The Meaning of Isaiah 22:12 Explained

Isaiah 22:12

KJV: And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:

YLT: And call doth the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, In that day, to weeping and to lamentation, And to baldness and to girding on of sackcloth,

Darby: And in that day did the Lord Jehovah of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth;

ASV: And in that day did the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And in that day  did the Lord  GOD  of hosts  call  to weeping,  and to mourning,  and to baldness,  and to girding  with sackcloth: 

What does Isaiah 22:12 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Rather, in that day, the people should turn to the Lord in repentance, and reaffirm their trust in Him for their security. He is the sovereign, almighty God who can save.

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 22

1  The prophet laments the invasion of Jerusalem
8  He reproves their human wisdom and worldly joy
15  He prophesies Shebna's deprivation
20  And the substitution of Eliakim, prefiguring the kingdom of Christ

What do the individual words in Isaiah 22:12 mean?

And Called the Lord GOD of hosts in day that for weeping for mourning for baldness for girding with sackcloth
וַיִּקְרָ֗א אֲדֹנָ֧י יְהוִ֛ה צְבָא֖וֹת בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא לִבְכִי֙ וּלְמִסְפֵּ֔ד וּלְקָרְחָ֖ה וְלַחֲגֹ֥ר שָֽׂק

וַיִּקְרָ֗א  And  Called 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
אֲדֹנָ֧י  the  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
יְהוִ֛ה  GOD 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
צְבָא֖וֹת  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
בַּיּ֣וֹם  in  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַה֑וּא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
לִבְכִי֙  for  weeping 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בְּכִי  
Sense: a weeping, weeping.
וּלְמִסְפֵּ֔ד  for  mourning 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִסְפֵּד  
Sense: wailing.
וּלְקָרְחָ֖ה  for  baldness 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: קָרַח  
Sense: baldness, bald.
וְלַחֲגֹ֥ר  for  girding  with 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: חָגַר  
Sense: to gird, gird on, gird oneself, put on a belt.
שָֽׂק  sackcloth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׂק  
Sense: mesh, sackcloth, sack, sacking.