the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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THE MESSAGE
Isaiah 32:20
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- InternationalParallel Translations
You will be happy as you sow seedbeside abundant water,and as you let oxen and donkeys range freely.
Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who send forth the feet of the ox and the donkey.
Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.
Happy are you who sow beside all waters, who let the feet of the ox and the donkey range free.
How blessed will you be, you who sow beside all waters, Who let the ox and the donkey out freely.
But you will be happy as you plant seeds near every stream and as you let your cattle and donkeys wander freely.
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.
Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who send forth the feet of the ox and the donkey.
Blessed are ye that sowe vpon all waters, and driue thither the feete of the oxe & the asse.
How blessed will you be, you who sow beside all waters,Who let out freely the ox and the donkey.
Blessed are those who sow beside abundant waters, who let the ox and donkey range freely.
You will have God's blessing, as you plant your crops beside streams, while your donkeys and cattle roam freely about.
Happy are you who sow by all streams, letting oxen and donkeys roam freely.
Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth the feet of the ox and the ass.
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.
Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, the place which is trodden under the feet of the ox and the ass.
How happy everyone will be with plenty of water for the crops and safe pasture everywhere for the donkeys and cattle.
Happy are you who sow by all waters, who let the foot of the ox and the donkey go free.
blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who send out the foot of the ox and the ass.
O how happy shal ye be, whe ye shal safely sowe youre sede besyde all waters & dryue thither the fete of youre oxe & asses.
Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth the feet of the ox and the ass.
Happy are you who are planting seed by all the waters, and sending out the ox and the ass.
Happy are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth freely the feet of the ox and the ass.
Blessed are yee that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feete of the oxe and the asse.
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.
Blessed are they that sow by every water, where the ox and ass tread.
Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth the feet of the ox and the ass.
Blessid ben ye, that sowen on alle watris, and putten yn the foot of an oxe and of an asse.
Blessed are you that sow beside all waters, that send forth the feet of the ox and the donkey.
Blessed [are] ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth [thither] the feet of the ox and the ass.
you will be blessed, you who plant seed by all the banks of the streams, you who let your ox and donkey graze.
Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, Who send out freely the feet of the ox and the donkey.
the Lord will greatly bless his people. Wherever they plant seed, bountiful crops will spring up. Their cattle and donkeys will graze freely.
How happy will you be, you who plant seeds beside all waters, and let the cattle and donkeys eat in any field.
Happy will you be who sow beside every stream, who let the ox and the donkey range freely.
How happy are ye who sow beside all waters, - Who send forth the foot of the ox and the ass.
Blessed are ye that sow upon all waters, sending thither the foot of the ox and the ass.
Happy are you who sow beside all waters, who let the feet of the ox and the ass range free.
Happy [are] ye sowing by all waters, Sending forth the foot of the ox and the ass!
How blessed will you be, you who sow beside all waters, Who let out freely the ox and the donkey.
Contextual Overview
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
And then Jacob prayed, "God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, God who told me, ‘Go back to your parents' homeland and I'll treat you well.' I don't deserve all the love and loyalty you've shown me. When I left here and crossed the Jordan I only had the clothes on my back, and now look at me—two camps! Save me, please, from the violence of my brother, my angry brother! I'm afraid he'll come and attack us all, me, the mothers and the children. You yourself said, ‘I will treat you well; I'll make your descendants like the sands of the sea, far too many to count.'"
Then he instructed the first one out: "When my brother Esau comes close and asks, ‘Who is your master? Where are you going? Who owns these?'—answer him like this, ‘Your servant Jacob. They are a gift to my master Esau. He's on his way.'"
Their father Israel gave in. "If it has to be, it has to be. But do this: stuff your packs with the finest products from the land you can find and take them to the man as gifts—some balm and honey, some spices and perfumes, some pistachios and almonds. And take plenty of money—pay back double what was returned to your sacks; that might have been a mistake. Take your brother and get going. Go back to the man. And may The Strong God give you grace in that man's eyes so that he'll send back your other brother along with Benjamin. For me, nothing's left; I've lost everything."
At about this same time Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his troops. He recruited in addition thirty-two local sheiks, all outfitted with horses and chariots. He set out in force and surrounded Samaria, ready to make war. He sent an envoy into the city to set his terms before Ahab king of Israel: "Ben-Hadad lays claim to your silver and gold, and to the pick of your wives and sons." The king of Israel accepted the terms: "As you say, distinguished lord; I and everything I have is yours." But then the envoy returned a second time, saying, "On second thought, I want it all—your silver and gold and all your wives and sons. Hand them over—the whole works. I'll give you twenty-four hours; then my servants will arrive to search your palace and the houses of your officials and loot them; anything that strikes their fancy, they'll take." The king of Israel called a meeting of all his tribal elders. He said, "Look at this—outrageous! He's just looking for trouble. He means to clean me out, demanding all my women and children. And after I already agreed to pay him off handsomely!" The elders, backed by the people, said, "Don't cave in to him. Don't give an inch." So he sent an envoy to Ben-Hadad, "Tell my distinguished lord, ‘I agreed to the terms you delivered the first time, but this I can't do—this I won't do!'" The envoy went back and delivered the answer. Ben-Hadad shot back his response: "May the gods do their worst to me, and then worse again, if there'll be anything left of Samaria but rubble." The king of Israel countered, "Think about it—it's easier to start a fight than end one." It happened that when Ben-Hadad heard this retort he was into some heavy drinking, boozing it up with the sheiks in their field shelters. Drunkenly, he ordered his henchmen, "Go after them!" And they attacked the city. Just then a lone prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and said, " God 's word: Have you taken a good look at this mob? Well, look again—I'm turning it over to you this very day. And you'll know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that I am God ." Ahab said, "Really? And who is going to make this happen?" God said, "The young commandos of the regional chiefs." "And who," said Ahab, "will strike the first blow?" God said, "You." Ahab looked over the commandos of the regional chiefs; he counted 232. Then he assessed the available troops—7,000. At noon they set out after Ben-Hadad who, with his allies, the thirty-two sheiks, was busy at serious drinking in the field shelters. The commandos of the regional chiefs made up the vanguard. A report was brought to Ben-Hadad: "Men are on their way from Samaria." He said, "If they've come in peace, take them alive as hostages; if they've come to fight, the same—take them alive as hostages." The commandos poured out of the city with the full army behind them. They hit hard in hand-to-hand combat. The Arameans scattered from the field, with Israel hard on their heels. But Ben-Hadad king of Aram got away on horseback, along with his cavalry. The king of Israel cut down both horses and chariots—an enormous defeat for Aram. Sometime later the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, "On the alert now—build up your army, assess your capabilities, and see what has to be done. Before the year is out, the king of Aram will be back in force." Meanwhile the advisors to the king of Aram said, "Their god is a god of the mountains—we don't stand a chance against them there. So let's engage them on the plain where we'll have the advantage. Here's the strategy: Remove each sheik from his place of leadership and replace him with a seasoned officer. Then recruit a fighting force equivalent in size to the army that deserted earlier—horse for horse, chariot for chariot. And we'll fight them on the plain—we're sure to prove stronger than they are." It sounded good to the king; he did what they advised. As the new year approached, Ben-Hadad rallied Aram and they went up to Aphek to make war on Israel. The Israelite army prepared to fight and took the field to meet Aram. They moved into battle formation before Aram in two camps, like two flocks of goats. The plain was seething with Arameans. Just then a holy man approached the king of Israel saying, "This is God 's word: Because Aram said, ‘ God is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys,' I'll hand over this huge mob of an army to you. Then you'll know that I am God ." The two armies were poised in a standoff for seven days. On the seventh day fighting broke out. The Israelites killed 100,000 of the Aramean infantry in one day. The rest of the army ran for their lives back to the city, Aphek, only to have the city wall fall on 27,000 of the survivors. Ben-Hadad escaped into the city and hid in a closet. Then his advisors told him, "Look, we've heard that the kings of Israel play by the rules; let's dress in old gunnysacks, carry a white flag of truce, and present ourselves to the king of Israel on the chance that he'll let you live."
Hot tempers start fights; a calm, cool spirit keeps the peace.
An intemperate leader wreaks havoc in lives; you're smart to stay clear of someone like that.
A quietly given gift soothes an irritable person; a heartfelt present cools a hot temper.
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."
