Isaiah 35:7 · Bible study
Isaiah 35:7 Commentary: Mirage to Pool: Study
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Isaiah 35:7 explores the mirage becoming a pool, God's power to turn illusion into reality, transforming desolation into abundant life.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God transforms the deceptive mirage of the desert into real water, and the den of jackals into a lush marshland, a picture of total redemption.
- Key words: שָׁרָב (sharab, 'mirage' or 'parched ground'), אֲגַם (agam, 'pool'), תַנִּים (tannim, 'jackals' or 'dragons').
- Main debate: Whether sharab refers to the phenomenon of the mirage (most modern scholars) or simply to parched ground (older translations).
- Theological theme: God’s redemptive power reverses the curse, bringing life where there was death, reality where there was illusion.
- Best use: A promise for those in seasons of disappointment, to trust that God makes the desert bloom.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
The parched ground will become a pool, the thirsty land springs of water. In the haunt where jackals once lay, there will be grass and reeds and papyrus.
WEB World English Bible 2000
The burning sand will become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water. Grass with reeds and rushes will be in the habitation of jackals, where they lay.
KJV King James Version 1769
And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And the glowing sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water: in the habitation of jackals, where they lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And the mirage hath become a pond, And the thirsty land fountains of waters, In the habitation of dragons, Its place of couching down, a court for reed and rush.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And the mirage shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of wild dogs, where they lay down, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And that which was dry land, shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water. In the dens where dragons dwelt before, shall rise up the verdure of the reed and the bulrush.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
El lugar seco será tornado en estanque, y el secadal en manaderos de aguas; en la habitación de chacales, en su cama, será lugar de cañas y de juncos.
E a terra seca se tornará em lagoas, e a terra sedenta em mananciais de águas; nas habitações em que repousavam os chacais, haverá erva com canas e juncos.
Le mirage se changera en étang
Und wo es zuvor trocken gewesen ist, sollen Teiche stehen; und wo es dürr gewesen ist, sollen Brunnquellen sein. Da zuvor die Schakale gelegen haben, soll Gras und Rohr und Schilf stehen.
En het dorre land zal tot staand water worden, en het dorstige land tot springaders der wateren; in de woningen der draken, waar zij gelegen hebben, zal gras met riet en biezen zijn.
il miraggio diventerà un lago, e il suolo assetato, un luogo di sorgenti d’acqua; nel ricetto che accoglieva gli sciacalli s’avrà un luogo da canne e da giunchi.
I stanie się miejsce suche jeziorem, a bezwodne źródłami wód; w łożyskach smoków, kędy legali, trawa, trzcina, i sitowie rość będzie.
И превратится призрак вод в озеро, и жаждущая земля - в источники вод; в жилище шакалов, где они покоятся, будет место для тростника и камыша.
發光的沙（或譯：蜃樓）要變 為水池；乾渴之地 要變為泉源。在野狗 躺臥 之處，必有青草、蘆葦，和蒲草。
And the burning sand will become a pool, and the dry earth springs of waters: the fields where the sheep take their food will become wet land, and water-plants will take the place of grass.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 35:7
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse crowns the transformation promised in Isaiah 35. The key Hebrew word sharab (שָׂרָב) is understood by Barnes, Keil, and Calvin as the desert mirage, the shimmering illusion that mocks the thirsty traveler. What was deception becomes real: the mirage turns into a pond, and the 'thirsty ground' into gushing springs. Calvin connects this directly to Christ's coming, where the whole earth that was cursed becomes fruitful. The second half of the verse paints the same reversal: the 'habitation of jackals', a symbol of desolation in Isaiah 34:13, now supports grass, reeds, and papyrus, which only grow where water is abundant. The consensus is clear: God's redemptive power transforms not only physical landscapes but every place of barrenness and disappointment into a place of life.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Mirage interpretation: Lexical evidence from Arabic cognate serab; supported by most modern commentaries (Barnes, Keil, JFB) and the phenomenon described by ancient travelers.
- Parched ground interpretation: Follows the Septuagint and Vulgate; adopted by older English translations (KJV, Douay). Suits the context of a general transformation more simply.
What is clear: Regardless of whether the original image is a mirage or simply scorched earth, the verse promises that God will transform dry, barren places into sources of abundant water and life.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Translation of sharab (שָׂרָב) | The word denotes some kind of hot, dry phenomenon associated with the desert. | Most modern commentators (Barnes, Keil, JFB) argue it means 'mirage', the optical illusion of water. Older versions (KJV, Douay) and the Septuagint translate it as 'parched ground,' and some (Cambridge Bible) note that the sense 'mirage' is less suitable in Isaiah 49:10. |
| Identity of tannim (תַנִּים) | These are wild creatures that inhabit ruins and desolate places. | Modern translations almost universally say 'jackals,' while the KJV and older reception follow the Septuagint/Vulgate in reading 'dragons' (often understood as desert serpents or mythical creatures). The difference is lexical but has minimal theological impact. |
| Literal vs. figurative fulfillment | The verse points to a future restoration of God’s people, including transformed circumstances. | Some traditions (e.g., dispensational premillennialism) expect a literal global transformation of the land in the millennium. Others (e.g., Reformed covenant theology) see it as a figurative picture of the spiritual blessings of the gospel age, especially the outpouring of the Spirit (Isa 44:3). |
| Connection to Isaiah 34 | Both chapters form a literary diptych of judgment (Edom) and salvation (Zion). | Some interpreters hold that the jackal imagery in 35:7 directly echoes the desolation of Edom in 34:13, implying that the same places are restored. Others see the jackal motif as a general symbol for any place of curse, not specifically Edom. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah 35 stands as the bright counterpart to the judgment of chapter 34. That chapter described Edom as a desolate haunt of jackals and thorns. Now, in chapter 35, the same imagery of jackals and scorched land is turned inside out. The prophet is describing a new exodus, God coming to save His people and lead them through a transformed wilderness back to Zion.
The Hebrew word sharab (שָׂרָב), which appears only here and in Isaiah 49:10, was recognized by ancient travelers. Both Clarke and Barnes cite Arabic sources and the Koran to show that serab described the optical illusion of water on hot sand. Q. Curtius recorded it during Alexander’s march across the Oxus. In a dry climate, the mirage was a familiar cruelty, it promised relief but delivered only heat. By saying the mirage itself becomes a pool, Isaiah declares that God does not merely meet human needs; He transforms the very source of deception into a gift.
The jackals (Hebrew tannim) were associated with abandoned ruins, see Isaiah 13:22 and 34:13. Their 'habitation' was a place of danger and emptiness. Reeds and papyrus, by contrast, require constant water. The picture is not just a little relief but a complete ecological transformation: what was a dust bowl becomes a marsh. The verse anticipates the healing of nature itself when God’s kingdom comes in fullness.
Textual Notes
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that the second half of the verse, 'in the habitation of jackals, where they lay, grass with reeds and rushes', appears to have suffered 'extensive mutilation' in transmission. The Hebrew phrase ribtsah ('its resting place') is unusual, and some manuscripts suggest a plural reading. However, no other supplied source raises significant textual difficulty, and the overall sense is consistent across translations and commentaries: the jackals’ lair becomes a place where water-loving plants flourish.
Reception History
Early Christian writers saw this verse as a prophecy fulfilled in Christ’s healing miracles and the spread of the gospel to Gentiles. The Reformation commentators, especially Calvin and the Geneva Bible, applied it to the spiritual renewal brought by the kingdom of God, the parched soul receiving living water. Matthew Henry and Wesley read it as a promise of grace to the barren and thirsty in every age. In the modern era, scholars have given more attention to the Arabic parallels for sharab, clarifying the mirage imagery. The verse continues to be used in hymns and prayers that celebrate God’s power to bring life out of desolation.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- The Illusion That Disappoints, The mirage promises water but delivers only dust. In our lives, false hopes and disappointed expectations are like the serab: they lure us and leave us thirsty.
- The God Who Makes the Real, God does not just give a better mirage. He turns the illusion itself into a real pool. Salvation is not a trick but a transformation of the very fabric of our desolation.
- The Place of Jackals Becomes a Garden, Where predators once lurked and death reigned, now life springs up: grass, reeds, rushes. God’s redemption changes the whole ecosystem of our existence.
Five-Point Outline
- The reversal of the curse: from judgment (ch.34) to salvation (ch.35).
- The nature of God’s power: He creates reality where there was only illusion.
- The scope of redemption: it touches the land, the body (vv.5-6), and the community (vv.8-10).
- The witnesses: jackals and reeds both testify to the change, even the creatures of the wild benefit.
- The goal: joy and singing, not just relief (v.10).
Illustration Hooks
- The desert mirage, Anyone who has driven on a hot highway on a summer day has seen that puddle on the road that vanishes as you approach. That is unfulfilled hope. God makes the puddle real.
- Abandoned buildings reclaimed by nature, An old, dangerous lot becomes a community garden. The 'habitation of jackals' becomes a place where children play and vegetables grow.
- A long-held promise finally fulfilled, A couple waiting years for a child; a job search that seemed hopeless. When the answer comes, the desert blooms.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- How can I tell if my hope is a mirage or a promise from God?
- What do I do when I feel stuck in a 'habitation of jackals', a place of loneliness or danger?
- Does this verse promise physical healing for everyone, or is it primarily pointing to Jesus?
Leading a Discussion
This verse is part of a vision of complete restoration. As you discuss, consider how the imagery of the mirage and the jackals’ den connects to your own experience of waiting for God to act.
Discussion Questions
- Read Isaiah 35:7 slowly. What images stand out to you? What do they make you feel?
- The Hebrew word for 'burning sand' (sharab) can mean 'mirage.' Why might the prophet choose this word?
- How does this verse connect to the healing miracles in verses 5-6? What does that tell us about God’s salvation?
- In the Old Testament, jackals often symbolize desolation and judgment (see Isa 13:22; 34:13). Why does Isaiah mention them here?
- What does it mean that the place where jackals once lay is now full of grass, reeds, and rushes? What does that say about God’s power over our past?
- Where in your life right now do you need God to turn a 'mirage' into a 'pool', an illusion into a real source of life?
- How does this promise of transformation give you hope for the Church or for the world?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Isaiah 13:22 | Hyenas will cry in their fortresses, and jackals in the pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come, and her days will not be prolonged. |
| Isaiah 19:6 | The rivers will become foul. The streams of Egypt will be diminished and dried up. The reeds and flags will wither away. |
| Isaiah 29:17 | Isn’t it yet a very little while, and Lebanon will be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field will be regarded as a forest? |
| Isaiah 34:13 | Thorns will come up in its palaces, nettles and thistles in its fortresses; and it will be a habitation of jackals, a court for ostriches. |
| Isaiah 44:3 | For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and streams on the dry ground. I will pour my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring; |
| Isaiah 44:4 | and they will spring up among the grass, as willows by the watercourses. |
| Isaiah 49:10 | They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun strike them, for he who has mercy on them will lead them. He will guide them by springs of water. |
| Hosea 1:10 | Yet the number of the children of Israel will be as the sand of the sea, which can’t be measured or counted; and it will come to pass that, in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’ |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke focuses on the Hebrew word "sharab," which means the glowing sand that in hot countries looks like water from a distance. He explains that the parched ground deceives thirsty travelers, always appearing as a lake but vanishing when approached. This false appearance tempts people out of their way but never satisfies.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that the Hebrew word translated "parched ground" actually means a mirage, the deceptive appearance of water that vanishes when approached. The miracle under the Messiah is that what was only an illusion will become a real, life-giving lake. God's promises, unlike the world's deceptive hopes, never fail.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that the prophecy describes the spiritual abundance Christ brings, not a literal change in the landscape. Without Christ, the world is a parched wilderness where only wild beasts roam. But when Christ takes his throne, believers lack nothing, for he transforms the curse into every blessing.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes the Hebrew word behind "parched ground" is identical to the Arabic term for mirage. The point is striking: the illusion that mocks thirsty travelers will become actual water, as common in the desert as the mirage now is. This reading, however, conflicts with Jewish tradition and the ancient versions.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights how the transformation is complete: even the haunt of dragons, a place of desolation, becomes a marsh rich with reeds and rushes. The commentator sees this as the fullest sign of blessing, where water turns the most barren waste into a land of abundance.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill reads the physical transformation as a picture of spiritual renewal for those dried up by sin and wrath, and deliverance for those persecuted by antichristian powers. The "dragons" den represents Satan's seat and cruel rulers, while the grass and reeds symbolize believers flourishing in number and grace.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB clarifies that the Hebrew word for “parched ground” actually means mirage—the deceptive shimmer of heat on sand—which will become a real lake. He also notes that “dragons” are better translated as jackals, and the “grass” refers to a dwelling where reeds grow, signaling abundant water where none existed.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch insist that the healings of blind, deaf, lame, and mute people in this passage are not mere symbols for spiritual defects; they describe real physical restoration. Likewise the desert turning into a landscape of ponds and springs is not poetic decoration but a genuine transformation of nature, because at the coming redemption, creation itself will share in God's glory.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry treats these physical healings as literal miracles Christ performed, not mere metaphors. He points to specific Gospel accounts where Jesus opened blind eyes and unstopped deaf ears as proof that God himself had come to set up his kingdom. These wonders demonstrate that the prophecy finds its concrete fulfillment in Christ's earthly ministry.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley interprets the streams and rushes as symbols of God's grace transforming the most spiritually barren people and nations. What was once as dry and desolate as a dragon's haunt becomes abundantly fruitful, receiving the moisture of divine blessing.