The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:

ISAIAH 62:8KJV
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Isaiah 62:8 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 62:8 mean?

Isaiah 62:8 says that the LORD has made a solemn promise, using the image of His powerful right hand and strong arm, that He will no longer allow Israel’s enemies or foreigners to take the food and wine that the people have worked hard to produce. God is assuring His people that their labor will no longer be stolen or enjoyed by others against their will.

In this verse, the prophet Isaiah is speaking to the people of Israel, delivering a message from God during a time when they had often suffered loss and invasion. The promise comes as a reversal of their past experiences, where enemies would raid their harvests. God’s oath highlights both His authority and His commitment to protect and restore His people’s blessings.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 62:8

  • "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of God, emphasizing that the promise comes from Israel’s covenant God, not a generic deity.
  • "Sworn" (נִשְׁבַּע, nishba‘): This word means to make a binding oath, showing the seriousness and certainty of God’s promise.
  • "Right hand" (יָד, yad) and "arm" (זְרוֹעַ, zeroa‘): Both are symbols of strength and power in Hebrew thought, underlining that God has both the ability and the will to fulfill His promise.
  • "Strength" (עֹז, ‘oz): This word adds to the emphasis on God’s might, making it clear that the promise is backed by His unmatched power.

Why Isaiah 62:8 matters

  • Isaiah 62:8 clears up any doubt about whether God’s promises are just hopeful words; the use of an oath and images of strength show that God’s commitment is unbreakable.
  • The verse highlights a turning point for Israel, promising an end to the cycle of loss and humiliation they had experienced from their enemies.
  • This promise fits into the wider theme of Isaiah 62, where God is restoring dignity and security to His people, assuring them that their future will be different from their troubled past.

Where else these words appear

“laboured” Hebrew H3021 · used in 25 verses

  • Joshua 7:3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.
  • Isaiah 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
  • Isaiah 49:4 Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.

“meat” Hebrew H3978 · used in 29 verses

  • Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
  • 1 Chronicles 12:40 Moreover they that were nigh them, even unto Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, and meat, meal, cakes of figs, and bunches of raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and sheep abundantly: for there was joy in Israel.
  • Proverbs 6:8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

“stranger” Hebrew H5236 · used in 35 verses

  • Genesis 17:12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
  • 1 Samuel 7:3 And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
  • Psalms 144:7 Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;

“wine” Hebrew H8492 · used in 38 verses

  • Genesis 27:28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
  • 2 Chronicles 31:5 And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly.
  • Jeremiah 31:12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.