Verses 10-11 have the same overall structure of a comparison as verse 9. Verse 10 gives the example, while verse 11 makes the application. The comparison is between rain/snow and God’s word. The point of the comparison is that both are effective. In this way God assures his people in exile that his promises will be realized and that they will indeed return to Judah.

Verses 10-11 form one sentence in the Hebrew text. Good News Translation breaks it into several sentences, which other languages may find helpful (see also the last two examples below and the second example for the next verse).

As in verse 8, the Hebrew particle ki rendered For is probably an emphatic marker rather than a logical connector, so it is better translated “Truly” or “Indeed.” It draws attention to the comparison that follows. Bible en français courant has “Well,” but many versions omit it.

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return not thither but water the earth: This is a simple observation using common sense, not science. In Hebrew these lines have two possible meanings. According to one interpretation, when rain and snow fall from the sky, they do not return to the sky but stay to water the earth (so Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). The other possible meaning is as follows: when rain and snow fall from the sky, they do not return to the sky without watering the earth first. Bible en français courant expresses this sense with “The rain and the snow fall from the sky, but they do not return there without watering the earth” (similarly New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). This second sense provides a better parallel with what happens to God’s word, which returns to God, but not empty (verse 11). The possibility of reading the text in these two ways depends on the Hebrew expression rendered but (ki ʾim). It can also be translated “without” (New International Version, Bible en français courant), “before” (New Jerusalem Bible), or “until” (New Revised Standard Version). Translators may follow either reading here.

In some areas of the world snow is unknown, so there is no word for it (see the comments on 1.18). In such cases translators may omit snow and only speak of rain. Some languages use their word for “hail” whenever snow is mentioned in the Bible (so Yoruba of West Africa).

The last two lines of this verse describe how the rain and snow are effective when they water the earth.

Making it bring forth and sprout: The rain and snow that fall on the earth cause plants to germinate and grow. The two verbs here are largely synonymous. The Hebrew verb rendered making … bring forth normally refers to human birth, but here it speaks of plants growing, just like the verb sprout. In translation it may be necessary to make it explicit that plants spring up and grow; for example, this line may be rendered “causing it to produce plants that grow.” Good News Translation says simply “They [the snow and the rain] make the crops grow.”

Giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater: This is the result of plants that grow. The plants provide seeds for sowing the next crop and food (bread) for eating. The phrase the eater can refer to birds and animals as well as to humans. Good News Translation offers a good model for this line, saying “and provide seed for planting and food to eat” (similarly Revised English Bible).

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• Indeed, just as rain and snow fall from the sky
and do not go back there without having provided water for the earth,
causing it to produce plants that grow,
giving seed for planting and food to eat….

• The rain and snow come down from the heavens
and do not return there, but water the ground,
making it produce plants that spring up,
that then produce seeds to plant and food for eating.

• Truly, rain and snow fall from the sky
and do not return there,
until they have caused plants to grow,
plants that produce seeds for sowing and food to eat.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .