Isaiah 22:14
in Isaiah 22The LORD of Hosts has revealed in my hearing: “Until your dying day, this sin of yours will never be atoned for,” says the Lord GOD of Hosts.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jehovah of hosts revealed himself in mine ears, Surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven you till ye die, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.
KJV
And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord God of hosts.
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This verse in Isaiah 22
Commentary
10 notes on this verseIt was revealed in mine ears “The voice of Jehovah” - The Vulgate has vox Domini; as if in his copy he had read קול יהוה kol Yehovah; and in truth, without the word קול kol, voice, it is not easy to make out the sense of the passage; as appears from the strange versions which the rest of the ancients, (except the Chaldee), and many of the moderns, have given of it; as if the matter were revealed in or to the ears of Jehovah: εν τοις ωσι Κυριου, in the ears of the Lord, Septuagint.
This site's exposition
called for weeping and wailing
on Isaiah 22:12-14
The LORD "called for weeping", and the city answers with "joy". Its slogan, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die", is the line Paul cites at 1 Corinthians 15:32 of life with no resurrection. "Until your dying day, this sin of yours will never be atoned for".
This site's exposition
this sin of yours will never be atoned for
The word for atoned is kaphar, the verb Leviticus uses for sin covered by sacrifice. The cattle and sheep slaughtered for the feast atone for nothing. Barnes counts revelry in a day called for weeping among the gravest of sins.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
(Verse 12 and following) And on that day the Lord God of hosts will call for weeping and mourning, for baldness and the wearing of sackcloth; and behold, joy and gladness, killing calves and slaughtering rams, eating meat and drinking wine: 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.' And it was revealed in my ears by the Lord of hosts: 'Surely this iniquity will not be forgiven you until you die,' says the Lord God of hosts.
(Verse 12-14) And the Lord God of hosts shall call in that day to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth. And behold joy and gladness, killing calves, and slaying sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we shall die. And it was revealed in my ears by the Lord of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord God of hosts. In the present captivity and siege of Jerusalem, when the city was being pressed by sword, famine, and thirst, Jeremiah called the people to repentance (Jeremiah 34). On the other hand, kings, princes, and the miserable populace, in their desperate state, devoted themselves to feasting. However, nothing offends God more than a neck raised after sins, and being despised out of desperation. This is also spoken by Amos: I will not turn away from him for three or four transgressions; because he has thought and done them and has not repented, moreover he has taught evil. Wherefore now it is said: If this iniquity remain unpunished to you, until ye die. (Amos I, 4). Allegorical interpreters say it is about the passion of Christ, that God has called even after the crucifixion of the Lord and Saviour an unfaithful people to repentance, and nevertheless that people has delivered itself to despair and pleasure. The beginning of this vision, where it says: Full of outcry, a populous city, a joyful town, refers to that time when the people, instigated by the Pharisees, echoed with the same voice against Jesus: Crucify, crucify such a one: we have no king but Caesar. (John XIX, 6, 7). The Apostle also made use of this testimony, writing to the Corinthians about the resurrection: If the dead do not rise again, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die (I Cor. XV, 32).
The Medieval Church1 voice
And the voice of the Lord of hosts was revealed. Here the sentence is set out. And it may be read as in the person of the Lord: this blasphemy of yours was revealed in my ears, that is, I heard it; surely this iniquity …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
It is probable that this prophecy was delivered at the same time with that in the former part of the chapter, and began to be fulfilled before Sennacherib's invasion; for now Shebna was over the house, but then Eliakim was ( ch. xxxvi. 3 ); and Shebna, coming down gradually, was only scribe. The prophecy of Shebna's disgrace.
And it was revealed in my ears by the Lord of hosts,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
To this God called them by his prophet's explaining his providences, and by his providences awakening them to regard what his prophets said. Note, When God threatens us with his judgments he expects and requires that we humble ourselves under his mighty hand, that we tremble when the lion roars, and in a day of adversity consider.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
It was revealed in mine ears, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you until ye die - That is, the sin is so aggravated that it shall never be expiated or pardoned. Few sins can be more aggravated than revelry and riot, thoughtlessness and mirth over the grave. Nothing can show a more decided disregard of God, and nothing a more grovelling and sensual disposition. And yet, it is the common sin of the world; and there can be nothing more melancholy than that a race hastening to the grave should give itself to riot and dissipation. One would think that the prospect of a speedy and certain death would deter people from sin. But the very reverse is true. The nearer they approach death, the more reckless and abandoned do they often become. The “strength and power” of depravity is thus shown in the fact that people can sin thus when near the grave, and with the most fearful warnings and assurances that they are soon to go down to eternal wo.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
until you die Jonathan paraphrases a second death in the World to Come.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
And behold, joy and happiness The Holy One, blessed be He, so to speak, is mourning, and you are eating and rejoicing.
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
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְנִגְלָ֥ה | veniglah | and he has revealed himself | H1540 → | 186 times |
| בְאָזְנָ֖י | veazenai | in ears my | H241 → | 187 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| צְבָא֑וֹת | tzevaot | of hosts | H6635 → | 485 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| יְ֠כֻפַּר | yekhupar | it will be atoned for | H3722 → | 102 times |
| הֶעָוֹ֨ן | heavon | the iniquity | H5771 → | 233 times |
| הַזֶּ֤ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| לָכֶם֙ | lakhem | for you | ||
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| תְּמֻת֔וּן | temutun | you will die ! | H4191 → | 839 times |
| אָמַ֛ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲדֹנָ֥י | ʾadonai | [the] Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
| יְהוִ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3069 → | 306 times |
| צְבָאֽוֹת׃ פ | tzevaot | of hosts | H6635 → | 485 times |
וְנִגְלָ֥הand he has revealed himself
veniglahH1540 →186 times
בְאָזְנָ֖יin ears my
veazenaiH241 →187 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
צְבָא֑וֹתof hosts
tzevaotH6635 →485 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
יְ֠כֻפַּרit will be atoned for
yekhuparH3722 →102 times
הֶעָוֹ֨ןthe iniquity
heavonH5771 →233 times
הַזֶּ֤ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
לָכֶם֙for you
lakhem
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
תְּמֻת֔וּןyou will die !
temutunH4191 →839 times
אָמַ֛רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
אֲדֹנָ֥י[the] Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →440 times
יְהוִ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3069 →306 times
צְבָאֽוֹת׃ פof hosts
tzevaotH6635 →485 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
Isaiah 13:11I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity. I will end the haughtiness of the arrogant and lay low the pride of the ruthless.
it leads to
- Isaiah 2:11
The proud look of man will be humbled, and the loftiness of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.
- Isaiah 5:15
So mankind will be brought low, and each man humbled; the arrogant will lower their eyes.
- Isaiah 2:11
Through
Ezekiel 24:13Because of the indecency of your uncleanness I tried to cleanse you, but you would not be purified from your filthiness. You will not be pure again until My wrath against you has subsided.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 5:13
And when My anger is spent and I have vented My wrath against them, I will be appeased. And when I have spent My wrath on them, they will know that I, the LORD,…
- Ezekiel 22:24
“Son of man, say to her, ‘In the day of indignation, you are a land that has not been cleansed, upon which no rain has fallen.’
- Ezekiel 8:18
Therefore I will respond with wrath. I will not look on them with pity, nor will I spare them. Although they shout loudly in My ears, I will not listen to them.”
- 2 Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
- Ezekiel 16:42
So I will lay to rest My wrath against you, and My jealousy will turn away from you. Then I will be calm and no longer angry.
- Ezekiel 5:13
Through
Isaiah 5:9I heard the LORD of Hosts declare: “Surely many houses will become desolate, great mansions left unoccupied.
it leads to
- Matthew 23:38
Look, your house is left to you desolate.
- Matthew 23:38
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); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.