Isaiah 29:6 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Isaiah 29:6 kjv
Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.
Isaiah 29:6 nkjv
You will be punished by the LORD of hosts With thunder and earthquake and great noise, With storm and tempest And the flame of devouring fire.
Isaiah 29:6 niv
the LORD Almighty will come with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with windstorm and tempest and flames of a devouring fire.
Isaiah 29:6 esv
you will be visited by the LORD of hosts with thunder and with earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of a devouring fire.
Isaiah 29:6 nlt
I, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, will act for you
with thunder and earthquake and great noise,
with whirlwind and storm and consuming fire.
Isaiah 29 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 18:7-15 | The earth trembled and quaked... he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he shot out many lightning flashes and routed them. | God's power in nature during judgment. |
| Ps 29:3-9 | The voice of the LORD is over the waters;... The voice of the LORD flashes forth in flames of fire... | God's voice likened to thunder and power over creation. |
| Exod 19:16-18 | On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings... the LORD descended on it in fire. | God's powerful and terrifying descent on Mount Sinai. |
| Nah 1:3-6 | The LORD has his way in the whirlwind and in the storm... The mountains quake before him; the hills melt away. | God's destructive power demonstrated in nature. |
| Hab 3:5-6 | Before him went pestilence, and plague followed at his heels... He stood and measured the earth. | God's awesome, fearful presence in judgment. |
| Job 38:25-27 | Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain... to water a land where no man is...? | God's sovereign control over weather phenomena. |
| Zep 1:14-16 | The great Day of the LORD is near... a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of clouds and thick darkness. | Eschatological judgment associated with natural terror. |
| Mal 4:1 | "For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven... that it will leave them neither root nor branch." | Prophecy of fiery judgment on the Day of the Lord. |
| Isa 30:27-30 | The name of the LORD comes from afar, burning with his anger... with devouring fire, and cloudburst, and tempest. | Similar imagery for divine wrath and judgment. |
| Isa 33:14 | "Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?" | God as an unapproachable and consuming fire. |
| Deut 4:24 | For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. | Fundamental nature of God's holiness and judgment. |
| Heb 12:29 | for our God is a consuming fire. | New Testament reiteration of God's fiery nature. |
| Jer 23:19 | Behold, the storm of the LORD! Wrath has gone forth... like a whirling tempest, it will burst upon the head of the wicked. | God's wrath manifest as a tempest. |
| Ezek 38:22 | With pestilence and bloodshed; with torrential rain and hailstones, fire and sulfur will I rain upon him. | Description of God's judgment using multiple calamities. |
| Rev 6:12-14 | when he opened the sixth seal, there was a great earthquake... and the stars of the sky fell... the sky vanished. | End-times judgment mirroring cosmic upheaval. |
| Rev 8:5 | Then the angel took the censer... and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. | Signs accompanying divine judgment in Revelation. |
| Rev 11:13 | At that hour there was a great earthquake... | A great earthquake as a sign of God's wrath. |
| 2 Pet 3:10 | The heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved. | The ultimate judgment involving fiery dissolution of creation. |
| Luke 19:44 | and will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation. | Jerusalem's destruction due to rejection of divine visitation. |
| Hos 9:7 | The days of punishment are coming; the days of recompense are coming; Israel shall know it. The prophet is a fool. | "Visitation" as a time of reckoning and judgment. |
Isaiah 29 verses
Isaiah 29 6 meaning
Isaiah 29:6 describes a future divine intervention upon Ariel (Jerusalem) as an overwhelming and terrifying event. The LORD of hosts Himself will bring about this visitation, characterized by a series of destructive natural phenomena: thunder, earthquake, a great noise, whirlwind, tempest, and the flame of a devouring fire. These elements collectively paint a picture of sudden, intense, and inescapable judgment, illustrating God's immense power and His certain resolve to humble Jerusalem before eventual restoration.
Isaiah 29 6 Context
Isaiah chapter 29 begins with a prophetic oracle against Ariel, identified as Jerusalem (v.1). It portrays the city as spiritually dull and resistant, symbolized by deep sleep and veiled eyes (v.10). The preceding verses (29:1-5) foretell a time of great distress and siege for Jerusalem, where its pride will be brought low, becoming a voice from the dust. Yet, surprisingly, its numerous foes will become like fine dust. Verse 6, then, vividly describes the means and nature of the LORD's direct intervention in this unfolding drama. It serves to emphasize that Jerusalem's tribulations, whether from enemies or other sources, are ultimately a deliberate "visitation" orchestrated by God Himself, not merely unfortunate circumstances. This severe judgment, however, eventually gives way to a future restoration and spiritual revival for a believing remnant later in the chapter (e.g., v.18, 24).
Isaiah 29 6 Word analysis
- You will be visited (וְנִפְקַדְתָּ֣): The Hebrew verb nifqadta (from paqad) means "to visit," "to attend to," or "to muster." While it can mean a visitation for good (e.g., Gen 21:1, God visiting Sarah), here, in the context of the ensuing destructive phenomena, it unambiguously implies a visitation for judgment, accountability, and severe chastisement upon Jerusalem.
- by the LORD of hosts (מֵֽעִם־יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת): YHWH Sebaoth (יהוה צבאות) is a majestic and powerful title for God, meaning "LORD of armies" or "LORD of powers." It underscores His absolute sovereignty over all celestial and earthly forces, emphasizing that the impending visitation is from the highest authority, implying both the inevitability and the overwhelming nature of the event.
- with thunder (בְּרַ֤עַם): Hebrew ra'am (רַעַם) denotes a deep, loud noise, specifically thunder. In Scripture, thunder is often associated with God's voice, presence, and mighty power, often signaling a divine manifestation or judgment (e.g., Ps 18:13).
- and earthquake (וּבְרַ֙עַשׁ֙): Hebrew ra'ash (רַעַשׁ) refers to shaking, quaking, or trembling, typically an earthquake. Earthquakes are frequently depicted in the Bible as signs of God's power, wrath, and the disruption of the natural order preceding significant divine intervention or judgment (e.g., Joel 2:10).
- and a great noise (וְק֥וֹל גָּד֖וֹל): Hebrew qol gadol (קוֹל גָּדוֹל) translates literally as "a loud voice" or "a great sound." In this context, it contributes to the chaotic and terrifying sensory experience, potentially referring to the roar of a storm, the clamor of war, or the general cacophony accompanying God's cataclysmic action.
- with whirlwind (סוּפָה֙): Hebrew sufah (סוּפָה) signifies a strong, violent, often destructive windstorm or tempest. Whirlwinds are consistently used in prophetic literature as imagery for divine wrath, judgment, and rapid destruction (e.g., Nah 1:3).
- and tempest (וְסַ֣עַר): Hebrew sa'ar (סַעַר) is another term for a violent storm, gale, or whirlwind. Its inclusion alongside sufah intensifies the imagery of overwhelming, uncontrollable natural force and emphasizes the thoroughness of God's destructive intervention.
- and the flame of a devouring fire (וְלַ֖הַב אֵ֥שׁ אוֹכָלָֽה): This phrase uses lahav esh (להב אש) for "flame of fire" and okhala (אוכלה), meaning "devouring" or "consuming." Fire is a potent biblical symbol for God's holiness, purifying power, and destructive judgment against sin, emphasizing its complete and annihilating aspect (e.g., Deut 4:24).
Isaiah 29 6 Bonus section
The collection of natural disaster imagery in this verse acts as a powerful merism, covering a wide range of cosmic and atmospheric phenomena, effectively conveying the all-encompassing nature of God's power and the completeness of the coming judgment. It's a hyper-realistic prophetic picture, designed to impress upon the hearers the inevitability and terrifying scope of the divine action. This judgment on Ariel (Jerusalem) is not an accidental event but a "visitation" (פָּקַד, paqad), meaning a deliberate inspection and reckoning by God, a sobering reminder that He actively involves Himself in the affairs of His people, whether for blessing or for corrective discipline. The term "LORD of hosts" grounds this seemingly chaotic event in the control of an ordered, all-powerful deity, indicating that even in what appears as chaos, there is divine purpose.
Isaiah 29 6 Commentary
Isaiah 29:6 presents a formidable depiction of divine intervention. It asserts that the judgment to befall Jerusalem, despite the appearance of external human agents, is fundamentally the direct work of the Almighty "LORD of hosts." The cascading imagery of natural disasters—thunder, earthquake, loud noise, whirlwind, tempest, and consuming fire—is not merely descriptive; it symbolizes the overwhelming, inescapable, and utterly destructive power that God brings to bear. This is a deliberate, potent act of judgment intended to humble a rebellious people, awakening them from spiritual slumber (as discussed earlier in the chapter). These are the same forces often associated with theophany and the Day of the LORD, underscoring the gravity and certainty of God's reckoning. While devastating in the short term, this judgment serves God's redemptive purpose, ultimately leading to a spiritual transformation and the renewal of Jerusalem's inhabitants later in Isaiah's prophecies.