When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour.

ISAIAH 27:11KJV
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Isaiah 27:11 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 27:11 mean?

Isaiah 27:11 describes a people who have become spiritually lifeless, compared to withered branches that are broken off and burned. Because they lack understanding, the one who created and formed them will not show them mercy or favor.

The prophet Isaiah is speaking to the people of Israel, warning them about the consequences of turning away from God. The image of withered branches being gathered and burned by women shows how useless and discarded the people have become due to their lack of understanding. The verse stresses that God, as their maker, will withhold compassion because they have failed to live as they were intended.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 27:11

  • "Boughs" (קָצִיר, qatsir) refers to branches or limbs, emphasizing the idea of something that should be alive and fruitful but is now dried up and useless.
  • "Withered" (יָבֵשׁ, yavesh) means dried out or lifeless, highlighting the spiritual condition of the people.
  • "Understanding" (בִּינָה, binah) points to insight or discernment; the verse says the people lack this, which is why they face judgment.
  • "Mercy" (רָחַם, racham) and "favour" (חָנַן, chanan) both speak to compassion and grace, showing that God’s withholding of these is a direct response to their lack of understanding.

Why Isaiah 27:11 matters

  • Isaiah 27:11 clarifies that spiritual deadness is not just about outward actions but about a deep lack of understanding and connection with God.
  • The verse connects the fate of the people to their response to God, showing that mercy and favor are not automatic but depend on their relationship with their creator.
  • This verse fits into Isaiah’s larger message about judgment and restoration, warning that ignoring God leads to real consequences, but also setting the stage for hope for those who turn back.

Where else these words appear

“understanding” Hebrew H998 · used in 38 verses

  • Deuteronomy 4:6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
  • Job 39:17 Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.
  • Proverbs 16:16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!

“fire” Hebrew H215 · used in 43 verses

  • Genesis 1:15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
  • Nehemiah 9:19 Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.
  • Psalms 105:39 He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.

“mercy” Hebrew H7355 · used in 43 verses

  • Exodus 33:19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
  • Isaiah 49:10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.
  • Jeremiah 42:12 And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land.

“boughs” Hebrew H7105 · used in 49 verses

  • Genesis 8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
  • 1 Samuel 6:13 And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
  • Isaiah 9:3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.