Isaiah 51:23 · Bible study
Isaiah 51:23 Commentary: Cup of Wrath Given to Tormentors
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
God hands the cup of His wrath to those who trampled Jerusalem, turning judgment into vindication for His afflicted people.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God transfers the cup of His wrath from afflicted Jerusalem to her tormentors, reversing their humiliation with His judgment.
- Key words: cup of wrath (from v.22), tormentors (H3013), bow down (H7812), hand (H3027), street (H2351), each underscores the role reversal.
- Main debate: Do the tormentors refer strictly to historical Babylon (Barnes, Keil) or also to end-times antichrist figures (Gill)?
- Theological theme: Divine retribution as vindication for the oppressed; God as defender of His people.
- Best use: A text for preaching God's justice and comforting the afflicted, without endorsing personal vengeance.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
I will place it in the hands of your tormentors, who told you: ‘Lie down, so we can walk over you,’ so that you made your back like the ground, like a street to be traversed.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
I will put it into the hand of those who afflict you, who have said to your soul, ‘Bow down, that we may walk over you;’ and you have laid your back as the ground, like a street to those who walk over.”
KJV King James Version 1769
But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
and I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee, that have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over; and thou hast laid thy back as the ground, and as the street, to them that go over.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And I have put it into the hand of those afflicting thee, Who have said to thy soul, Bow down, and we pass over, And thou makest as the earth thy body, And as the street to those passing by!'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
and I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; who have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over; and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street to them that went over.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And I will put it in the hand of them that have oppressed thee, and have said to thy soul: Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as a way to them that went over.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y ponerlo he en mano de tus angustiadores, que dijeron á tu alma: Encórvate, y pasaremos. Y tú pusiste tu cuerpo como tierra, y como camino, á los que pasan.
Porém eu o porei nas mãos dos que afligiram, que dizem à tua alma: Abaixa-te, e passaremos sobre ti ; e pões as tuas costas como chão, como caminho aos que passam.
Je la mettrai dans la main de tes oppresseurs,
sondern ich will ihn deinen Schindern in die Hand geben, die zu deiner Seele sprachen: Bücke dich, daß wir darüberhin gehen, und mache deinen Rücken zur Erde und wie die Gasse, daß man darüberhin laufe.
Maar Ik zal hem dien, die u bedroefd hebben, in de hand zetten, die tot uw ziel zeiden: Buig u neder, dat wij over u gaan; en gij legdet uw rug neder als aarde, en als een straat dergenen, die daarover gaan.
Io la metterò in mano de’ tuoi persecutori, che dicevano all’anima tua: “Chinati, che ti passiamo addosso!” e tu facevi del tuo dosso un suolo, una strada per i passanti!
Ale podam go w rękę tych, którzy cię trapią, którzy mówili duszy twojej: Nachyl się, niech przez cię przejdziemy; a tyś pokładało jako ziemię grzbiet swój, i jako ulicę przechodzącym.
и подам ее в руки мучителям твоим, которые говорили тебе: "пади ниц, чтобы нам пройти по тебе"; и ты хребет твой делал как бы землею и улицею для проходящих.
我必將這杯遞 在苦待你的人 手中；他們 曾對你 說：你屈身，由我們踐踏過去吧！你便以 背 為地，好像街市，任人經過。
And I will put it into the hand of your cruel masters, and of those whose yoke has been hard on you; who have said to your soul, Down on your face! so that we may go over you: and you have given your backs like the earth, even like the street, for them to go over.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 51:23
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 the 'it' of verse 23 is the cup of God's wrath mentioned in verse 22. Barnes identifies the tormentors as the Babylonians who crushed Jerusalem. Keil and Delitzsch read the whole passage as God awakening Jerusalem from the stupor of punishment and transferring the cup to her oppressors. The imagery of 'bow down, that we may walk over' is consistently understood as an ancient Near Eastern practice of conquerors treading on the necks of defeated kings, Joshua 10:24 provides the biblical parallel, and Clarke documents a case from the Persian emperor Sapor placing his foot on the back of the Roman emperor Valerian. Gill applies the verse beyond Babylon to the figures of end-times opposition, but still holds the central meaning: God reverses the roles, giving the cup of staggering to those who tormented His people. All agree that this act demonstrates God's role as defender of the afflicted, fulfilling the promise that the cup of judgment would leave Jerusalem's hand.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Historical Babylon view: The immediate context suggests the cup of wrath was drunk at the Babylonian conquest, and the cup is now given to Babylon (Barnes, Keil).
- Eschatological view: Gill identifies the tormentors with end-times antichrist figures, supported by the language of Revelation 11:18 and 14:10.
- General principle of retribution: Some readers see a timeless truth: God will vindicate the oppressed and bring judgment on all who trample His people, without limiting it to one historical moment.
What is clear: God removes His cup of wrath from His afflicted people and places it on their oppressors, demonstrating His justice and care for the humble.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the tormentors | Christians agree the tormentors are those who historically oppressed Jerusalem, causing its destruction and exile. | Some see this as primarily Babylon (Barnes, Keil), while others (Gill) apply it to end-times powers facing God's judgment. |
| Nature of the cup | The cup is a symbol of God's wrath and judgment, as seen throughout the prophetic literature. | Whether this judgment is executed historically (the fall of Babylon) or eschatologically (final judgment) varies by interpretive tradition. |
| Applicability today | God is the ultimate defender of the oppressed, and He holds all nations accountable for their treatment of His people. | Some emphasize that this verse should not be used to justify earthly vengeance; others see a pattern of divine justice that continues through history. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The cup of God's wrath is a rich Old Testament metaphor. Jeremiah 25:15 pictures the prophet taking a cup of the wine of wrath from God's hand and making the nations drink. Psalm 75:8 describes a cup in Yahweh's hand, foaming and mixed, which the wicked must drain. In Isaiah 51:17-22, this cup is explicitly named: Jerusalem has drunk the goblet of God's fury and fallen into a stupor. Now God promises to remove that cup from her hand and place it in the hands of her tormentors.
The trampling imagery reflects actual ancient customs. When Joshua defeated five Canaanite kings, he commanded the chiefs of Israel to put their feet on their necks (Joshua 10:24). Clarke cites the story of Emperor Valerian, captured by King Sapor of Persia, who forced him to bow down so the king could step on his back to mount his horse. Barnes quotes an 1834 account by Edward Lane of a dervish ceremony in Cairo where a sheikh rode his horse over the bodies of prostrate worshippers, a possible survival of the same custom. In ancient warfare, conquerors literally walked or rode over the bodies of the conquered as a sign of total subjugation.
Isaiah 51 stands within a section of comfort and restoration (chapters 40, 55). The city has suffered devastation, famine, and sword (v.19). Her children lie helpless at street corners like a trapped antelope (v.20). But God, who pleads the cause of His people (v.22), announces that their punishment is finished. The cup that caused their reeling now goes to those who made them lie down in the dirt. This is not arbitrary violence; it is just retribution for cruel oppression.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Isaiah 51:23. The Hebrew text is stable, and the key verbs (וְשַׂמְתִּי, אָמְרוּ, תָּשִׂימִי) appear consistently across manuscripts. The main interpretive challenge is lexical, not textual: the term מוֹגַיִךְ (tormentors) appears only here in Isaiah but recurs in Lamentations, where it refers to God bringing tribulation upon Israel rather than human oppressors.
Reception History
Early Christian readers, such as those reflected in the Septuagint and the church fathers, saw in this verse God's justice against those who persecuted the covenant people. During the Reformation, Matthew Henry and John Wesley emphasized the reversal of fortune as a comfort to the afflicted: the same God who punished His people would punish their oppressors. In the Wesleyan tradition, the verse was used to preach the certainty of divine retribution for cruelty. More recent scholarship (e.g., Keil and Delitzsch) situates the verse within the literary structure of Isaiah 51, where the call to 'awake' (v.17) leads to the promise that the cup of wrath will no longer be drunk by Jerusalem but by her enemies. The tormentors' taunt, 'Bow down', has been remembered in hymns and sermons as a picture of human pride that God will eventually humble.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The cup of wrath belongs to God. It is His cup to give and to take away (v.22). You cannot and should not take revenge; the judgment is His alone.
- The tormentors' pride is recorded. Their cruel words, 'Bow down, we will walk over you', are preserved in Scripture as an accusation. God sees and remembers humiliation.
- The reversal is certain. The same cup that caused Jerusalem to stagger will cause her persecutors to drink. What they did to others will be done to them.
Five-point outline
- God's cup of wrath, the symbol of divine punishment, first given to His own people for their sins, then removed.
- God's hand, He controls the distribution of judgment; it is not accidental or random.
- The tormentors' taunt, 'Bow down' reveals the contemptuous spirit of the oppressor, which God takes personally.
- Jerusalem's humiliation, 'You made your back like the ground' describes the depth of subjugation, but it is now past.
- God's defense, He pleads the cause of His people; He does not abandon them to their enemies.
Illustration hooks
- A child being bullied at school who later sees the bully held accountable by a teacher. The relief of justice deferred but not forgotten.
- The end of a long legal battle where a victim finally receives restitution after years of feeling powerless.
- An annual ceremony in Egypt described by Edward Lane (1834), where dervishes lay prostrate while a sheikh rides over them, a vivid reminder of how humans have historically exercised dominance over the defeated.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God is loving, how can He pour out wrath on anyone?
- Does this verse command us to seek revenge against those who hurt us?
- What does it mean that the cup of God's wrath is 'transferred', does that still happen today?
Leading a Discussion
This verse concludes a passage where God promises to remove His judgment from Jerusalem and place it on those who tormented her. The strong imagery of trampling and the cup of wrath raises questions about God's justice and our response to suffering. Use these questions to explore the passage together, letting the Scripture speak for itself.
Discussion questions
- Read Isaiah 51:17, 22. What is 'the cup of staggering' and who drinks it first? (Observation)
- In verse 23, God puts the cup into the hands of 'those who afflict you.' Who do the commentators think these tormentors are? Why? (Interpretation)
- The tormentors said, 'Bow down, that we may walk over you.' How does this phrase capture the cruelty of oppression? (Observation)
- What does it reveal about God's character that He takes note of such words and actions? (Interpretation)
- How does this passage connect with Jesus' teaching to love our enemies? Is there a tension, and if so, how do you understand it? (Application)
- For someone experiencing injustice today, what hope does this verse offer? What does it not promise? (Application)
- How can we hold onto God's justice without becoming bitter or vengeful? (Application)
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)
| Joshua 10:24 | When they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who went with him, “Come near. Put your feet on the necks of these kings.” They came near, and put their feet on their necks. |
| Psalms 65:11 | You crown the year with your bounty. Your carts overflow with abundance. |
| Psalms 65:12 | The wilderness grasslands overflow. The hills are clothed with gladness. |
| Proverbs 11:8 | A righteous person is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked takes his place. |
| Proverbs 21:18 | The wicked is a ransom for the righteous, the treacherous for the upright. |
| Isaiah 49:25 | But Yahweh says, “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the plunder retrieved from the fierce, for I will contend with him who contends with you and I will save your children. |
| Isaiah 49:26 | I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh; and they will be drunk on their own blood, as with sweet wine. Then all flesh shall know that I, Yahweh, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” |
| Jeremiah 25:15 | For Yahweh, the God of Israel, says to me: “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from my hand, and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it. |
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 stresses that the command to "bow down" is no mere figure of speech. He documents actual historical examples of Eastern conquerors forcing defeated rulers to serve as human footstools, showing that the verse describes a literal, deeply humiliating practice meant to display absolute dominion.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes emphasizes the humiliating practice of eastern conquerors forcing captives to bow down so they could walk over them, a literal degradation God promises to turn back on Judah's enemies. He connects this imagery to God's pledge to deliver the oppressed by transferring their suffering onto those who inflicted it.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator explains the command "Bow down, that we may go over" as a figure drawn from the Eastern custom of treading or riding over conquered enemies. He cites an 1834 eyewitness account of the Mohammedan Dooseh ceremony in Cairo, where a sheikh rode over prostrate dervishes.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
God will give into the hands of those who plundered His people the very cup of suffering they forced on others. The oppressors who demanded Jerusalem bow down like a street for them to walk over will themselves be brought low.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill draws a sharp contrast between outward compliance under persecution and genuine heart submission. He notes that God will retaliate against mystical Babylon for forcing people to bow to its authority, just as eastern kings trampled their conquered enemies. The church's humiliating condition under antichrist's reign will be reversed, leading to a flourishing state.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws attention to the literal ancient practice of conquerors placing their feet on the necks of defeated kings. This physical act of humiliation, illustrated by the Persian emperor Sapor treading on the Roman emperor Valerian, gives concrete meaning to the verse's imagery of enemies bowing down.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch picture Jerusalem as a woman lying unconscious from drinking God's cup of fury to its dregs. No one among her children has strength to help her up. Now God calls her to wake because her punishment is complete; He will force that same cup on her tormentors instead.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange identifies four distinct speakers in a dramatic dialogue: the veiled Servant of Jehovah, Israel, Jehovah Himself, and the prophet. He argues that the Servant speaks first, presenting the condition of redemption while his unity with Jehovah begins to appear through his words.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry reads the call for Jerusalem to awake not as a summons to repent but as a rousing from the stup
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Go over - That we may trample upon thee.