Isaiah 41:17

KJV1611 – Modern English

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

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

הָעֲנִיִּ֨ים וְהָאֶבְיוֹנִ֜ים מְבַקְשִׁ֥ים מַ֙יִם֙ וָאַ֔יִן לְשׁוֹנָ֖ם בַּצָּמָ֣א נָשָׁ֑תָּה אֲנִ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֶעֱנֵ֔ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֹ֥א אֶעֶזְבֵֽם׃

Transliteration

The-ʿăniyyîm wəhāʾeḇyônîm məḇaqšîm mayim wāʾayin ləšônām baṣṣāmāʾ nāšāttâ ʾănî YHWH ʾeʿĕnēm ʾĕlōhê yiśrāʾēl lōʾ ʾeʿezḇēm

Grammar Details

• *ʿăniyyîm*: adjective, masculine plural - poor/afflicted
• *wəhāʾeḇyônîm*: conjunction + article + adjective, masculine plural - and the needy
• *məḇaqšîm*: verb, piel participle masculine plural - seeking
• *mayim*: noun, masculine plural - water
• *wāʾayin*: conjunction + adverb - and there is none
• *ləšônām*: noun, common singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix - their tongue
• *baṣṣāmāʾ*: preposition + article + noun, masculine singular - in the thirst
• *nāšāttâ*: verb, qal perfect 3rd person feminine singular - is parched/dried up
• *ʾănî*: pronoun, 1st person common singular - I
• *YHWH*: proper noun - the divine name
• *ʾeʿĕnēm*: verb, qal imperfect 1st person common singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix - I will answer them
• *ʾĕlōhê*: noun, masculine plural construct - God of
• *yiśrāʾēl*: proper noun - Israel
• *lōʾ*: negative particle - not
• *ʾeʿezḇēm*: verb, qal imperfect 1st person common singular + 3rd person masculine plural suffix - I will forsake them

Word Meanings

• *ʿăniyyîm*: poor/afflicted/oppressed
• *wəhāʾeḇyônîm*: and the needy/destitute/poor
• *məḇaqšîm*: seeking/searching for/looking for
• *wāʾayin*: and there is none/there is not/is lacking
• *nāšāttâ*: is parched/dried up/fails from thirst
• *ʾeʿĕnēm*: I will answer them/respond to them
• *ʾeʿezḇēm*: I will forsake them/abandon them/leave them

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I, the Lord, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  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.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  The poor{H6041} and needy{H34} seek{H1245} water,{H4325} and there is none, and their tongue{H3956} faileth{H5405} for thirst;{H6772} I, Jehovah,{H3068} will answer{H6030} them, I, the God{H430} of Israel,{H3478} will not forsake{H5800} them.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  When the poor{H6041} and needy{H34} seek{H1245}{(H8764)} water{H4325}, and there is none, and their tongue{H3956} faileth{H5405}{(H8804)} for thirst{H6772}, I the LORD{H3068} will hear{H6030}{(H8799)} them, I the God{H430} of Israel{H3478} will not forsake{H5800}{(H8799)} them.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  When the thurstie and poore seke water & fynde none, & when their tunge is drie of thurst: I geue it them, saieth the LORDE. I the God of Israel forsake them not.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  When the poore and the needy seeke water, & there is none (their tongue faileth for thirst: I the Lorde will heare them: I the God of Israel will not forsake them)

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  When the thirstie and poore seeke water and finde none, and when their tongue is drye of thirst, I geue it them saith the Lorde, I the God of Israel forsake them not.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  [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.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

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

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  The poor and crushed are looking for water where no water is, and their tongue is dry for need of it: I the Lord will give ear to their prayer, I the God of Israel will not give them up.

• World English Bible (2000)

  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.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  The oppressed and the poor look for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched from thirst. I, the LORD, will respond to their prayers; I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.

Referenced Verses

• Isa 30:19 : 19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: you shall weep no more: he will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer you.
• Isa 42:16 : 16 And I will bring the blind by a way they do not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
• Isa 55:1 : 1 Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
• Isa 61:1 : 1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
• Isa 66:2 : 2 For all those things my hand has made, and all those things have been, says the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is humble and of a contrite spirit, and trembles at my word.
• Lam 4:4 : 4 The tongue of the nursing child clings to the roof of his mouth for thirst; the young children ask for bread, and no one breaks it for them.
• Isa 43:20 : 20 The beast of the field shall honor Me, the jackals and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen.
• Isa 44:3 : 3 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my Spirit upon your descendants, and my blessing upon your offspring:
• Gen 28:15 : 15 And behold, I am with you, and will keep you in all places wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land; for I will not leave you, until I have done what I have spoken to you of.
• Exod 17:3 : 3 And the people were thirsty there for water; and the people grumbled against Moses, and said, Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?
• Exod 17:6 : 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
• Judg 15:18-19 : 18 He was very thirsty and called on the LORD, and said, You have given this great deliverance into the hand of your servant: and now shall I die of thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised? 19 But God split a hollow place in the jaw, and water came out; and when he drank, his spirit revived: therefore he called it Enhakkore, which is in Lehi to this day.
• Ps 22:15 : 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue clings to my jaws; You have brought me into the dust of death.
• Ps 34:6 : 6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
• Ps 42:2 : 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
• Ps 50:15 : 15 And call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.
• Ps 63:1-2 : 1 O God, you are my God; early will I seek you: my soul thirsts for you, my flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land, where there is no water; 2 To see your power and your glory, as I have seen you in the sanctuary.
• Ps 68:9-9 : 9 You, O God, sent a plentiful rain, whereby you confirmed your inheritance, when it was weary. 10 Your congregation has dwelt therein: you, O God, have prepared of your goodness for the poor.
• Ps 72:12-13 : 12 For he shall deliver the needy when he cries, the poor also, and him who has no helper. 13 He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the lives of the needy.
• Ps 94:14 : 14 For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.
• Ps 102:16-17 : 16 When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. 17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer.
• Ps 107:5-6 : 5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. 6 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.
• Matt 5:3 : 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
• Matt 5:6 : 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
• Luke 16:24 : 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
• John 4:10-15 : 10 Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, Give me to drink; you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water. 11 The woman said to him, Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: where then do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock? 13 Jesus answered and said to her, Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again: 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 15 The woman said to him, Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.
• John 7:37-39 : 37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. 39 But this he spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
• 2 Cor 12:9 : 9 And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
• Heb 13:5-6 : 5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with what you have. For He has said, 'I will never leave you, nor forsake you.' 6 So that we may boldly say, 'The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me.'
• Rev 21:6 : 6 And he said to me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to him that is thirsty of the fountain of the water of life freely.
• Rev 22:17 : 17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him who hears say, Come. And let him who is thirsty come. And whoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
• Amos 8:11-13 : 11 Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: 12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. 13 In that day the beautiful virgins and young men shall faint for thirst.