Isaiah 9:18
New International Version
Surely wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns, it sets the forest thickets ablaze, so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.

New Living Translation
This wickedness is like a brushfire. It burns not only briers and thorns but also sets the forests ablaze. Its burning sends up clouds of smoke.

English Standard Version
For wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns; it kindles the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke.

Berean Standard Bible
For wickedness burns like a fire that consumes the thorns and briers and kindles the forest thickets, which roll upward in billows of smoke.

King James Bible
For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.

New King James Version
For wickedness burns as the fire; It shall devour the briers and thorns, And kindle in the thickets of the forest; They shall mount up like rising smoke.

New American Standard Bible
For wickedness burns like a fire; It consumes briars and thorns; It also sets the thickets of the forest aflame And they roll upward in a column of smoke.

NASB 1995
For wickedness burns like a fire; It consumes briars and thorns; It even sets the thickets of the forest aflame And they roll upward in a column of smoke.

NASB 1977
For wickedness burns like a fire; It consumes briars and thorns; It even sets the thickets of the forest aflame, And they roll upward in a column of smoke.

Legacy Standard Bible
For wickedness burns like a fire; It consumes briars and thorns; It even sets the thickets of the forest aflame, And they roll upward in a column of smoke.

Amplified Bible
For wickedness burns like a fire; It consumes briars and thorns, It even sets the forest thickets ablaze; And it swirls upward in a column of smoke.

Christian Standard Bible
For wickedness burns like a fire that consumes thorns and briers and kindles the forest thickets so that they go up in a column of smoke.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For wickedness burns like a fire that consumes thorns and briers and kindles the forest thickets so that they go up in a column of smoke.

American Standard Version
For wickedness burneth as the fire; it devoureth the briers and thorns; yea, it kindleth in the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke.

Contemporary English Version
Evil had spread like a raging forest fire sending thornbushes up in smoke.

English Revised Version
For wickedness burneth as the fire; it devoureth the briers and thorns: yea, it kindleth in the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in thick clouds of smoke.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Surely wickedness burns like fire. It burns up briars and thorns. It sets the underbrush in the forest on fire, and it whirls upward in clouds of smoke.

Good News Translation
The wickedness of the people burns like a fire that destroys thorn bushes and thistles. It burns like a forest fire that sends up columns of smoke.

International Standard Version
"For wickedness has burned like a blaze that consumes briers and thorns; it sets thickets of the forest on fire, and skyward they swirl in a column of smoke.

Majority Standard Bible
For wickedness burns like a fire that consumes the thorns and briers and kindles the forest thickets, which roll upward in billows of smoke.

NET Bible
For evil burned like a fire, it consumed thorns and briers; it burned up the thickets of the forest, and they went up in smoke.

New Heart English Bible
For wickedness burns like a fire. It devours the briers and thorns; yes, it kindles in the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke.

Webster's Bible Translation
For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the rising of smoke.

World English Bible
For wickedness burns like a fire. It devours the briers and thorns; yes, it kindles in the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
For wickedness has burned as a fire, "" It devours brier and thorn, "" And it kindles in thickets of the forest, "" And they lift themselves up, an exaltation of smoke!

Young's Literal Translation
For burned as a fire hath wickedness, Brier and thorn it devoureth, And it kindleth in thickets of the forest, And they lift themselves up, an exaltation of smoke!

Smith's Literal Translation
For wickedness burnt as fire; the sharp point and the thorn it shall consume, and shall burn in the thickets of the forest, and they shall roll up in the mounting up of smoke.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For wickedness is kindled as a fire, it shall devour the brier and the thorn: and shall kindle in the thicket of the forest, and it shall be wrapped up in smoke ascending on high.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For impiety has been kindled like a fire: it will devour brier and thorn, and it will burn in the dense forest, and it will be interwoven with the ascending smoke.

New American Bible
For wickedness burns like fire, devouring brier and thorn; It kindles the forest thickets, which go up in columns of smoke.

New Revised Standard Version
For wickedness burned like a fire, consuming briers and thorns; it kindled the thickets of the forest, and they swirled upward in a column of smoke.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For wickedness burns like the fire; it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and the chosen ones shall roll up like the lifting up of smoke.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because sin burned as fire and it will devour a thicket and thorns, and it shall continue into the branches of the forest, and the chosen ones shall be engulfed in smoke
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
For wickedness burneth as the fire; It devoureth the briers and thorns; Yea, it kindleth in the thickets of the forest, And they roll upward in thick clouds of smoke.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And iniquity shall burn as fire, and shall be devoured by fire as dry grass: and it shall burn in the thickets of the wood, and shall devour all that is round about the hills.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Judgment Against Israel's Unrepentance
18For wickedness burns like a fire that consumes the thorns and briers and kindles the forest thickets which roll upward in billows of smoke. 19By the wrath of the LORD of Hosts the land is scorched, and the people are fuel for the fire. No man even spares his brother.…

Cross References
James 3:6
The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

Jeremiah 5:14
Therefore this is what the LORD God of Hosts says: “Because you have spoken this word, I will make My words a fire in your mouth and this people the wood it consumes.

Hebrews 12:29
“For our God is a consuming fire.”

Psalm 83:14
As fire consumes a forest, as a flame sets the mountains ablaze,

Malachi 4:1
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of Hosts. “Not a root or branch will be left to them.”

2 Thessalonians 1:8
in blazing fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

Deuteronomy 32:22
For a fire has been kindled by My anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol; it consumes the earth and its produce, and scorches the foundations of the mountains.

Revelation 8:7
Then the first angel sounded his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, along with a third of the trees and all the green grass.

Ezekiel 20:47-48
Say to the forest of the Negev: Hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Lord GOD says: I am about to ignite in you a fire, and it will devour all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and by it every face from south to north will be scorched. / Then all people will see that I, the LORD, have kindled it; it will not be quenched.”

Matthew 3:12
His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Nahum 1:6
Who can withstand His indignation? Who can endure His burning anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; even rocks are shattered before Him.

2 Peter 3:10
But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.

Jeremiah 21:14
I will punish you as your deeds deserve, declares the LORD. I will kindle a fire in your forest that will consume everything around you.’”

Joel 1:19-20
To You, O LORD, I call, for fire has consumed the open pastures and flames have scorched all the trees of the field. / Even the beasts of the field pant for You, for the streams of water have dried up, and fire has consumed the open pastures.

Isaiah 10:17
And the Light of Israel will become a fire, and its Holy One a flame. In a single day it will burn and devour Assyria’s thorns and thistles.


Treasury of Scripture

For wickedness burns as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.

wickedness

Isaiah 1:31
And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

Isaiah 30:30,33
And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones…

Isaiah 33:12
And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.

it shall

Isaiah 10:16-18
Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire…

Isaiah 27:4
Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together.

Hebrews 6:8
But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

shall kindle

Ezekiel 20:47,48
And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein…

mount

Isaiah 5:24
Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Psalm 37:20
But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.

Hosea 13:3
Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.

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Ablaze Aflame Blackberries Briars Brier Briers Burned Burneth Burns Clouds Column Consumes Dark Devour Devoureth Devours Evil Exaltation Fire Forest Kindle Kindles Kindleth Lifting Mount Pillar Rising Roll Rolling Sets Smoke Surely Themselves Thick Thickets Thorns Upward Wickedness Woods
Isaiah 9
1. What joy shall be in the midst of afflictions, by the birth and kingdom of Christ
8. The judgments upon Israel for their pride
13. For their hypocrisy
18. And for their unrepentance














For wickedness burns like a fire
The phrase "For wickedness burns like a fire;" uses the imagery of fire to describe the consuming and destructive nature of wickedness. In Hebrew, the word for "wickedness" is "רִשְׁעָה" (rish'ah), which conveys a sense of moral wrongness and injustice. The metaphor of fire is significant in the biblical context, often symbolizing judgment, purification, or destruction. Here, it emphasizes how sin and moral corruption can spread rapidly and uncontrollably, much like a wildfire, consuming everything in its path. This imagery serves as a warning of the inherent dangers of allowing wickedness to go unchecked within a society or individual life.

it consumes the briers and thorns
The phrase "it consumes the briers and thorns;" continues the metaphor of fire, illustrating how wickedness destroys what is unproductive or harmful. In the ancient Near Eastern context, "briers and thorns" were often associated with desolation and curse, as seen in Genesis 3:18, where thorns and thistles are part of the curse upon the ground. The Hebrew words "שָׁמִיר" (shamir) for "briers" and "שַׁיִת" (shayith) for "thorns" suggest things that are obstacles or hindrances. This consumption indicates that wickedness not only spreads but also eradicates anything that stands in its way, leaving behind a barren and desolate landscape.

it sets the forest thickets ablaze
The phrase "it sets the forest thickets ablaze," expands the destructive power of wickedness to a larger scale. The "forest thickets" symbolize the dense and complex structures of society, which can be engulfed by the flames of sin. The Hebrew word "יַעַר" (ya'ar) for "forest" often represents a place of growth and life, but here it is depicted as vulnerable to destruction. This imagery underscores the idea that no part of society is immune to the effects of pervasive wickedness, which can lead to widespread devastation and chaos.

so that it billows up in columns of smoke
The phrase "so that it billows up in columns of smoke." concludes the imagery with the aftermath of the fire, where smoke rises as a visible sign of destruction. The Hebrew word "עָשָׁן" (ashan) for "smoke" is often associated with the presence of fire and its consuming effects. The "columns of smoke" suggest a significant and far-reaching impact, visible to all. This serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of sin, which not only affects the immediate environment but also sends a signal to others of the devastation that has occurred. The imagery calls for reflection on the need for repentance and turning away from wickedness to prevent such destruction.

(18) It shall devour the briers and thorns . . .--The words are obviously figurative for men who were base and vile, as in 2Samuel 23:6; but the figure may have been suggested by Isaiah 7:23-24. The outward desolation, with its rank growth of underwood, was to the prophet's eye a type of the moral condition of his people. And for such a people sin becomes the punishment of sin, and burns like a fire in a forest thicket, leaving the land clear for fresh culture and a better growth. (Comp. Isaiah 33:11-12; James 3:5; Hebrews 6:8.)

Verse 18. - Wickedness burneth as the fire; i.e. the contagion of wickedness overspreads a whole nation in the same rapid way that fire spreads over a field of stubble or a forest. They shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke; rather, they - i.e., the forest thickets - shall be whirled upward with the uplifting of smoke. The burning thickets shall mount up with the volumes of smoke into the air, and hang there as a murky but lurid pall. The flames of wickedness give no light to a land, but lunge it in heavy, hopeless gloom.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
For
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

wickedness
רִשְׁעָ֔ה (riš·‘āh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7564: Wickedness

burns
בָעֲרָ֤ה (ḇā·‘ă·rāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1197: To kindle, consume, to be, brutish

like a fire
כָאֵשׁ֙ (ḵā·’êš)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 784: A fire

that consumes
תֹּאכֵ֑ל (tō·ḵêl)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

the thorns
וָשַׁ֖יִת (wā·ša·yiṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7898: Scrub, trash, wild growth of weeds, briers

and briers
שָׁמִ֥יר (šā·mîr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8068: A thorn, a gem, the diamond

and kindles
וַתִּצַּת֙ (wat·tiṣ·ṣaṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3341: To burn, set on fire, to desolate

the forest
הַיַּ֔עַר (hay·ya·‘ar)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3293: A copse of bushes, a forest, honey in the comb

thickets
בְּסִֽבְכֵ֣י (bə·siḇ·ḵê)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 5442: A thicket

which roll upward
וַיִּֽתְאַבְּכ֖וּ (way·yiṯ·’ab·bə·ḵū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 55: To coil upward

in columns
גֵּא֥וּת (gê·’ūṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 1348: Arrogance, majesty, ornament

of smoke.
עָשָֽׁן׃ (‘ā·šān)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6227: Smoke


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 9:18 For wickedness burns like a fire (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 9:17
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