Isaiah 48

Isaiah · Chapter 48

Isaiah 48:18

1Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.2For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name.3I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.4Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;5I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.6Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.7They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.8Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.9For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.10Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.11For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.12Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.13Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.14All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The LORD hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.15I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.16Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me.17Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.18O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:19Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.20Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob.21And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.22There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
18O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:If only you had paid attention to My commandments, your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like waves of the sea.Oh that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
ifל֥וּאlu'H3863
if

לוּ (lu) 1) if, oh that!, if only! 1a) if (unlikely condition) 1b) if only!, oh that!, would that!

you had paid attentionהִקְשַׁ֖בְתָּhik-SHAV-taH7181
to listen

קָשַׁב (qa.shav) 1) to hear, be attentive, heed, incline (of ears), attend (of ears), hearken, pay attention, listen 1a) (Qal) incline, attend (of ears), hearken, pay attention, listen 1b) (Hiphil) to pay attention, give attention

to commandments myלְמִצְוֹתָ֑יle-mitz-vo-TAIH4687
commandment

מִצְוָה (mits.vah) 1) commandment 1a) commandment (of man) 1b) the commandment (of God) 1c) commandment (of code of wisdom)

and it wasוַיְהִ֤יvay-HIH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

like the riverכַנָּהָר֙kha-na-HARH5104H
river

נְהַר (ne.har) river Aramaic of na.har (נָהָר "river" H5104H)

peace yourשְׁלוֹמֶ֔ךָshe-lo-ME-khaH7965G
peace

שָׁלוֹם (sha.lom) : peace 1) completeness, soundness, welfare, peace 1a) completeness (in number) 1b) safety, soundness (in body) 1c) welfare, health, prosperity 1d) peace, quiet, tranquillity, contentment 1e) peace, friendship 1e1) of human relationships 1e2) with God especially in covenant relationship 1f) peace (from war) 1g) peace (as adjective)

and righteousness yourוְצִדְקָתְךָ֖ve-tzid-ka-te-CHAH6666
righteousness

צִדְקָה (tsid.qah) right doing, doing right, righteousness Aramaic of tse.da.qah (צְדָקָה "righteousness" H6666)

like [the] waves ofכְּגַלֵּ֥יke-ga-LEIH1530H
heap

גַּל (gal) : heap/pile 1) heap, spring, wave, billow 1a) heap (of stones) 1a1) over dead body 1a2) alone 1a3) used in ratifying a covenant 1b) waves (fig. of chastisement of Jehovah) 1c) spring Also means: gal (גַּל ": wave" H1530H)

the seaהַיָּֽם׃hai-YAMH3220G
sea

יָם (yam) : sea 1) sea 1a) Mediterranean Sea 1b) Red Sea 1c) Dead Sea 1d) Sea of Galilee 1e) sea (general) 1f) mighty river (Nile) 1g) the sea (the great basin in the temple court) 1h) seaward, west, westward

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.