Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, June 10th, 2025
the Week of Proper 5 / Ordinary 10
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Read the Bible

New Living Translation

Isaiah 5:18

What sorrow for those who drag their sins behind them with ropes made of lies, who drag wickedness behind them like a cart!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Backsliders;   Infidelity;   Isaiah;   Presumption;   Scoffing;   Sin;   Wicked (People);   Thompson Chain Reference - Error;   Iniquity;   Love;   Sin;   Sin-Saviour;   Social Duties;   Temperance;   Temperance-Intemperance;   Transgression;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Scorning and Mocking;   Sin;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Carts;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Curse;   Isaiah;   John the baptist;   Judah, tribe and kingdom;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Self-Seeking;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Cart;   Cord;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Meals;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Government;   Isaiah;   Isaiah, Book of;   Righteousness;   Vine, Vineyard;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Holiness Purity;   Mediation Mediator;   Woe;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Cord;   Rope;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Cart;   Cord;   Iniquity;   Isaiah;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Assi;   Cart;   Day of the Lord;   Yeẓer Ha-Ra';  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for February 21;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Woe to those who drag iniquitywith cords of deceitand pull sin along with cart ropes,
Hebrew Names Version
Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, and sin as it were with a cart rope;
King James Version
Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:
English Standard Version
Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, who draw sin as with cart ropes,
New American Standard Bible
Woe to those who drag wrongdoing with the cords of deceit, And sin as if with cart ropes;
New Century Version
How terrible it will be for those people! They pull their guilt and sins behind them as people pull wagons with ropes.
Amplified Bible
Woe (judgment is coming) to those who drag along wickedness with cords of falsehood, And sin as if with cart ropes [towing their own punishment];
World English Bible
Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, and sin as it were with a cart rope;
Geneva Bible (1587)
Woe vnto them, that draw iniquitie with cordes of vanitie, and sinne, as with cart ropes:
Legacy Standard Bible
Woe to those who drag iniquity with the cords of worthlessness,And sin as if with cart ropes,
Berean Standard Bible
Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of deceit and pull sin along with cart ropes,
Contemporary English Version
You are in for trouble! The lies you tell are like ropes by which you drag along sin and evil.
Complete Jewish Bible
Woe to those who begin by pulling at transgression with a thread, but end by dragging sin along as if with a cart rope.
Darby Translation
Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as with cart-ropes!
Easy-to-Read Version
Look at those people! They pull their guilt and sins behind them like people pulling wagons with ropes.
George Lamsa Translation
Woe to them that spin out their iniquities like a long rope, and their sins are like a bridle on the neck of a heifer;
Good News Translation
You are doomed! You are unable to break free from your sins.
Lexham English Bible
Ah! Those who drag iniquity along with the cords of falsehood and sin as with rope of the cart,
Literal Translation
Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as with ropes of a cart;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Wo vnto vayne persones, that drawe wickednes vnto the, as it were with a coorde: and synne, as it were with a cart rope.
American Standard Version
Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, and sin as it were with a cart rope;
Bible in Basic English
Cursed are those who make use of ox-cords for pulling the evil thing, and the bands of a young ox for their sin!
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope,
King James Version (1611)
Woe vnto them that draw iniquitie with cords of vanitie, and sinne, as it were with a cart rope:
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Wo be vnto them that drawe wickednesse with cordes of vanitie, and sinne as it were with a cart rope.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Woe to them that draw sins to them as with a long rope, and iniquities as with a thong of the heifer’s yoke:
English Revised Version
Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Wo to you that drawen wickydnesse in the cordis of vanyte, and drawen synne as the boond of a wayn; and ye seien,
Update Bible Version
Woe to those that draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, and sin as it were with a cart rope;
Webster's Bible Translation
Woe to them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart-rope:
New English Translation
Those who pull evil along using cords of emptiness are as good as dead, who pull sin as with cart ropes.
New King James Version
Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, And sin as if with a cart rope;
New Life Bible
It is bad for those who pull sin along with ropes of lies, who pull wrong-doing as with a wagon rope,
New Revised Standard
Ah, you who drag iniquity along with cords of falsehood, who drag sin along as with cart ropes,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Alas! for them Who draw on themselves punishment with cords of falsehood, - And as with waggon-bands, penalty:
Douay-Rheims Bible
Woe to you that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as the rope of a cart.
Revised Standard Version
Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, who draw sin as with cart ropes,
Young's Literal Translation
Wo [to] those drawing out iniquity with cords of vanity, And as [with] thick ropes of the cart -- sin.
THE MESSAGE
Doom to you who use lies to sell evil, who haul sin to market by the truckload, Who say, "What's God waiting for? Let him get a move on so we can see it. Whatever The Holy of Israel has cooked up, we'd like to check it out."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Woe to those who drag iniquity with the cords of falsehood, And sin as if with cart ropes;

Contextual Overview

18 What sorrow for those who drag their sins behind them with ropes made of lies, who drag wickedness behind them like a cart! 19 They even mock God and say, "Hurry up and do something! We want to see what you can do. Let the Holy One of Israel carry out his plan, for we want to know what it is." 20 What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. 21 What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever. 22 What sorrow for those who are heroes at drinking wine and boast about all the alcohol they can hold. 23 They take bribes to let the wicked go free, and they punish the innocent. 24 Therefore, just as fire licks up stubble and dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will rot and their flowers wither. For they have rejected the law of the Lord of Heaven's Armies; they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25 That is why the Lord 's anger burns against his people, and why he has raised his fist to crush them. The mountains tremble, and the corpses of his people litter the streets like garbage. But even then the Lord 's anger is not satisfied. His fist is still poised to strike! 26 He will send a signal to distant nations far away and whistle to those at the ends of the earth. They will come racing toward Jerusalem. 27 They will not get tired or stumble. They will not stop for rest or sleep. Not a belt will be loose, not a sandal strap broken.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

draw: Isaiah 28:15, Judges 17:5, Judges 17:13, 2 Samuel 16:20-23, Psalms 10:11, Psalms 14:1, Psalms 36:2, Psalms 94:5-11, Jeremiah 5:31, Jeremiah 8:5-9, Jeremiah 23:10, Jeremiah 23:14, Jeremiah 23:24, Jeremiah 28:15, Jeremiah 28:16, Jeremiah 44:15-19, Ezekiel 13:10, Ezekiel 13:11, Ezekiel 13:22, Zephaniah 1:12, John 16:2, Acts 26:9

Reciprocal: Proverbs 16:27 - diggeth Proverbs 30:8 - Remove Ecclesiastes 8:11 - sentence Isaiah 3:8 - because Isaiah 10:1 - Woe Isaiah 29:15 - seek Isaiah 30:1 - add Jeremiah 9:5 - weary Jeremiah 36:23 - he cut Malachi 2:17 - Where 2 Peter 3:4 - where

Cross-References

Genesis 4:17
Cain had sexual relations with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain founded a city, which he named Enoch, after his son.
Genesis 5:14
Kenan lived 910 years, and then he died.
Genesis 5:15
When Mahalalel was 65 years old, he became the father of Jared.
1 Chronicles 1:3
Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech,
Luke 3:37
Lamech was the son of Methuselah. Methuselah was the son of Enoch. Enoch was the son of Jared. Jared was the son of Mahalalel. Mahalalel was the son of Kenan.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity,.... The prophet returns to the wicked again, and goes on with the account of their sin and punishment; and here describes such, not that are drawn into sin unawares, through the prevalence of their own hearts' lusts and corruptions, through the temptations of Satan, the snares of the world, or the persuasions of others; but such who draw it to themselves, seek after it, and willingly commit it; who rush and force themselves into it; who solicit it, and seek and take all occasions and opportunities of doing it; and take a great deal of pains about it; and make use of all arguments, reasonings, and pretences they can devise, to engage themselves and others in the practice of it; which are all cords of vanity, fallacious and deceitful.

And sin as it were with a cart rope; using all diligence, wisdom, policy, and strength; labouring with all might and main to effect it. Some by "iniquity" and "sin" understand punishment, as the words used sometimes signify; and that the sense is, that such persons described by their boldness and impudence in sinning, by their impenitence and hardness of heart, and by adding sin to sin, draw upon themselves swift destruction, and the greater damnation. The Targum interprets it of such that begin with lesser sins, and increase to more ungodliness; paraphrasing it thus,

"woe to them that begin to sin a little, and they go on and increase until that they are strong, and "their" sins "are" as a cart rope;''

to which agrees that saying in the Talmud g,

"the evil imagination or corruption of nature at first is like a spider's thread, but at last it is like to cart ropes; as it is said, "woe to them that draw iniquity", &c.''

g T. Bab. Succa, fol. 52. 1. & Sanhedrin, fol. 99. 2. Vid. Bereshit Rabba, sect. 22. fol. 19. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Wo unto them ... - This is a new denunciation. It introduces another form of sin, and threatens its appropriate punishment.

That draw iniquity with cords of vanity - The general idea in this verse and the next, is, doubtless, that of plunging deeper and deeper into sin. The word “sin” here, has been sometimes supposed to mean “the punishment” for sin. The word has that meaning sometimes, but it seems here to be taken in its usual sense. The word “cords” means strings of any kind, larger or smaller; and the expression “cords of vanity,” is supposed to mean “small, slender, feeble” strings, like the web of a spider. The word vanity שׁוא shâv', May, perhaps, have the sense here of falsehood or deceit; and the cords of deceit may denote the schemes of evil, the plans for deceiving people, or of bringing them into a snare, as the fowler springs his deceitful snare upon the unsuspecting bird. The Chaldee translates it, ‘Woe to those who begin to sin by little and little, drawing sin by cords of vanity; these sins grow and increase until they are strong, and are like a cart-rope.’ The Septuagint renders it, ‘Woe to those who draw sin with a long cable;’ that is,” one sin is added to another, until it comes to an enormous length, and the whole is drawn along together. Probably the true idea is that of the ancient interpretation of the rabbis, ‘An evil inclination is at first like a fine hair string, but the finishing like a cart-rope.’ At first, they draw sin with a slender cord, then they go on to greater deeds of iniquity that urge them on, and draw them with their main strength, as with a cart-rope. They make a strong “effort” to commit iniquity.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 5:18. With a cart-rope - "As a long cable"] The Septuagint, Aquila, Sym., and Theod., for בחבלי bechabley, read כחבלי kechahley, ως σχοινιω, or σχοινιοις; and the Septuagint, instead of שוא shau, read some other word signifying long; ως σχοινιωμακρω; and so likewise the Syriac, אריכא arecha. Houbigant conjectures that the word which the Septuagint had in their copies was שרוע sarua, which is used Leviticus 21:18; Leviticus 22:23, for something in an animal body superfluous, lengthened beyond its natural measure. And he explains it of sin added to sin, and one sin drawing on another, till the whole comes to an enormous length and magnitude; compared to the work of a rope-maker still increasing and lengthening his rope, with the continued addition of new materials. "Eos propheta similes facit homini restiario, qui funem torquet, cannabe addita et contorta, eadem iterans, donec funem in longum duxerit, neque eum liceat protrahi longius." "An evil inclination," says Kimchi on this place, from the ancient rabbins, "is at the beginning like a fine hair-string, but at the finishing like a thick cart-rope." By a long progression in iniquity, and a continued accumulation of sin, men arrive at length to the highest degree of wickedness; bidding open defiance to God, and scoffing at his threatened judgments, as it is finely expressed in the next verse. The Chaldee paraphrast explains it in the same manner, of wickedness increasing from small beginnings, till it arrives to a great magnitude. - L.

I believe neither the rabbins nor Bishop Lowth have hit on the true meaning of this place, the prophet seems to refer to idol sacrifices. The victims they offered were splendidly decked out for the sacrifice. Their horns and hoofs were often gilded, and their heads dressed out with fillets and garlands. The cords of vanity may refer to the silken strings by which they were led to the altar, some of which were unusually thick. The offering for iniquity was adorned with fillets and garlands; the sin-offering with silken cords, like unto cart-ropes. Pride, in their acts of humiliation, had the upper hand.


 
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