Isaiah 16:12

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 Living Translation (NLT)The people of Moab will worship at their pagan shrines, but it will do them no good. They will cry to the gods in their temples, but no one will be able to save them.

Context of Isaiah 16:12

10Gladness is taken away, And joy from the plentiful field; In the vineyards there will be no singing, Nor will there be shouting; No treaders will tread out wine in the presses; I have made their shouting cease. 11Therefore my heart shall resound like a harp for Moab, And my inner being for Kir Heres. 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. 13This is the word which the Lord has spoken concerning Moab since that time. 14But now the Lord has spoken, saying, “Within three years, as the years of a hired man, the glory of Moab will be despised with all that great multitude, and the remnant will be very small and feeble.”

Isaiah 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 15:2He has gone up to the temple and Dibon, To the high places to weep. Moab will wail over Nebo and over Medeba; On all their heads will be baldness, And every beard cut off.
• Isaiah 26:16Lord, in trouble they have visited You, They poured out a prayer when Your chastening was upon them.
• Numbers 22:39So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath Huzoth.
• Numbers 23:1Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”
• Numbers 24:17“I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult.
• Proverbs 1:28“Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
• Jeremiah 48:35“Moreover,” says the Lord, “I will cause to cease in Moab The one who offers sacrifices in the high places And burns incense to his gods.
• Isaiah 37:38Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.
• 1 Kings 11:7Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon.
• 2 Kings 3:27Then he took his eldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering upon the wall; and there was great indignation against Israel. So they departed from him and returned to their own land.
• Jeremiah 48:7For because you have trusted in your works and your treasures, You also shall be taken. And Chemosh shall go forth into captivity, His priests and his princes together.
• Isaiah 47:13You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels; Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, And the monthly prognosticators Stand up and save you From what shall come upon you.
• 2 Kings 19:12Have the gods of the nations delivered those whom my fathers have destroyed, Gozan and Haran and Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?
• Psalms 115:3But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.
• Jeremiah 10:5They are upright, like a palm tree, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, For they cannot do evil, Nor can they do any good.”

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

• Church
• Idol
• Idolatry

In the dictionaries

• Moab
• High place
• Grind
• Outcast
• Treader
• Arnon
• Canon of the Old Testament
• Esther, the Rest of
• Ezekiel
• Isaiah

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