Isaiah 17:12
in Isaiah 17Alas, the tumult of many peoples; they rage like the roaring seas and clamoring nations; they rumble like the crashing of mighty waters.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Ah, the uproar of many peoples, that roar like the roaring of the seas; and the rushing of nations, that rush like the rushing of mighty waters!
KJV
Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
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This verse in Isaiah 17
Commentary
13 notes on this verseWoe to the multitude of many people,..... Not as lamenting the people of the Jews with Hezekiah, as if they were the words of the prophet bemoaning their condition, saying, "O the multitude", &c. nor intending the Syrians and Israelites joined together against Judah; but the Assyrian army under Sennacherib, which consisted of people of many nations, and was very numerous, who are either threatened or called unto.
This site's exposition
Alas, the tumult of many peoples
on Isaiah 17:12-14
The oracle widens from Damascus and Ephraim to every nation. He rebukes them and they flee, with sudden terror in the evening and by morning they are no more. Henry and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown set beside it Sennacherib's later siege, an army gone between nightfall and dawn.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
(Verse 12) Those who believe that the captivity of Damascus discussed above was inflicted by the Romans also refer what is written here to the time of Christ and the apostles: "People will bow to their Creator, and their eyes will look to the holy one of Israel." They further think that what follows, namely, "You will plant faithful plants, and you will sow strange seeds; in the day of your planting, the wild grape" applies to the infidelity of the Jews. And this little passage that we just set forth they interpret as concerning the peoples who persecute the church. The next line, "he will rebuke him, and he will flee far away," they receive as concerning the devil, demonstrating the destruction of persecutors and demons through a tropological interpretation. We, however, follow the original order and complete the historical foundation with a historical culmination. Woe, it says, to all the nations who wage war against my people, whose attack was strong enough to be compared to the waves of the sea.
(Verse 12) Woe to the multitude of many peoples, like the roaring of the sea, and the tumult of the nations. Above, we read about the calling of the Gentiles and the rejection of the Jews, and also about the election of a few Jews among the Apostles. And since in comparison to the whole world and all the nations, only a small part of the people believed in Christ, as it was said above: 'And the remnant of Syria shall be as the glory of the children of Israel' (for 'many are called, but few are chosen' - Matthew 22:14) and 'not all have faith' (2 Thessalonians 3:2), now it follows that there is not mourning, but woe to those nations who refused to believe and persecuted the Christian people. And they are compared to the mass of waves and the roaring sea, and as much as is within them, they desire to overwhelm and occupy everything. For the people will sound forth in the spectacles of theatrical luxury, and in the cruelty of the amphitheater, and in the madness of the circus, just as the sound of overflowing waters, when with a united voice of impiety they blaspheme, and they say to the Christians, 'Throw them to the lions and beasts,' and other things of this kind.
(Verse 12) Woe to the multitude of many peoples, as the sound of the roaring sea: and the tumult of nations, like the sound of many waters. Those who consider the captivity of Damascus inflicted by the Romans, and this which is written: Man shall bow down to his Maker, and his eyes shall look to the Holy One of Israel, refer to the times of Christ and the Apostles.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Woe to the multitude. Here he threatens the destruction of the Assyrians, and concerning this he sets out three things. And first, he describes the multitude of the army as to the noise of their marching, woe to the multitude of people, coming with Sennacherib; …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Woe - This is a new prophecy, added for the comfort of God's people. Many - Combined together against Judah. Seas - Who invade my land and people with great force, as the sea does when it enters into the land by a breach.
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
3 The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the L ORD of hosts. 4 And in that day it shall come to pass, that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:97%@v3-4
), for he shall rebuke them, that is, God shall, one whom they little think of, have no regard to, stand in no awe of; he shall give them a check with an invisible hand, and then they shall flee afar off.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
The floods have lifted up their voice, have lifted up their waves; such is the tumult of the people, and the heathen, when they rage, Ps. ii. Triumphed over by the judgments of God.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Wo to the multitude - The three last verses of this chapter seem to have no relation to the foregoing prophecy, to which they are joined. It is a beautiful piece, standing singly and by itself; for neither has it any connection with what follows: whether it stands in its right place, or not, I cannot say. It is a noble description of the formidable invasion and the sudden overthrow of Sennacherib; which is intimated in the strongest terms and the most expressive images, exactly suitable to the event.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Woe . . . multitude--rather, "Ho (Hark)! a noise of," &c. The prophet in vision perceives the vast and mixed Assyrian hosts (Hebrew, "many peoples," see on Isa 5:26): on the hills of Judah (so "mountains," Isa 17:13): but at the "rebuke" of God, they shall "flee as chaff." to the rushing . . . that make--rather, "the roaring . . . roareth" (compare Isa 8:7;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Wo to the multitude ... - The word ‘woe’ (הוי hôy) may be either an interjection simply directing the attention to them, or it may be a word indicating approaching calamity and judgment (see the note at Isa 5:6). Gesenius supposes that it is rather the language of compassion, on account of the evil which they threatened to bring upon the people of God, like 1Ki 13:30, ‘Ah! wo, my brother!’ The multitude of many people - Or, the tumult of many nations - a description of the noise attending an invading army made up of many nations mingled together, such as was that of Sennacherib. Which make a noise ... - This is a beautiful description of a vast army, and of the shouting, the tumult, the din, which attends its march. The same comparison occurs in Jer 6:23; Psa 65:7 (see Eze 43:2; Rev 1:15; Rev 14:2; Rev 19:6). And to the rushing of nations - The rushing of mighty armies to conquest.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Woe to a multitude of many peoples This is a principle followed throughout all generations; the scourge by which Israel is punished, shall eventually suffer. Therefore, the prophets who prophesy Israel’s retribution through the nations, juxtapose after it the retribution of the nation by which Israel was punished.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
and He shall rebuke them [lit.] him i.e., the Holy One, blessed be He, [shall rebuke] that rushing [or throng].
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ה֗וֹי | ho | woe to! | H1945 → | 51 times |
| הֲמוֹן֙ | hamon | [the] tumult of | H1995 → | 83 times |
| עַמִּ֣ים | ʾamim | peoples | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| רַבִּ֔ים | rabim | many | H7227 → | 454 times |
| כַּהֲמ֥וֹת | kahamot | as roar | H1993 → | 34 times |
| יַמִּ֖ים | yamim | [the] seas | H3220 → | 396 times |
| יֶהֱמָי֑וּן | yehemayun | they roar ! | H1993 → | 34 times |
| וּשְׁא֣וֹן | usheon | and [the] uproar of | H7588 → | 18 times |
| לְאֻמִּ֔ים | leumim | nations | H3816 → | 31 times |
| כִּשְׁא֛וֹן | kishon | like [the] uproar of | H7588 → | 18 times |
| מַ֥יִם | mayim | waters | H4325 → | 581 times |
| כַּבִּירִ֖ים | kabirim | mighty | H3524 → | 10 times |
| יִשָּׁאֽוּן׃ | yishaun | they are in an uproar ! | H7582 → | 6 times |
ה֗וֹיwoe to!
hoH1945 →51 times
הֲמוֹן֙[the] tumult of
hamonH1995 →83 times
עַמִּ֣יםpeoples
ʾamimH5971 →1873 times
רַבִּ֔יםmany
rabimH7227 →454 times
כַּהֲמ֥וֹתas roar
kahamotH1993 →34 times
יַמִּ֖ים[the] seas
yamimH3220 →396 times
יֶהֱמָי֑וּןthey roar !
yehemayunH1993 →34 times
וּשְׁא֣וֹןand [the] uproar of
usheonH7588 →18 times
לְאֻמִּ֔יםnations
leumimH3816 →31 times
כִּשְׁא֛וֹןlike [the] uproar of
kishonH7588 →18 times
מַ֥יִםwaters
mayimH4325 →581 times
כַּבִּירִ֖יםmighty
kabirimH3524 →10 times
יִשָּׁאֽוּן׃they are in an uproar !
yishaunH7582 →6 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Luke 21:25There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the surging of the waves.
it leads to
- Isaiah 13:10
For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light. The rising sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.
- Joel 2:30–31
I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.
- Revelation 6:12–14
And when I saw the Lamb open the sixth seal, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red,
- Isaiah 24:23
The moon will be confounded and the sun will be ashamed; for the LORD of Hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His elders with great glory.
- Ezekiel 32:7–8
When I extinguish you, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light.
- Isaiah 13:10
Through
Revelation 17:1Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 51:13
You who dwell by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come; the thread of your life is cut.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 19:2
For His judgments are true and just. He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the blood of His servants that was poured out by her…
- Revelation 17:1–17
Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters.
- Jeremiah 51:13
About Isaiah
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 5:17.12-14; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.