The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.

ISAIAH 30:24KJV
Know the Bible

Isaiah 30:24 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 30:24 mean?

Isaiah 30:24 describes a time when even the work animals, like oxen and young donkeys, will eat the best and cleanest feed, carefully prepared by being winnowed. This verse paints a picture of abundance and care, showing that every creature will be well provided for.

The prophet Isaiah is speaking to the people of Judah, who are facing hardship and judgment because of their choices. In this verse, Isaiah promises that after a time of trouble, God will restore such prosperity that even the animals will have high-quality food, not just scraps. This detail highlights the completeness of the coming blessing and the reversal of their current difficulties.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 30:24

  • "Ear" (עָבַד, ʿāvad) means "to work" or "to till." Here, it refers to the animals that work the land, emphasizing their role in producing food and their reward for labor.
  • "Clean" (חָמִיץ, ḥāmīts) means "clean" or "well-prepared." The use of this word shows that the feed is not just plentiful but also pure and of high quality.
  • "Provender" (בְּרִיר, berir) refers to fodder or feed, specifically what is given to animals. The verse highlights that the animals receive carefully prepared food, not leftovers.
  • "Winnowed" (זָרָה, zārah) describes the process of separating grain from chaff. Mentioning that the feed is winnowed with a "shovel" (רַחַת, raḥat) and a "fan" (מִזְרֶה, mizreh) underlines the thorough care taken in preparation, which would be unusual for animal feed.

Why Isaiah 30:24 matters

  • Isaiah 30:24 clears up any idea that only people will benefit from God’s blessing; even the animals are included, showing the totality of restoration.
  • The verse emphasizes the reversal of hardship, promising not just survival but abundance and dignity for all, even the lowest creatures.
  • This detail connects to the wider passage, where Isaiah reassures the people that after judgment, God’s care will reach every corner of their lives, down to the animals in the fields.

Where else these words appear

“fan” Hebrew H4214 · used in 2 verses

  • Jeremiah 15:7 And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people, since they return not from their ways.

“provender” Hebrew H1098 · used in 3 verses

  • Job 6:5 Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?
  • Job 24:6 They reap every one his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.

“oxen” Hebrew H504 · used in 8 verses

  • Deuteronomy 7:13 And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
  • Deuteronomy 28:18 Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
  • Judges 6:15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

“asses” Hebrew H5895 · used in 8 verses

  • Genesis 32:15 Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.
  • Judges 10:4 And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havothjair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
  • Job 11:12 For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt.