Isaiah 17:12

Isaiah 17:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
• New International Version (NIV)Woe to the many nations that rage— they rage like the raging sea! Woe to the peoples who roar— they roar like the roaring of great waters!
• English Standard Version (ESV)Ah, the thunder of many peoples; they thunder like the thundering of the sea! Ah, the roar of nations; they roar like the roaring of mighty waters!
• New King James Version (NKJV)Woe to the multitude of many people Who make a noise like the roar of the seas, And to the rushing of nations That make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!

Context of Isaiah 17:12

10Because you [Judah] have forgotten the God of your salvation And have not remembered the Rock of your Stronghold— Therefore you plant lovely plants And set the grounds with vine slips of a strange god, 11In the day that you plant it you carefully fence it in, And in the morning you bring your seed to blossom; Yet [promising as it is] the harvest will be a heap [of ruins that passes away] In the day of sickness and incurable pain. Oh, the uproar of many peoples Who roar like the roaring of the seas, And the noise of nations Who roar like the rumbling of mighty waters! 13The nations roar on like the roaring of many waters, But God will rebuke them and they will flee far away, And be chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind, Or like whirling dust before the storm. 14At evening time, now look, sudden terror! Before morning the Assyrians are no more. This is the portion (fate) of those who plunder us, And the lot of those who pillage us.

Isaiah 17:12 word by word

ה֗וֹי הֲמוֹן֙ עַמִּ֣ים רַבִּ֔ים כַּהֲמ֥וֹת יַמִּ֖ים יֶהֱמָי֑וּן וּשְׁא֣וֹן לְאֻמִּ֔ים כִּשְׁא֛וֹן מַ֥יִם כַּבִּירִ֖ים יִשָּׁאֽוּן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Woeהוֹיhôy · woe!H1945
• to the multitudeהָמוֹןhâmôn hâmôn · crowdH1995
• of manyרַבrab · manyH7227
• peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• make a noiseהָמָהhâmâh · to roarH1993
• of the seasיָםyâm · seaH3220
• and to the rushingשָׁאוֹןshâ'ôn · roarH7588
• of nationsלְאֹםle'ôm le'ôm · peopleH3816
• make a rushing like the rushingשָׁאָהshâ'âh · to crashH7582
• of mightyכַּבִּירkabbîyr · mightyH3524
• watersמַיmayim · waterH4325

Cross-references for Isaiah 17:12

• Isaiah 9:5For every boot of the marching warrior in the battle tumult, And [every soldier’s] garment rolled in blood, will be used for burning, fuel for the fire.
• Isaiah 5:26He will lift up a flag to [call] the distant nations [to bring His judgment on Judah], And will whistle for them from the ends of the earth; And indeed, they will come with great speed swiftly.
• Isaiah 8:7Now therefore, listen carefully, the Lord is about to bring on them the waters of the [Euphrates] River, strong and abundant— The king of Assyria and all his glory; And it will rise over all its channels and canals and go far beyond its banks.
• Isaiah 28:17I will make justice the measuring line And righteousness the mason’s level; Then hail will sweep away the refuge of lies And waters will flood over the secret [hiding] place.
• Psalms 18:4The cords of death surrounded me, And the streams of ungodliness and torrents of destruction terrified me.
• Psalms 46:1God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable], A very present and well-proved help in trouble.
• Psalms 65:6Who creates the mountains by His strength, Being clothed with power,
• Psalms 93:3The floods have lifted up, O Lord, The floods have lifted up their voice; The floods lift up their pounding waves.
• Jeremiah 6:23They seize bow and spear; They are cruel and inhuman and have no mercy. Their voice sounds like the roaring sea; They ride [in formation] on horses, Arrayed as a man for battle Against you, O Daughter of Zion (Jerusalem)!”
• Ezekiel 43:2And behold, the glory and brilliance of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east; and His voice was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with His glory.
• Luke 21:25“There will be signs (attesting miracles) in the sun and moon and stars; and on the earth [there will be] distress and anguish among nations, in perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea and the waves,
• Psalms 29:3The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; The God of glory thunders; The Lord is over many waters.
• Revelation 17:1Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment and doom of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters [influencing nations],

Commentaries on Isaiah 17:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Wo to the multitude - The three last verses of this chapter seem to have no relation to the foregoing prophecy, to which they are joined. It is a beautiful piece, standing singly and by itself; for neither has it any connection with what follows: whether it stands in its right place, or not, I cannot say. It is a noble description of the formidable invasion and the sudden overthrow of Sennacherib; which is intimated in the strongest terms and the most…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Wo to the multitude … - The word woe‘ (הוי hôy ) may be either an interjection simply directing the attention to them, or it may be a word indicating approaching calamity and judgment (see the note at Isaiah 5:6). Gesenius supposes that it is rather the language of compassion, on account of the evil which they threatened to bring upon the people of God, like 1 Kings 13:30, Ah! wo, my brother!‘ The multitude of many people - Or, the tumult of many nations…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-14Verses 12-14 The rage and force of the Assyrians resembled the mighty waters of the sea; but when the God of Israel should rebuke them, they would flee like chaff, or like a rolling thing, before the whirlwind. In the evening Jerusalem would be in trouble, because of the powerful invader, but before morning his army would be nearly cut off. Happy are those who remember God as their salvation, and rely on his power and grace. The trouble of the believers…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12At times, the sea represents opposition to God (see Job 7:12; 26:12; Psalms 46:3; 93:3).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. Woe ... multitude--rather, "Ho (Hark)! a noise of," &c. The prophet in vision perceives the vast and mixed Assyrian hosts (Hebrew, "many peoples," see on Is 5:26): on the hills of Judah (so "mountains," Is 17:13): but at the "rebuke" of God, they shall "flee as chaff." to the rushing ... that make--rather, "the roaring ... roareth" (compare Is 8:7; Jr 6:23).Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Rebuke
• Ruinous
• Rushing
• Evil
• Ezekiel
• Isaiah
• Noise

Commentaries on Isaiah 17

• 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