Isaiah 1:9 kjv

Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

Isaiah 1:9 nkjv

Unless the LORD of hosts Had left to us a very small remnant, We would have become like Sodom, We would have been made like Gomorrah.

Isaiah 1:9 niv

Unless the LORD Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.

Isaiah 1:9 esv

If the LORD of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah.

Isaiah 1:9 nlt

If the LORD of Heaven's Armies
had not spared a few of us,
we would have been wiped out like Sodom,
destroyed like Gomorrah.

Isaiah 1 verses

Isaiah 1 9 Meaning

Isaiah 1:9 declares that it was solely by the merciful intervention of the Lord of hosts that a small portion of the nation, Judah, was preserved from complete annihilation. Had it not been for God's sovereign grace in leaving this "remnant," the widespread rebellion and corruption would have led to their utter destruction, mirroring the total obliteration experienced by the famously wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. This verse emphasizes God's holiness demanding judgment for sin, His supreme authority, and His profound mercy that prevents His covenant people from being entirely consumed by their transgression.

Isaiah 1 9 Context

Isaiah 1 serves as a stark introduction to the entire book, setting the tone for Isaiah's prophetic message to Judah. The chapter begins with God's scathing indictment against His people, describing them as rebellious children who have abandoned Him and chosen deep-seated wickedness. Their spiritual state is likened to a diseased body, festering and bruised, with no soundness. Despite their outward religious rituals and sacrifices, God detests their hypocritical worship because it is accompanied by social injustice, corruption, and a complete disregard for true righteousness.

Isaiah 1:9 functions as a pivotal statement within this severe condemnation. It immediately follows verses where God vividly describes the nation's spiritual sickness and widespread apostasy. In light of this pervasive sin, complete annihilation would have been the logical and just outcome. However, verse 9 immediately interjects the crucial element of divine grace, revealing that Judah's continued existence, even in a diminished state, is solely a testament to God's merciful preservation of a small "remnant." This contrasts their grave sin with God's steadfast character, foreshadowing themes of judgment and eventual restoration that run throughout Isaiah's prophecy. Historically, this prophecy was delivered during a period when Judah faced significant threats from powerful Assyria, highlighting that their survival was not due to their political strength or alliances but to divine intervention.

Isaiah 1 9 Word analysis

• Unless: (Hebrew: לוּלֵי lūlēʾ) This conjunction introduces a counterfactual condition, highlighting that what actually happened (preservation) was an exception to what otherwise would have inevitably occurred (complete destruction). It stresses the divine agency and necessity of God's direct intervention.
• the Lord of hosts: (Hebrew: יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת YHWH Sebaoth) This majestic divine title, prevalent in prophetic books, signifies God as the sovereign commander of the armies of heaven, and thus of all cosmic, angelic, and earthly powers. It underscores His immense authority, omnipotence, and His capacity to bring about both judgment and salvation. It emphasizes that the preservation was by no less a powerful entity than the God who controls all creation, reinforcing the miraculous nature of their survival.
• had left: (Hebrew: שָׁאַר shaʾar, Qal Perfect) Implies a deliberate, intentional, and completed act by God. It wasn't an oversight or a chance occurrence but a conscious divine choice to spare and preserve. This verb also carries the nuance of remaining, often after a devastation.
• us: Refers specifically to the nation of Judah (and by extension, Israel), God's covenant people. This emphasizes that even His chosen people were so sinful as to deserve total destruction, yet His grace intervened for their sake.
• a very small remnant: (Hebrew: שָׂרִיד מִשְׁאָר śarîd miṭṭar - śarîd implies 'survivor, fugitive' and mišʾār means 'remainder, rest') The phrasing emphasizes both the theological concept of the "remnant" (those preserved through divine grace, often small in number but carrying the seed of promise) and the drastic degree of near-total loss. The word "very small" highlights the depth of the nation's apostasy and the extraordinary nature of God's mercy; only a tiny fraction remained due to His preserving power.

• Unless the Lord of hosts had left us: This phrase powerfully asserts divine sovereignty. Judah’s survival was not a matter of human resilience, military strength, or national merit, but entirely a consequence of God’s deliberate and powerful act of grace. It refutes any self-righteous claim by the people to their continued existence.
• we would have become like Sodom, we would have been made like Gomorrah: This parallel is a severe prophetic indictment and a warning. Sodom and Gomorrah are biblical symbols of utter, fiery destruction due to extreme moral corruption and insolent sin (Gen 18-19). By comparing Judah’s potential fate to these cities, Isaiah underscores the depth of their depravity and the completeness of the judgment they rightfully deserved. The repetition emphasizes the certainty and totality of the averted judgment. The phrase uses strong passive voice ("would have been made like"), reinforcing that this judgment would have been a direct result of divine wrath.

Isaiah 1 9 Bonus section

The concept of the "remnant" introduced in Isaiah 1:9 is not merely about physical survival; it carries profound theological significance. This remnant serves as the spiritual heir and future hope for God's covenant people, through whom the divine purposes and promises for all nations will eventually be realized. It is not necessarily the most powerful or numerous, but those whom God has sovereignly set apart and preserved by grace, often undergoing a process of purification through hardship. This idea forms a direct bridge to New Testament understanding, where figures like Paul in Romans 9-11 demonstrate that Israel's salvation always depended on God's election of a remnant (even when the majority rejected Christ), affirming the continuity of God's unchanging method of working through grace and faith, rather than through national identity or works of the law.

Isaiah 1 9 Commentary

Isaiah 1:9 succinctly captures a profound truth at the heart of biblical theology: human sin earns judgment, yet God's sovereign mercy often intervenes to preserve a portion of His people. The verse is a powerful assertion of divine initiative and grace. Judah, having deeply corrupted itself and turned away from the Lord, was on a trajectory toward complete obliteration, mirroring the infamous destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. However, because of who the Lord is – the "Lord of hosts," the all-powerful and sovereign ruler of creation – He chose to prevent utter ruin.

The preservation of "a very small remnant" is a core Isaianic and biblical theme, highlighting that salvation is always an act of God's grace, not a reward for human merit or multitude. This remnant is not merely a surviving few by chance; it is specifically "left" or preserved by God's intentional design, for His purposes, as a seed for future restoration and the continuation of His covenant promises. The severity of the comparison to Sodom and Gomorrah emphasizes the dire spiritual state of Judah, making the mercy of God in preserving even a small part all the more striking and foundational to any hope of redemption. It reminds us that even when humanity's rebellion seems to warrant complete divine judgment, God, in His sovereign love and faithfulness, reserves for Himself a channel through whom His redemptive plan can continue.