Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:
Parallel translations
- WEB Your silver has become dross, your wine mixed with water.
- BSB Your silver has become dross; your fine wine is diluted with water.
- NKJV Your silver has become dross, Your wine mixed with water.
- NASB Your silver has become waste matter, Your drink diluted with water.
- NLT Once like pure silver, you have become like worthless slag. Once so pure, you are now like watered-down wine.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The nation's former value is corrupted, like silver turned to dross and wine diluted with water. It is a picture of degraded purity and integrity.
Overview
The metaphors describe how what was once precious has been adulterated by sin. Leadership and society have lost their genuine worth. The image anticipates God's refining work to purge away the dross and restore true value (v. 25).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Jer 6:28–30They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters.
- Hos 4:18Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye.
- Lam 4:1–2How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.
- Ezek 22:18–22Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver.
- Hos 6:4O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.
- 2 Cor 2:17For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 1:22 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.