Isaiah 9:4

Christian Standard Bible ®

For you have shattered their oppressive yokeand the rod on their shoulders,the staff of their oppressor,just as you did on the day of Midian.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as in the day of Midyan.

King James Version
For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

English Standard Version
For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.

New American Standard Bible
For You will break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.

New Century Version
Like the time you defeated Midian, you have taken away their heavy load and the heavy pole from their backs and the rod the enemy used to punish them.

Amplified Bible
For You will break the yoke of Israel's burden and the staff (goad) on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.

World English Bible
For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as in the day of Midian.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For the yoke of their burthen, and the staffe of their shoulder and the rod of their oppressour hast thou broken as in the day of Midian.

Legacy Standard Bible
For You shall shatter the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,The rod of their taskmaster, as at the battle of Midian.

Berean Standard Bible
For the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, and the rod of their oppressor You have shattered as in the day of Midian.

Contemporary English Version
You have broken the power of those who abused and enslaved your people. You have rescued them just as you saved your people from Midian.

Complete Jewish Bible
For all the boots of soldiers marching and every cloak rolled in blood is destined for burning, fuel for the fire.

Darby Translation
For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

Easy-to-Read Version
That will happen because you will lift the heavy yoke off their shoulders and take away their heavy burden. You will take away the rod that the enemy used to punish your people, as you did when you defeated Midian.

George Lamsa Translation
For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder and the rod of his oppressor, as in the days of Midian.

Good News Translation
For you have broken the yoke that burdened them and the rod that beat their shoulders. You have defeated the nation that oppressed and exploited your people, just as you defeated the army of Midian long ago.

Lexham English Bible
For you have shattered the yoke of its burden and the stick of its shoulder, the rod of its oppressor, on the day of Midian.

Literal Translation
For You have broken his burdensome yoke and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his taskmaster, as in the day of Midian.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For thou shalt breake the yocke of the peoples burthen: the staff of hys shulder, and the rod of his oppressoure, as in ye daye at Madia.

American Standard Version
For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, thou hast broken as in the day of Midian.

Bible in Basic English
For by your hand the yoke on his neck and the rod on his back, even the rod of his cruel master, have been broken, as in the day of Midian.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
For every boot stamped with fierceness, and every cloak rolled in blood, shall even be for burning, for fuel of fire.

King James Version (1611)
For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staffe of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressour, as in the day of Midian.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For thou hast broken the yoke of his burthen, the staffe of his shoulder, and the rod of his oppressour, as in the day of Madian.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Because the yoke that was laid upon them has been taken away, and the rod that was on their neck: for he has broken the rod of the exactors, as in the day of Madiam.

English Revised Version
For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, thou hast broken as in the day of Midian.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For thou hast ouercome the yok of his birthun, and the yerde of his schuldre, and the ceptre of his wrongful axere, as in the day of Madian.

Update Bible Version
For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as in the day of Midian.

Webster's Bible Translation
For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

New English Translation
For their oppressive yoke and the club that strikes their shoulders, the cudgel the oppressor uses on them, you have shattered, as in the day of Midian's defeat.

New King James Version
For You have broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor, As in the day of Midian.

New Living Translation
For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders. You will break the oppressor's rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.

New Life Bible
For You will break the heavy load from their neck and shoulders. You will break the power of those who made it hard for them, as at the battle of Midian.

New Revised Standard
For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, the yoke of their burden, The cross-bar of their shoulder, The goad of their driver, Hast thou broken, as in the day of Midian.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For the yoke of their burden, and the rod of their shoulder, and the sceptre of their oppressor thou hast overcome, as in the day of Madian.

Revised Standard Version
For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, thou hast broken as on the day of Mid'ian.

Young's Literal Translation
Because the yoke of its burden, And the staff of its shoulder, the rod of its exactor, Thou hast broken as [in] the day of Midian.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.

Contextual Overview

¹Nevertheless, the gloom of the distressed land will not be like that of the former times when he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. But in the future he will bring honor to the way of the sea, to the land east of the Jordan, and to Galilee of the nations. ²The people walking in darknesshave seen a great light;a light has dawnedon those living in the land of darkness. ³You have enlarged the nationand increased its joy.The people have rejoiced before youas they rejoice at harvest timeand as they rejoice when dividing spoils. ⁴For you have shattered their oppressive yokeand the rod on their shoulders,the staff of their oppressor,just as you did on the day of Midian.⁵For every trampling boot of battleand the bloodied garments of warwill be burned as fuel for the fire. ⁶For a child will be born for us,a son will be given to us,and the government will be on his shoulders.He will be namedWonderful Counselor, Mighty God,Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷The dominion will be vast,and its prosperity will never end.He will reign on the throne of Davidand over his kingdom,to establish and sustain itwith justice and righteousness from now on and forever.The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

For thou hast broken: or, When thou brakest, Isaiah 14:25, Isaiah 47:6, Genesis 27:40, Leviticus 26:13, Jeremiah 30:8, Nahum 1:13

the staff: Isaiah 10:5, Isaiah 10:27, Isaiah 14:3-5, Isaiah 30:31, Isaiah 30:32, Psalms 125:3

as in the day: Isaiah 10:26, Judges 6:1-6, Judges 7:22-25, Judges 8:10-12, Psalms 83:9-11

Reciprocal: Judges 8:28 - was Midian Psalms 72:4 - the oppressor Psalms 81:6 - I removed Psalms 146:7 - executeth Proverbs 22:8 - the rod of his anger shall fail Isaiah 10:24 - smite thee Isaiah 14:5 - General Jeremiah 2:20 - For of Jeremiah 28:4 - I will break Jeremiah 48:17 - How Ezekiel 7:11 - Violence Ezekiel 30:18 - I shall break Ezekiel 34:27 - when I

Cross-References

Genesis 9:10
and with every living creature that is with you—birds, livestock, and all wildlife of the earth that are with you—all the animals of the earth that came out of the ark.

Genesis 9:14
Whenever I form clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the clouds,

Leviticus 3:17
This is a permanent statute throughout your generations, wherever you live: you must not eat any fat or any blood.”

Leviticus 7:26
Wherever you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal.

Leviticus 19:26
“You are not to eat anything with blood in it. You are not to practice divination or witchcraft.

Deuteronomy 12:16
but you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.

Deuteronomy 12:23
But don’t eat the blood, since the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.

Deuteronomy 14:21
“You are not to eat any carcass; you may give it to a resident alien within your city gates, and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a holy people belonging to the Lord your God. Do not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.

Deuteronomy 15:23
But you must not eat its blood; pour it on the ground like water.

Acts 15:20
but instead we should write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from blood.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden,.... Of Galilee, of the nation multiplied, of the spiritual inhabitants of it, whose joy was increased; and this is one reason of it, because they were delivered by the Lord from the burdensome yoke of the ceremonial law, which was broken off and abolished by Christ; and from the tyranny of Satan, the god of this world, out of whose hands they were ransomed and delivered; and from the dominion of sin, under the power of which they had been in bondage.

And the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor; different phrases, expressive of the same thing; the bondage and slavery of the law, sin, and Satan:

as in the day of Midian; when Gideon got an entire victory over the Midianites, with a few unarmed men, by the sound of trumpets, and breaking of pitchers, Judges 7:16 and may denote the easy manner in which Christ obtained a conquest over all his and our enemies; and the means by which it is made known unto us, and we are freed from bondage to spiritual enemies; namely, by the ministration of the Gospel, compared to the blowing of trumpets; and which is a treasure put into earthen vessels, frail and weak men.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For thou hast broken - This verse, and the following, show the way in which the occasion of the joy had been furnished. The expression ‘thou hast’ does not necessarily refer to the past, but is a form of expression derived from the nature of the prophetic visions, where that is described as past which is seen to pass before the eyes of the prophet; see the Introduction, section 7.

The yoke - This word is often used to denote oppression, or tyranny; Leviticus 26:13; Deuteronomy 28:48 - where oppression is described as ‘an iron yoke;’ compare 1 Kings 12:4; Isaiah 47:6; Isaiah 58:6.

The staff of his shoulder - The word rendered staff here may mean a bough, a branch, a staff, stick, or rod. Gesenius supposes that the expression here means the rod by which punishment is inflicted, and that the, phrase ‘rod of, or for the shoulder,’ denotes oppression and servitude. Rosenmuller thinks, that it refers rather to the custom among the ancients of placing a piece of wood, not unlike a yoke, on the necks and shoulders of slaves, as a mark of servitude. Hengstenberg understands it, ‘the staff which strikes the neck or back.’

The rod of his oppressor - This, doubtless, refers to the chastisement which was inflicted on those in bondage, and is a phrase denoting oppression and servitude. The word ‘his’ here refers to Israel.

As in the day of Midian - This refers to the deliverance that was accomplished under Gideon against the Midianites; see Judges 7:0; Judges 8:0. That deliverance was a remarkable interposition of God. It was accomplished not by human strength; but was a signal manifestation of the power of God in delivering the nation from the long oppression of the Midianites. So the prophet says here, that the deliverance will be as signal a proof of the presence and power of God as is was in that day. Herder (Hebrew Poetry, vol. ii. p. 296) says, ‘At that period, in the north part of the country, a great deliverance was wrought. Then, in the obscure forests of Naphtali and Zebulun, the light of freedom went forth over all the land. So now, also, in this northern press of nations, in the way along the sea of Galilee, where now the hostile Syrians are exercising their oppressions, the light of freedom is going forth, and there shall be joy and jubilee, like that of the song of Deborah.’