Isaiah 25:5 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 25:5 mean?

Isaiah 25:5 praises God for bringing the power and uproar of hostile people under control. The verse compares their force to scorching heat and pictures God’s action as the relief a cloud’s shade brings to dry ground.

The speaker addresses God as “thou,” continuing the praise in the surrounding passage. After the picture of a storm in verse 4, Isaiah 25:5 uses heat and shade to describe the same kind of overpowering force and its relief.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 25:5

• “strangers” — זָר (zar): This word can mean outsiders or foreigners. Here, “strangers” describes people portrayed as hostile, not simply people from another place.
• “noise” — שָׁאוֹן (sha’on): This word can mean a loud uproar or commotion. It gives the picture the sound of a threatening crowd rather than a quiet disagreement.
• “branch” — זָמִיר (zamir): The word can refer to singing or a song. The KJV reads “branch,” while the sense of a song fits the sound imagery of the “noise” earlier in the verse.

Why Isaiah 25:5 matters

• The verse speaks of a threatening group, not heat alone. The “terrible ones” are the fierce people whose power is brought low.
• The comparison with shade makes the change vivid. Just as a cloud covers the sun, God brings relief from a force that has pressed down on others.
• The verse belongs to a song of praise addressed to God. Its words “thou shalt bring down” make God the one who acts against the hostile uproar.