The Meaning of Isaiah 26:20 Explained

Isaiah 26:20

KJV: Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.

YLT: Come, My people, enter into thy inner chambers, And shut thy doors behind thee, Hide thyself shortly a moment till the indignation pass over.

Darby: Come, my people, enter into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee; hide thyself just for a little moment, until the indignation be past.

ASV: Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Come,  my people,  enter  thou into thy chambers,  and shut  thy doors  about thee: hide  thyself as it were for a little  moment,  until the indignation  be overpast. 

What does Isaiah 26:20 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Before the restoration of Israel, however, God"s people would experience hard times (in the Tribulation, cf. Revelation 12). Before God opened the gates of the new city to the redeemed ( Isaiah 26:2), they would need to shut their doors against their foes (cf. Genesis 7:1; Genesis 7:16; Exodus 12:22-23). Shutting the doors suggests both safety from danger and separation from others, in this case, pagans.

Context Summary

Isaiah 26:11-21 - Chastened By Suffering
When God ordains our peace, a world in arms cannot disturb us. Our peace results from the conviction that God is going before us and preparing our works. But be careful to make mention of His name, that is, to give Him the glory.
Do not be afraid of your enemies. When God brings you back from the ends of the earth, He will free you from their toils and snares. Let us, as Isaiah 26:16 suggests, pour out our prayers, as a vessel its contents; though, as the Hebrew signifies, those prayers are but whispers. It is true that apart from God we work no deliverance in the earth, Isaiah 26:18, but when He speaks, even the dead live. Jesus, the resurrection and the life, speaks in Isaiah 26:19. What comfort results to those that dwell in the dust of self-abasement and despair to look up to the ever-living Christ, from whom streams of life-giving energy come to believing hearts! Arise and sing, thou broken heart: even now the stone is being rolled from the door of thy sepulcher; the morning dew is distilling upon thee. Cast out by earth, thou shalt be welcomed by heaven, and sheltered in God's secret place till the storm-burst has spent itself. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 26

1  Trust in God's Provision

What do the individual words in Isaiah 26:20 mean?

Come my people enter your chambers and shut - your doors behind you Hide yourself as it were for a little moment Until - is past the indignation
לֵ֤ךְ עַמִּי֙ בֹּ֣א בַחֲדָרֶ֔יךָ וּֽסְגֹ֥ר [דלתיך] (דְּלָתְךָ֖) בַּעֲדֶ֑ךָ חֲבִ֥י כִמְעַט־ רֶ֖גַע עַד־ [יעבור־] (יַעֲבָר־) זָֽעַם

לֵ֤ךְ  Come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
עַמִּי֙  my  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
בֹּ֣א  enter 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בַחֲדָרֶ֔יךָ  your  chambers 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: חֶדֶר  
Sense: chamber, room, parlour, innermost or inward part, within.
וּֽסְגֹ֥ר  and  shut 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: סָגוּר 
Sense: to shut, close.
[דלתיך]  - 
Parse: Noun, fdc, second person masculine singular
(דְּלָתְךָ֖)  your  doors 
Parse: Noun, fdc, second person masculine singular
Root: דַּל 
Sense: door, gate.
בַּעֲדֶ֑ךָ  behind  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: בַּעַד 
Sense: behind, through, round about, on behalf of, away from, about.
חֲבִ֥י  Hide  yourself 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: חָבָה  
Sense: to withdraw, hide, hide oneself.
כִמְעַט־  as  it  were  for  a  little 
Parse: Preposition-k, Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: מְעַט  
Sense: littleness, few, a little, fewness.
רֶ֖גַע  moment 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֶגַע  
Sense: a moment adv.
עַד־  Until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
[יעבור־]  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
(יַעֲבָר־)  is  past 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
זָֽעַם  the  indignation 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.