Isaiah 48:18

18 I would that thou haddest perceived my commandments, thy peace had been made as [a] flood, and thy rightfulness as the swells of the sea; (O that thou haddest followed my commandments! then thy peace would have flowed like a river, and thy righteousness like the swells of the sea;)

Isaiah 48:18 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 48:18

O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments
Which the Jews did not, but slighted and despised them, and were not obedient to them. So, in the times of Christ, they disregarded his doctrines, though so profitable; and despised his ordinances and commands, which were not grievous; they neither hearkened to them themselves, nor would suffer others; wherefore our Lord expresses his great concern at it, and his desire, as man, after their welfare; see ( Matthew 23:13 Matthew 23:37 ) : then had thy peace been as a river:
their prosperity, temporal and spiritual, had been abundant, and would have always continued, have been increasing and ever flowing, yea, overflowing, like the waters of a river. The Targum is, the river Euphrates, a river which ran through Babylon: but they had no regard to the things which related to their temporal, spiritual, and eternal peace, these were hid from their eyes, ( Luke 19:42 ) : and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
large, abundant, numerous as the waves of the sea; which may regard acts of justice and righteousness, which are the support of a people and state, and blessings the fruit thereof; and which God of his goodness bestows on such a people, as all kind of prosperity, protection, safety, and continuance.

Isaiah 48:18 In-Context

16 Nigh ye to me, and hear ye these things; at the beginning I spake not in huddles, either private (Come ye to me, and hear ye these things; from the beginning, I did not speak in secret, or in private); from (the) time, before that (these) things were made, I was there, and now the Lord God, and his Spirit, (have) sent me.

17 The Lord, thine again-buyer, the Holy of Israel, saith these things, I am thy Lord God, teaching thee profitable things, and I govern thee in the way, wherein thou goest. (The Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, saith these things, I am the Lord thy God, teaching thee profitable things, and I govern thee on the way, on which thou goest.)

18 I would that thou haddest perceived my commandments, thy peace had been made as [a] flood, and thy rightfulness as the swells of the sea; (O that thou haddest followed my commandments! then thy peace would have flowed like a river, and thy righteousness like the swells of the sea;)

19 and thy seed had been as gravel, and the generation of thy womb, as the little stones thereof; the name of it had not perished, and had not been all-broken from my face. (and thy children would have been like the sand, and the descendants from thy womb, like its grains in number; their name would not have perished, and would not have been all-broken, or blotted out, from my sight.)

20 Go ye out of Babylon, flee ye from Chaldees; tell ye in the voice of full out joying; make ye this heard, and bear ye it unto the last parts of [the] earth; say ye, The Lord again-bought his servant Jacob. (Go ye out of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans; tell ye in the voice of rejoicing; make ye this heard, and carry ye it unto the ends of the earth; say ye, The Lord hath redeemed, or hath rescued, his servant Jacob.)