At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered.
Parallel translations
- WEB At the noise of the thunder, the peoples have fled. When you lift yourself up, the nations are scattered.
- BSB The peoples flee the thunder of Your voice; the nations scatter when You rise.
- NKJV At the noise of the tumult the people shall flee; When You lift Yourself up, the nations shall be scattered;
- NASB At the sound of a roar, peoples flee; At the lifting up of Yourself, nations disperse.
- NLT The enemy runs at the sound of your voice. When you stand up, the nations flee!
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
At the thunder of God's voice the peoples flee, and at His rising the nations scatter. It matters because God's mere presence routs His enemies.
Overview
In answer to the prayer, Isaiah depicts the nations fleeing at the tumult of God's voice and scattering when He rises up. The imagery underscores God's overwhelming power to disperse hostile peoples. It assures God's people that He needs only to act, and their enemies cannot stand before Him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Isa 10:13–14For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man:
- Isa 37:11–18Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying them utterly; and shalt thou be delivered?
- Isa 17:12–14Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
- Ps 46:6The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
- Isa 59:16–18And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.
- Isa 10:32–34As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
- Isa 37:29–36Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.
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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 33:3 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.