Tree of Life Version
Isaiah 51:19
19These two things have befallen you —who will mourn for you?— devastation and destruction, famine and the sword. How will I comfort you?
Isaiah 51:19 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee?
- New International Version (NIV)These double calamities have come upon you— who can comfort you?— ruin and destruction, famine and sword— who can console you?
- English Standard Version (ESV)These two things have happened to you— who will console you?— devastation and destruction, famine and sword; who will comfort you?
- New King James Version (NKJV)These two things have come to you; Who will be sorry for you?— Desolation and destruction, famine and sword— By whom will I comfort you?
Context of Isaiah 51:19
17Awake, awake! Stand up, Jerusalem! From Adonai’s hand you have drunk the cup of His fury, the chalice of reeling that you have drained to the dregs. 18There is none to guide her among all the sons she has borne, nor is there one to take her by the hand among all the sons she has raised. These two things have befallen you —who will mourn for you?— devastation and destruction, famine and the sword. How will I comfort you? 20Your sons have fainted. They lie at every street corner, like an antelope in a net. They are full of Adonai’s fury, the rebuke of your God. 21Therefore hear this, you who are afflicted, who are drunk, but not with wine.
Read all of Isaiah 51Isaiah 51:19 word by word
שְׁתַּ֤יִם הֵ֙נָּה֙ קֹֽרְאֹתַ֔יִךְ מִ֖י יָנ֣וּד לָ֑ךְ הַשֹּׁ֧ד וְהַשֶּׁ֛בֶר וְהָרָעָ֥ב וְהַחֶ֖רֶב מִ֥י אֲנַחֲמֵֽךְ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- These twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- are comeקָרָאqârâ' · to encounter: chancedH7122
- unto thee; who shall be sorryנוּדnûd · to wanderH5110
- for thee? desolationשֹׁדshôd shôd · violenceH7701
- and destructionשֶׁ֫בֶרsheber shêber · breakingH7667
- and the famineרָעָבrâ‛âb · famineH7458
- and the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
- by whom shall I comfortנָחַםnâcham · to be sorry: comfortH5162
Cross-references for Isaiah 51:19
- Isaiah 47:9These two things will come upon you in a moment, in one day— loss of children and widowhood— they will come upon you in full measure in spite of your many sorceries and your many spells.
- Ezekiel 14:21For thus Adonai says: “How much more if I send My four dreadful judgments against Jerusalem—the sword, the famine, the evil beasts and the plague—to cut man and beast off from it.
- Job 2:11When Job’s three friends heard about all this calamity that had come upon him, each of them came from his own place—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite. They met together to come and mourn with him and to comfort him.
- Psalms 69:20You know my reproach, my shame, my disgrace. All my adversaries are before You.
- Jeremiah 9:17“Let them come quickly and lift up a wailing over us so our eyes may run down with tears and our eyelids gush with water.”
- Lamentations 1:9Her uncleanness was in her skirts. She did not consider her future. Her demise was astonishing, there was no one to comfort her. “Adonai, see my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed!”
- Amos 7:2When the locust-swarm had finished devouring the vegetation of the land, I said: “Adonai Elohim, please pardon! How can Jacob stand, for he is small?”
- Isaiah 22:4Therefore I said, “Look away from me! Let me weep bitterly— don’t try to comfort me about the ruin of the daughter of my people.”
- Isaiah 61:2to proclaim the year of Adonai’s favor and the day of our God’s vengeance, to comfort all who mourn
- Job 42:11Then all his brothers, all his sisters and everyone who had known him before, came to him and ate bread with him in his house. They consoled him and comforted him for all the calamity that Adonai had brought upon him. Each of them gave him a piece of money and a gold ring.
- Ecclesiastes 4:1Again I looked and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun, and behold, I saw the tears of the oppressed, but they have no comforter. Power is in the hand of their oppressors, but they had no comforter.
- Lamentations 1:16Over these things I weep. My eyes overflow with water. For far from me is a comforter, who might refresh my soul. My children are desolate, because the enemy has prevailed.”
- 2 Corinthians 7:6But God, who encourages the downcast, encouraged us with the arrival of Titus;
- 2 Thessalonians 2:16Now may our Lord Yeshua the Messiah Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope,
Commentaries on Isaiah 51:19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19These two things - desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword - That is, desolation by famine, and destruction by the sword, taking the terms alternately: of which form of construction see other examples. De S. Poesi, Hebrews Prael. xix., and Prelim. Dissert. p. 30. The Chaldee paraphrast, not rightly understanding this, has had recourse to the following expedient: "Two afflictions are come upon thee, and when four shall come upon thee…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19These two things are come unto thee - Margin, Happened.‘ That is, two sources of calamity have come upon thee; to wit, famine and the sword, producing desolation and destruction; or desolation by famine, and destruction by the sword (see Lowth on Hebrew Poetry, Lect. xix.) The idea here is, that far-spread destruction had occurred, caused by the two things, famine and the sword. Who shall be sorry for thee? - That is, who shall be able so to pity thee as…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-23Verses 17-23 God calls upon his people to mind the things that belong to their everlasting peace. Jerusalem had provoked God, and was made to taste the bitter fruits. Those who should have been her comforters, were their own tormentors. They have no patience by which to keep possesion of their own souls, nor any confidence in God's promise, by which to keep possession of its comfort. Thou art drunken, not as formerly, with the intoxicating cup of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-23The prophet called the people of Israel to be done with their past and to anticipate God’s future for them.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. two--classes of evils, for he enumerates four, namely, desolation and destruction to the land and state; famine and the sword to the people. who shall be sorry for thee--so as to give thee effectual relief: as the parallel clause, "By whom shall I comfort thee?" shows (La 2:11-13).Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 51:19
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 51
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- 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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