Isaiah 22 4

Isaiah 22:4 kjv

Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people.

Isaiah 22:4 nkjv

Therefore I said, "Look away from me, I will weep bitterly; Do not labor to comfort me Because of the plundering of the daughter of my people."

Isaiah 22:4 niv

Therefore I said, "Turn away from me; let me weep bitterly. Do not try to console me over the destruction of my people."

Isaiah 22:4 esv

Therefore I said: "Look away from me; let me weep bitter tears; do not labor to comfort me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people."

Isaiah 22:4 nlt

That's why I said, "Leave me alone to weep;
do not try to comfort me.
Let me cry for my people
as I watch them being destroyed."

Isaiah 22 verses

Isaiah 22 4 meaning

Isaiah 22:4 articulates the prophet's profound, inconsolable grief over the impending judgment and destruction of Jerusalem. His sorrow is so intense that he desires to be left alone, rejecting any attempts at comfort, preferring to weep bitterly in solitude for the tragic fate awaiting his people. This deep anguish stands in stark opposition to the revelry and spiritual apathy of the city's inhabitants, described in the verses immediately preceding this lament.

Isaiah 22 4 Context

Isaiah 22:4 is nestled within a prophetic oracle concerning Jerusalem, identified as the "Valley of Vision." The preceding verses (22:1-3) depict a city gripped by a paradoxical revelry and indifference in the face of imminent threat or actual siege. Instead of repentance or genuine distress, the inhabitants are found celebrating, feasting, and engaging in heedless joy, famously declaring, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die" (Isa 22:13).

Historically, this passage is most commonly associated with the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib around 701 BC. While some scholars debate the exact timing, the core message points to a period when Jerusalem faced a grave external threat, yet its people demonstrated spiritual complacency and carnal celebration rather than turning to God. Isaiah's deep, inconsolable grief, as expressed in verse 4, stands in stark contrast to the levity of the city, highlighting their spiritual blindness and his own divinely given insight into the true, devastating nature of God's impending judgment. His sorrow is not merely human sadness but a burden born from his prophetic calling, seeing what the people refuse to acknowledge.

Isaiah 22 4 Word analysis

• Therefore I said (וָאֹמַר - va'ōmar): The opening "Therefore" links directly to the preceding scene of Jerusalem's celebration (Isa 22:1-3), indicating Isaiah's emotional reaction is a direct consequence of their unrepentant behavior. It underscores the prophet's immediate, personal response to the people's spiritual state.
• Look away from me (שְׁעוּ מִמֶּנִּי - sh'ū mimennī): sh'ū (from שָׁעָה - sha'ah, meaning "to look" or "turn aside") is an imperative, demanding solitude. This is not a polite request but an intense plea for privacy in deep anguish. Isaiah does not want his profound and agonizing grief to be observed or disturbed, separating himself from the casual observers.
• I will weep bitterly (אֲמָרֵר בַּבֶּכִי - amarēr bavvechī): amarēr comes from the root מָרַר (marar), meaning "to be bitter" or "to make bitter." Combined with bavvechī ("with weeping"), it signifies an intense, deeply painful, and inconsolable crying. It emphasizes the profound internal agony driving the prophet's outward expression of sorrow, far beyond mere sadness.
• do not labor to comfort me (אַל-תַּאֲלִיצוּ לְנַחֲמֵנִי - 'al ta'alīt͡sū l'naḥamēnī):
  • ’al (אַל): The Hebrew prohibitive "Do not."
  • ta'alīt͡sū (תַּאֲלִיצוּ): From לוּץ (lut͡s), meaning "to scorn, mock," but in Hifil can mean "to plead, intercede, strive," or even "to comfort." Here, it carries the nuance of not making futile efforts or bothering with comfort. It's not just a rejection of comfort but a recognition of its utter inadequacy or even inappropriateness given the magnitude of the coming calamity.
  • l'naḥamēnī (לְנַחֲמֵנִי): "To comfort me." From naḥam, meaning "to comfort, console." The combined phrase underlines that the sorrow is beyond human solace; no amount of human consolation could possibly alleviate the weight of this divine judgment.
• because of the devastation (עַל שֹׁד - 'al shod): 'al means "on account of" or "because of." Shod (שֹׁד) refers to "devastation, destruction, despoiling, ruin." It indicates a complete and utter desolation, not just a partial or minor setback. This strong term underscores the severity of the impending judgment.
• of the daughter of my people (בַּת עַמִּי - bat 'ammī):
  • Bat (בַּת): "Daughter."
  • ’ammī (עַמִּי): "My people."
  This is a poignant and common poetic idiom in prophetic literature, personifying the nation of Judah or the city of Jerusalem. It conveys a deep, intimate, familial connection between the prophet and the people he laments, amplifying his personal suffering for their fate. It also implies vulnerability and the pain of seeing a beloved one come to ruin.

Words-Group Analysis

• "Therefore I said, 'Look away from me, I will weep bitterly;'": This initial declaration marks a stark and dramatic shift. The prophet consciously separates himself from the festive, oblivious crowd of Jerusalem, signaling a withdrawal into intense personal anguish. His choice of "bitterly" emphasizes the depth of his internal torment over the city's impending doom.
• "do not labor to comfort me because of the devastation of the daughter of my people.'": This part powerfully conveys the absolute and overwhelming nature of the coming judgment. Isaiah recognizes that the sorrow resulting from God's wrath and the subsequent "devastation" is so profound that any human attempt at consolation would be not just futile, but perhaps even disrespectful or trivializing to the spiritual gravity of the situation. His identification with "the daughter of my people" intensifies the familial heartbreak associated with such widespread ruin.

Isaiah 22 4 Bonus section

• Prophetic Pathos: Isaiah's grief here exemplifies "prophetic pathos," where the prophet internalizes and articulates the sorrow and anguish of God over His rebellious people. It shows a deep spiritual alignment with the divine heart, even when it leads to immense personal suffering.
• Critique of False Security: By juxtaposing the prophet's tears with the people's revelry, the verse implicitly critiques Jerusalem's false sense of security or fatalistic hedonism (as seen in Isa 22:13). It highlights a dangerous spiritual disconnect between their perceived reality and the divine truth of their situation.
• Authentic Response to Divine Judgment: Isaiah demonstrates an authentic, God-inspired response to the pronouncement of judgment, a response marked by profound grief rather than self-pity. This serves as a model for spiritual leaders or indeed any believer faced with the severe consequences of sin in a community.

Isaiah 22 4 Commentary

Isaiah 22:4 serves as a poignant and prophetic counter-narrative to Jerusalem's festive blindness. While the city celebrates its perceived security, Isaiah's divinely enlightened heart apprehends the true depth of its impending judgment. His refusal of comfort and desire for solitude to "weep bitterly" underscore that the devastation awaiting "the daughter of his people" is beyond human alleviation or comprehension. This is a prophet whose soul resonates with God's own grief and indignation over sin. His tears are not mere personal sorrow, but a spiritual lament embodying the gravity of unrepented sin and God's inevitable, devastating justice, highlighting the heavy burden of witnessing the consequences of national rebellion when others remain heedless. This anticipates the grief of Jesus, who would also weep over Jerusalem for its stubborn rejection.