Isaiah 22:12

12 And the Lord, Yahweh of hosts, called on that day for weeping and mourning, and for baldness and girding {with} sackcloth.

Isaiah 22:12 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 22:12

And in that day did the Lord God of hosts
When it was a day of trouble, of treading down, and of perplexity; when Jerusalem was besieged by the Assyrian army; and when the people were so much concerned, and so careful for their defence and preservation; then did the Lord call to weeping and to mourning;
to confess and mourn over their sins, the cause of these calamities; to lament their unhappy case; to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, and, by prayer and supplication, with tears to implore his help and assistance, and grant them deliverance; this the Lord called them unto by the voice of his Providence, by the afflictive dispensations of it, and also by his prophets, whom he sent unto them, particularly the Prophet Isaiah; so the Targum,

``and the prophet of the Lord God of hosts called in that day,'' &c.:

and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth;
which were external signs and tokens of inward sorrow and repentance; the former of which was done by shaving the head, or plucking off the hair, and was forbidden on private occasions, yet might be allowed in a public case; see ( Micah 1:16 ) ( Jeremiah 16:6 ) .

Isaiah 22:12 In-Context

10 And you counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall.

11 And you made a reservoir between the walls for the waters of the old pool, but you did not look to its maker, and you did not see {the one who created it long ago}.

12 And the Lord, Yahweh of hosts, called on that day for weeping and mourning, and for baldness and girding {with} sackcloth.

13 But look! Joy and gladness, the killing of oxen and the slaughtering of sheep, the eating of meat and the drinking of wine! "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!"

14 And it was revealed in my ears [by] Yahweh of hosts: "Surely this sin will not be atoned for you until you die!" says the Lord, Yahweh of hosts.