King James Version

Isaiah 41:17

When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

הָעֲנִיִּ֨יםhaaniyimthe afflictedעָנִיdefinite article, adjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “the afflicted”, the ordinary formH6041depressed, in mind or circumstancesafflicted, humble, lowly, needy, poor.וְהָאֶבְיוֹנִ֜יםvehaevyonimand the beggarאֶבְיוֹןconjunction, definite article, adjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “and the beggar”, the ordinary formH34destitutebeggar, needy, poor (man).מְבַקְשִׁ֥יםmevaqshimbeseechבָּקַשׁverb, piel, participle, absolute — “beseech”, a verb used as a describing wordH1245to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive afterask, beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure, (make) request, require, seek (for).מַ֨יִם֙mayimwaterמַיִםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “water”, the ordinary formH4325water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen[phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).וָאַ֔יִןvaayinand elseאַיִןconjunction, particle, negative — “and else”H369a non-entity; generally used as a negative particleelse, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare H370 (אַיִן).לְשׁוֹנָ֖םleshonamtongueלָשׁוֹןnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “tongue”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3956the tongue (of man or animals), used literally (as the instrument of licking, eating, or speech), and figuratively (speech, an ingot, a fork of flame, a cove of water)[phrase] babbler, bay, [phrase] evil speaker, language, talker, tongue, wedge.בַּצָּמָ֣אbatsamain thirstצָמָאpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in thirst”, the ordinary formH6772thirst (literally or figuratively)thirst(-y).נָשָׁ֑תָּהnashatahfailנָשַׁתverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “fail”, a completed actionH5405properly, to eliminate, i.e. (intransitively) to dry upfail.אֲנִ֤יanimineאֲנִיpronoun, personal, 1st person, common, singular — “mine”H589II, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, [idiom] which, [idiom] who.יְהוָה֙yehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).אֶעֱנֵ֔םeenemshoutעָנָהverb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “shout”, an unfinished actionH6030properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extension to begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify, announcegive account, afflict (by mistake for H6031 (עָנָה)), (cause to, give) answer, bring low (by mistake for H6031 (עָנָה)), cry, hear, Leannoth, lift up, say, [idiom] scholar, (give a) shout, sing (together by course), speak, testify, utter,…אֱלֹהֵ֥יeloheGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “God”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לyisraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלnoun, proper name — “Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.לֹ֥אlono , -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…אֶעֶזְבֵֽםeezvemcommit selfעָזַבverb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “commit self”, an unfinished actionH5800to loosen, i.e. relinquish, permit, etc.commit self, fail, forsake, fortify, help, leave (destitute, off), refuse, [idiom] surely.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

The poor and needy seek water and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst; I the LORD will answer them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

The poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst; I, Jehovah, will answer them, I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

Young’s Literal Translation

The poor and the needy are seeking water, And there is none, Their tongue with thirst hath failed, I, Jehovah do answer them, The God of Israel — I forsake them not.

World English Bible

The poor and needy seek water, and there is none. Their tongue fails for thirst. I, Yahweh, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

Darby Translation

The afflicted and the needy seek water, and there is none; their tongue faileth for thirst: I, Jehovah, will answer them, [I], the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

Douay-Rheims

The needy and the poor seek for waters, and there are none: their tongue hath been dry with thirst. I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

The poor and needy seek water and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst; I the LORD will answer them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And the poor and the needy shall exult; for when they shall seek water, and there shall be none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord God, I the God of Israel will hear, and will not forsake them:

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἀγαλλιάσονται οἱ πτωχοὶ καὶ οἱ ἐνδεεῖς· ζητήσουσι γὰρ ὕδωρ, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται, ἡ γλῶσσα αὐτῶν ἀπὸ τῆς δίψης ἐξηράνθη· ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς, ἐγὼ ἐπακούσομαι ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ οὐκ ἐγκαταλείψω αὐτοὺς,