Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version We were with child, we writhed in labor, but we gave birth to wind. We have not brought salvation to the earth, and the people of the world have not come to life. New Living Translation We, too, writhe in agony, but nothing comes of our suffering. We have not given salvation to the earth, nor brought life into the world. English Standard Version we were pregnant, we writhed, but we have given birth to wind. We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth, and the inhabitants of the world have not fallen. Berean Standard Bible We were with child; we writhed in pain; but we gave birth to wind. We have given no salvation to the earth, nor brought any life into the world. King James Bible We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. New King James Version We have been with child, we have been in pain; We have, as it were, brought forth wind; We have not accomplished any deliverance in the earth, Nor have the inhabitants of the world fallen. New American Standard Bible We were pregnant, we writhed in labor, We gave birth, as it seems, only to wind. We could not accomplish deliverance for the earth, Nor were inhabitants of the world born. NASB 1995 We were pregnant, we writhed in labor, We gave birth, as it seems, only to wind. We could not accomplish deliverance for the earth, Nor were inhabitants of the world born. NASB 1977 We were pregnant, we writhed in labor, We gave birth, as it were, only to wind. We could not accomplish deliverance for the earth Nor were inhabitants of the world born. Legacy Standard Bible We were with child, we writhed in labor; We gave birth, as it seems, only to wind. We could not accomplish salvation for the earth, And the inhabitants of the world were not born. Amplified Bible We have been with child, we have twisted and struggled in labor; We gave birth, as it seems, only to wind. We could not accomplish salvation for the earth, Nor were inhabitants of the world born. Christian Standard Bible We became pregnant, we writhed in pain; we gave birth to wind. We have won no victories on earth, and the earth’s inhabitants have not fallen. Holman Christian Standard Bible We became pregnant, we writhed in pain; we gave birth to wind. We have won no victories on earth, and the earth’s inhabitants have not fallen. American Standard Version We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. Contemporary English Version But instead of having a child, our terrible pain produced only wind. We have won no victories, and we have no descendants to take over the earth. English Revised Version We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. GOD'S WORD® Translation We were pregnant; we writhed with labor pains only to give birth to the wind. We weren't able to bring salvation to the land, and no new people were born on earth. Good News Translation We were in pain and agony, but we gave birth to nothing. We have won no victory for our land; we have accomplished nothing. International Standard Version We were pregnant, writhing in pain, but we gave birth only to wind. We have not won your victory on earth, nor have the inhabitants of the world been born." Majority Standard Bible We were with child; we writhed in pain; but we gave birth to wind. We have given no salvation to the earth, nor brought any life into the world. NET Bible We were pregnant, we strained, we gave birth, as it were, to wind. We cannot produce deliverance on the earth; people to populate the world are not born. New Heart English Bible We have been with child. We have been in pain. We gave birth, it seems, only to wind. We have not worked any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. Webster's Bible Translation We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance on the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. World English Bible We have been with child. We have been in pain. We gave birth, it seems, only to wind. We have not worked any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionWe have conceived, we have been pained. We have brought forth, as it were, wind, "" We do not work salvation in the earth, "" Nor do the inhabitants of the world fall. Young's Literal Translation We have conceived, we have been pained. We have brought forth as it were wind, Salvation we do not work in the earth, Nor do the inhabitants of the world fall. Smith's Literal Translation We conceived, we were pained, thus we brought forth wind; we shall not make the earth salvation, the inhabitants of the habitable globe shall not fall. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleWe have conceived, and been as it were in labour, and have brought forth wind: we have not wrought salvation on the earth, therefore the inhabitants of the earth have not fallen. Catholic Public Domain Version We have conceived, and it is as if we were in labor, but we have given birth to wind. We have not brought forth salvation on the earth. For this reason, the inhabitants of the earth have not fallen. New American Bible We conceived and writhed in pain, giving birth only to wind; Salvation we have not achieved for the earth, no inhabitants for the world were born. New Revised Standard Version we were with child, we writhed, but we gave birth only to wind. We have won no victories on earth, and no one is born to inhabit the world. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleWe have been with child, we have been in pain like those who brought forth wind; save us lest we perish in the earth, lest the inhabitants of the world come to an end. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated We were pregnant and we were in labor as those who brought forth wind! Save us so that we will not be destroyed in the earth, and the inhabitants of the world will not fall! OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917We have been with child, we have been in pain, We have as it were brought forth wind; We have not wrought any deliverance in the land; Neither are the inhabitants of the world come to life. Brenton Septuagint Translation We have conceived, O Lord, because of thy fear, and have been in pain, and have brought forth the breath of thy salvation, which we have wrought upon the earth: we shall not fall, but all that dwell upon the land shall fall. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context A Song of Trust in God's Provision…17As a woman with child about to give birth writhes and cries out in pain, so were we in Your presence, O LORD. 18We were with child; we writhed in pain; but we gave birth to wind. We have given no salvation to the earth, nor brought any life into the world. 19Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust! For your dew is like the dew of the morning, and the earth will bring forth her dead.… Cross References Romans 8:22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time. Ecclesiastes 1:14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind. Ecclesiastes 2:11 Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun. Jeremiah 8:15 We hoped for peace, but no good has come, for a time of healing, but there was only terror. Jeremiah 14:19 Have You rejected Judah completely? Do You despise Zion? Why have You stricken us so that we are beyond healing? We hoped for peace, but no good has come, and for the time of healing, but there was only terror. Micah 1:9 For her wound is incurable; it has reached even Judah; it has approached the gate of my people, as far as Jerusalem itself. Hosea 9:11-12 Ephraim’s glory will fly away like a bird, with no birth, no pregnancy, and no conception. / Even if they raise their children, I will bereave them of each one. Yes, woe be to them when I turn away from them! 1 Thessalonians 5:3 While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. Romans 7:18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. Job 15:35 They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb is pregnant with deceit.” Psalm 7:14 Behold, the wicked man travails with evil; he conceives trouble and births falsehood. Psalm 90:10 The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty if we are strong—yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. Matthew 24:8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. 2 Corinthians 5:4 For while we are in this tent, we groan under our burdens, because we do not wish to be unclothed but clothed, so that our mortality may be swallowed up by life. Lamentations 4:17 All the while our eyes were failing as we looked in vain for help. We watched from our towers for a nation that could not save us. Treasury of Scripture We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not worked any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. we have been in Isaiah 37:3 And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth. 2 Kings 19:3 And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth. Hosea 13:13 The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he is an unwise son; for he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children. we have not Exodus 5:22,23 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? … Joshua 7:7-9 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan! … 1 Samuel 11:13 And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel. the inhabitants Psalm 17:14 From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes. John 7:7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. 1 John 5:19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. Jump to Previous Accomplish Birth Child Children Conceived Deliverance Earth Fall Fallen Forth Inhabitants Life Pain Pregnant Salvation Seems Travail Wind Work Worked World Writhed WroughtJump to Next Accomplish Birth Child Children Conceived Deliverance Earth Fall Fallen Forth Inhabitants Life Pain Pregnant Salvation Seems Travail Wind Work Worked World Writhed WroughtIsaiah 26 1. Trust in God's ProvisionWe were with child; This phrase metaphorically describes the anticipation and hope of the people of Israel. In the context of Isaiah, it reflects the expectation of deliverance and the fulfillment of God's promises. The imagery of pregnancy is often used in Scripture to symbolize potential and the promise of new beginnings (e.g., Isaiah 7:14, where a virgin will conceive and bear a son). It suggests a period of waiting and preparation, much like the anticipation of the Messiah. we writhed in pain; but we gave birth to wind. We have given no salvation to the earth, nor brought any life into the world. Persons / Places / Events 1. IsaiahThe prophet who authored the book, delivering messages from God to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. 2. Judah and Jerusalem The primary audience of Isaiah's prophecies, representing the people of God who were often in rebellion against Him. 3. The Nations The broader context includes the nations surrounding Israel, often seen as instruments of God's judgment or as recipients of His eventual salvation. 4. God The central figure in Isaiah's prophecies, who is sovereign over history and the ultimate source of salvation. 5. The Messianic Hope Implicit in Isaiah's prophecies is the expectation of a future deliverer who will bring true salvation. Teaching Points The Futility of Human Effort Without GodHuman efforts, no matter how intense, cannot bring about true salvation or spiritual life without God's intervention. The Need for Divine Intervention Just as labor pains without birth are futile, so are our efforts without the Spirit's work. We must rely on God for true transformation and salvation. The Expectation of Messianic Fulfillment Isaiah's imagery points to the need for a Savior who can bring true life and salvation, fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The Role of Faith and Patience Believers are called to trust in God's timing and methods, even when immediate results are not visible. The Call to Spiritual Fruitfulness Our lives should reflect the fruit of the Spirit, demonstrating that we are not laboring in vain but are part of God's redemptive work in the world.(18) We have as it were brought forth wind.--Left to themselves, the longing expectations of Israel had been frustrated. It was, "as it were" (the words imply the prophet's consciousness of the boldness of the figure), like a false pregnancy, a disease with no birth as its outcome. Neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.--Better, Neither were the inhabitants of the world brought to birth, the verb to "fall" being used, as in Wisdom Of Solomon 7:3; Hom., II., xix. 10, of the delivery of a woman with child. The words continue the picture of the fruitlessness of mere human strivings and expectations. The LXX., "They that are in the tombs shall rise," connects itself with John 5:28-29. (Comp. the like imagery in Isaiah 37:3.) The "creation" was "subject unto vanity," as in Romans 8:20-22. Verse 18. - We have as it were brought forth wind. Our pains have been idle, futile - have effected nothing. We have not given deliverance (literally, "salvation") to our land; we have not effected the downfall of our heathen enemies. That downfall was God's work (Isaiah 24:16-20).Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew We were pregnant,הָרִ֣ינוּ (hā·rî·nū) Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural Strong's 2030: Pregnant we writhed in pain, חַ֔לְנוּ (ḥal·nū) Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural Strong's 2342: To twist, whirl, to dance, to writhe in pain, fear, to wait, to pervert we gave birth to יָלַ֣דְנוּ (yā·laḏ·nū) Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage wind. ר֑וּחַ (rū·aḥ) Noun - common singular Strong's 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit We have brought נַ֣עֲשֶׂה (na·‘ă·śeh) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural Strong's 6213: To do, make no בַּל־ (bal-) Adverb Strong's 1077: A failure, nothing, not at all, lest salvation יְשׁוּעֹת֙ (yə·šū·‘ōṯ) Noun - feminine plural Strong's 3444: Something saved, deliverance, aid, victory, prosperity to the earth, אֶ֔רֶץ (’e·reṣ) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 776: Earth, land nor וּבַֽל־ (ū·ḇal-) Conjunctive waw | Adverb Strong's 1077: A failure, nothing, not at all, lest brought יִפְּל֖וּ (yip·pə·lū) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 5307: To fall, lie any life יֹשְׁבֵ֥י (yō·šə·ḇê) Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry into the world. תֵבֵֽל׃ (ṯê·ḇêl) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 8398: The earth, the globe, its inhabitants, a particular land Links Isaiah 26:18 NIVIsaiah 26:18 NLT Isaiah 26:18 ESV Isaiah 26:18 NASB Isaiah 26:18 KJV Isaiah 26:18 BibleApps.com Isaiah 26:18 Biblia Paralela Isaiah 26:18 Chinese Bible Isaiah 26:18 French Bible Isaiah 26:18 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Isaiah 26:18 We have been with child (Isa Isi Is) |
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