Question regarding Isaiah 24:20

[Kafka]

Hello all,

I'd like ask for support with the meaning of the Hebrew word qūm (Strong 6965) in Isaiah 24:20

The earth reels like a drunkard, it sways like a hut in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion that it falls--never to rise again.

https://biblehub.com/isaiah/24-20.htm

Some people is interpreting the "never to rise again" as if it implies that the normal state of the earth is rising. They say if it will fall and then rise again, it means it was rising before falling, so the earth is in a constant state of rising upwards. They also claim this is the literal interpretation.

I think this is completely wrong. I don't know any Hebrew, but  I found is the word qūm  actually means to stand up, to arise and it's mostly use throughout the Bible for people arising from  a lying or sitting position.

The people making this interpretation are flat earthers.

I'd appreciate if someone with good knowledge of biblical Hebrew could shed more light on this issue

Thanks in advance,
Daniel

[Jason]

No, that's not the meaning of לָקוּם lāqûm. Rather, לָקוּם means "to get up" as in the sense of getting up in the morning or standing up when you've been sitting.

The idea of rising up in the sense of going higher is לִגְבֹּהַּ liḡbōah [H1361], לָרוּם lārûm [H7311], לַעֲלוֹת laʿălôṯ [H5927], among others that become more popular in the post-biblical language.

This is simply not how the verb לָקוּם is used.

In this case, the land (that is, הָאָ֫רֶץ hāʾā́reṣ, probably referring to the Land of Israel and not to the planet Earth) "rising" meaning that it cannot be established as good ever again. It has fallen - in sin or in defeat. This has nothing to do with the earth wandering around like a drunkard.

[Kafka]

Thank you Jason, that's clarifies everything.


Daniel