1077
not
Part
נַ֣עֲשֶׂה
ʻâsâh
H6213
to make
V-Qal-Imperf-1cp
אֶ֔רֶץ
ʼerets
H776
land
N-cs
וּ/בַֽל
bal
H1077
not
Conj | Part
יִפְּל֖וּ
nâphal
H5307
to fall
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp
יֹשְׁבֵ֥י
yâshab
H3427
to dwell
V-Qal
תֵבֵֽל
têbêl
H8398
world
N-fs
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Isaiah 26:18
הָרִ֣ינוּ
hârâh
H2029
"to conceive"
V-Qal-Perf-1cp
To conceive or become pregnant, as seen in the story of Sarah and Abraham in Genesis 17, where Sarah conceives Isaac in her old age. This word is used to describe the miracle of birth and new life.
Definition: 1) to conceive, become pregnant, bear, be with child, be conceived, progenitor 1a)(Qal) to conceive, become pregnant 1b) (Pual) to be conceived 1c) (Poel) to conceive, contrive, devise
Usage: Occurs in 42 OT verses. KJV: been, be with child, conceive, progenitor. See also: Genesis 4:1; Numbers 11:12; Psalms 7:15.
חַ֔לְנוּ
chûwl
H2342
"to twist"
V-Qal-Perf-1cp
This Hebrew word means to twist or whirl, and can describe dancing, pain, or fear. It is used to convey strong emotions or physical struggles, such as childbirth or great fear.
Definition: : tremble/fear 1) to twist, whirl, dance, writhe, fear, tremble, travail, be in anguish, be pained 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to dance 1a2) to twist, writhe 1a3) to whirl, whirl about 1b) (Polel) 1b1) to dance 1b2) to writhe (in travail with), bear, bring forth 1b3) to wait anxiously 1c) (Pulal) 1c1) to be made to writhe, be made to bear 1c2) to be brought forth 1d) (Hophal) to be born 1e) (Hithpolel) 1e1) whirling (participle) 1e2) writhing, suffering torture (participle) 1e3) to wait longingly 1f) (Hithpalpel) to be distressed
Usage: Occurs in 56 OT verses. KJV: bear, (make to) bring forth, (make to) calve, dance, drive away, fall grievously (with pain), fear, form, great, grieve, (be) grievous, hope, look, make, be in pain, be much (sore) pained, rest, shake, shapen, (be) sorrow(-ful), stay, tarry, travail (with pain), tremble, trust, wait carefully (patiently), be wounded. See also: Genesis 8:10; Proverbs 8:24; Psalms 10:5.
כְּמ֖וֹ
kᵉmôw
H3644
"like"
Prep
This word means like or as, used to compare things. It appears in the Bible to describe similarities or to make comparisons, such as in the book of Psalms.
Definition: adv 1) like, as, the like of which conj 2) when, according as, as it were
Usage: Occurs in 126 OT verses. KJV: according to, (such) as (it were, well as), in comparison of, like (as, to, unto), thus, when, worth. See also: Genesis 19:15; Job 40:17; Psalms 29:6.
יָלַ֣דְנוּ
yâlad
H3205
"to beget"
V-Qal-Perf-1cp
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to give birth or beget a child, like when Eve gave birth to Cain in Genesis 4:1. It can also mean to help someone give birth, like a midwife. This word is used in many KJV translations, including Genesis and Isaiah.
Definition: 1) to bear, bringforth, beget, gender, travail 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to bear, bring forth 1a1a) of child birth 1a1b) of distress (simile) 1a1c) of wicked (behaviour) 1a2) to beget 1b) (Niphal) to be born 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to cause or help to bring forth 1c2) to assist or tend as a midwife 1c3) midwife (participle) 1d) (Pual) to be born 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to beget (a child) 1e2) to bear (fig. -of wicked bringing forth iniquity) 1f) (Hophal) day of birth, birthday (infinitive) 1g) (Hithpael) to declare one's birth (pedigree)
Usage: Occurs in 403 OT verses. KJV: bear, beget, birth(-day), born, (make to) bring forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch, labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail(-eth, -ing woman). See also: Genesis 3:16; Genesis 30:19; 2 Samuel 21:22.
ר֑וּחַ
rûwach
H7307
"spirit"
N-cs
In the Bible, this word for spirit refers to the breath of life, the wind, or a person's mind and emotions, as seen in the book of Ezekiel.
Definition: : spirit 1) wind, breath, mind, spirit 1a) breath 1b) wind 1b1) of heaven 1b2) quarter (of wind), side 1b3) breath of air 1b4) air, gas 1b5) vain, empty thing 1c) spirit (as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation) 1c1) spirit, animation, vivacity, vigour 1c2) courage 1c3) temper, anger 1c4) impatience, patience 1c5) spirit, disposition (as troubled, bitter, discontented) 1c6) disposition (of various kinds), unaccountable or uncontrollable impulse 1c7) prophetic spirit 1d) spirit (of the living, breathing being in man and animals) 1d1) as gift, preserved by God, God's spirit, departing at death, disembodied being 1e) spirit (as seat of emotion) 1e1) desire 1e2) sorrow, trouble 1f) spirit 1f1) as seat or organ of mental acts 1f2) rarely of the will 1f3) as seat especially of moral character 1g) Spirit of God, the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son 1g1) as inspiring ecstatic state of prophecy 1g2) as impelling prophet to utter instruction or warning 1g3) imparting warlike energy and executive and administrative power 1g4) as endowing men with various gifts 1g5) as energy of life 1g6) as manifest in the Shekinah glory 1g7) never referred to as a depersonalised force
Usage: Occurs in 348 OT verses. KJV: air, anger, blast, breath, [idiom] cool, courage, mind, [idiom] quarter, [idiom] side, spirit(-ual), tempest, [idiom] vain, (whirl-) wind(-y). See also: Genesis 1:2; Job 6:26; Psalms 1:4.
יְשׁוּעֹת֙
yᵉshûwʻâh
H3444
"salvation"
N-fp
Salvation means being saved or delivered from something, like trouble or danger, and can also mean victory or prosperity, as seen in the Bible's promises of God's deliverance.
Definition: 1) salvation, deliverance 1a) welfare, prosperity 1b) deliverance 1c) salvation (by God) 1d) victory
Usage: Occurs in 76 OT verses. KJV: deliverance, health, help(-ing), salvation, save, saving (health), welfare. See also: Genesis 49:18; Psalms 80:3; Psalms 3:3.
בַּל
bal
H1077
"not"
Part
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means not or nothing, often used to show something is absent or non-existent. It appears in various forms, like lest or neither. The KJV Bible translates it in different ways, including not or none.
Definition: not, hardly, else
Usage: Occurs in 58 OT verses. KJV: lest, neither, no, none (that...), not (any), nothing. See also: 1 Chronicles 16:30; Psalms 140:12; Psalms 10:4.
נַ֣עֲשֶׂה
ʻâsâh
H6213
"to make"
V-Qal-Imperf-1cp
This verb means to make or do something, and is used over 2,600 times in the Bible. It is first used in Genesis 1:7 to describe God's creation of the world and is also used in Exodus 31:5 to describe the work of skilled craftsmen.
Definition: : make(OBJECT) 1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to do, work, make, produce 1a1a) to do 1a1b) to work 1a1c) to deal (with) 1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect 1a2) to make 1a2a) to make 1a2b) to produce 1a2c) to prepare 1a2d) to make (an offering) 1a2e) to attend to, put in order 1a2f) to observe, celebrate 1a2g) to acquire (property) 1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute 1a2i) to bring about 1a2j) to use 1a2k) to spend, pass 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be done 1b2) to be made 1b3) to be produced 1b4) to be offered 1b5) to be observed 1b6) to be used 1c) (Pual) to be made
Usage: Occurs in 2286 OT verses. KJV: accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, [phrase] feast, (fight-) ing man, [phrase] finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, [phrase] hinder, hold (a feast), [idiom] indeed, [phrase] be industrious, [phrase] journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, [phrase] officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, [idiom] sacrifice, serve, set, shew, [idiom] sin, spend, [idiom] surely, take, [idiom] thoroughly, trim, [idiom] very, [phrase] vex, be (warr-) ior, work(-man), yield, use. See also: Genesis 1:7; Genesis 34:19; Exodus 18:24.
אֶ֔רֶץ
ʼerets
H776
"land"
N-cs
The land or earth refers to the soil or ground, and can also mean a country, territory, or region. In the Bible, it is used to describe the earth and its inhabitants, and is often translated as 'land' or 'country'.
Definition: : soil 1) land, earth 1a) earth 1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part) 1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven) 1a3) earth (inhabitants) 1b) land 1b1) country, territory 1b2) district, region 1b3) tribal territory 1b4) piece of ground 1b5) land of Canaan, Israel 1b6) inhabitants of land 1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world 1b8) city (-state) 1c) ground, surface of the earth 1c1) ground 1c2) soil 1d) (in phrases) 1d1) people of the land 1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance) 1d3) level or plain country 1d4) land of the living 1d5) end(s) of the earth 1e) (almost wholly late in usage) 1e1) lands, countries 1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan
Usage: Occurs in 2190 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world. See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 18:18; Genesis 42:13.
וּ/בַֽל
bal
H1077
"not"
Conj | Part
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means not or nothing, often used to show something is absent or non-existent. It appears in various forms, like lest or neither. The KJV Bible translates it in different ways, including not or none.
Definition: not, hardly, else
Usage: Occurs in 58 OT verses. KJV: lest, neither, no, none (that...), not (any), nothing. See also: 1 Chronicles 16:30; Psalms 140:12; Psalms 10:4.
יִפְּל֖וּ
nâphal
H5307
"to fall"
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to fall, and it's used in many ways, like falling down, failing, or being defeated. It appears in books like Genesis and Isaiah. God's people often fell away from Him, but He always offered a way back.
Definition: : fall/drop/fail 1) to fall, lie, be cast down, fail 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to fall 1a2) to fall (of violent death) 1a3) to fall prostrate, prostrate oneself before 1a4) to fall upon, attack, desert, fall away to, go away to, fall into the hand of 1a5) to fall short, fail, fall out, turn out, result 1a6) to settle, waste away, be offered, be inferior to 1a7) to lie, lie prostrate 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to cause to fall, fell, throw down, knock out, lay prostrate 1b2) to overthrow 1b3) to make the lot fall, assign by lot, apportion by lot 1b4) to let drop, cause to fail (fig.) 1b5) to cause to fall 1c) (Hithpael) 1c1) to throw or prostrate oneself, throw oneself upon 1c2) to lie prostrate, prostrate oneself 1d) (Pilel) to fall
Usage: Occurs in 403 OT verses. KJV: 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 H6419 (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. See also: Genesis 2:21; 1 Samuel 17:52; Esther 9:3.
יֹשְׁבֵ֥י
yâshab
H3427
"to dwell"
V-Qal
This verb means to sit or dwell, and can also mean to remain or abide. It's used in the Bible to describe people living in a place or staying with someone, like in the book of Genesis.
Definition: 1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to sit, sit down 1a2) to be set 1a3) to remain, stay 1a4) to dwell, have one's abode 1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited 1c) (Piel) to set, place 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to sit 1d2) to cause to abide, set 1d3) to cause to dwell 1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited 1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to) 1e) (Hophal) 1e1) to be inhabited 1e2) to make to dwell Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)
Usage: Occurs in 977 OT verses. KJV: (make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, [idiom] fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, [idiom] marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(-tle), (down-) sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate), take, tarry. See also: Genesis 4:16; Leviticus 25:18; Joshua 13:6.
תֵבֵֽל
têbêl
H8398
"world"
N-fs
The Hebrew word for world, it refers to the earth and its inhabitants. In the Bible, it's used to describe the world God created, like in Psalm 24, which says the earth belongs to God.
Definition: world
Usage: Occurs in 36 OT verses. KJV: habitable part, world. See also: 1 Samuel 2:8; Psalms 97:4; Psalms 9:9.
Study Notes — Isaiah 26:18
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Isaiah 26:18 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 26:18
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 26:18
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Isaiah 26:18
- Trapp's Commentary on Isaiah 26:18
- Ellicott's Commentary on Isaiah 26:18
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Isaiah 26:18
- Cambridge Bible on Isaiah 26:18
- Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 26:18
- Whedon's Commentary on Isaiah 26:18
- Sermons on Isaiah 26:18
Context — A Song of Salvation
16O LORD, they sought You in their distress; when You disciplined them, they poured out a quiet prayer.
17As a woman with child about to give birth writhes and cries out in pain, so were we in Your presence, O LORD.
18We were with child; we writhed in pain; but we gave birth to wind. We have given no salvation to the earth, nor brought any life into the world.
19Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust! For your dew is like the dew of the morning, and the earth will bring forth her dead. 20Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourselves a little while until the wrath has passed.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hosea 13:13 | Labor pains come upon him, but he is an unwise son. When the time arrives, he fails to present himself at the opening of the womb. |
| 2 | Psalms 17:14 | from such men, O LORD, by Your hand— from men of the world whose portion is in this life. May You fill the bellies of Your treasured ones and satisfy their sons, so they leave their abundance to their children. |
| 3 | 2 Kings 19:3 | to tell him, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace; for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them. |
| 4 | Isaiah 59:4 | No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case honestly. They rely on empty pleas; they tell lies; they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity. |
| 5 | Isaiah 37:3 | to tell him, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace; for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them. |
| 6 | Isaiah 33:11 | You conceive chaff; you give birth to stubble. Your breath is a fire that will consume you. |
| 7 | 1 Samuel 11:13 | But Saul ordered, “No one shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel.” |
| 8 | 1 John 5:19 | We know that we are of God, and that the whole world is under the power of the evil one. |
| 9 | John 7:7 | The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me, because I testify that its works are evil. |
| 10 | 1 Samuel 14:45 | But the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die—he who accomplished such a great deliverance for Israel? Never! As surely as the LORD lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for with God’s help he has accomplished this today.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die. |
Isaiah 26:18 Summary
[Isaiah 26:18 is saying that even though the people of God were trying to do good and bring about spiritual life, they were not able to do it on their own. This is because, as it says in Romans 3:20, 'no one will be justified in His sight by the works of the law.' Instead of relying on their own strength, they needed to trust in God's power and provision. This is a reminder that true salvation and spiritual life can only come from God, as stated in Psalm 3:8, 'Salvation belongs to the Lord.']
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to 'give birth to wind' in Isaiah 26:18?
This phrase is a metaphor for laboring in vain, as seen in the similar phrase in Job 30:15, where Job says 'the wind carries all my wealth away.' Here, it signifies that despite the people's efforts, they have not produced anything of lasting value or spiritual significance, as also noted in Isaiah 57:12.
Is Isaiah 26:18 talking about physical birth or spiritual birth?
The context of Isaiah 26:17-18 suggests that the birth being referred to is a spiritual one, where the people are seeking to bring about spiritual life and salvation, but are instead finding that their efforts are fruitless, much like the experience of the Israelites in the wilderness, as described in Numbers 14:1-4.
How does Isaiah 26:18 relate to the idea of salvation?
This verse highlights the inability of humanity to bring about their own salvation, which is a theme echoed in other parts of the Bible, such as Romans 3:20, where it is written that 'no one will be justified in His sight by the works of the law.'
What is the significance of the phrase 'we have given no salvation to the earth'?
This phrase emphasizes the idea that true salvation can only come from God, as stated in Psalm 3:8, 'Salvation belongs to the Lord.' The people's efforts to bring about spiritual life and salvation have been unsuccessful, underscoring their need for divine intervention.
Reflection Questions
- In what ways can I be laboring in vain, trying to produce spiritual life through my own efforts, rather than relying on God's power?
- How can I discern when my efforts are 'giving birth to wind' and when they are truly fruitful for the kingdom of God?
- What are some areas in my life where I am trying to bring about spiritual birth or growth through my own strength, rather than trusting in God's power and provision?
- In what ways can I surrender my efforts to God and trust in His power to bring about true spiritual life and salvation?
Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 26:18
We have been with child,.... Like women with child; we have been full of hopes and expectations of great things, of deliverance from our enemies, and of the kingdom of Christ being at hand: we have
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 26:18
We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. Brought forth wind.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Isaiah 26:18
We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have had the torment of a woman in child-bearing, but not the comfort of a living child, , for we have brought forth nothing but wind; all our labours and hopes were vain and unsuccessful. The prophet here represents their deplorable and desperate condition before God appeared so eminently to deliver them. We have not wrought any deliverance; we found that we were utterly unable to deliver ourselves. In the earth; or, in the land, in our own country, where yet we had far greater advantages than we could have had elsewhere. The inhabitants of the world; the Assyrians, or our other enemies; for they are here opposed to God’ s people.
Trapp's Commentary on Isaiah 26:18
Isaiah 26:18 We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.Ver. 18. We have been with child.] With various devices and hopes, which yet have miscarried and run aslope. See Job 15:35. We have as it were brought forth wind.] As did Queen Mary, to her own great grief and the disappointment of her expectauts, - Dale, the promoter, for instance. Well, quoth he, at the apprehending of Julian living, you hope and hope, but your hope shall be aslope; for although the queen’ s conceptions should still fail, as they did, yet she that you hope for shall never come at it: for there is my lord cardinal’ s grace and many more between her and it. But my lord cardinal’ s grace departed the very next day after Queen Mary, having taken, as it is thought, some Italian medicine, and Queen Elizabeth succeeded in the throne, to the great joy of all good men. Acts and Mon, fol. 1871. Ibid., 1905.
Ellicott's Commentary on Isaiah 26:18
(18) We have as it were brought forth wind.—Left to themselves, the longing expectations of Israel had been frustrated. It was, “as it were” (the words imply the prophet’s consciousness of the boldness of the figure), like a false pregnancy, a disease with no birth as its outcome. Neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.—Better, Neither were the inhabitants of the world brought to birth, the verb to “fall” being used, as in Wis 7:3; Hom., II., xix. 10, of the delivery of a woman with child. The words continue the picture of the fruitlessness of mere human strivings and expectations. The LXX., “They that are in the tombs shall rise,” connects itself with John 5:28-29. (Comp. the like imagery in Isaiah 37:3.) The “creation” was “subject unto vanity,” as in Romans 8:20-22.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Isaiah 26:18
Verse 18. We have - brought forth wind] The learned Professor Michaelis explains this image in the following manner: "Rariorem morbum describi, empneumatosin, aut ventosam molam, dictum; quo quae laborant diu et sibi et peritis medicis gravidae videntur,tandemque post omnes verae graviditatis molestias et labored ventum ex utero emittunt: quem morbum passim describunt medici." Syntagma Comment., vol. ii., p. 165. The empneumatosis, or windy inflation of the womb, is a disorder to which females are liable. Some have had this in such wise, for a long time together, that they have appeared to themselves, and even to very skilful medical men, to be pregnant; and after having endured much pain, and even the throes of apparent childbearing, they have been eased and restored to health by the emission of a great quantity of wind from the uterus. This disorder is well known to medical men." The Syriac translator seems to have understood it in this manner: Enixi sumus, ut illae quae ventos pariunt. "We have brought forth as they who bring forth wind." In the earth - "In the land"] בארץ bearets; so a MS., the Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate.
Cambridge Bible on Isaiah 26:18
18. Retaining the figure the prophet dwells on the abortive issue of the nation’s prayers and sufferings. In the last clause he seems even to give the figure a closer application. For that sentence is no doubt to be read as in R.V. marg., neither have inhabitants of the world been born; i.e. the mother-nation has brought forth no children to people the world. This sense of the verb “fall” is not found elsewhere in Hebr., but it occurs in Arabic (cf. also the Greek πίπτειν and Latin cadere); and here it is demanded by the last clause of Isa 26:19. The complaint (of an insufficient population) seems at first inconsistent with Isaiah 26:15, but the discrepancy belongs to the conflict of feeling which runs through the poem; a certain degree of prosperity has been attained, but not complete and final salvation. It is certainly difficult to imagine such a complaint projected on the ideal horizon of the future. A disappointment so peculiar must be begotten of actual experience. Comp. ch. Isaiah 66:7-9. we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth] Lit. “we do not make the land salvations”; i.e. we cannot with all our exertions bring about a condition of freedom, prosperity, peace, &c.
Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 26:18
We have been ... - This refers to sorrows and calamities which they had experienced in former times, when they had made great efforts for deliverance, and when those efforts had proved abortive.
Whedon's Commentary on Isaiah 26:18
16-18. Back to Israel’s night of affliction — perhaps before, and certainly during, the captivity — is the glance again taken. See Isaiah 26:8-9.
Sermons on Isaiah 26:18
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Not in Vain - is.45 by Paul Ravenhill | In this sermon, the speaker shares a story about a man who faced numerous challenges and obstacles but persevered with determination. The man's journey involved physical hardships, |
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The Falling Rain and the Budding Earth by J.C. Philpot | J.C. Philpot preaches on the powerful analogy between the rain and snow from heaven and the word of God, emphasizing that just as the rain and snow water the earth and make it brin |
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Letter 134. by James Bourne | James Bourne emphasizes the importance of pastors being spiritually vigilant and diligent in their ministry, ensuring their message comes directly from the Lord to avoid worldly di |
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What a Pitiful Perishing Portion Is That! by Thomas Brooks | Thomas Brooks emphasizes the futility of placing one's hope and satisfaction in worldly things, describing how those who are worldly-minded have only the transient pleasures of thi |
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The Secret of Holiness by Dennis Kinlaw | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of finding just one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth in order to bring salvation and forgiveness to a city. The s |
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Prevailing Prayer by Gerhard Du Toit | In this sermon, the speaker shares his experience of evangelism in Africa and Scotland, where they would spend several weeks before making any invitations to allow people to be con |
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A Cry Against the Wicked Youth of America by David Wilkerson | In this sermon, the preacher talks about a man, a Hebrew, who is running through the streets proclaiming that there are only 40 days left before everyone will die because of their |