You will see no more the insolent people, the people of an obscure speech that you cannot comprehend, stammering in a tongue that you cannot understand.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "a people of an obscure speech" isn't just about a foreign language; it points to a communication that is fundamentally incomprehensible because it lacks sense and truth, signifying the ultimate defeat of those who rely on deceit and confusion. This isn't just about not understanding words, but about recognizing the hollowness and danger behind them, which will finally be silenced.
You will see no more the insolent people, the people of an obscure speech that you cannot comprehend, stammering in a tongue that you cannot understand.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse comes after God promises to deliver Jerusalem from its attackers, specifically the Assyrians who had previously threatened the city. The surrounding context describes the future peace and security of Zion and Jerusalem, emphasizing that God himself will be their protection. This particular verse looks forward to a time when the intimidating and unintelligible foreign oppressors, like the Assyrians with their distinct language, will no longer be a threat to God's people.
Imagine living in a city under siege, the enemy's language a constant reminder of your helplessness. This verse promises an end to that fear.
Isaiah 33:19 paints a vivid picture of relief. For generations, God's people had been threatened by powerful empires whose languages and customs were utterly foreign. These oppressors were described as 'fierce,' wielding unintelligible speech like a weapon of intimidation.
This verse, however, is a prophecy of deliverance. It assures God's people that they will 'see no more' these intimidating forces. The 'fierce people' who spoke in ways they couldn't understand would be vanquished. This wasn't just about a military victory; it was about the removal of a source of profound anxiety and alienation. The unintelligible 'stammering tongue' would fade into silence, replaced by the security and peace of God's presence.
What does it mean for a language to be 'obscure' or 'stammering' in God's eyes? It's more than just not knowing the words.
The 'obscure speech' and 'stammering tongue' in Isaiah 33:19 refer to more than just a foreign dialect. This language is characterized by its insolence and its unintelligibility to the hearer. It represents a communication that is not only incomprehensible but also hostile and dehumanizing.
Think about it: when people speak in a way that we can't understand, it creates a barrier. It can lead to fear, mistrust, and a sense of powerlessness. For the people of Judah, the languages of Assyria and Babylon were symbols of their oppression – a constant reminder that they were at the mercy of invaders who didn't share their values or understand their cries.
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This verse promises that this kind of communication, this weapon of intimidation, will cease. God's people will no longer be subjected to the terror of the incomprehensible and the insolent. Their security will come not just from the defeat of their enemies, but from the silencing of that oppressive language.
Understand the original words
azaz · Hebrew Adjective
A word characterizing arrogant, presumptuous, or proud behavior, especially in opposition to God or His people. It frequently denotes those who act with defiance and lack the fear of the Lord.
This prophecy speaks directly to the Assyrian invasion under Sennacherib, offering the assurance that Jerusalem would not fall and its people would no longer face the terror of this foreign, incomprehensible enemy. The mention of a 'fierce people' with an 'obscure speech' directly evokes the experience of facing the Assyrian army, whose language and intimidating presence were a source of dread. The surrounding events highlight a recurring pattern of foreign oppression and the eventual deliverance by divine intervention, reinforcing the message of hope and security found in God.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Assyrian Invasion of Judah
King Sennacherib of Assyria invades Judah, conquering many cities and besieging Jerusalem. The Assyrian army is characterized by its fierce demeanor and foreign language.
c. 701 BC
Divine Intervention and Assyrian Retreat
An angel of the Lord strikes down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in their camp overnight, forcing Sennacherib to withdraw from Jerusalem back to Nineveh.
586 BC
Babylonian Exile
The Babylonian Empire conquers Jerusalem, destroying the Temple and exiling many of the Jewish people to Babylon. This event reinforces the experience of foreign oppressors and unintelligible languages.
c. 539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers the Babylonian Empire, eventually allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple.
This passage speaks of seeing enemies (the Egyptians) no more after God's deliverance, echoing Isaiah's promise that the 'fierce people' will be seen no more.
Isaiah 28:11This verse describes God speaking to His people with 'stammering lips and another tongue,' a parallel to the 'stammering tongue' of the foreign invaders in Isaiah 33:19.
Jeremiah 5:15This verse describes a foreign nation speaking an unknown language coming to oppress Judah, mirroring the unintelligible speech mentioned in Isaiah 33:19.
1 Corinthians 14:10-11Paul discusses the importance of understandable language in worship, highlighting how unintelligible speech can lead to alienation, similar to the experience of hearing a 'stammering tongue' that cannot be understood.
Revelation 7:9This vision of the redeemed in heaven includes people from every nation, tribe, people, and language, contrasting with the unintelligible 'stammering tongue' of the oppressor and pointing to a future where all are understood in unity.
bensonIsaiah 33:19: "Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand."
Isaiah 33:19 . Thou shalt not see a fierce people — As Moses said of the Egyptians, ( Exodus 14:13 ,) The Egyptians, whom you have seen to- day, you shall see them again no more; so I say of the Assyrians, that fierce and warlike people, whom thou hast seen, with great terror, near the walls of Jerusalem, thou shalt see them again no m…
cambridgeIsaiah 33:19: "Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand."
19 . Thou shalt not see the fierce people ] Some render “people of barbarous speech”; cf. ch. Isaiah 28:11 . of a deeper speech, &c. ] ( Ezekiel 3:5 ), of too deep speech to be understood . that thou canst not understand ] Or, without sense.
The phrase "a people of an obscure speech" isn't just about a foreign language; it points to a communication that is fundamentally incomprehensible because it lacks sense and truth, signifying the ultimate defeat of those who rely on deceit and confusion. This isn't just about not understanding words, but about recognizing the hollowness and danger behind them, which will finally be silenced.
This verse comes after God promises to deliver Jerusalem from its attackers, specifically the Assyrians who had previously threatened the city. The surrounding context describes the future peace and security of Zion and Jerusalem, emphasizing that God himself will be their protection. This particular verse looks forward to a time when the intimidating and unintelligible foreign oppressors, like the Assyrians with their distinct language, will no longer be a threat to God's people.
This verse comes after God promises to deliver Jerusalem from its attackers, specifically the Assyrians who had previously threatened the city. The surrounding context describes the future peace and security of Zion and Jerusalem, emphasizing that God himself will be their protection. This particular verse looks forward to a time when the intimidating and unintelligible foreign oppressors, like the Assyrians with their distinct language, will no longer be a threat to God's people.
"You will see no more the insolent people, the people of an obscure speech that you cannot comprehend, stammering in a tongue that you cannot understand." — The phrase "a people of an obscure speech" isn't just about a foreign language; it points to a communication that is fundamentally incomprehensible because it lacks sense and truth, signifying the ul…
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Last reviewed October 2026