Isaiah 17 · Verse 12

Isaiah 17:12

Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
Isaiah 17:12, King James Version

Isaiah 17:12 in other translations

BSBAlas, the tumult of many peoples; they rage like the roaring seas and clamoring nations; they rumble like the crashing of mighty waters.
WEBAh, the uproar of many peoples who roar like the roaring of the seas; and the rushing of nations that rush like the rushing of mighty waters!
ASVAh, the uproar of many peoples, that roar like the roaring of the seas; and the rushing of nations, that rush like the rushing of mighty waters!
YLTWoe to the multitude of many peoples, As the sounding of seas they sound; And to the wasting of nations, As the wasting of mighty waters they are wasted.
DARBYHa! a tumult of many peoples! they make a noise as the noise of the seas; — and the rushing of nations! they rush as the rushing of mighty waters.
BBEAh! the voice of peoples, like the loud sounding of the seas, and the thundering of great nations rushing on like the bursting out of waters!
WebsterWoe to the multitude of many people, who make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!

What does Isaiah 17:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
12. Woe ... multitude--rather, "Ho (Hark)! a noise of," &c. The prophet in vision perceives the vast and mixed Assyrian hosts (Hebrew, "many peoples," see on Is 5:26): on the hills of Judah (so "mountains," Is 17:13): but at the "rebuke" of God, they shall "flee as chaff." to the rushing ... that make--rather, "the roaring ... roareth" (compare Is 8:7; Jr 6:23).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 Wo to the multitude - The three last verses of this chapter seem to have no relation to the foregoing prophecy, to which they are joined. It is a beautiful piece, standing singly and by itself; for neither has it any connection with what follows: whether it stands in its right place, or not, I cannot say. It is a noble description of the formidable invasion and the sudden overthrow of Sennacherib; which is intimated in the strongest terms and the most expressive images, exactly suitable to the event. Like the rushing of mighty waters! - Five words, three at the end of the twelfth verse, and two at the beginning of the thirteenth, are omitted in eight MSS., with the Syriac; that is, in effect, the repetition contained in the first line of Isa 17:13 in this translation, is not made. After having observed that it is equally easy to account for the omission of these words by a transcriber if they are genuine, or their insertion if they are not genuine, occasioned by his carrying his eye backwards to the word לאמים leammim, or forwards to ישאון yeshaon, I shall leave it to the reader's judgment to determine whether they are genuine or not. Instead of כהמות cahamoth, "as the roaring," five MSS. and the Vulgate have כהמון kehamon, "as the multitude."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 17:12-14
The rage and force of the Assyrians resembled the mighty waters of the sea; but when the God of Israel should rebuke them, they would flee like chaff, or like a rolling thing, before the whirlwind. In the evening Jerusalem would be in trouble, because of the powerful invader, but before morning his army would be nearly cut off. Happy are those who remember God as their salvation, and rely on his power and grace. The trouble of the believers, and the prosperity of their enemies, will be equally short; while the joy of the former, and the destruction of those that hate and spoil them, shall last for ever.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Isaiah 17:12 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ה֗וֹיHowoe to!H1945
הֲמוֹן֙ha.mOn[the] tumult ofH1995
עַמִּ֣ים'a.MimpeoplesH5971
רַבִּ֔יםra.BimmanyH7227
כַּהֲמ֥וֹתka.ha.Motas roarH1993
יַמִּ֖יםya.Mim[the] seasH3220
יֶהֱמָי֑וּןye.he.ma.Yunthey roar !H1993
וּשְׁא֣וֹןu.she.'onand [the] uproar ofH7588
לְאֻמִּ֔יםle.'u.MimnationsH3816
כִּשְׁא֛וֹןkish.'onlike [the] uproar ofH7588
מַ֥יִםMa.yimwatersH4325
כַּבִּירִ֖יםka.bi.RimmightyH3524
יִשָּׁאֽוּן\׃yi.sha.'Unthey are in an uproar !H7582

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 17:12

  • Luke 21:25

    And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

  • Jeremiah 6:23

    They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion.

  • Psalms 18:4

    The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.

  • Revelation 17:15

    And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

  • Ezekiel 43:2

    And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.

  • Revelation 17:1

    And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

  • Psalms 46:1-3

    To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

  • Isaiah 5:26-30

    And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken: Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind: Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it. …

  • Isaiah 8:7-8

    Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks: And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.

  • Isaiah 28:17

    Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

  • Psalms 29:3

    The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters.

  • Psalms 65:6-7

    Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power: Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
multitude. or, noise.
9:5
make a noise.
5:26-30; 8:7,8; 28:17; Ps 18:4; 46:1-3; 65:6,7; 93:3,4; Jer 6:23
Eze 43:2; Lu 21:25
mighty. or, many.
Ps 29:3; Re 17:1,15

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Isaiah 17:11

    In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.

  • Isaiah 17:12

    Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!

  • Isaiah 17:13

    The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.

Read all of Isaiah 17

Isaiah 17:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		¡Ay! multitud de muchos pueblos que harán ruido como estruendo de la mar: y murmullo de naciones hará alboroto como murmurio de muchas aguas.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Malheur à la multitude de peuples nombreux! – ils bruient comme le bruit des mers, – et au tumulte des peuplades! ils s’émeuvent en tumulte comme le tumulte de grosses eaux.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wehe dem Getümmel vieler Völker: wie das Brausen der Meere brausen sie; und dem Rauschen von Völkerschaften: wie das Rauschen gewaltiger Wasser rauschen sie!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Væ multitudini populorum multorum, ut multitudo maris sonantis; et tumultus turbarum, sicut sonitus aquarum multarum.