Isaiah 32:16
in Isaiah 32Then justice will inhabit the wilderness, and righteousness will dwell in the fertile field.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then justice shall dwell in the wilderness; and righteousness shall abide in the fruitful field.
KJV
Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.
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This verse in Isaiah 32
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Then judgment shall dwell - Or, justice shall make its appropriate dwelling-place there. In the wilderness - In the place that was a wilderness, but that shall now be turned to a fruitful field. In the fruitful field - In the nation that is like a fruitful field; in Judea restored.
This site's exposition
justice will inhabit the wilderness
on Isaiah 32:16-18
Now "justice will inhabit the wilderness, and righteousness will dwell in the fertile field". "The work of righteousness will be peace; the service of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever". Matthew Henry drew out this order, righteousness bringing peace and peace bringing the "safe and secure places of rest".
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 9 and following) Women of wealth, rise up and listen to my voice: confident daughters, hear my words. After days and years, you will be troubled, O confident ones: for the harvest is complete, and there will be no more gathering. O women of wealth, be astounded, be troubled: strip yourselves and be ashamed. As Symmachus interpreted, expose yourselves: it continues. Gird your loins, beat your breasts, over the desirable region, over the fertile vineyard: over the ground of my people, thorns and thistles will grow: how much more over all the houses of the joyful city?
The Medieval Church1 voice
As the observation of justice: and judgment shall dwell, above: Zion shall be redeemed in judgment (Isa 1:27).
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The law of Christ introduces a judgment or rule by which we must be governed, and the gospel of Christ a righteousness by which we must be saved; and, wherever the Spirit is poured out, both these dwell and remain as an everlasting righteousness.
), which promise may be supposed to look as far forward as the days of the Messiah. 1 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Judgment - Just judgment. Righteousness - Justice shall be executed in all the parts of the land.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Address to the women of Jerusalem who troubled themselves little about the political signs of the times, but lived a life of self-indulgence (Isa 3:16-23); the failure of food through the devastations of the enemy is here foretold, being what was most likely to affect them as mothers of families, heretofore accustomed to every luxury.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
judgment--justice. wilderness--then reclaimed. fruitful field--then become more fruitful (Isa 32:15); thus "wilderness" and "fruitful field" include the whole land of Judea.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְשָׁכַ֥ן | veshakhan | and it will dwell | H7931 → | 129 times |
| בַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר | bamidbar | in the wilderness | H4057 → | 270 times |
| מִשְׁפָּ֑ט | mishpat | justice | H4941 → | 422 times |
| וּצְדָקָ֖ה | utzedakah | and righteousness | H6666 → | 157 times |
| בַּכַּרְמֶ֥ל | bakarmel | in the orchard | H3759 → | 17 times |
| תֵּשֵֽׁב׃ | teshev | it will remain | H3427 → | 1079 times |
וְשָׁכַ֥ןand it will dwell
veshakhanH7931 →129 times
בַּמִּדְבָּ֖רin the wilderness
bamidbarH4057 →270 times
מִשְׁפָּ֑טjustice
mishpatH4941 →422 times
וּצְדָקָ֖הand righteousness
utzedakahH6666 →157 times
בַּכַּרְמֶ֥לin the orchard
bakarmelH3759 →17 times
תֵּשֵֽׁב׃it will remain
teshevH3427 →1079 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
Hosea 3:5Afterward, the people of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 50:4–5
“In those days and at that time, declares the LORD, the children of Israel and the children of Judah will come together, weeping as they come, and will seek the LORD their God.
- Jeremiah 30:9
Instead, they will serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.
- Ezekiel 34:23–24
I will appoint over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them. He will feed them and be their shepherd.
- Isaiah 2:2
In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to…
- Ezekiel 37:22–25
I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over all of them. Then they will no longer be two nations and will never…
- Jeremiah 50:4–5
Through
Isaiah 60:21Then all your people will be righteous; they will possess the land forever; they are the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, so that I may be glorified.
it leads to
- Matthew 15:13
But Jesus replied, “Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by its roots.
- Psalms 37:22
Surely those He blesses will inherit the land, but the cursed will be destroyed.
- Psalms 37:11
But the meek will inherit the land and delight in abundant prosperity.
- Matthew 15:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Isaiah
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; 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.