Isaiah 6:12

12 "The LORD has ¹removed men far away, And the ²forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.

Isaiah 6:12 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 6:12

And the Lord have removed men far away
Not to Babylon, but to the ends of the earth, into the most distant countries, by means of the Romans; for they were but instruments of carrying the Jews captive out of their own land, and dispersing them among the several nations of the world; it was the Lord's doing, and a judgment which he inflicted upon them for their sins: and [there be] a great forsaking in the midst of the land;
not that there should be many left in the land, and multiply and increase in it; which is the sense of the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions; but that the land should be greatly forsaken of men; there should be many places in the midst of the land destitute of them; and this should continue a long time, as Kimchi observes, which therefore cannot be understood of the Babylonish captivity, but of their present one.

Isaiah 6:12 In-Context

10 "Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed."

11 Then I said, "Lord , how long ?" And He answered, "Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant, Houses are without people And the land is utterly desolate,

12 "The LORD has removed men far away, And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.

13 "Yet there will be a tenth portion in it, And it will again be subject to burning, Like a terebinth or an oak Whose stump remains when it is felled. The holy seed is its stump."

Cross References

• 1. Deuteronomy 28:64
• 2. Jeremiah 4:29

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "forsakenness will be great"