King James Version

Isaiah 28:24

Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?

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Hebrew

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הֲכֹ֣לhakholallכֹּלparticle, interrogative, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).הַיּ֔וֹםhayomthe as long asיוֹםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the as long as”, the ordinary formH3117a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) lon…יַחֲרֹ֥שׁyacharoshbe deafחָרַשׁverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be deaf”, an unfinished actionH2790to scratch, i.e. (by implication) to engrave, plough; hence (from the use of tools) to fabricate (of any material); figuratively, to devise (in a bad sense); hence (from the idea of secrecy) to be silent, to let alone; hence (by implication) to be deaf (as an accompaniment of dumbness)[idiom] altogether, cease, conceal, be deaf, devise, ear, graven, imagine, leave off speaking, hold peace, plow(-er, man), be quiet, rest, practise secretly, keep silence, be silent, speak not a word, be still, hold tongue, worker.הַחֹרֵ֖שׁhachoreshthe be deafחָרַשׁdefinite article, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “the be deaf”, a verb used as a describing wordH2790to scratch, i.e. (by implication) to engrave, plough; hence (from the use of tools) to fabricate (of any material); figuratively, to devise (in a bad sense); hence (from the idea of secrecy) to be silent, to let alone; hence (by implication) to be deaf (as an accompaniment of dumbness)[idiom] altogether, cease, conceal, be deaf, devise, ear, graven, imagine, leave off speaking, hold peace, plow(-er, man), be quiet, rest, practise secretly, keep silence, be silent, speak not a word, be still, hold tongue, worker.לִזְרֹ֑עַlizroato bearזָרַעpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to bear”, the to-form of the verbH2232to sow; figuratively, to disseminate, plant, fructifybear, conceive seed, set with sow(-er), yield.יְפַתַּ֥חyefatachopenפָּתַחverb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “open”, an unfinished actionH6605to open wide (literally or figuratively); specifically, to loosen, begin, plough, carveappear, break forth, draw (out), let go free, (en-) grave(-n), loose (self), (be, be set) open(-ing), put off, ungird, unstop, have vent.וִֽישַׂדֵּ֖דvisadedand harrowשָׂדַדconjunction, verb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and harrow”, an unfinished actionH7702to abrade, i.e. harrow afieldbreak clods, harrow.אַדְמָתֽוֹadmatvocountryאֲדָמָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “country”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH127soil (from its general redness)country, earth, ground, husband(-man) (-ry), land.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Is the plowman never done with plowing to sow, with the opening and harrowing of his ground?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Doth he that ploweth to sow plow continually? doth he continually open and harrow his ground?

Young’s Literal Translation

The whole day plougheth the ploughman to sow? He openeth and harroweth his ground!

World English Bible

Does he who plows to sow plow continually? Does he keep turning the soil and breaking the clods?

Darby Translation

Doth the ploughman plough all day to sow? Is he [all day] opening and breaking the clods of his land?

Douay-Rheims

Shall the ploughman plough all the day to sow, shall he open and harrow his ground?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Is the plowman never done with plowing to sow, with the opening and harrowing of his ground?

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Will the ploughman plough all the day? or will he prepare the seed beforehand, before he tills the ground?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Μὴ ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἀροτριάσει ὁ ἀροτριῶν; ἢ σπόρον προετοιμάσει, πρὶν ἐργάσασθαι τὴν γῆν;