Isaiah 5:20

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

ה֣וֹי הָאֹמְרִ֥ים לָרַ֛ע ט֖וֹב וְלַטּ֣וֹב רָ֑ע שָׂמִ֨ים חֹ֤שֶׁךְ לְאוֹר֙ וְא֣וֹר לְחֹ֔שֶׁךְ שָׂמִ֥ים מַ֛ר לְמָת֖וֹק וּמָת֥וֹק לְמָֽר׃

Transliteration

hôy those who hāʾōmərîm to the lāraʿ "ṭôb" and to the wəlaṭṭôb "rāʿ"; those śāmîm ḥōšek for ləʾôr and wəʾôr for ləḥōšek; those śāmîm mar for ləmātôq and ûmātôq for ləmār.

Grammar Details

• *hôy*: interjection - woe
• *hāʾōmərîm*: definite article with qal participle masculine plural - those saying
• *lāraʿ*: preposition with definite article with masculine singular adjective - to the evil
• *ṭôb*: masculine singular adjective - good
• *wə*: conjunction - and
• *laṭṭôb*: preposition with definite article with masculine singular adjective - to the good
• *rāʿ*: masculine singular adjective - evil
• *śāmîm*: qal participle masculine plural - putting/placing
• *ḥōšek*: masculine singular noun - darkness
• *ləʾôr*: preposition with masculine singular noun - for light
• *wəʾôr*: conjunction with masculine singular noun - and light
• *ləḥōšek*: preposition with masculine singular noun - for darkness
• *mar*: masculine singular adjective - bitter
• *ləmātôq*: preposition with masculine singular adjective - for sweet
• *ûmātôq*: conjunction with masculine singular adjective - and sweet
• *ləmār*: preposition with masculine singular adjective - for bitter

Word Meanings

• *śāmîm*: putting/placing/setting

Referenced Verses

• Prov 17:15 : 15 He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to Jehovah.
• Matt 6:22-23 : 22 The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness!
• Luke 11:34-35 : 34 The lamp of thy body is thine eye: {G3767} when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when it is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. 35 Look therefore whether the light that is in thee be not darkness.
• 2 Tim 3:1-5 : 1 But know this, that in the last days grievous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, railers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; 5 holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof: from these also turn away.
• Job 17:12 : 12 They change the night into day: The light, [say they], is near unto the darkness.
• Matt 15:3-6 : 3 And he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God said, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die the death. 5 But ye say, whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is given [to God]; 6 he shall not honor his father. And ye have made void the word of God because of your tradition.
• Luke 16:15 : 15 And he said unto them, Ye are they that justify yourselves in the sight of men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
• Mal 2:17 : 17 Ye have wearied Jehovah with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? In that ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of Jehovah, and he delighteth in them; or where is the God of justice?
• 2 Pet 2:1 : 1 But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
• 2 Pet 2:18-19 : 18 For, uttering great swelling [words] of vanity, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by lasciviousness, those who are just escaping from them that live in error; 19 promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he also brought into bondage.
• Mal 3:15 : 15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are built up; yea, they tempt God, and escape.
• Amos 5:7 : 7 Ye who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth,
• Matt 23:16-23 : 16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor. 17 Ye fools and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that hath sanctified the gold? 18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, he is a debtor. 19 Ye blind: for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? 20 He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. 21 And he that sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. 22 And he that sweareth by the heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. 23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone.