God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 16:12
12When the people of Moab appear at the worship site, they will only wear themselves out. They will come into the holy place to pray, but they won’t be able to.
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
10Joy and delight have vanished from the orchards. No songs are sung. No shouts are raised. No one stomps on grapes in the winepresses, because I have put an end to the shouts of joy. 11That is why my heart mourns for Moab like a harp. My soul mourns for Kir Hareseth. When the people of Moab appear at the worship site, they will only wear themselves out. They will come into the holy place to pray, but they won’t be able to. 13This is the message that the Lord spoke about Moab in the past. 14But now the Lord says, “Moab’s honor will be despised within three years. I will count them like workers count the years left of their contracts. In spite of their great number, the survivors will be very few and powerless.”
Read all of Isaiah 16Isaiah 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 15:2The people of Dibon go to the temple, to the worship sites, to cry. Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba. Every head is shaved bald, and every beard is cut off.
- Isaiah 26:16O Lord, the people have come to you in trouble. They were humbled by oppression, by your discipline upon them.
- Numbers 22:39Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth.
- Numbers 23:1Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”
- Numbers 24:17I see someone who is not here now. I look at someone who is not nearby. A star will come from Jacob. A scepter will rise from Israel. He will crush the heads of the Moabites and destroy all the people of Sheth.
- Proverbs 1:28“They will call to me at that time, but I will not answer. They will look for me, but they will not find me,
- Jeremiah 48:35I will stop those in Moab who come to worship sites, those who bring offerings to their gods,” declares the Lord.
- Isaiah 37:38While he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, assassinated him and escaped to the land of Ararat. His son Esarhaddon succeeded him as king.
- 1 Kings 11:7Then Solomon built an illegal worship site on the hill east of Jerusalem for Chemosh (the disgusting idol of Moab) and for Molech (the disgusting idol of the Ammonites).
- 2 Kings 3:27Then he took his firstborn son, who would have succeeded him as king, and sacrificed him on the wall as a burnt offering. There was bitter anger against the Israelites. So they went home to their own country.
- Jeremiah 48:7Since you trust the things you do and your treasures, you will be captured. Chemosh will go into captivity with all its priests and officials.
- Isaiah 47:13You are worn out by your many plans. Let your astrologers and your stargazers, who foretell the future month by month, come to you, rise up, and save you.
- 2 Kings 19:12Did the gods of the nations which my ancestors destroyed rescue Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?
- Psalms 115:3Our God is in heaven. He does whatever he wants.
- Jeremiah 10:5These trees are like scarecrows in cucumber gardens. They aren’t able to speak. They have to be carried, because they can’t walk. Don’t be afraid of them. They can’t harm you. They can’t do you any good either.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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