Isaiah 26 20

Isaiah 26:20 kjv

Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.

Isaiah 26:20 nkjv

Come, my people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past.

Isaiah 26:20 niv

Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by.

Isaiah 26:20 esv

Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by.

Isaiah 26:20 nlt

Go home, my people,
and lock your doors!
Hide yourselves for a little while
until the LORD's anger has passed.

Isaiah 26 verses

Isaiah 26 20 meaning

Isaiah 26:20 calls God's people to retreat into the safety of their homes, shutting themselves in for a temporary period, as the divine wrath passes over the earth. It is a direct command from the Lord, instructing the righteous to seek refuge from an imminent global judgment, symbolizing a time of seclusion and dependence on God's protection amidst widespread destruction.

Isaiah 26 20 Context

Isaiah chapter 26 is part of the "Little Apocalypse" (chapters 24-27), a section of Isaiah that focuses on God's ultimate judgment on the whole earth and the final vindication of His people. The preceding verses (26:1-19) describe the steadfast nature of God, the peace for those who trust Him, and the resurrection of the righteous in contrast to the perishing of the wicked. Verse 20 serves as a direct, urgent instruction, interrupting the prophetic discourse to issue a specific command for the impending cosmic judgment previously alluded to. Historically, this message could have offered solace to Judah amidst threats from powers like Assyria and Babylon, reminding them of God's sovereignty over earthly empires and His ultimate protection for those who take refuge in Him. The call to hide emphasizes God's immediate judgment is coming upon the world, and only those under His specific protection will endure.

Isaiah 26 20 Word analysis

• Come, my people: (לֵךְ עַמִּי, lekh ʻammi)
  • Come: An imperative verb, signaling an urgent and direct command from God. It’s an invitation coupled with instruction.
  • my people: A profoundly significant and intimate address. It establishes a covenantal relationship between God and those He is addressing, emphasizing divine ownership and care.
• enter your rooms: (בֹּא בַחֲדָרֶיךָ, bo vachadarayikh)
  • enter: An imperative, demanding a physical act of seeking shelter.
  • your rooms: (חֲדָרֶיךָ, chadarayikh) Refers to inner chambers, private quarters, or secluded places. This imagery suggests a secure, private sanctuary where one is safe from outside threats. It conveys protection and separation.
• and shut your doors behind you: (וּסְגֹר דְּלָתֶיךָ בַּעֲדֶךָ, ūsegor delateykha baʻadekha)
  • shut: Another imperative, indicating a deliberate act of sealing oneself off.
  • your doors: Access points, emphasizing the closing off of communication or passage with the external, dangerous world.
  • behind you: Denotes finality and completeness of the act of closing off, leaving the danger outside and fully committing to the refuge.
• hide yourselves: (הֵחָבֵא, heḥave')
  • hide: A reflexive imperative, meaning to make oneself hidden or conceal oneself. This emphasizes personal responsibility and active participation in seeking safety.
  • yourselves: Reinforces the personal and individual nature of this directive to take refuge.
• for a little while: (כְּמַעַט רֶגַע, kemaʻat regaʻ)
  • for a little while: (כְּמַעַט, kemaʻat - literally "as a little"). Denotes a brief, temporary period. This assures that the time of hiding and the period of divine judgment is finite and not eternal, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the solemn instruction.
• until the indignation is past: (עַד יַעֲבֹר זָעַם, ʻad yaʻavor zaʻam)
  • until: Specifies the duration of the hiding.
  • the indignation: (זַעַם, zaʻam) Refers to God's righteous wrath or fury. This is not human anger, but a severe, divine outpouring of judgment upon sin.
  • is past: Implies that the judgment will run its course, achieve its purpose, and then cease. It's a passing over, like a storm, not an everlasting condition for those hidden.

Words-group analysis:

• "Come, my people, enter your rooms and shut your doors behind you": This is a call to sacred retreat and sanctuary. The image evokes the safety of a domestic dwelling, but in a spiritual sense, it represents finding refuge in God's immediate presence during a period of universal peril. The phrase underscores an act of willful seclusion as an act of faith and obedience.
• "hide yourselves for a little while until the indignation is past": This portion conveys the purpose and temporal scope of the divine instruction. The "little while" highlights that God's judgment, while severe, is transient for His people. The "indignation" clearly identifies the danger as God's wrath, a righteous outpouring against the ungodly, which His people are protected from when they obey and take refuge.

Isaiah 26 20 Bonus section

This verse, found within a larger eschatological passage of Isaiah, carries significant dual fulfillment potential. While it might have initially pointed to periods of judgment faced by ancient Judah, such as the Assyrian invasion or Babylonian exile (where specific individuals might have literally hidden), its language transcends immediate historical events to speak of a broader, universal "Day of the Lord." The imagery of global judgment and specific protection for God's people strongly aligns with descriptions of the Great Tribulation in later prophetic books and the New Testament. The "rooms" can be interpreted metaphorically as a place of intimate communion with God through prayer, or as God's spiritual embrace that transcends physical space. This act of "hiding" is an act of active faith, seeking shelter not through human fortifications or cunning, but by God's sovereign hand, who commands His people to await His direct intervention for salvation and restoration. It reminds believers that during times of divine judgment, their true security is not found in their own efforts, but in complete dependence on God's protection, often requiring a temporary withdrawal from the world's unfolding turmoil.

Isaiah 26 20 Commentary

Isaiah 26:20 provides a solemn, urgent directive from the Lord to His covenant people during an apocalyptic period of divine judgment. The command to "Come, my people, enter your rooms and shut your doors behind you" parallels the imagery of Noah entering the ark and God shutting the door, or the Israelites staying inside their homes during the Passover plague. It signifies a profound act of trust and obedience, withdrawing from the visible world's chaos into a divinely sanctioned place of safety. This "room" is not merely a physical dwelling but a metaphor for spiritual seclusion and a fortified relationship with God. The call to "hide yourselves" implies vulnerability outside of this sanctuary but assured protection within. The explicit timeline, "for a little while, until the indignation is past," underscores that God's wrath is directed at the wicked and is temporary in duration concerning His faithful, who are sheltered from its full force. It is a moment of God separating His own for preservation while His righteous anger executes justice on the earth, ensuring His people are sustained through the tempest until the period of judgment concludes and a new era of righteousness begins.