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Selected Verse: Isaiah 22:12 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Isa 22:12	Strong Concordance	And in that day [03117] did the Lord [0136] GOD [03069] of hosts [06635] call [07121] to weeping [01065], and to mourning [04553], and to baldness [07144], and to girding [02296] with sackcloth [08242]:
	King James	And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
did the Lord God call--Usually the priests gave the summons to national mourning (Joe 1:14); now JEHOVAH Himself shall give it; the "call" shall consist in the presence of a terrible foe. Translate, "shall call." baldness--emblem of grief (Job 1:20; Mic 1:16).

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

did the Lord God call--Usually the priests gave the summons to national mourning (Joe 1:14); now JEHOVAH Himself shall give it; the "call" shall consist in the presence of a terrible foe. Translate, "shall call."

baldness--emblem of grief (Job 1:20; Mic 1:16).

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
And in that day - In the invasion of Sennacherib. It might be rendered, 'And the Lord, Yahweh of hosts, on such a day calls to weeping;' intimating that in such a time it was a general truth that God required those who were thus afflicted to weep, and fast, and pray. Call to weeping - That is, by his providence; or, it was "proper" that at such a time they should weep. Affliction, oppression, and calamity are indications from God "always" that we ought to be humbled, and to prostrate ourselves before Him. And to baldness - To plucking off the hair, or shaving the head - one of the emblems of grief among the ancients Job 1:20; Mic 1:16. And to girding with sackcloth - (see the note at Isa 3:24).

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
And so far as it had proceeded already, it was a call from Jehovah to repentance. "The Lord, Jehovah of hosts, calls in that day to weeping, and to mourning, and to the pulling out of hair, and to girding with sackcloth; and behold joy and gladness, slaughtering of oxen and killing of sheep, eating of flesh and drinking of wine, eating and drinking, for 'tomorrow we die.' And Jehovah of hosts hath revealed in mine ears, Surely this iniquity shall not be expiated for you until ye die, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts." The first condition of repentance is a feeling of pain produced by the punishments of God. But upon Jerusalem they produce the opposite effect. The more threatening the future, the more insensibly and madly do they give themselves up to the rude, sensual enjoyment of the present. Shâthoth is interchanged with shâthō (which is only another form of שׁתה, as in Isa 6:9; Isa 30:19), to ring with shâchōt (compare Hos 10:4). There are other passages in which we meet with unusual forms introduced for the sake of the play upon the words (vid., Isa 4:6; Isa 8:6; Isa 16:9, and compare Eze 43:11, and the keri of Sa2 3:25). The words of the rioters themselves, whose conduct is sketched by the inf. abs., which are all governed by hinnēh, are simply "for tomorrow we shall die." This does not imply that they feel any pleasure in the thought of death, but indicates a love of life which scoffs at death. Then the unalterable will of the all-commanding God is audibly and distinctly revealed to the prophet. Such scoffing as this, which defies the chastisements of God, will not be expiated in any other way than by the death of the scoffer (cuppar, from câphar, tegere, means to be covered over, i.e., expiated). This is done in the case of sin either by the justice of God, as in the present instance, or by the mercy of God (Isa 6:7), or by both justice and mercy combined (as in Isa 27:9). In all three cases the expiation is demanded by the divine holiness, which requires a covering between itself and sin, by which sin becomes as though it were not. In this instance the expunging act consists in punishment. The sin of Jerusalem is expiated by the giving up of the sinners themselves to death. The verb temūthūn (ye shall die) is written absolutely, and therefore is all the more dreadful. The Targum renders it "till ye die the second (eternal) death" (mōthâh thinyânâh). So far as they prophecy threatened the destruction of Jerusalem by Assyria, it was never actually fulfilled; but the very opposite occurred. Asshur itself met with destruction in front of Jerusalem. But this was by no means opposed to the prophecy; and it was with this conviction that Isaiah, nevertheless, included the prophecy in the collection which he made at a time when the non-fulfilment was perfectly apparent. It stands here in a double capacity. In the first place, it is a memorial of the mercy of God, which withdraws, or at all events modifies, the threatened judgment as soon as repentance intervenes. The falling away from Assyria did take place; but on the part of Hezekiah and many others, who had taken to heart the prophet's announcement, it did so simply as an affair that was surrendered into the hands of the God of Israel, through distrust of either their own strength or Egyptian assistance. Hezekiah carried out the measures of defence described by the prophet; but he did this for the good of Jerusalem, and with totally different feelings from those which the prophet had condemned. These measures of defence probably included the reservoir between the two walls, which the chronicler does not mention till the close of the history of his reign, inasmuch as he follows the thread of the book of Kings, to which his book stands, as it were, in the relation of a commentary, like the midrash, from which extracts are made. The king regulated his actions carefully by the prophecy, inasmuch as after the threats had produced repentance, Isa 22:8-11 still remained as good and wise counsels. In the second place, the oracle stands here as the proclamation of a judgment deferred but not repealed. Even if the danger of destruction which threatened Jerusalem on the part of Assyria had been mercifully caused to pass away, the threatening word of Jehovah had not fallen to the ground. The counsel of God contained in the word of prophecy still remained; and as it was the counsel of the Omniscient, the time would surely come when it would pass out of the sphere of ideality into that of actual fact. It remained hovering over Jerusalem like an eagle, and Jerusalem would eventually become its carrion. We have only to compare the temūthūn of this passage with the ἀποθανείσθε of Joh 8:21, to see when the eventual fulfilment took place. Thus the "massa of the valley of vision" became a memorial of mercy to Israel when it looked back to its past history: but when it looked into the future, it was still a mirror of wrath.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

And so far as it had proceeded already, it was a call from Jehovah to repentance. "The Lord, Jehovah of hosts, calls in that day to weeping, and to mourning, and to the pulling out of hair, and to girding with sackcloth; and behold joy and gladness, slaughtering of oxen and killing of sheep, eating of flesh and drinking of wine, eating and drinking, for 'tomorrow we die.' And Jehovah of hosts hath revealed in mine ears, Surely this iniquity shall not be expiated for you until ye die, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts." The first condition of repentance is a feeling of pain produced by the punishments of God. But upon Jerusalem they produce the opposite effect. The more threatening the future, the more insensibly and madly do they give themselves up to the rude, sensual enjoyment of the present. Shâthoth is interchanged with shâthō (which is only another form of שׁתה, as in Isa 6:9; Isa 30:19), to ring with shâchōt (compare Hos 10:4). There are other passages in which we meet with unusual forms introduced for the sake of the play upon the words (vid., Isa 4:6; Isa 8:6; Isa 16:9, and compare Eze 43:11, and the keri of Sa2 3:25). The words of the rioters themselves, whose conduct is sketched by the inf. abs., which are all governed by hinnēh, are simply "for tomorrow we shall die." This does not imply that they feel any pleasure in the thought of death, but indicates a love of life which scoffs at death. Then the unalterable will of the all-commanding God is audibly and distinctly revealed to the prophet. Such scoffing as this, which defies the chastisements of God, will not be expiated in any other way than by the death of the scoffer (cuppar, from câphar, tegere, means to be covered over, i.e., expiated). This is done in the case of sin either by the justice of God, as in the present instance, or by the mercy of God (Isa 6:7), or by both justice and mercy combined (as in Isa 27:9). In all three cases the expiation is demanded by the divine holiness, which requires a covering between itself and sin, by which sin becomes as though it were not. In this instance the expunging act consists in punishment. The sin of Jerusalem is expiated by the giving up of the sinners themselves to death. The verb temūthūn (ye shall die) is written absolutely, and therefore is all the more dreadful. The Targum renders it "till ye die the second (eternal) death" (mōthâh thinyânâh). So far as they prophecy threatened the destruction of Jerusalem by Assyria, it was never actually fulfilled; but the very opposite occurred. Asshur itself met with destruction in front of Jerusalem. But this was by no means opposed to the prophecy; and it was with this conviction that Isaiah, nevertheless, included the prophecy in the collection which he made at a time when the non-fulfilment was perfectly apparent. It stands here in a double capacity. In the first place, it is a memorial of the mercy of God, which withdraws, or at all events modifies, the threatened judgment as soon as repentance intervenes. The falling away from Assyria did take place; but on the part of Hezekiah and many others, who had taken to heart the prophet's announcement, it did so simply as an affair that was surrendered into the hands of the God of Israel, through distrust of either their own strength or Egyptian assistance. Hezekiah carried out the measures of defence described by the prophet; but he did this for the good of Jerusalem, and with totally different feelings from those which the prophet had condemned. These measures of defence probably included the reservoir between the two walls, which the chronicler does not mention till the close of the history of his reign, inasmuch as he follows the thread of the book of Kings, to which his book stands, as it were, in the relation of a commentary, like the midrash, from which extracts are made. The king regulated his actions carefully by the prophecy, inasmuch as after the threats had produced repentance, Isa 22:8-11 still remained as good and wise counsels. In the second place, the oracle stands here as the proclamation of a judgment deferred but not repealed. Even if the danger of destruction which threatened Jerusalem on the part of Assyria had been mercifully caused to pass away, the threatening word of Jehovah had not fallen to the ground. The counsel of God contained in the word of prophecy still remained; and as it was the counsel of the Omniscient, the time would surely come when it would pass out of the sphere of ideality into that of actual fact. It remained hovering over Jerusalem like an eagle, and Jerusalem would eventually become its carrion. We have only to compare the temūthūn of this passage with the ἀποθανείσθε of Joh 8:21, to see when the eventual fulfilment took place. Thus the "massa of the valley of vision" became a memorial of mercy to Israel when it looked back to its past history: but when it looked into the future, it was still a mirror of wrath.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Call - By his providence, and by his precepts requiring these things in such times. Baldness - By plucking or shaving off the hair of their heads, as was usual in great sorrows.

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¹⁶ Make thee bald [07139], and poll [01494] thee for thy delicate [08588] children [01121]; enlarge [07337] thy baldness [07144] as the eagle [05404]; for they are gone into captivity [01540] from thee.

²⁰ Then Job [0347] arose [06965], and rent [07167] his mantle [04598], and shaved [01494] his head [07218], and fell down [05307] upon the ground [0776], and worshipped [07812],

¹⁴ Sanctify [06942] ye a fast [06685], call [07121] a solemn assembly [06116], gather [0622] the elders [02205] and all the inhabitants [03427] of the land [0776] into the house [01004] of the LORD [03068] your God [0430], and cry [02199] unto the LORD [03068],

²⁴ And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell [01314] there shall be stink [04716]; and instead of a girdle [02290] a rent [05364]; and instead of well set [04639] hair [04748] baldness [07144]; and instead of a stomacher [06614] a girding [04228] of sackcloth [08242]; and burning [03587] instead of beauty [03308].

²⁰ Then Job [0347] arose [06965], and rent [07167] his mantle [04598], and shaved [01494] his head [07218], and fell down [05307] upon the ground [0776], and worshipped [07812],

²¹ Then [3767] said [2036] Jesus [2424] again [3825] unto them [846], I [1473] go my way [5217], and [2532] ye shall seek [2212] me [3165], and [2532] shall die [599] in [1722] your [5216] sins [266]: whither [3699] I [1473] go [5217], ye [5210] cannot [3756] [1410] come [2064].

⁸ And he discovered [01540] the covering [04539] of Judah [03063], and thou didst look [05027] in that day [03117] to the armour [05402] of the house [01004] of the forest [03293].
⁹ Ye have seen [07200] also the breaches [01233] of the city [05892] of David [01732], that they are many [07231]: and ye gathered together [06908] the waters [04325] of the lower [08481] pool [01295].
¹⁰ And ye have numbered [05608] the houses [01004] of Jerusalem [03389], and the houses [01004] have ye broken down [05422] to fortify [01219] the wall [02346].
¹¹ Ye made [06213] also a ditch [04724] between the two walls [02346] for the water [04325] of the old [03465] pool [01295]: but ye have not looked [05027] unto the maker [06213] thereof, neither had respect [07200] unto him that fashioned [03335] it long ago [07350].

⁹ By this [02063] therefore shall the iniquity [05771] of Jacob [03290] be purged [03722]; and this is all the fruit [06529] to take away [05493] his sin [02403]; when he maketh [07760] all the stones [068] of the altar [04196] as chalkstones [01615] that are beaten in sunder [05310], the groves [0842] and images [02553] shall not stand up [06965].

⁷ And he laid [05060] it upon my mouth [06310], and said [0559], Lo, this hath touched [05060] thy lips [08193]; and thine iniquity [05771] is taken away [05493], and thy sin [02403] purged [03722].

²⁵ Thou knowest [03045] Abner [074] the son [01121] of Ner [05369], that he came [0935] to deceive [06601] thee, and to know [03045] thy going out [04161] and thy coming in [04126] [03996], and to know [03045] all that thou doest [06213].

¹¹ And if they be ashamed [03637] of all that they have done [06213], shew [03045] them the form [06699] of the house [01004], and the fashion [08498] thereof, and the goings out [04161] thereof, and the comings [04126] in thereof, and all the forms [06699] thereof, and all the ordinances [02708] thereof, and all the forms [06699] thereof, and all the laws [08451] thereof: and write [03789] it in their sight [05869], that they may keep [08104] the whole form [06699] thereof, and all the ordinances [02708] thereof, and do [06213] them.

⁹ Therefore I will bewail [01058] with the weeping [01065] of Jazer [03270] the vine [01612] of Sibmah [07643]: I will water [07301] thee with my tears [01832], O Heshbon [02809], and Elealeh [0500]: for the shouting [01959] for thy summer fruits [07019] and for thy harvest [07105] is fallen [05307].

⁶ Forasmuch [03282] as this people [05971] refuseth [03988] the waters [04325] of Shiloah [07975] that go [01980] softly [0328], and rejoice [04885] in Rezin [07526] and Remaliah's [07425] son [01121];

⁶ And there shall be a tabernacle [05521] for a shadow [06738] in the daytime [03119] from the heat [02721], and for a place of refuge [04268], and for a covert [04563] from storm [02230] and from rain [04306].

⁴ They have spoken [01696] words [01697], swearing [0422] falsely [07723] in making [03772] a covenant [01285]: thus judgment [04941] springeth up [06524] as hemlock [07219] in the furrows [08525] of the field [07704].

¹⁹ For the people [05971] shall dwell [03427] in Zion [06726] at Jerusalem [03389]: thou shalt weep [01058] no more [01058]: he will be very [02603] gracious [02603] unto thee at the voice [06963] of thy cry [02199]; when he shall hear [08085] it, he will answer [06030] thee.

⁹ And he said [0559], Go [03212], and tell [0559] this people [05971], Hear [08085] ye indeed [08085], but understand [0995] not; and see [07200] ye indeed [07200], but perceive [03045] not.