Isaiah 52 · Verse 15

Isaiah 52:15

So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
Isaiah 52:15, King James Version

Isaiah 52:15 in other translations

BSBso He will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of Him. For they will see what they have not been told, and they will understand what they have not heard.
WEBso he will cleanse many nations. Kings will shut their mouths at him; for they will see that which had not been told them, and they will understand that which they had not heard.
ASVso shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they understand.
YLTSo doth he sprinkle many nations. Concerning him kings shut their mouth, For that which was not recounted to them they have seen, And that which they had not heard they have understood!
DARBY— so shall he astonish many nations; kings shall shut their mouths at him: for what had not been told them shall they see, and what they had not heard shall they consider.
BBESo will nations give him honour; kings will keep quiet because of him: for what had not been made clear to them they will see; and they will give their minds to what had not come to their ears.
WebsterSo shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

What does Isaiah 52:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 52:14-15

14-15. Summary of Messiah's history, which is set forth more in detail in the fifty-third chapter. "Just as many were astonished (accompanied with aversion, Jr 18:16; 19:8), &c.; his visage, &c.; so shall He sprinkle," &c.; Israel in this answers to its antitype Messiah, now "an astonishment and byword" (De 28:37), hereafter about to be a blessing and means of salvation to many nations (Is 2:2, 3; Mi 5:7). thee…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 52:14-15 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 15 So shall he sprinkle many nations - I retain the common rendering, though I am by no means satisfied with it. "יזה yazzeh, frequent in the law, means only to sprinkle: but the water sprinkled is the accusative case; the thing on which has על al or אל el. Θαυμασονται, ό, makes the best apodosis. ינהג yenahag would do. ינהרו yinharu is used Isa 2:2; Jer 31:12; Jer 51:14, but is unlike. 'Kings shall shut,' etc., is good, but seems to want a first part." - Secker. Munster translates it, faciet loqui, (de se); and in his note thus explains it: יזה yazzeh proprie significat spargere et stillas disseminare; hic hero capitur pro loqui, et verbum disseminare. "יזה yazzeh properly signifies to sprinkle, and to scatter about drops; but it here means to speak, and to disseminate the word." This is pretty much as the Rabbins Kimchi and Sal. ben Belec explain it, referring to the expression of "dropping the word." But the same objection lies to this as to the common rendering; it ought to be על גוים(דבר)יזה yazzeh (debar) al goyim. Bishop Chandler, Defence, p. 148, says, "that to sprinkle is used for to surprise and astonish, as people are that have much water thrown upon them. And this sense is followed by the Septuagint." This is ingenious, but rather too refined. Dr. Duress conjectures that the true reading may be יהזו yechezu, they shall regard, which comes near to the θαυμασονται of the Septuagint, who seem to give the best sense of any to this place. "I find in my papers the same conjecture which Dr. Durell made from θαυμασονται in the Septuagint. And it may be added that חזה chazah is used to express 'looking on any thing with admiration,' Psa 11:7; Psa 17:15; Psa 27:4; Psa 63:2; Sol 6:13. It is particularly applied to 'looking on God,' Exo 24:11, and Job 19:26. Gisbert Cuper, in Observ. lib. Job 2:1, though treating on another subject, has some observations which show how nearly ὁραω and θαυμαζω are allied, which, with the peculiar sense of the verb חזה chazah above noted, add to the probability of θαυμασονται being the version of יחזו yechezu in the text: οἱ δε νυ λαοι Παντες ες αυτον ὁρωσι. Hesiod., id est. cum veneratione quadam adminantur. Hinc ὁραω et θαυμαζω junxit Themistius Or. 1: Ειτα παυσονται οἱ ανθρωποι προς σε μονον ὁρωνες, και σε μονον θαυμαζοντες. Theophrastus in Charact. c. 3. Ενθυμη ὡς αποβλεπουσιν εις σε οἱ ανθρωποι. Hence the rendering of this verse seems to be - "So many nations shall look on him with admiration Kings shall stop their mouths." Dr. Jubb. Does not sprinkling the nations refer to the conversion and baptism of the Gentiles? Many nations shall become proselytes to his religion. Kings shall shut their mouths at him - His Gospel shall so prevail that all opposition shall be finally overcome; and kings and potentates shall be overwhelmed with confusion, and become speechless before the doctrines of his truth. When they hear these declared they shall attentively consider them, and their conviction of their truth shall be the consequence. For that which had not been told them - The mystery of the Gospel so long concealed. See Rom 15:21; Rom 16:25. Shall they see - With the eyes of their faith; God enlightening both organ and object. And that which they had not heard - The redemption of the world by Jesus Christ; the conversion of the Gentiles, and making them one flock with the converted Jews. - Trapp

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 52:13-15

Here begins that wonderful, minute, and faithful description of the office, character, and glory of the Messiah, which has struck conviction to many of the most hardened unbelievers. Christ is Wisdom itself; in the work of our redemption there appeared the wisdom of God in a mystery. Those that saw him, said, Surely never man looked so miserable: never was sorrow like unto his sorrow. But God highly exalted him…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 52:13-15 →

Isaiah 52:15 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.

כֵּ֤ןkensoH3651
יַזֶּה֙ya.Zehhe will startleH5137
גּוֹיִ֣םgo.YimnationsH1471
רַבִּ֔יםra.BimmanyH7227
עָלָ֛יו'a.Lavon himH5921
יִקְפְּצ֥וּyik.pe.Tzuthey will shutH7092
מְלָכִ֖יםme.la.KhimkingsH4428
פִּיהֶ֑םpi.Hemmouth theirH6310
כִּ֠יkiforH3588
אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sher[that] whichH834
לֹֽא\־lo'-notH3808
סֻפַּ֤רsu.Parit had been recountedH5608
לָהֶם֙la.Hemto them
רָא֔וּra.'Uthey will seeH7200
וַאֲשֶׁ֥רva.'a.Sherand [that] whichH834
לֹֽא\־lo'-notH3808
שָׁמְע֖וּsha.me.'Uthey had heardH8085
הִתְבּוֹנָֽנוּ\׃hit.bo.Na.nuthey will understandH995

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

Cross references for Isaiah 52:15

  • Romans 15:20-21

    Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation: But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.

  • Isaiah 49:7

    Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.

  • Ezekiel 36:25

    Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

  • Psalms 72:9-11

    They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.

  • Isaiah 55:5

    Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

  • 1 Peter 1:2

    Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

  • Acts 2:33

    Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

  • Hebrews 9:13-14

    For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

  • Zechariah 2:13

    Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.

  • Ephesians 3:5-9

    Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; …

  • Hebrews 12:24

    And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

  • Micah 7:16-17

    The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf. They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the Lord our God, and shall fear because of thee.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
sprinkle.
Nu 8:7; Eze 36:25; Mt 28:19; Ac 2:33; Tit 3:5,6; Heb 9:13,14; 10:22
Heb 11:28; 12:24; 1Pe 1:2
kings.
49:7,23; Job 29:9,10; 40:4; Ps 72:9-11; Mic 7:16,17; Zec 2:13
for.
51:5; 55:5; Ro 15:20,21; 16:25,26; Eph 3:5-9

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

Context

  • Isaiah 52:14

    As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:

  • Isaiah 52:15

    So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

Read all of Isaiah 52

Isaiah 52:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Empero él rociará muchas gentes: los reyes cerrarán sobre él sus bocas; porque verán lo que nunca les fué contado, y entenderán lo que jamás habían oído.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
ainsi il fera tressaillir d’étonnement beaucoup de nations; des rois fermeront leur bouche en le voyant; car ils verront ce qui ne leur avait pas été raconté, et ils considéreront ce qu’ils n’avaient pas entendu.
German
Elberfelder 1871
ebenso wird er viele Nationen in Staunen setzen, über ihn werden Könige ihren Mund verschließen. Denn sie werden sehen, was ihnen nicht erzählt worden war; und was sie nicht gehört hatten, werden sie wahrnehmen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Iste asperget gentes multas; super ipsum continebunt reges os suum: quia quibus non est narratum de eo viderunt, et qui non audierunt contemplati sunt.