Isaiah 32:1
in Isaiah 32Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in justice.
KJV
Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.
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This verse in Isaiah 32
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Behold, a king - That is, Hezekiah. That it refers to him is apparent from the connection. The reign of Ahaz had been one of oppression and idolatry. This was to be succeeded by the reign of one under whom the rights of the people would be secured, and under whom there would be a state of general prosperity. This may have been uttered while Ahaz was on the throne, or it may have been when Hezekiah began to reign.
This site's exposition
a king will reign in righteousness
on Isaiah 32:1-2
Isaiah announces that "a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice". Matthew Henry and John Wesley found the nearest occasion in the reign of Hezekiah, who followed Ahaz. Each ruler will be "like a shelter from the wind, a refuge from the storm".
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Chapter 32, Verses 1 onwards) Behold, the king shall reign with justice, and princes shall rule with judgment. And a man shall be like one who hides from the wind, and conceals himself from the storm: like streams of water in a dry place, and the shadow of a towering rock in a barren land. The eyes of those who see shall not be dim, and the ears of those who hear shall listen carefully. And the heart of fools shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of stammerers shall speak quickly and clearly.
The Medieval Church1 voice
This is the third part of the threatening, in which he describes their liberation from the enemies who were threatening them then. And first, he foretells the liberation in the manner of prophecy, second, he recounts it in the manner of history: and it came …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
They shall reign in righteousness and in judgment, with wisdom and equity, protecting the good and punishing the bad; and those kings and princes Christ owns as reigning by him who decree justice, Prov. viii. Such a King, such a Prince, Christ himself is; he reigns by rule, and in righteousness will he judge the world, ch. ix.
Behold, a King shall reign in righteousness,....
A prophecy of the great disturbance that would be given to the kingdom in the middle of his reign by the Assyrian invasion,
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
king--not Hezekiah, who was already on the throne, whereas a future time is contemplated. If he be meant at all, it can only be as a type of Messiah the King, to whom alone the language is fully applicable (Ho 3:5;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness - If King Hezekiah were a type of Christ, then this prophecy may refer to his time; but otherwise it seems to have Hezekiah primarily in view. It is evident, however, that in the fullest sense these words cannot be applied to any man; God alone can do all that is promised here. And princes - ושרים ve-sarim, without ל lamed, to; so the ancient Versions. An ancient MS. has ושריו vesaraiv, and his princes.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Behold, for righteousness shall a king reign Behold a king has no right to reign except to execute righteous judgment.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Behold, a king shall reign in truth, and the righteous shall be magnified to execute just vengeance on the people.
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. 4 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
7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הֵ֥ן | hen | there! | H2005 → | 316 times |
| לְצֶ֖דֶק | letzedek | for righteousness | H6664 → | 119 times |
| יִמְלָךְ־ | yimlokh- | he will reign | H4427 → | 348 times |
| מֶ֑לֶךְ | melekh | a king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וּלְשָׂרִ֖ים | ulesarim | and to rulers | H8269 → | 421 times |
| לְמִשְׁפָּ֥ט | lemishpat | for justice | H4941 → | 422 times |
| יָשֹֽׂרוּ׃ | yasoru | they will rule | H8323 → |
הֵ֥ןthere!
henH2005 →316 times
לְצֶ֖דֶקfor righteousness
letzedekH6664 →119 times
יִמְלָךְ־he will reign
yimlokh-H4427 →348 times
מֶ֑לֶךְa king
melekhH4428 →2525 times
וּלְשָׂרִ֖יםand to rulers
ulesarimH8269 →421 times
לְמִשְׁפָּ֥טfor justice
lemishpatH4941 →422 times
יָשֹֽׂרוּ׃they will rule
yasoruH8323 →
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
Revelation 19:11Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war.
it leads to
- Psalms 96:13
before the LORD, for He is coming— He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness.
- Isaiah 11:3–5
And He will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what His eyes see, and He will not decide by what His ears hear,
- Psalms 98:9
before the LORD, for He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity.
- Psalms 50:6
And the heavens proclaim His righteousness, for God Himself is Judge. Selah
- Revelation 6:2
So I looked and saw a white horse, and its rider held a bow. And he was given a crown, and he rode out to overcome and conquer.
- Psalms 96:13
Through
2 Samuel 23:3The God of Israel spoke; the Rock of Israel said to me, ‘He who rules the people with justice, who rules in the fear of God,
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 32:4
He is the Rock, His work is perfect; all His ways are just. A God of faithfulness without injustice, righteous and upright is He.
- Exodus 18:21
Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
- Deuteronomy 32:4
Through
Jeremiah 33:15In those days and at that time I will cause to sprout for David a righteous Branch, and He will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 23:5–6
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
- Jeremiah 23:5–6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Isaiah
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; 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.