American Standard Version
Isaiah 48:18
18Oh that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
Isaiah 48:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
- New International Version (NIV)If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea;
- New King James Version (NKJV)Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
Context of Isaiah 48:18
16Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; from the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord Jehovah hath sent me, and his Spirit. 17Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am Jehovah thy God, who teacheth thee to profit, who leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. 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: 19thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the grains thereof: his name would not be cut off nor destroyed from before me. 20Go ye forth from 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, Jehovah hath redeemed his servant Jacob.
Read all of Isaiah 48Isaiah 48:18 word by word
ל֥וּא הִקְשַׁ֖בְתָּ לְמִצְוֹתָ֑י וַיְהִ֤י כַנָּהָר֙ שְׁלוֹמֶ֔ךָ וְצִדְקָתְךָ֖ כְּגַלֵּ֥י הַיָּֽם׃Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Isaiah 48:18
- Deuteronomy 5:29Oh that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
- Deuteronomy 32:29Oh that they were wise, that they understood this, That they would consider their latter end!
- Psalms 81:13Oh that my people would hearken unto me, That Israel would walk in my ways!
- Matthew 23:37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
- Luke 19:41And when he drew nigh, he saw the city and wept over it,
- Isaiah 32:15until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness become a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest.
- Isaiah 66:12For thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream: and ye shall suck thereof; ye shall be borne upon the side, and shall be dandled upon the knees.
- Psalms 36:8They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; And thou wilt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
- Psalms 119:165Great peace have they that love thy law; And they have no occasion of stumbling.
- Amos 5:24But let justice roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
- Romans 14:17for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Commentaries on Isaiah 48:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18As a river "Like the river" - That is, the Euphrates.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18O that thou hadst heardened to my commandments! - This expresses the earnest wish and desire of God. He would greatly have preferred that they should have kept his law. He had no wish that they should sin, and that these judgments should come upon them. The doctrine taught here is, that God greatly prefers that people should keep his laws. He does not desire that they should be sinners, or that they should be punished. It was so with regard to the Jews…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-22Verses 16-22 The Holy Spirit qualifies for service; and those may speak boldly, whom God and his Spirit send. This is to be applied to Christ. He was sent, and he had the Spirit without measure. Whom God redeems, he teaches; he teaches to profit by affliction, and then makes them partakers of his holiness. Also, by his grace he leads them in the way of duty; and by his providence he leads in the way of deliverance. God did not afflict them willingly. If…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18Peace and righteousness will be established when the kingdom of God fully comes (see Isaiah 66:12). like a river … like waves of the sea: There will be abundant peace and overflowing righteousness (compare Amos 5:24). Israel could have had this if its people had listened to God.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. peace--(Psa 119:165). Compare the desire expressed by the same Messiah (Mt 23:37; Lu 19:42). river--(Is 33:21; 41:18), a river flowing from God's throne is the symbol of free, abundant, and ever flowing blessings from Him (Eze 47:1; Zec 14:8; Re 22:1). righteousness--religious prosperity; the parent of "peace" or national prosperity; therefore "peace" corresponds to "righteousness" in the parallelism (Is 32:17).Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 48:18
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 48
- 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
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries