King James Version

Isaiah 31:8

Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited.

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Hebrew

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וְנָפַ֤לvenafaland fallנָפַלconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and fall”, a completed action in a sequenceH5307to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)be accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide (by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall (away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have (inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for H6419 (פָּלַל…אַשּׁוּר֙ashurAssyriaאַשּׁוּרnoun, proper name — “Assyria”H804Ashshur, the second son of Shem; also his descendants and the country occupied by them (i.e. Assyria), its region and its empireAsshur, Assur, Assyria, Assyrians. See H838 (אָשֻׁר).בְּחֶ֣רֶבbecherevin knifeחֶרֶבpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “in knife”, the ordinary formH2719drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp implementaxe, dagger, knife, mattock, sword, tool.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…אִ֔ישׁisha certainאִישׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “a certain”, the ordinary formH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…וְחֶ֥רֶבvecherevand knifeחֶרֶבconjunction, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “and knife”, the ordinary formH2719drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp implementaxe, dagger, knife, mattock, sword, tool.לֹֽאlono , -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…אָדָ֖םadampersonאָדָםnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “person”, the ordinary formH120ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)[idiom] another, [phrase] hypocrite, [phrase] common sort, [idiom] low, man (mean, of low degree), person.תֹּֽאכֲלֶ֑נּוּtokhalenveatאָכַלverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “eat”, an unfinished actionH398to 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.וְנָ֥סvenasand awayנוּסconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and away”, a completed action in a sequenceH5127to flit, i.e. vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver)[idiom] abate, away, be displayed, (make to) flee (away, -ing), put to flight, [idiom] hide, lift up a standard.לוֹ֙lvotoלוֹ֙preposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to”toמִפְּנֵיmipnefrom a- foreפָּנִיםpreposition, noun, common, both genders, plural, construct — “from a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…חֶ֔רֶבcherevknifeחֶרֶבnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “knife”, the ordinary formH2719drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp implementaxe, dagger, knife, mattock, sword, tool.וּבַחוּרָ֖יוuvachurayvand youngבָּחוּרconjunction, noun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and young”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH970properly, selected, i.e. a youth (often collective)(choice) young (man), chosen, [idiom] hole.לָמַ֥סlamasto discomfitedמַסpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “to discomfited”, the ordinary formH4522properly, a burden (as causing to faint), i.e. a tax in the form of forced labordiscomfited, levy, task(-master), tribute(-tary).יִהְיֽוּyihyvbeהָיָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “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.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Then shall Asshur fall with the sword, not of man, and the sword, not of men, shall devour him; and he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall become tributary.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

And the Assyrian shall fall by the sword, not of man; and the sword, not of men, shall devour him; and he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall become subject to taskwork.

Young’s Literal Translation

And fallen hath Asshur by sword, not of the high, Yea, a sword — not of the low, doth consume him, And he hath fled for himself from the face of a sword, And his young men become tributary.

World English Bible

“The Assyrian will fall by the sword, not of man; and the sword, not of mankind, shall devour him. He will flee from the sword, and his young men will become subject to forced labor.

Darby Translation

And Asshur shall fall by the sword, not of a great man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: and he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall become tributary;

Douay-Rheims

And the Assyrian shall fall by the sword not of a man, and the sword not of a man shall devour him, and he shall flee not at the face of the sword: and his young men shall be tributaries.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Then shall Asshur fall with the sword, not of man, and the sword, not of men, shall devour him; and he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall become tributary.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And the Assyrian shall fall: not the sword of a great man, nor the sword of a mean man shall devour him; neither shall he flee from the face of the sword: but the young men shall be overthrown:

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ πεσεῖται Ασσούρ· οὐ μάχαιρα ἀνδρὸς, οὐδὲ μάχαιρα ἀνθρώπου καταφάγεται αὐτὸν, καὶ φεύξεται οὐκ ἀπὸ προσώπου μαχαίρας· οἱ δὲ νεανίσκοι ἔσονται εἰς ἥττημα,