You conceive chaff; you give birth to stubble; your breath is a fire that will consume you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The text uses pregnancy imagery to describe plans that will yield nothing but worthlessness. It's not just that their schemes will fail, but that their very "conception" and "birth" will result in useless "chaff" and "stubble," utterly devoid of substance.
You conceive chaff; you give birth to stubble; your breath is a fire that will consume you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God is speaking directly to His enemies, specifically the Assyrian army threatening Jerusalem. He declares that their elaborate plans and schemes against His people are utterly worthless, like chaff and stubble instead of nourishing grain. Their intense rage and arrogant "spirit" will ultimately consume them, turning their own destructive fury into the very means of their downfall.
Ever poured your heart into a plan, only to see it crumble into dust? This ancient prophet speaks directly to that feeling, calling out schemes that are utterly useless.
The prophet Isaiah uses powerful imagery here: 'You conceive chaff; you give birth to stubble.' This isn't just a poetic insult; it's a theological statement about the worthlessness of plans made apart from God.
Empty Conception, Empty Birth
This imagery reminds us that any endeavor, no matter how grand or well-intentioned, is ultimately worthless if it doesn't align with God's purposes.
We often think of anger as a weapon we wield against others. But what if your own fury could be the very thing that destroys you?
The second part of the verse delivers a chilling consequence: 'your breath is a fire that will consume you.' Here, 'breath' (which can also mean 'spirit' or 'anger') isn't an external force attacking the enemy, but their own internal disposition turned destructive.
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The Self-Devouring Nature of Arrogance
It’s a stark warning that our inner attitudes and emotional responses have the power to bring about our own ruin.
Understand the original words
qash · Hebrew Noun
In a metaphorical sense, it refers to that which is worthless, unsubstantial, or destined for judgment, often used to depict the futility of human efforts apart from God.
qash · Hebrew Noun
Dried stalks of grain left after harvest, often used to represent something easily consumed by fire, symbolizing the inevitable judgment of the wicked.
ruach · Hebrew Noun
Used metaphorically to represent human speech, intent, or the spirit of a person, which can become a source of self-destruction when aligned against God.
This prophecy speaks directly to the Assyrian army's failed invasion of Judah. It highlights the utter futility of their aggressive plans and warns that their own arrogance and fury would ultimately lead to their downfall, not Judah's.
c. 740 BC
Isaiah's Ministry Begins
Isaiah begins his prophetic ministry in Judah during a time of political and religious turmoil, with the looming threat of Assyrian expansion.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The northern kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrian Empire under Sargon II, leading to the exile of its people and serving as a stark warning to Judah.
c. 705-701 BC
Hezekiah's Rebellion
King Hezekiah of Judah rebels against Assyrian rule, refusing to pay tribute, which prompts a massive Assyrian invasion led by Sennacherib.
701 BC— this verse
Sennacherib Invades Judah
The Assyrian army under King Sennacherib sweeps through Judah, conquering many fortified cities and laying siege to Jerusalem.
701 BC
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
Sennacherib's forces surround Jerusalem, demanding Hezekiah's surrender. This is the immediate context for Isaiah's prophecy in chapter 33.
701 BC
Miraculous Destruction of Assyrian Army
According to the biblical account, a plague or divine intervention devastates the Assyrian army outside Jerusalem, forcing Sennacherib to withdraw.
This passage uses similar imagery of conceiving trouble and bringing forth disaster, echoing Isaiah's message that the plans of the wicked are ultimately empty and destructive to themselves.
Psalm 7:14The verse describes someone conceiving mischief and giving birth to trouble, directly paralleling Isaiah's imagery of fruitless and harmful 'conceptions' and 'births'.
Isaiah 59:4This verse also speaks of conceiving mischief and giving birth to iniquity, showing a consistent theme in Isaiah where empty schemes lead to ruin.
Galatians 6:7This New Testament passage articulates the principle that whatever one sows, they will also reap, aligning with Isaiah's idea that the 'breath' or anger of the wicked becomes the fire that consumes them.
clarkeIsaiah 33:11: "Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you."
Your breath "And my spirit" - "For רוחכם ruchechem, your spirit, read רוחי כמו ruchi kemo. "Secker. Which reading is confirmed by the Chaldee, where מימרי meymri, "my word, "answers to רוחי ruchi, "my spirit."
barnesIsaiah 33:11: "Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you."
Ye shall conceive chaff - An address of God to the Assyrians. The figure is one that denotes that their counsels would be in vain. Chaff and stubble are used in the Scriptures, in contrast with grain, to denote anything which is not solid, nutritious, or substantial; then anything which is frivolous, useless, vain. A similar image occurs in Isaiah 26:18 (see the note on that place; com…
The text uses pregnancy imagery to describe plans that will yield nothing but worthlessness. It's not just that their schemes will fail, but that their very "conception" and "birth" will result in useless "chaff" and "stubble," utterly devoid of substance.
God is speaking directly to His enemies, specifically the Assyrian army threatening Jerusalem. He declares that their elaborate plans and schemes against His people are utterly worthless, like chaff and stubble instead of nourishing grain. Their intense rage and arrogant "spirit" will ultimately consume them, turning their own destructive fury into the very means of their downfall.
God is speaking directly to His enemies, specifically the Assyrian army threatening Jerusalem. He declares that their elaborate plans and schemes against His people are utterly worthless, like chaff and stubble instead of nourishing grain. Their intense rage and arrogant "spirit" will ultimately consume them, turning their own destructive fury into the very means of their downfall.
"You conceive chaff; you give birth to stubble; your breath is a fire that will consume you." — The text uses pregnancy imagery to describe plans that will yield nothing but worthlessness. It's not just that their schemes will fail, but that their very "conception" and "birth" will result in us…
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Last reviewed October 2026