Isaiah 32:14 kjv
Because the palaces shall be forsaken; the multitude of the city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks;
Isaiah 32:14 nkjv
Because the palaces will be forsaken, The bustling city will be deserted. The forts and towers will become lairs forever, A joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks?
Isaiah 32:14 niv
The fortress will be abandoned, the noisy city deserted; citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever, the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks,
Isaiah 32:14 esv
For the palace is forsaken, the populous city deserted; the hill and the watchtower will become dens forever, a joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks;
Isaiah 32:14 nlt
The palace and the city will be deserted,
and busy towns will be empty.
Wild donkeys will frolic and flocks will graze
in the empty forts and watchtowers
Isaiah 32 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 3:8 | For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen; because their tongues and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory. | Isa 1:7 |
| Isa 5:9 | "In my ears the LORD of hosts has sworn: Surely many houses shall become desolate, a great house and an indahouse, without inhabitant." | Jer 22:5 |
| Isa 14:31 | Wail, O gate; cry, O city; thou art melted, O Philistia, all of thee: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and no man shall be alone in his afflictions. | Isa 23:1 |
| Isa 24:12 | In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction. | Jer 4:5, Zep 2:2-4 |
| Isa 33:14 | The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? | Psa 50:3, Isa 10:17 |
| Jer 22:10 | Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native country. | 2 Ki 23:30, Jer 16:4 |
| Jer 34:17 | Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto me, to proclaim a release, every one to his brother, and every one to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a release for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth. | Lev 25:10, Jer 29:18 |
| Eze 6:6 | At all your places of slaughter shall the Cities be desolate, and the high places shall be broken down; that your altars may be desolate and ruined, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished. | Hos 10:8 |
| Hos 10:8 | And the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us. | Luke 23:30 |
| Zep 2:5 | Woe unto the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, that I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant. | Isa 14:29 |
| Zep 2:14 | And flocks shall lie down in her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds; for he shall uncover the cedar work. | Isa 34:11, Rev 18:22 |
| Mic 3:12 | Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house like the high places of the forest. | Jer 26:18 |
| Luke 21:20 | And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. | Luke 21:21 |
| Luke 21:24 | And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. | Rev 11:2 |
| Rev 18:22 | And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; | Isa 23:16 |
| Jer 4:7 | The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be without an inhabitant. | Jer 1:14 |
| 1 Sam 2:8 | He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, and he hath set the world upon them. | Psa 113:7, Gal 3:28 |
| Acts 13:51 | But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. | Mark 6:11 |
| Rev 17:16 | And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. | Rev 19:20 |
Isaiah 32 verses
Isaiah 32 14 Meaning
The castles and the multitudes shall be forsaken. There shall be no inhabitant in the populous city, nor a voice heard in its streets. This signifies a complete desolation and abandonment of a once vibrant and inhabited place, indicating a judgment upon it.
Isaiah 32 14 Context
Isaiah chapter 32 describes a future reign of righteousness, contrasting it with the current unrighteousness that brings judgment. This verse, following the prophecy of judgment on oppressors and a glorious future, highlights the stark reality of the impending devastation. It speaks to the consequences of sin and rebellion against God. The historical context involves the imminent threat of Assyrian or Babylonian invasion, which brought destruction and exile upon the cities of Israel and Judah.
Isaiah 32 14 Word Analysis
- He shall give place: "N follows" (Hebrew: natan). The verb implies "to give" or "to permit." Here, it signifies abandonment or allowing something to pass away.
- The strongholds: "Metsadah" (Hebrew: מְצוּדָה) means fortress or stronghold. This refers to places of safety and power that will become defenseless.
- And the fortified cities: "Ir bĕmakḥazak" (Hebrew: עִיר בְּמַחֲזָק) translates to "city in a strong place" or "city fortified." These represent centers of human strength and security.
- And they shall be as a habitation for goats: "Vĕhayŭ le-mĕreshot 'îzîm" (Hebrew: וְהָיוּ לִמְרִיצֹות עִזִּים) meaning "and they will be places of refuge for wild goats." This is a vivid image of extreme desolation, where even wild animals will find their dwelling in these abandoned urban centers. Wild goats signify untamed, uninhabited nature reclaiming human structures.
- And a pasture for the flocks: "U-ne'ōt maʀanĕq" (Hebrew: וּנְאֹת מִרְעֵי צֹאן) meaning "and pastures for flocks." This emphasizes the transformation from populated cities to empty land suitable only for grazing animals.
- in: "Beth" (Hebrew: בְּ) – indicating location within.
- the populous city: "Ir ba-rih" (Hebrew: עִיר בְּרִהּ) meaning "the fat city" or "the abundant city," highlighting its former prosperity and large population.
- shall be forsaken: "Tēʻăzāb" (Hebrew: תֵּעָזֵב) – passive form of "to abandon" or "to forsake," implying complete dereliction.
- and the multitude of the city: "Ve-riḳ ham-mĕdînâ" (Hebrew: וְרֹקֶשׁ הָעִיר) means "and the uproar/clamor of the city." It signifies the absence of human activity, noise, and life.
- shall be a desolation: "lĕ-miḏbār" (Hebrew: לְמִדְבָּר) – a place of wasteland, a wilderness, an uninhabited area.
- even a desolation: "Mispik ha-yareakh" (Hebrew: מִסְפִּק הַיָּרֵחַ) means "a place for watching" or "a desolate place." Emphatically repeats the idea of emptiness and abandonment.
- even a desolation: "Nath qovath ha-bôr" (Hebrew: נָתַן קֹבֶת הַבּוֹר) signifying "a den for the hunter" or "a place of emptiness," further emphasizing its ruin and usability by predators.
- Word Groups Analysis: The phrase "castles and the fortified cities... a habitation for goats, and a pasture for the flocks" paints a powerful picture of reversal – from human bastions of strength and settlement to desolate spaces inhabited by wild animals. "Shall be forsaken," "shall be a desolation," and "even a desolation" reiterate the complete destruction and emptiness that will befall these places, underscoring the thoroughness of God's judgment.
Isaiah 32 14 Bonus Section
The imagery of fortifications becoming a habitation for wild goats and a pasture for flocks is a common prophetic motif used by Isaiah and other prophets. It starkly contrasts the ordered life of a city with the wild, untamed nature that will reclaim it in its desolation. This also aligns with Jesus' parable of the wicked tenants who killed the heir and the kingdom being taken from them and given to others (Matthew 21:43), implying judgment and displacement. The New Testament also echoes the idea of cities becoming desolate, such as in Jesus' prophecy about Jerusalem in Luke 21:20 and its ultimate fulfillment with the Roman destruction. The concept of a remnant returning or inhabiting the land after judgment is also a strong theme in Isaiah, offering hope after the desolation.
Isaiah 32 14 Commentary
This verse vividly illustrates the devastating consequences of disobedience and divine judgment upon the unrighteous. Cities that were once symbols of human strength, population, and prosperity will be utterly abandoned. They will be reduced to a state of ruin, becoming desolate places fit only for wild creatures and herds, devoid of human presence or activity. This is a powerful statement about the transience of earthly power and prosperity when not aligned with God's purposes. The repetition of "desolation" amplifies the finality of this judgment, signaling a complete destruction and abandonment.
Practical Usage:
- Understanding that earthly fortresses and human endeavors are temporary if they do not acknowledge God.
- Recognizing that severe judgment can lead to complete societal breakdown and the abandonment of once thriving communities.
- Reflecting on the ultimate power of God to humble human pride and power, turning human achievements into ruins.