Isaiah 47:12

12 Stand thou with thine enchanters, and with the multitude of thy witches, in which thou travailedest from thy youth; if in hap they profit anything to thee, either if thou mayest be made the stronger. (Stand thou with thy enchanters, and with the multitude of thy witches, with whom thou hast laboured from thy youth; if perhaps they profit anything to thee, or if thou mayest be made stronger, or more awesome.)

Isaiah 47:12 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 47:12

Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of
thy sorceries
An ironic expression, deriding those evil arts, bidding defiance to them, calling upon the masters of them to do their utmost by them: wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth;
from the infancy of their state; as soon as their monarchy was founded, or they became a people, they were given to these practices, and were famous for them; and in which, no doubt, many among them were brought up from their youth; and to gain the knowledge of which they were at great labour and expense; and yet it was all in vain, and to no purpose: if so be thou shall be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail;
if skill in these things can be of any advantage to keep off the impending calamity, and fortify against the powerful enemy that will quickly surprise thee; try if by thine art thou canst foresee the danger, and prevent it.

Isaiah 47:12 In-Context

10 And (for) thou haddest trust in thy malice, and saidest, None is that seeth me; this, thy wisdom and thy knowing, (hath) deceived thee; and thou saidest in thine heart, I am, and besides me there is none other (I am, and there is no one else besides me).
11 Evil shall come [up]on thee, and thou shalt not know the beginning thereof; and mischief shall fall [up]on thee, which thou shalt not be able to cleanse; wretchedness which thou knowest not, shall come [up]on thee suddenly (and such wretchedness, which thou knowest not, shall suddenly come upon thee).
12 Stand thou with thine enchanters, and with the multitude of thy witches, in which thou travailedest from thy youth; if in hap they profit anything to thee, either if thou mayest be made the stronger. (Stand thou with thy enchanters, and with the multitude of thy witches, with whom thou hast laboured from thy youth; if perhaps they profit anything to thee, or if thou mayest be made stronger, or more awesome.)
13 Thou failedest in the multitude of thy counsels; the false diviners of heaven stand, and save thee, which beheld stars, and numbered months, that they should tell by them things to coming to thee. (Thou hast failed, despite the multitude of thy advice; let the false diviners of the heavens stand up, and save thee, they who looked at the stars, and numbered the months, so that they could tell by them the things that would come to thee.)
14 Lo! they be made as stubble, the fire hath burnt them; they shall not deliver their life from the power of flame; coals be not, by which they shall be warmed, neither fire, that they sit at it. (Lo! they shall be made like stubble, and the fire shall burn them up; they shall not be able to save, or to rescue, their own lives from the power of the flame; there shall not be coals by which they shall be warmed, nor a fire, that they can sit before.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.