King James Version

Isaiah 29:8

It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.

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Hebrew

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וְהָיָ֡הvehayahand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, 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.כַּאֲשֶׁר֩kaasheras becauseאֲשֶׁרpreposition, particle, relative — “as 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,…יַחֲלֹ֨םyachalomdreamחָלַםverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “dream”, an unfinished actionH2492properly, to bind firmly, i.e. (by implication) to be (causatively to make) plump; also (through the figurative sense of dumbness) to dream(cause to) dream(-er), be in good liking, recover.הָרָעֵ֜בharaevthe hungryרָעֵבdefinite article, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “the hungry”, the ordinary formH7457hungry (more or less intensely)hunger bitten, hungry.וְהִנֵּ֣הvehinehand loהִנֵּהconjunction, particle, demonstrative — “and lo”H2009lo!behold, lo, see.אוֹכֵ֗לokheleatאָכַלverb, qal, participle, absolute — “eat”, a verb used as a describing wordH398to eat (literally or figuratively)[idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite.וְהֵקִיץ֮veheqitsand ariseקוּץconjunction, verb, hiphil, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and arise”, a completed action in a sequenceH6974to awake (literally or figuratively)arise, (be) (a-) wake, watch.וְרֵיקָ֣הvereyqahand emptiedרֵיקconjunction, adjective, adjective, feminine, singular, absolute — “and emptied”, the ordinary formH7386empty; figuratively, worthlessemptied(-ty), vain (fellow, man).נַפְשׁוֹ֒nafshvocreatureנֶפֶשׁnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “creature”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally,…וְכַאֲשֶׁ֨רvekhaasherand as becauseאֲשֶׁרconjunction, preposition, particle, relative — “and as 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,…יַחֲלֹ֤םyachalomdreamחָלַםverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “dream”, an unfinished actionH2492properly, to bind firmly, i.e. (by implication) to be (causatively to make) plump; also (through the figurative sense of dumbness) to dream(cause to) dream(-er), be in good liking, recover.הַצָּמֵא֙hatsamethe thirstצָמֵאdefinite article, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “the thirst”, the ordinary formH6771thirsty (literally or figuratively)(that) thirst(-eth, -y).וְהִנֵּ֣הvehinehand loהִנֵּהconjunction, particle, demonstrative — “and lo”H2009lo!behold, lo, see.שֹׁתֶ֔הshotehbanquetשָׁתָהverb, qal, participle, absolute — “banquet”, a verb used as a describing wordH8354to imbibe (literally or figuratively)[idiom] assuredly, banquet, [idiom] certainly, drink(-er, -ing), drunk ([idiom] -ard), surely. (Prop. intensive of H8248 (שָׁקָה).)וְהֵקִיץ֙veheqitsand ariseקוּץconjunction, verb, hiphil, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and arise”, a completed action in a sequenceH6974to awake (literally or figuratively)arise, (be) (a-) wake, watch.וְהִנֵּ֣הvehinehand loהִנֵּהconjunction, particle, demonstrative — “and lo”H2009lo!behold, lo, see.עָיֵ֔ףayeffaintעָיֵףadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “faint”, the ordinary formH5889languidfaint, thirsty, weary.וְנַפְשׁ֖וֹvenafshvoand creatureנֶפֶשׁconjunction, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and creature”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally,…שׁוֹקֵקָ֑הshoqeqahhave appetiteשָׁקַקverb, qal, participle, absolute — “have appetite”, a verb used as a describing wordH8264to course (like a beast of prey); by implication, to seek greedilyhave appetite, justle one against another, long, range, run (to and fro).כֵּ֣ןkenas... asכֵּןparticle, demonstrative — “as... as”H3651properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction) rightly or so (in various applications to manner, time and relation; often with other particles)[phrase] after that (this, -ward, -wards), as... as, [phrase] (for-) asmuch as yet, [phrase] be (for which) cause, [phrase] following, howbeit, in (the) like (manner, -wise), [idiom] the more, right, (even) so, state, straightway, such (th…יִֽהְיֶ֗הyihyehbeהָיָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be”, an unfinished actionH1961to 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.הֲמוֹן֙hamonnoiseהָמוֹןnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “noise”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1995a noise, tumult, crowd; also disquietude, wealthabundance, company, many, multitude, multiply, noise, riches, rumbling, sounding, store, tumult.כָּלkalallכֹּלnoun, 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).הַגּוֹיִ֔םhagoyimthe Gentileגּוֹיdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the Gentile”, the ordinary formH1471a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locustsGentile, heathen, nation, people.הַצֹּבְאִ֖יםhatsoveimthe assembleצָבָאdefinite article, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “the assemble”, a verb used as a describing wordH6633to mass (an army or servants)assemble, fight, perform, muster, wait upon, war.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,…הַ֥רharhillהַרnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “hill”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2022a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)hill (country), mount(-ain), [idiom] promotion.צִיּֽוֹןtsionZionצִיּוֹןnoun, proper name — “Zion”H6726Tsijon (as a permanent capital), a mountain of JerusalemZion.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And it shall be as when a hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth, but he awaketh, and his soul is empty; or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh, but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite — so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

And it shall be as when a hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.

Young’s Literal Translation

And it hath been, as when the hungry dreameth, And lo, he is eating, And he hath waked, and empty [is] his soul, And as when the thirsty dreameth, And lo, he is drinking, and he hath waked, And lo, he is weary, and his soul is longing, So is the multitude of all the nations Who are warring against mount Zion.

World English Bible

It will be like when a hungry man dreams, and behold, he eats; but he awakes, and his hunger isn’t satisfied; or like when a thirsty man dreams, and behold, he drinks; but he awakes, and behold, he is faint, and he is still thirsty. The multitude of all the nations that fight against Mount Zion will be like that.

Darby Translation

It shall even be as when the hungry dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; and he awaketh, and his soul is empty; or as when the thirsty dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; and he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul craveth: so shall the multitude of all the nations be that war against mount Zion.

Douay-Rheims

And as he that is hungry dreameth, and eateth, but when he is awake, his soul is empty: and as he that is thirsty dreameth, and drinketh, and after he is awake, is yet faint with thirst, and his soul is empty: so shall be the multitude of all the Gentiles, that have fought against mount Sion.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And as men drink and eat in sleep, and when they have arisen, the dream is vain: and as a thirsty man dreams as if he drank, and having arisen is still thirsty, and his soul has desired in vain: so shall be the wealth of all the nations, as many as have fought against the mount Sion.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ὡς οἱ ἐν τῷ ὕπνῳ πίνοντες καὶ ἔσθοντες, καὶ ἐξαναστάντων, μάταιον τὸ ἐνύπνιον· καὶ ὃν τρόπον ἐνυπνιάζεται ὁ διψῶν ὡς ὁ πίνων, καὶ ἐξαναστὰς ἔτι διψᾷ, ἡ δὲ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ εἰς κενὸν ἤλπισεν· οὕτως ἔσται ὁ πλοῦτος τῶν ἐθνῶν πάντων, ὅσοι ἐπεστράτευσαν ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος Σιών.