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Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Christian Standard Bible ®

Isaiah 32:20

You will be happy as you sow seedbeside abundant water,and as you let oxen and donkeys range freely.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Bullock;   Church;   Israel, Prophecies Concerning;   Minister, Christian;   Sower;   Thompson Chain Reference - Agriculture;   Agriculture-Horticulture;   Beattitudes, General;   Sowing;   Sowing and Reaping;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Agriculture or Husbandry;   Ox, the;   Rivers;   Seed;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Isaiah;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Beatitudes;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Agriculture;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Isaiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Isaiah, Book of;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Rain;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Wheat;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Agriculture;   Sower, Sowing;   Wheat,;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Ox;   Sow (verb);   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Husbandry;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ass;   Isaiah;   Relationships, Family;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Agriculture;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Plowing;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who send forth the feet of the ox and the donkey.
King James Version
Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.
English Standard Version
Happy are you who sow beside all waters, who let the feet of the ox and the donkey range free.
New American Standard Bible
How blessed will you be, you who sow beside all waters, Who let the ox and the donkey out freely.
New Century Version
But you will be happy as you plant seeds near every stream and as you let your cattle and donkeys wander freely.
Amplified Bible
Blessed (happy, fortunate) are you who cast your seed upon all waters [when the river overflows its banks and irrigates the land], You who allow the ox and the donkey to roam freely.
World English Bible
Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who send forth the feet of the ox and the donkey.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Blessed are ye that sowe vpon all waters, and driue thither the feete of the oxe & the asse.
Legacy Standard Bible
How blessed will you be, you who sow beside all waters,Who let out freely the ox and the donkey.
Berean Standard Bible
Blessed are those who sow beside abundant waters, who let the ox and donkey range freely.
Contemporary English Version
You will have God's blessing, as you plant your crops beside streams, while your donkeys and cattle roam freely about.
Complete Jewish Bible
Happy are you who sow by all streams, letting oxen and donkeys roam freely.
Darby Translation
Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth the feet of the ox and the ass.
Easy-to-Read Version
Some of you live away from the cities. You plant seeds by every stream and let your cattle and donkeys roam free. You will be very blessed.
George Lamsa Translation
Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, the place which is trodden under the feet of the ox and the ass.
Good News Translation
How happy everyone will be with plenty of water for the crops and safe pasture everywhere for the donkeys and cattle.
Lexham English Bible
Happy are you who sow by all waters, who let the foot of the ox and the donkey go free.
Literal Translation
blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who send out the foot of the ox and the ass.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
O how happy shal ye be, whe ye shal safely sowe youre sede besyde all waters & dryue thither the fete of youre oxe & asses.
American Standard Version
Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth the feet of the ox and the ass.
Bible in Basic English
Happy are you who are planting seed by all the waters, and sending out the ox and the ass.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Happy are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth freely the feet of the ox and the ass.
King James Version (1611)
Blessed are yee that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feete of the oxe and the asse.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
O howe happy shall ye be when ye shall safely sowe your seede beside all waters, and dryue thyther the feete of your oxen and asses.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Blessed are they that sow by every water, where the ox and ass tread.
English Revised Version
Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth the feet of the ox and the ass.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Blessid ben ye, that sowen on alle watris, and putten yn the foot of an oxe and of an asse.
Update Bible Version
Blessed are you that sow beside all waters, that send forth the feet of the ox and the donkey.
Webster's Bible Translation
Blessed [are] ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth [thither] the feet of the ox and the ass.
New English Translation
you will be blessed, you who plant seed by all the banks of the streams, you who let your ox and donkey graze.
New King James Version
Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, Who send out freely the feet of the ox and the donkey.
New Living Translation
the Lord will greatly bless his people. Wherever they plant seed, bountiful crops will spring up. Their cattle and donkeys will graze freely.
New Life Bible
How happy will you be, you who plant seeds beside all waters, and let the cattle and donkeys eat in any field.
New Revised Standard
Happy will you be who sow beside every stream, who let the ox and the donkey range freely.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
How happy are ye who sow beside all waters, - Who send forth the foot of the ox and the ass.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Blessed are ye that sow upon all waters, sending thither the foot of the ox and the ass.
Revised Standard Version
Happy are you who sow beside all waters, who let the feet of the ox and the ass range free.
Young's Literal Translation
Happy [are] ye sowing by all waters, Sending forth the foot of the ox and the ass!
New American Standard Bible (1995)
How blessed will you be, you who sow beside all waters, Who let out freely the ox and the donkey.

Contextual Overview

9Stand up, you complacent women;listen to me.Pay attention to what I say,you overconfident daughters. 10In a little more than a yearyou overconfident ones will shudder,for the grapes will failand the harvest will not come. 11Shudder, you complacent ones;tremble, you overconfident ones!Strip yourselves bareand put sackcloth around your waists. 12Beat your breasts in mourningfor the delightful fields and the fruitful vines, 13for the ground of my peoplegrowing thorns and briers,indeed, for every joyous house in the jubilant city. 14For the palace will be deserted,the busy city abandoned.The hill and the watchtower will becomebarren places forever,the joy of wild donkeys,and a pasture for flocks, 15until the Spirit from on high is poured out on us.Then the desert will become an orchard,and the orchard will seem like a forest. 16Then justice will inhabit the wilderness,and righteousness will dwell in the orchard. 17The result of righteousness will be peace;the effect of righteousnesswill be quiet confidence forever. 18Then my people will dwell in a peaceful place,in safe and secure dwellings.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Blessed: Isaiah 19:5-7, Isaiah 30:23, Isaiah 55:10, Isaiah 55:11, Ecclesiastes 11:1, Acts 2:41, Acts 4:4, Acts 5:14, 1 Corinthians 3:6, James 3:18

the ox: Isaiah 30:24, 1 Corinthians 9:9-11

Reciprocal: Psalms 72:16 - There Isaiah 19:7 - every Isaiah 23:3 - the harvest Jeremiah 46:13 - Nebuchadrezzar Ezekiel 34:26 - shower Hosea 10:12 - Sow Mark 4:14 - sower Mark 4:26 - as 1 Corinthians 3:9 - ye are God's Galatians 6:8 - soweth to the

Cross-References

Genesis 32:8
He thought, “If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it, the remaining one can escape.”
Genesis 32:9
Then Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, ‘Go back to your land and to your family, and I will cause you to prosper,’
Genesis 32:17
And he told the first one: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to? Where are you going? And whose animals are these ahead of you?’
Genesis 43:11
Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balsam and a little honey, aromatic gum and resin, pistachios and almonds.
1 Samuel 6:5
Make images of your tumors and of your mice that are destroying the land. Give glory to Israel’s God, and perhaps he will stop oppressing you, your gods, and your land.
1 Kings 20:31
His servants said to him, “Consider this: we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. So let’s put sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads, and let’s go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will spare your life.”
Proverbs 6:35
He will not be appeased by anythingor be persuaded by lavish bribes.
Proverbs 15:18
A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict,but one slow to anger calms strife.
Proverbs 16:14
A king’s fury is a messenger of death,but a wise person appeases it.
Proverbs 21:14
A secret gift soothes anger,and a covert bribe, fierce rage.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Blessed [are] ye that sow beside all waters,.... In places well watered and moistened, and so fit to receive the seed sown, which grows up, and brings forth much fruit, and amply rewards the pains of the sower, who on that account is happy. These words are directed to the ministers of the Gospel in the latter day; the word is compared to seed, and the preachers of it to sowers of seed, who have a commission to preach the Gospel to every creature; and in the latter day, in the spiritual reign of Christ, to which the whole paragraph refers, they will sow the seed of the word "by many waters"; or among great multitudes of people, signified hereby, and with great success, great numbers both of Jews and Gentiles will be converted:

that send forth [thither] the feet of the ox and the ass; which were used in ploughing and tilling the earth, and in making it fit to sow the seed in it, and to eat off the heads of grain when it is grown thick and full, which some think is here meant; and the one might also be used to gather it in when ripe, and the other to tread and thresh it, as the Targum and Jarchi interpret it; there being a law given the Jews, that these two should not work together, Deuteronomy 22:10 and from hence it may be concluded, that these words refer to a time when this law should be abolished; and the Jews themselves apply it to the times of the Messiah r; and it undoubtedly points to Gospel times, and even to those times when the Jews shall be converted, and great numbers among the Gentiles also, who shall join together in spreading the Gospel, and in promoting the interest of Christ.

r Debarim Rabba, sect. 6. fol. 241. 4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Blessed are ye - The sense of this verse is, that while the enemies of the Jews would be overthrown, they themselves would be permitted to cultivate their lands in security. Instead of predicting this directly, the prophet implies that this would occur, by declaring that those who were permitted to do this were happy.

That sow beside all waters - Hebrew, ‘Upon (על ‛al) all waters.’ This may mean that they selected places near running streams as being most fertile; or it may refer, as Lowth supposes, to the manner of sowing grain, and particularly rice, in eastern countries. This is done by casting the seed upon the water. This custom is referred to in Ecclesiastes 11:1 : ‘Cast thy bread,’ that is, thy seed, ‘upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days;’ that is, cast thy seed upon the waters when the river overflows the banks, and the seed will sink into the slime and mud, and will spring up when the waters subside, and you will find it again after many days in a rich and luxuriant harvest. Sir John Chardin thus describes this mode of sowing: They sow it (the rice) upon the water; and before sowing, while the earth is covered with water, they cause the ground to be trodden by oxen, horses, and asses, who go mid-leg deep; and this is the way they prepare the ground for sowing’ (Harmer’s Obs. vol. i. p. 280).

That send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass - That is, for the purpose of treading the earth while the water is on it, and preparing it for the seed. In this way the ground would need no plowing, but the seed would fall into the slime, and be sufficiently covered when the waters should subside. The idea in this verse is, that there would be a state of security succeeding the destruction of their enemies; and that they would be permitted to pursue the cultivation of the soil, unannoyed and undisturbed.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 32:20. That sow beside all waters - "Who sow your seed in every well-watered place"] Sir John Chardin's note on this place is: - "This exactly answers the manner of planting rice; for they sow it upon the water, and before sowing, while the earth is covered with water, they cause the ground to be trodden by oxen, horses, and asses, who go mid-leg deep; and this is the way of preparing the ground for sowing. As they sow the rice on the water, they transplant it in the water." Harmer's Observ. vol. i. p. 280. "Rice is the food of two-thirds of mankind." Dr. Arbuthnot. "It is cultivated in most of the eastern countries." Miller. "It is good for all, and at all times." Sir J. Chardin, ib. "Le ris, qui est leur principal aliment et leur froment (i.e., des Siamois,) n'est jamais assez arrose; il croit au milieu de l'eau, et les campagnes ou on le cultive ressemblent plutot a de marets que non pas a des terres qu'on laboure aver la charue. Le ris a bien cette force, que quoy qu'il y ait six ou sept pieds d'eau sur lui, il pousse toujours sa tige au dessus; et le tuyau qui le porte s'eleve et croit a proportion de la hauteur de l'eau qui noye son champ. Voyage de l'Eveque de Beryte, p. 144. Paris, 1666. - L. "Rice, which is the principal grain and aliment of the Siamese, can never be too much watered. It grows in the water, and the fields where it is sown resemble marshes rather than fields cultivated by ploughing. Rice has that property that although it be covered with water six or seven feet deep, yet it raises its stalk above it; and this grows long in proportion to the depth of the water by which the field is inundated."


 
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