King James Version

Isaiah 1:4

Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

ה֣וֹיhoyalasהוֹיparticle, interjection — “alas”H1945oh!ah, alas, ho, O, woe.גּ֣וֹיgoyGentileגּוֹיnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “Gentile”, the ordinary formH1471a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locustsGentile, heathen, nation, people.חֹטֵ֗אchoteby faultחָטָאverb, qal, participle, absolute — “by fault”, a verb used as a describing wordH2398properly, to miss; hence (figuratively and generally) to sin; by inference, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, (causatively) lead astray, condemnbear the blame, cleanse, commit (sin), by fault, harm he hath done, loss, miss, (make) offend(-er), offer for sin, purge, purify (self), make reconciliation, (cause, make) sin(-ful, -ness), trespass.עַ֚םampeopleעַםnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “people”, the ordinary formH5971a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flockfolk, men, nation, people.כֶּ֣בֶדkevedheavyכָּבֵדadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, construct — “heavy”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3515heavy; figuratively in a good sense (numerous) or in a bad sense (severe, difficult, stupid)(so) great, grievous, hard(-ened), (too) heavy(-ier), laden, much, slow, sore, thick.עָוֺ֔ןaonfaultעָוֺןnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “fault”, the ordinary formH5771perversity, i.e. (moral) evilfault, iniquity, mischeif, punishment (of iniquity), sin.זֶ֣רַעzeraseedזֶרַעnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “seed”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2233seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity[idiom] carnally, child, fruitful, seed(-time), sowing-time.מְרֵעִ֔יםmereimbe worseרָעַעverb, hiphil, participle, absolute — “be worse”, a verb used as a describing wordH7489properly, to spoil (literally, by breaking to pieces); figuratively, to make (or be) good fornothing, i.e. bad (physically, socially or morally)afflict, associate selves (by mistake for H7462 (רָעָה)), break (down, in pieces), [phrase] displease, (be, bring, do) evil (doer, entreat, man), show self friendly (by mistake for H7462 (רָעָה)), do harm, (do) hurt, (behave self, deal) il…בָּנִ֖יםbanimsonבֵּןnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “son”, the ordinary formH1121a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)[phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, […מַשְׁחִיתִ֑יםmashchitimbatterשָׁחַתverb, hiphil, participle, absolute — “batter”, a verb used as a describing wordH7843to decay, i.e. (causatively) ruin (literally or figuratively)batter, cast off, corrupt(-er, thing), destroy(-er, -uction), lose, mar, perish, spill, spoiler, [idiom] utterly, waste(-r).עָזְב֣וּazevvcommit selfעָזַבverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “commit self”, a completed actionH5800to loosen, i.e. relinquish, permit, etc.commit self, fail, forsake, fortify, help, leave (destitute, off), refuse, [idiom] surely.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).יְהוָ֗הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).נִֽאֲצ֛וּniatsvabhorנָאַץverb, piel, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “abhor”, a completed actionH5006to scorn;abhor, (give occasion to) blaspheme, contemn, despise, flourish, [idiom] great, provoke.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).קְד֥וֹשׁqedoshsaintקָדוֹשׁadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, construct — “saint”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6918sacred (ceremonially or morally); (as noun) God (by eminence), an angel, a saint, a sanctuaryholy (One), saint.יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לyisraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלnoun, proper name — “Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.נָזֹ֥רוּnazorvstrangeזוּרverb, niphal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “strange”, a completed actionH2114to turn aside (especially for lodging); hence to be aforeigner, strange, profane; specifically (active participle) to commit adultery(come from) another (man, place), fanner, go away, (e-) strange(-r, thing, woman).אָחֽוֹרachorafterאָחוֹרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “after”, the ordinary formH268the hinder part; hence (adverb) behind, backward; also (as facing north) the Westafter(-ward), back (part, -side, -ward), hereafter, (be-) hind(-er part), time to come, without.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children that deal corruptly; they have forsaken the LORD, they have contemned the Holy One of Israel, they are turned away backward.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children that deal corruptly! they have forsaken Jehovah, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are estranged and gone backward.

Young’s Literal Translation

Ah, sinning nation, a people heavy [with] iniquity, A seed of evil doers, sons — corrupters! They have forsaken Jehovah, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have gone away backward.

World English Bible

Ah sinful nation, a people loaded with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken Yahweh. They have despised the Holy One of Israel. They are estranged and backward.

Darby Translation

Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that corrupt themselves! They have forsaken Jehovah; they have despised the Holy One of Israel; they are turned away backward.

Douay-Rheims

Woe to the sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a wicked seed, ungracious children: they have forsaken the Lord, they have blasphemed the Holy One of Israel, they are gone away backwards.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Ah sinful nation, a people full of sins, an evil seed, lawless children: ye have forsaken the Lord, and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Οὐαὶ ἔθνος ἁμαρτωλὸν, λαὸς πλήρης ἁμαρτιῶν, σπέρμα πονηρὸν, υἱοὶ ἄνομοι· ἐγκατελίπατε τὸν Κύριον, καὶ παρωργίσατε τὸν ἅγιον τοῦ Ἰσραήλ.