Isaiah 54:15

The verse is somewhat difficult. The rendering "gather together" can hardly be defended, and moreover it does not suit the construction ("against," in the second line, is really "with"). The verb is perhaps best explained as a by-form of a root meaning to "stir up" (strife) or pick a quarrel (Proverbs 15:18). The sense would be: If (any) should stir up strife (it is) not of me; whosoever stirs up strife with thee shall fall &c. (see R.V. and marg.)

fall because of thee] or perhaps "fall upon thee" to his own ruin (cf. ch. Isaiah 8:14 f.). R.V. marg. suggests "fall away to thee," i.e. go over to thy side, which is the sense given by some of the ancient versions. The phrase has this meaning in Jeremiah 21:9; Jeremiah 37:14 ("fall away to the Chaldæans"), but it is little appropriate in this verse.