Isaiah 26 21

Isaiah 26:21 kjv

For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

Isaiah 26:21 nkjv

For behold, the LORD comes out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood, And will no more cover her slain.

Isaiah 26:21 niv

See, the LORD is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will disclose the blood shed on it; the earth will conceal its slain no longer.

Isaiah 26:21 esv

For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain.

Isaiah 26:21 nlt

Look! The LORD is coming from heaven
to punish the people of the earth for their sins.
The earth will no longer hide those who have been killed.
They will be brought out for all to see.

Isaiah 26 verses

Isaiah 26 21 meaning

Isaiah 26:21 proclaims the imminent and active intervention of the Lord for global judgment. God will come forth from His dwelling to punish the inhabitants of the entire earth for their pervasive iniquity. This divine act will cause the earth itself to expose all concealed acts of violence and injustice, especially the bloodshed of the innocent, leaving nothing hidden or unaddressed.

Isaiah 26 21 Context

Isaiah 26:21 is the climax of a hymn of praise and trust in God's faithfulness (Isaiah 26:1-19) that contrasts with a warning of impending divine judgment. It immediately follows Isaiah 26:20, where the Lord advises His people to "hide themselves for a little moment" from His coming indignation. This entire chapter falls within a larger section (chapters 24-27) often referred to as "Isaiah's Apocalypse," characterized by its vivid eschatological themes, foretelling the global judgment of God and the ultimate triumph and vindication of His righteous remnant. Historically, Isaiah ministered during a period of great political instability with the looming Assyrian threat and moral corruption in Judah, setting the stage for prophecies that look beyond immediate events to a final, cosmic day of reckoning when God's perfect justice will be executed worldwide.

Isaiah 26 21 Word analysis

• For, behold (כִּי־הִנֵּה֙ ki-hinneh): A forceful, attention-grabbing phrase meaning "Indeed, look!" or "For, pay attention!" It introduces a profound and urgent declaration of divine action, underscoring the certainty and momentousness of what follows.
• the LORD (יְהוָ֔ה YHWH, Yahweh): Refers to the personal, covenant-keeping God of Israel. Its use here emphasizes His absolute authority, sovereignty, and inherent justice in executing the judgment.
• cometh out (יֹצֵ֥א yotsē’): "Is going forth," "is coming out." An active verb denoting deliberate movement. It signifies a departure from His typical dwelling place (heaven or temple) to actively intervene in earthly affairs, implying direct and personal engagement in judgment.
• of his place (מִמְּקוֹמוֹ֙ mimmĕqōmô): Refers to God's divine abode, usually understood as heaven or a sanctuary of holiness (cf. Ps 11:4; Mic 1:3). His "coming out" signifies a direct breaking forth from divine transcendence into the realm of human history for specific, judicial purposes.
• to punish (לִפְקֹ֥ד lifqōd): The Hebrew verb paqad can mean "to visit," "to inspect," "to muster," but often carries the nuance of visiting with judicial intent—either for blessing or, as here, for punitive judgment. It implies a divine accounting for deeds done.
• the inhabitants of the earth (עַל־יֹשְׁבֵי֩ הָאָ֨רֶץ ʿal yōšĕvē hāʾāreṣ): Not confined to Israel's immediate enemies or specific nations, but encompassing all of humanity, underscoring the universal scope of this divine judgment.
• for their iniquity (עֲוֺן־אָ֤רֶץ ʿawōn-ʾāreṣ): While KJV reads "their iniquity," the Masoretic Text (MT) has "the iniquity of the earth" (ʿawōn-ʾāreṣ). This signifies the accumulated, systemic sin and moral corruption that has saturated and defiled the entire world, making it ripe for judgment.
• the earth also shall disclose (וְגִלְתָה֩ אֶ֨רֶץ wəgiltāh ʾereṣ): Personifies the earth. No longer a passive receiver or a silent covering, the ground itself will actively reveal, uncover, and bring to light what has been hidden.
• her blood (דָּמֶהָ֙ dāmeyhā): Refers to innocent human bloodshed, violence, and murder. The earth, stained with violence, is pictured as finally revealing the injustices it has borne witness to.
• and shall no more cover (וְלֹא־תְכַסֶּה־ע֖וֹד wəlōʾ-ṯeḵasséh-ʿôd): "And will not cover anymore." This emphasizes the complete cessation of concealment. All hidden atrocities and acts of injustice will be brought to light.
• her slain (הֲרוּגֶֽיהָ harugheyhā): "Her slain ones," referring to those unjustly murdered, victims of violence and oppression whose deaths went unpunished. The earth will cease to hide their bodies or the crimes committed against them.

Words-group Analysis

• "the LORD cometh out of his place": This phrase highlights God's purposeful and personal descent from His sacred, transcendent dwelling to engage directly with human wickedness on earth. It signals the transition from patience to active, decisive intervention.
• "to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity": This clearly articulates the universal target and the righteous cause of God's coming. The judgment is not arbitrary but specifically tied to the widespread and cumulative sinfulness of global humanity.
• "the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain": This is a powerful, poetic image of absolute justice. The ground, having absorbed the blood of countless victims, will no longer silently conceal these crimes. Every act of injustice, every hidden murder, will be brought to divine light, assuring ultimate vindication for the innocent and judgment for their oppressors.

Isaiah 26 21 Bonus section

• This verse represents a pivotal moment within Isaiah's prophecy, concluding the hymn of trust with the concrete reality of God's judgment that makes that trust ultimately meaningful.
• The concept of the earth disclosing blood harks back to the first murder, Abel's blood crying out from the ground (Gen 4:10). This continuity signifies God's unwavering memory of all bloodshed and His eventual settling of all accounts from the dawn of humanity to the end of time.
• The short "hiding" period for God's people in the preceding verse (v. 20) contextualizes verse 21 as a divine act that follows a time of tribulation or separation, suggesting that divine protection will precede the ultimate outpouring of God's wrath on the world.
• This passage powerfully establishes God as the supreme moral arbiter of the universe, demonstrating that no human power, wealth, or deception can ultimately hide injustice from His sight.

Isaiah 26 21 Commentary

Isaiah 26:21 presents a chilling yet profoundly hopeful declaration of divine justice. It reveals a dramatic shift from God's perceived passivity to His active, universal intervention. The Lord, whose presence is typically associated with heaven, will step forth from His "place"—an act signifying His decisive engagement in human history, no longer observing from afar but actively bringing His judicial authority to bear. The primary target is the "inhabitants of the earth," signaling a global judgment driven by the pervasive "iniquity" that has permeated human society. The verse then employs vivid personification: the earth itself will become an active witness, refusing to conceal the bloodshed and injustices that have marred its surface. This imagery assures that every act of violence, particularly the unjust killing of the innocent, which may have been covered up or forgotten by human courts, will be exposed before divine scrutiny. For the wicked, this serves as a dire warning of inescapable judgment, where all hidden deeds will be brought to light. For the righteous and the oppressed, it is a promise of ultimate vindication and the assurance that their suffering and the blood of the martyrs will not remain unavenged.