Original Word: נָלָה
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: nalah
Pronunciation: nah-LAH
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-law')
KJV: make an end
NASB: cease
Word Origin: [apparently a primitive root]

1. to complete

make an end

Apparently a primitive root; to complete -- make an end.

Word Origin
probably a prim. root
Definition
perhaps to obtain, attain
NASB Translation
cease (1).

נלה doubtful √ (Arabic , is obtain, attain, what one obtains by another's bounty, Lane³⁰⁴⁰); — for supposed

Hiph`il Infinitive suffix כַּנְּלֹתְךָ Isaiah 33:1 = כְּהַנְלֹתְךָ (Ki Ges^{Lgb. 87} Kö^{i. 574}), read כְּכַלֹּתְךָ (

Pi`el Infinitive of כלה; so Ra Capp Ges^Thes Ew Kn Che Brd Di Du), compare "" כַּהֲִ˜תמְךָ.

Canonical Setting

נָלָה occurs a single time in the Hebrew canon, Isaiah 33:1. The oracle belongs to a series of “Woe” pronouncements (Isaiah 28–35) that contrast the self-assured aggression of the nations with the steadfast deliverance of the LORD. The verse reads, “Woe to you, O destroyer, never destroyed, O traitor, never betrayed! When you finish destroying, you will be destroyed; when you stop betraying, you will be betrayed” (Isaiah 33:1).

Historical Background

Around 701 B.C. Assyria under Sennacherib swept through Judah, overrunning forty-six fortified cities and demanding tribute from Jerusalem (2 Kings 18:13-16). Isaiah’s “Woe” anticipates the moment when the empire, having extorted and deceived, would itself collapse (Isaiah 37:36-38). נָלָה, whatever its precise nuance, stands within this military-political context as a label of betrayal against the LORD’s people.

Semantic Range and Contextual Meaning

Because the form is rare, dictionaries assign an uncertain sense, yet its placement beside the participle “traitor” and the verb “betrayed” suggests a cognate idea: treachery accomplished by deceitful words or broken treaties. The term therefore conveys calculated faithlessness rather than a spontaneous act.

Prophetic and Theological Themes

1. Divine Retribution: The pattern in Isaiah 33:1—“when you finish… you will be destroyed”—echoes the lex talionis principle (Exodus 21:23-25). God’s sovereignty assures that oppressive nations reap what they sow (Galatians 6:7).
2. Remnant Security: Judah’s salvation does not depend on diplomacy but on the LORD who “will arise” (Isaiah 33:10). נָלָה underscores the futility of trusting human agreements in place of covenant faithfulness (Isaiah 30:1-3).
3. Moral Accountability of Nations: The isolated occurrence warns that collective treachery, though tolerated for a season, invites corporate judgment (Psalm 2:10-12).

Ministry Implications

• Integrity in Leadership: Spiritual and civil leaders must avoid the “destroyer-traitor” pattern; God will expose duplicity (1 Peter 5:2-4).
• Pastoral Comfort: Congregations living under persecution can hold Isaiah 33:1 as a promise that no betrayal is unseen and no injustice permanent (Romans 12:19).
• Missions and Ethics: Evangelistic work among volatile governments should rely on the gospel’s power, not political compromise that mirrors נָלָה.

Connections within Isaiah

Isaiah repeatedly contrasts human betrayal with divine fidelity:
• Isaiah 24:16 laments “treacherous dealers” in a universal judgment scene.
• Isaiah 48:8 indicts Israel’s own betrayal, proving that judgment begins with God’s house before extending to the nations (1 Peter 4:17). Thus נָלָה applies both externally and internally.

Foreshadowing New Covenant Fulfillment

The treachery motif reaches its climax in Judas Iscariot, “the traitor” (Luke 6:16), whose deceit precipitates Christ’s atoning death. Yet the cross turns betrayal into redemption, ensuring that every form of נָלָה is ultimately overcome in the resurrection (Colossians 2:15).

Devotional Reflection

Believers confronted by broken promises can rest in the LORD who “will be the stability of your times” (Isaiah 33:6). The single‐word warning embedded in Isaiah 33:1 reassures that God’s timeline, not the betrayer’s, determines history’s outcome.

Summary

נָלָה, though occurring only once, crystallizes Isaiah’s message: treachery, however sophisticated, invites certain reversal under the righteous reign of God. The term therefore functions as a perpetual caution against deceit and as a steady assurance that truth and justice will prevail.

כַּנְּלֹתְךָ֥ כנלתך kan·nə·lō·ṯə·ḵā kanneloteCha kannəlōṯəḵāInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts