Isaiah 48:18

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

16Approach me and listen to this. From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time anything existed, I was there.” And now the Lord God has sent me and his Spirit. 17This is what the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you for your benefit, who leads you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to my commands. Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea. 19Your descendants would have been as countless as the sand, and the offspring of your body like its grains; their name would not be cut off or eliminated from my presence. 20Leave Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans! Declare with a shout of joy, proclaim this, let it go out to the end of the earth; announce, “The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob!”

Isaiah 48:18 word by word

ל֥וּא הִקְשַׁ֖בְתָּ לְמִצְוֹתָ֑י וַיְהִ֤י כַנָּהָר֙ שְׁלוֹמֶ֔ךָ וְצִדְקָתְךָ֖ כְּגַלֵּ֥י הַיָּֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• O thatלוּlû' lû' lû · ifH3863
• thou hadst hearkenedקָשַׁבqâshab · to listenH7181
• to my commandmentsמִצְוָהmitsvâh · commandmentH4687
• then had thy peaceשָׁלוֹםshâlôm shâlôm · peaceH7965
• been as a riverנָהָרnâhâr · riverH5104
• and thy righteousnessצְדָקָהtsedâqâh · righteousnessH6666
• as the wavesגַּלgal · heap: waveH1530
• of the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220

Cross-references for Isaiah 48:18

• Deuteronomy 5:29If only they had such a heart to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that they and their children would prosper forever.
• Deuteronomy 32:29If only they were wise, they would comprehend this; they would understand their fate.
• Psalms 81:13If only my people would listen to me and Israel would follow my ways,
• Matthew 23:37“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
• Luke 19:41As he approached and saw the city, he wept for it,
• Isaiah 32:15until the Spirit from on high is poured out on us. Then the desert will become an orchard, and the orchard will seem like a forest.
• Isaiah 66:12For this is what the Lord says: I will make peace flow to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flood; you will nurse and be carried on her hip and bounced on her lap.
• Psalms 36:8They are filled from the abundance of your house. You let them drink from your refreshing stream.
• Psalms 119:165Abundant peace belongs to those who love your instruction; nothing makes them stumble.
• Amos 5:24But let justice flow like water, and righteousness, like an unfailing stream.
• Romans 14:17for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, 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

• Peace

In the dictionaries

• the sea, the Great Sea, the western sea
• Isaiah
• Mark, the Gospel According to
• Saviour

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