God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 6:11
11I asked, “How long, O Lord?” And he replied, “Until the cities lie in ruins with no one living in them, the houses have no people, and the land is completely desolate.
Isaiah 6:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,
- New International Version (NIV)Then I said, “For how long, Lord?” And he answered: “Until the cities lie ruined and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged,
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then I said, "How long, O Lord?" And he said: "Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered: “Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, The houses are without a man, The land is utterly desolate,
Context of Isaiah 6:11
9And he said, “Go and tell these people, ‘No matter how closely you listen, you’ll never understand. No matter how closely you look, you’ll never see.’ 10Make these people close-minded. Plug their ears. Shut their eyes. Otherwise, they may see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their minds, and return and be healed.” I asked, “How long, O Lord?” And he replied, “Until the cities lie in ruins with no one living in them, the houses have no people, and the land is completely desolate. 12The Lord will send his people far away, and a large area in the middle of the land will be abandoned. 13Even if one out of ten people is left in it, the land will be burned again. When a sacred oak or an oak is cut down, a stump is left The holy seed will be the land’s stump.”
Read all of Isaiah 6Isaiah 6:11 word by word
וָאֹמַ֕ר עַד־מָתַ֖י אֲדֹנָ֑י וַיֹּ֡אמֶר עַ֣ד אֲשֶׁר֩ אִם־שָׁא֨וּ עָרִ֜ים מֵאֵ֣ין יוֹשֵׁ֗ב וּבָתִּים֙ מֵאֵ֣ין אָדָ֔ם וְהָאֲדָמָ֖ה תִּשָּׁאֶ֥ה שְׁמָמָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- I, Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
- Until the citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- be wastedשָׁאָהshâ'âh · to crashH7582
- without inhabitantיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- and the housesבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- without manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- and the landאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127
- be utterlyשְׁמָמָהshemâmâh shimâmâh · devastationH8077
Cross-references for Isaiah 6:11
- Psalms 74:10How long, O God, will the enemy insult us? Will the enemy despise you forever?
- Psalms 90:13Return, Lord! How long … ? Change your plans about ⌞us,⌟ your servants.
- Psalms 94:3How long, O Lord, will wicked people triumph? How long?
- Isaiah 1:7“Your country is devastated. Your cities are burned down. Your fields are destroyed right before your eyes by foreigners. Your fields are devastated and taken over by foreigners.
- Isaiah 3:26The gates of Zion will cry and grieve, and Zion will sit on the ground, exhausted.
- Isaiah 24:1The Lord is going to turn the earth into a desolate wasteland. He will mar the face of the earth and scatter the people living on it.
Commentaries on Isaiah 6:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Be utterly desolate "Be left" - For תשאה tishaeh, the Septuagint and Vulgate read תשאר tishshaer .Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11How long - The prophet did not dare to pray that this effect should not follow. He asked merely therefore “how long” this state of things must continue; how long this message was to be delivered, and how long it should be attended with these painful effects. Until the cities - They will remain perverse and obstinate until the land is completely destroyed by divine judgments. Still the truth is to be proclaimed, though it is known it will have no effect…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-13Verses 9-13 God sends Isaiah to foretell the ruin of his people. Many hear the sound of God's word, but do not feel the power of it. God sometimes, in righteous judgment, gives men up to blindness of mind, because they will not receive the truth in the love of it. But no humble inquirer after Christ, need to fear this awful doom, which is a spiritual judgment on those who will still hold fast their sins. Let every one pray for the enlightening of the Holy…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11How long … until … the land is desolate and ravaged: During the prophet's ministry (740 to 685 BC), wars, famines, and devastation plagued the nation.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. how long--will this wretched condition of the nation being hardened to its destruction continue? until--(Is 5:9)--fulfilled primarily at the Babylonish captivity, and more fully at the dispersion under the Roman Titus.Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 6:11
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 6
- 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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