King James Version

Isaiah 10:15

Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.

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Hebrew

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הֲיִתְפָּאֵר֙hayitpaerboast selfפָּאַרparticle, interrogative, verb, hithpael, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “boast self”, an unfinished actionH6286to gleam, i.e. (causatively) embellish; figuratively, to boast; also to explain (i.e. make clear) oneself; to shake a treebeautify, boast self, go over the boughs, glorify (self), glory, vaunt self.הַגַּרְזֶ֔ןhagarzenthe axגַּרְזֶןdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the ax”, the ordinary formH1631an axeax.עַ֖לalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…הַחֹצֵ֣בhachotsevthe cutחָצַבdefinite article, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “the cut”, a verb used as a describing wordH2672to cut or carve (wood, stone or other material); by implication, to hew, split, square, quarry, engravecut, dig, divide, grave, hew (out, -er), made, mason.בּ֑וֹbvoinבּ֑וֹpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “in”inאִםimoh thatאִםconjunction — “oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…יִתְגַּדֵּ֤לyitgadelbeגָּדַלverb, hithpael, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be”, an unfinished actionH1431to be (causatively make) large (in various senses, as in body, mind, estate or honor, also in pride)advance, boast, bring up, exceed, excellent, be(-come, do, give, make, wax), great(-er, come to... estate, [phrase] things), grow(up), increase, lift up, magnify(-ifical), be much set by, nourish (up), pass, promote, proudly (spoken), towe…הַמַּשּׂוֹר֙hamasorthe sawמַשּׂוֹרdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the saw”, the ordinary formH4883a sawsaw.עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…מְנִיפ֔וֹmenifvolift upנוּףverb, hiphil, participle, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “lift up”, a verb used as a describing wordH5130to quiver (i.e. vibrate up and down, or rock to and fro); used in a great variety of applications (including sprinkling, beckoning, rubbing, bastinadoing, sawing, waving, etc.)lift up, move, offer, perfume, send, shake, sift, strike, wave.כְּהָנִ֥יףkehanifas lift upנוּףpreposition, verb, hiphil, infinitive construct — “as lift up”, the to-form of the verbH5130to quiver (i.e. vibrate up and down, or rock to and fro); used in a great variety of applications (including sprinkling, beckoning, rubbing, bastinadoing, sawing, waving, etc.)lift up, move, offer, perfume, send, shake, sift, strike, wave.שֵׁ֨בֶט֙shevetdartשֵׁבֶטnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “dart”, the ordinary formH7626a scion, i.e. (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan[idiom] correction, dart, rod, sceptre, staff, tribe.וְאֶתveetand object markerאֵתconjunction, particle, direct object marker — “and 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).מְרִימָ֔יוmerimayvhighרוּםverb, hiphil, participle, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “high”, a verb used as a describing wordH7311to be high actively, to rise or raise (in various applications, literally or figuratively)bring up, exalt (self), extol, give, go up, haughty, heave (up), (be, lift up on, make on, set up on, too) high(-er, one), hold up, levy, lift(-er) up, (be) lofty, ([idiom] a-) loud, mount up, offer (up), [phrase] presumptuously, (be) prom…כְּהָרִ֥יםkeharimas highרוּםpreposition, verb, hiphil, infinitive construct — “as high”, the to-form of the verbH7311to be high actively, to rise or raise (in various applications, literally or figuratively)bring up, exalt (self), extol, give, go up, haughty, heave (up), (be, lift up on, make on, set up on, too) high(-er, one), hold up, levy, lift(-er) up, (be) lofty, ([idiom] a-) loud, mount up, offer (up), [phrase] presumptuously, (be) prom…מַטֶּ֖הmatehrodמַטֶּהnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “rod”, the ordinary formH4294a branch (as extending); figuratively, a tribe; also a rod, whether for chastising (figuratively, correction), ruling (a sceptre), throwing (a lance), or walking (a staff; figuratively, a support of life, e.g. bread)rod, staff, tribe.לֹאlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…עֵֽץetstreeעֵץnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “tree”, the ordinary formH6086a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks)[phrase] carpenter, gallows, helve, [phrase] pine, plank, staff, stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Should the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? Should the saw magnify itself against him that moveth it? as if a rod should move them that lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up him that is not wood.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? shall the saw magnify itself against him that wieldeth it? as if a rod should wield them that lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up him that is not wood.

Young’s Literal Translation

— Doth the axe glorify itself Against him who is hewing with it? Doth the saw magnify itself Against him who is shaking it? As a rod waving those lifting it up! As a staff lifting up that which is not wood!

World English Bible

Should an ax brag against him who chops with it? Should a saw exalt itself above him who saws with it? As if a rod should lift those who lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up someone who is not wood.

Darby Translation

— Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? shall the saw magnify itself against him that wieldeth it? As if the rod should wield them that lift it up; as if the staff should lift up [him who is] not wood!

Douay-Rheims

Shall the axe boast itself against him that cutteth with it? or shall the saw exalt itself against him by whom it is drawn? as if a rod should lift itself up against him that lifteth it up, and a staff exalt itself, which is but wood.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Shall the axe glorify itself without him that hews with it? or shall the saw lift up itself without him that uses it, as if one should lift a rod or staff? but it shall not be so;

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Μὴ δοξασθήσεται ἀξίνη ἄνευ τοῦ κόπτοντος ἐν αὐτῇ; ἢ ὑψωθήσεται πριὼν ἄνευ τοῦ ἔλκοντος αὐτόν; ὡς ἄν τις ἄρῃ ῥάβδον ἢ ξύλον· καὶ οὐχ οὕτως,