God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 5:12
12At their feasts there are lyres and harps, tambourines and flutes, and wine. Yet, they don’t pay attention to what the Lord is doing or see what his hands have done.
Isaiah 5:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands.
- New International Version (NIV)They have harps and lyres at their banquets, pipes and timbrels and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord, no respect for the work of his hands.
- English Standard Version (ESV)They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the Lord, or see the work of his hands.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The harp and the strings, The tambourine and flute, And wine are in their feasts; But they do not regard the work of the Lord, Nor consider the operation of His hands.
Context of Isaiah 5:12
10A ten-acre vineyard will produce only six gallons of wine, and two quarts of seed will produce only four quarts of grain.” 11How horrible it will be for those who get up early to look for a drink, who sit up late until they are drunk from wine. At their feasts there are lyres and harps, tambourines and flutes, and wine. Yet, they don’t pay attention to what the Lord is doing or see what his hands have done. 13“My people will go into exile because they don’t understand what I’m doing. Honored men will starve, and common people will be parched with thirst.” 14That is why the grave’s appetite increases. It opens its mouth very wide so that honored people and common people will go down into it. Those who are noisy and joyous will go down into it.
Read all of Isaiah 5Isaiah 5:12 word by word
וְהָיָ֨ה כִנּ֜וֹר וָנֶ֗בֶל תֹּ֧ף וְחָלִ֛יל וָיַ֖יִן מִשְׁתֵּיהֶ֑ם וְאֵ֨ת פֹּ֤עַל יְהוָה֙ לֹ֣א יַבִּ֔יטוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָדָ֖יו לֹ֥א רָאֽוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the harpכִּנּוֹרkinnôr · lyreH3658
- and the violנֵ֫בֶלnebel nêbel · harpH5035
- the tabretתֹּףtôph · tambourineH8596
- and pipeחָלִילchâlîyl · fluteH2485
- and wineיַ֫יִןyayin · wineH3196
- are in their feastsמִשְׁתֶּהmishteh · feastH4960
- but they regardנָבַטnâbaţ · to lookH5027
- not the workפֹּ֫עַלpô‛al · workH6467
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- neither considerרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- the operationמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deed: workH4639
- of his handsיָדyâd · handH3027
Cross-references for Isaiah 5:12
- Isaiah 22:13Instead, you will rejoice, celebrate, slaughter cattle, and butcher sheep. You will eat meat, drink wine, and say, “Let’s eat and drink because tomorrow we’re going to die.”
- Genesis 31:27Why did you leave secretly and trick me? You didn’t even tell me you were leaving. I would have sent you on your way rejoicing, with songs accompanied by tambourines and lyres.
- Job 21:11They send their little children out ⌞to play⌟ like a flock of lambs, and their children dance around.
- Daniel 5:1King Belshazzar threw a large banquet for 1,000 nobles and drank wine with them.
- Amos 6:4How horrible it will be for those who sleep on ivory beds. They sprawl out on their couches and eat lambs from their flocks and calves from their stalls.
- Luke 16:19“There was a rich man who wore expensive clothes. Every day was like a party to him.
- Jude 1:12These people are a disgrace at the special meals you share with other believers. They eat with you and don’t feel ashamed. They are shepherds who care ⌞only⌟ for themselves. They are dry clouds blown around by the winds. They are withered, uprooted trees without any fruit. As a result, they have died twice.
- Isaiah 5:19They say, “Let God hurry and quickly do his work so that we may see what he has in mind. Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel happen quickly so that we may understand what he is doing.”
- Job 34:27because they turned away from following him and didn’t consider any of his ways.
- Psalms 28:5The Lord will tear them down and never build them up again, because they never consider what he has done or what his hands have made.
- Psalms 92:5How spectacular are your works, O Lord! How very deep are your thoughts!
- Hosea 4:10“They will eat, but they’ll never be full. They will have sex with prostitutes, but they’ll never have children. They have abandoned the Lord.
Commentaries on Isaiah 5:12
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12The prophet proceeds to state still further the extent of their crimes. This verse contains an account of their dissipated habits, and their consequent forgetfulness of God. That they commonly had musical instruments in their feasts, is evident from many passages of the Old Testament; see Amos 6:5-6. Their feasts, also, were attended with songs; Isaiah 24:8-9. The harp - - כנור kinnôr This is a well-known stringed instrument, employed commonly in sacred…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-23Verses 8-23 Here is a woe to those who set their hearts on the wealth of the world. Not that it is sinful for those who have a house and a field to purchase another; but the fault is, that they never know when they have enough. Covetousness is idolatry; and while many envy the prosperous, wretched man, the Lord denounces awful woes upon him. How applicable to many among us! God has many ways to empty the most populous cities. Those who set their hearts…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12These people are self-indulgent and content. They do not think about the Lord. They are too busy enjoying their drunken parties to consider why things went wrong. They do not reflect on why God sent no rain or why they lost a battle.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. Music was common at ancient feasts (Is 24:8, 9; Am 6:5, 6). viol--an instrument with twelve strings [Josephus, Antiquities, 8.10]. tabret--Hebrew, toph, from the use of which in drowning the cries of children sacrificed to Moloch, Tophet received its name. Arabic, duf. A kettle drum, or tambourine. pipe--flute or flageolet: from a Hebrew root "to bore through"; or else, "to dance" (compare Job 21:11-15). regard not ... Lord--a frequent effect of…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 5:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 5
- 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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