King James Version

Isaiah 28:4

And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.

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Hebrew

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וְֽהָ֨יְתָ֜הvehayetahand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and be”, a completed action in a sequenceH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.צִיצַ֤תtsitsatflowerצִיצָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “flower”, the ordinary formH6733a flowerflower.נֹבֵל֙noveldisgraceנָבֵלverb, qal, participle, absolute — “disgrace”, a verb used as a describing wordH5034to wilt; generally, to fall away, fail, faint; figuratively, to be foolish or (morally) wicked; causatively, to despise, disgracedisgrace, dishounour, lightly esteem, fade (away, -ing), fall (down, -ling, off), do foolishly, come to nought, [idiom] surely, make vile, wither.צְבִ֣יtsevibeautifulצְבִיnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “beautiful”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6643splendor (as conspicuous); also a gazelle (as beautiful)beautiful(-ty), glorious (-ry), goodly, pleasant, roe(-buck).תִפְאַרְתּ֔וֹtifartvobeautyתִּפְאָרָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “beauty”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8597ornament (abstractly or concretely, literally or figuratively)beauty(-iful), bravery, comely, fair, glory(-ious), honour, majesty.אֲשֶׁ֥רasherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, relative — “because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…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,…רֹ֖אשׁroshheadרֹאשׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “head”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7218the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.)band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, [idiom] every (man), excellent, first, forefront, (be-)head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), [idiom] lead, [idiom] poor, principal, ruler, sum, top.גֵּ֣יאgeyvalleyגַּיְאnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “valley”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1516a gorge (from its lofty sides; hence, narrow, but not a gully or winter-torrent)valley.שְׁמָנִ֑יםshemanimoliveשֶׁמֶןnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “olive”, the ordinary formH8081grease, especially liquid (as from the olive, often perfumed); figuratively, richnessanointing, [idiom] fat (things), [idiom] fruitful, oil(-ed), ointment, olive, [phrase] pine.כְּבִכּוּרָהּ֙kevikurahas first fruitבִּכּוּרpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “as first fruit”, the ordinary formH1061the first-fruits of the cropfirst fruit (-ripe (figuratively)), hasty fruit.בְּטֶ֣רֶםbeteremin beforeטֶרֶםpreposition, adverb — “in before”H2962properly, non-occurrence; used adverbially, not yet or beforebefore, ere, not yet.קַ֔יִץqayitssummerקַיִץnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “summer”, the ordinary formH7019harvest (as the crop), whether the product (grain or fruit) or the (dry) seasonsummer (fruit, house).אֲשֶׁ֨רasherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, relative — “because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…יִרְאֶ֤הyirehseeרָאָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “see”, an unfinished actionH7200to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), m…הָֽרֹאֶה֙haroehthe seeרָאָהdefinite article, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “the see”, a verb used as a describing wordH7200to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), m…אוֹתָ֔הּotahobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “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).בְּעוֹדָ֥הּbeodahin againעוֹדpreposition, adverb, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “in again”H5750properly, iteration or continuance; used only adverbially (with or without preposition), again, repeatedly, still, moreagain, [idiom] all life long, at all, besides, but, else, further(-more), henceforth, (any) longer, (any) more(-over), [idiom] once, since, (be) still, when, (good, the) while (having being), (as, because, whether, while) yet (within).בְּכַפּ֖וֹbekhapvoin hand , -dle,כַּףpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “in hand , -dle,”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3709the hollow hand or palm (so of the paw of an animal, of the sole, and even of the bowl of a dish or sling, the handle of a bolt, the leaves of a palm-tree); figuratively, powerbranch, [phrase] foot, hand((-ful), -dle, (-led)), hollow, middle, palm, paw, power, sole, spoon.יִבְלָעֶֽנָּהyivlaenahdestroyבָּלַעverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “destroy”, an unfinished actionH1104to make away with (specifically by swallowing); generally, to destroycover, destroy, devour, eat up, be at end, spend up, swallow down (up).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as the first-ripe fig before the summer, which when one looketh upon it, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

and the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as the first-ripe fig before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.

Young’s Literal Translation

And the fading flower of the beauty of his glory That [is] on the head of the fat valley, Hath been as its first-fruit before summer, That its beholder seeth, While it [is] yet in his hand he swalloweth it.

World English Bible

The fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fertile valley, shall be like the first-ripe fig before the summer, which someone picks and eats as soon as he sees it.

Darby Translation

and the fading flower of his glorious adornment which is on the head of the fat valley shall be like an early fig before the summer: as soon as he that seeth it perceiveth it, scarcely is it in his hand, he swalloweth it down.

Douay-Rheims

And the fading flower the glory of his joy, who is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as a hasty fruit before the ripeness of autumn: which when he that seeth it shall behold, as soon as he taketh it in his hand, he will eat it up.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And the fading flower of the glorious hope on the top of the high mountain shall be as the early fig; he that sees it, before he takes it into his hand, will desire to swallow it down.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἔσται τὸ ἄνθος τὸ ἐκπεσὸν τῆς ἐλπίδος τῆς δόζῆς, ἐπʼ ἄκρου τοῦ ὄρους τοῦ ὑψηλοῦ· ὡς πρόδρομος σύκου, ὁ ἰδὼν αὐτό, πρὶν εἰς τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ λαβεῖν αὐτό, θελήσει αὐτὸ καταπιεῖν.