Isaiah 16:12

Isaiah 16:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And it shall come to pass, when it is seen that Moab is weary on the high place, that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray; but he shall not prevail.
• New International Version (NIV)When Moab appears at her high place, she only wears herself out; when she goes to her shrine to pray, it is to no avail.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when Moab presents himself, when he wearies himself on the high place, when he comes to his sanctuary to pray, he will not prevail.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And it shall come to pass, When it is seen that Moab is weary on the high place, That he will come to his sanctuary to pray; But he will not prevail.

Context of Isaiah 16:12

10Gladness and joy are taken away from the fruitful field; In the vineyards there will be no singing or joyful sound; No treader treads out wine in the presses, For I (God) put an end to the joyful shouting. 11Therefore my heart sounds like a harp [in mournful compassion] for Moab, And my inner being mourns for Kir-hareseth. So it will come to pass when Moab presents himself, When he wearies himself [worshiping] on his high place [of idolatry] And comes to his sanctuary [of Chemosh, god of Moab] to pray, That he will not prevail. 13This is the word which the Lord spoke earlier concerning Moab [when Moab’s pride and resistance to God were first known]. 14But now the Lord speaks, saying, “Within three years, as the years of a hired man [who will not serve longer than the agreed time], the glory of Moab will be degraded along with all the great population, and the remnant [that survives] will be very small and of no account.”

Isaiah 16:12 word by word

וְהָיָ֧ה כִֽי־נִרְאָ֛ה כִּֽי־נִלְאָ֥ה מוֹאָ֖ב עַל־הַבָּמָ֑ה וּבָ֧א אֶל־מִקְדָּשׁ֛וֹ לְהִתְפַּלֵּ֖ל וְלֹ֥א יוּכָֽל׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And it shall come to pass, when it is seenרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• that Moabמוֹאָבmô'âb · MoabH4124
• is wearyלָאָהlâ'âh · be wearyH3811
• on the high placeבָּמָהbâmâh · high placeH1116
• that he shall comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to his sanctuaryמִקְדָּשׁmiqdâsh miqqedâsh · sanctuaryH4720
• to prayפָּלַלpâlal · to prayH6419
• but he shall not prevailיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201

Cross-references for Isaiah 16:12

• Isaiah 15:2They have gone up to the temple and to Dibon, to the high places to weep. Moab wails over Nebo and over Medeba; Everyone’s head is shaved, and every beard is cut off [in mourning].
• Isaiah 26:16O Lord, they sought You in distress; They managed only a prayerful whisper When Your discipline was upon them.
• Numbers 22:39And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.
• Numbers 23:1Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams here.”
• Numbers 24:17I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near. A star shall come forth from [the descendants of] Jacob, A scepter shall rise out of [the descendants of] Israel And shall crush the forehead of Moab And destroy all the sons of Sheth.
• Proverbs 1:28Then they will call upon me (Wisdom), but I will not answer; They will seek me eagerly but they will not find me,
• Jeremiah 48:35Moreover, I will cause to cease in Moab,” says the Lord, “the one who ascends and offers sacrifice in the high place and the one who burns incense to his gods.
• Isaiah 37:38It came to pass as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons killed him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat [in Armenia]. And Esarhaddon his son became king in his place.
• 1 Kings 11:7Then Solomon built a high place for [worshiping] Chemosh the horror (detestable idol) of Moab, on the hill which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the horror (detestable idol) of the sons of Ammon.
• 2 Kings 3:27Then the king of Moab took his eldest son, who was to reign in his place, and offered him [publicly] as a burnt offering [to Chemosh] on the [city] wall [horrifying everyone]. And there was great wrath against Israel, and Israel’s allies [Judah and Edom] withdrew from King Jehoram and returned to their own land.
• Jeremiah 48:7For because you have trusted in your works [your hand-made idols] and in your treasures [instead of in God], Even you yourself will be captured; And Chemosh [your disgusting god cannot rescue you, but] will go away into exile [along with the fugitives] Together with his priests and his princes.
• Isaiah 47:13You are wearied by your many counsels. Just let the astrologers, The stargazers, Those who predict by the new moons [each month] Stand up and save you from the things that will come upon you [Babylon].
• 2 Kings 19:12Did the gods of the nations whom my forefathers destroyed rescue them—Gozan and Haran [of Mesopotamia] and Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?
• Psalms 115:3But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.
• Jeremiah 10:5They are like scarecrows in a cucumber field; They cannot speak; They have to be carried, Because they cannot walk! Do not be afraid of them, For they can do no harm or evil, Nor can they do any good.”

Commentaries on Isaiah 16:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12When it is seen that Moab, etc. "When Moab shall see," etc. - For נראה nirah, a MS. reads ראה raah, and so the Syriac and Chaldee. "Perhaps נראה כי ki nirah is only a various reading of נלאה כי ki nilah ." Secker. A very probable conjecture.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12When it is seen - When it occurs; that is, when Moab actually “becomes” weary. Is weary on the high place - The “high place” denotes the place of idolatrous worship, and here means the same as the temple of Chemosh or his sanctuary. Temples and altars were usually constructed on such places, and especially the temples of the pagan gods. Moab is represented here as looking to her gods for protection. Weary, exhausted, worn down with calamities, she is…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-14Verses 6-14 Those who will not be counselled, cannot be helped. More souls are ruined by pride than by any other sin whatever. Also, the very proud are commonly very passionate. With lies many seek to gain the gratification of pride and passion, but they shall not compass proud and angry projects. Moab was famous for fields and vineyards; but they shall be laid waste by the invading army. God can soon turn laughter into mourning, and joy into heaviness…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12The hilltops were sites for pagan shrines (see Isaiah 15:2). No one will be able to save them, including the idols the Moabites called on for protection (see Isaiah 40:18–19; 44:18–19).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. when it is seen that--rather, "When Moab shall have appeared (before his gods; compare Ex 23:15), when he is weary (that is, when he shall have fatigued himself with observing burdensome rites; 1Ki 18:26, &c.), on the high place (compare Is 15:2), and shall come to his sanctuary (of the idol Chemosh on Mount Nebo) to pray, he shall not prevail"; he shall effect nothing by his prayers [Maurer].Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 16:12

• Church
• Idol
• Idolatry

In the dictionaries

• Moab
• Moab; Moabites
• Moab, Moabite
• High place
• Grind
• Outcast
• Treader
• Arnon
• Canon of the Old Testament
• Esther, the Rest of

Commentaries on Isaiah 16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings