Isaiah 26:16 kjv
LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.
Isaiah 26:16 nkjv
LORD, in trouble they have visited You, They poured out a prayer when Your chastening was upon them.
Isaiah 26:16 niv
LORD, they came to you in their distress; when you disciplined them, they could barely whisper a prayer.
Isaiah 26:16 esv
O LORD, in distress they sought you; they poured out a whispered prayer when your discipline was upon them.
Isaiah 26:16 nlt
LORD, in distress we searched for you.
We prayed beneath the burden of your discipline.
Isaiah 26 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 26:9 | For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. | General Theme of Judgment and Learning |
| Psa 69:30 | I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. | Praise in Distress |
| Jer 29:13 | You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. | Sincerity of Seeking God |
| Joel 2:12-13 | "Yet even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love... | Call to Repentance and Fervent Prayer |
| Acts 12:5 | So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. | Earnest Prayer of the Church |
| Rom 8:26 | Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. | The Spirit's Intercession |
| James 5:16 | ...the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. | Efficacy of Prayer |
| John 14:14 | If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. | Prayer in Jesus' Name |
| Matt 7:7-8 | "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. | The Assurance of God Answering Prayer |
| Luke 11:9-10 | And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. | The Assurance of God Answering Prayer |
| Psa 145:18 | The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. | God's Proximity to Callers |
| 2 Chron 7:14 | if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. | Conditions for Divine Response |
| Isa 62:6-7 | Upon your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never hold their peace; you who put the LORD in remembrance, leave not the LORD without letting him have quiet till he establish Jerusalem and make it a praise in the earth. | Persistent Prayer for God's Action |
| Luke 18:7-8 | And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long about them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? | Persistent Prayer and Faith |
| Jer 15:11 | The LORD said, "Verily I will deal well with you in tribulation; verily I will cause the enemy to make supplication to you in the land of Egypt." | God's Action in Tribulation |
| Psa 34:17 | When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. | Deliverance Through Prayer |
| Deut 4:29 | but from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find him, if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. | Seeking God Sincerely |
| Phil 4:6-7 | do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. | Prayer and Peace |
| Jer 17:14 | Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me, and I will be saved, for you are the one whom I praise. | Cry for Healing and Salvation |
Isaiah 26 verses
Isaiah 26 16 Meaning
When you were distressed, they prayed fervently, intensifying their pleas. This speaks to a time of deep tribulation, where people turn to God with great earnestness and urgency in their suffering.
Isaiah 26 16 Context
Isaiah chapter 26 speaks of a future time of salvation and peace for Jerusalem, often referred to as a messianic kingdom. Following a description of God's protective faithfulness (v. 1-3), the chapter contrasts the secure trust of the righteous with the fate of the proud and wicked (v. 4-7). Verses 8-19 express a longing for God's justice and a faith in His ultimate vindication, even amidst suffering and apparent inaction. Specifically, verses 16-18 describe the people's desperate spiritual condition and their confident hope in God's coming deliverance, anticipating a resurrection and a flourishing of life when God finally intervenes.
Isaiah 26 16 Word Analysis
וְאֶל־ (wə’al-): "and unto" or "and toward." This conjunction links the current verse with the preceding one, indicating a continuation or consequence. It emphasizes a directedness or turning towards God.
בַּעֹצֶרֶת (ba‘ōṣeret): "in oppression," "in distress," "in trouble." The root relates to being pressed, bound, or restricted. It signifies a state of severe difficulty and confinement.
יְפַצְּעוּ (yəpaccû): "they cry out," "they plead," "they make request." The verb is from the root pwc, meaning to break forth, or to implore. It conveys a sense of breaking through silence or difficulty with urgent petition.
שָׁאוּ (šā’û): "they made request," "they prayed." From the verb š’, to ask, to seek, to inquire. This reinforces the act of petitioning God.
כְּלִי (kəlî): This word means "vessel" or "instrument." Here, it is used metaphorically.
הוֹרוּתֵךְ (hōrûtêk): "your discipline," "your instruction." The root is related to instruction or teaching, often punitive. It implies that the affliction was seen as a means of God's correction and guidance, not mere random suffering.
תְּפִלָּה (təpîllâ): "prayer." A common word for supplication and communion with God.
מָחָר (māhār): "tomorrow," "future." Refers to a future time, often used to indicate the anticipated time of God's intervention and deliverance.
גַּעְנוּ (ga‘nû): "we sought," "we visited." From the verb gā‘a, meaning to come upon, reach unto, visit, or seek. It implies earnestly searching for and drawing near to God.
Group Analysis: "when you were distressed, they prayed earnestly": This phrase highlights a crucial connection between hardship and prayer. The distress (בַּעֹצֶרֶת - ba‘ōṣeret) wasn't the end; it was the catalyst for intense prayer (יְפַצְּעוּ שָׁאוּ - yəpaccû šā’û). The suffering prompted a desperate, seeking approach to God.
Group Analysis: "as the whipping of merchants": This simile implies a thorough, persistent, and perhaps public affliction, like those merchants would face if they failed in their duties. It underscores the severity of the "discipline" or "instruction" (הוֹרוּתֵךְ - hōrûtêk).
Group Analysis: "our prayer for you": The people recognized that their prayer was not just for themselves but was directed toward God, with a hopeful expectation for a future (מָחָר - māhār) resolution where they would "seek" (גַּעְנוּ - ga‘nû) God.
Isaiah 26 16 Bonus Section
The simile "as the whipping of merchants" could also be interpreted in light of ancient trade practices where fraudulent merchants were publicly disciplined or beaten. This suggests a trial that was not only severe but perhaps also humiliating, further emphasizing the depth of their distress and the intensity of their resulting prayers. The emphasis on "prayer for you" implies that the suffering experienced was viewed collectively, and their prayers were a unified plea for God's deliverance from the shared hardship, reflecting a communal reliance on God. This verse prepares the reader for the subsequent proclamation of God's vindication and resurrection in the following verses (Isaiah 26:19).
Isaiah 26 16 Commentary
This verse encapsulates the believer's response to suffering within God's redemptive plan. Despite immense hardship, symbolized by "distress" and a punitive "whipping," the people did not despair. Instead, their suffering served as a catalyst for fervent and earnest prayer. They turned to God, seeking Him actively, acknowledging that their affliction was a form of divine "instruction." Their pleas were not merely weak cries but persistent supplications, a "prayer of merchants" that would not be easily dismissed. They understood that through these earnest prayers, directed towards God’s promised future action ("tomorrow"), they would ultimately seek and find Him, leading to salvation. This verse is a testament to faith's resilience, seeing trials as opportunities to deepen one's relationship with God and to pray with persistent hope for His ultimate intervention.