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Commentary Critical and Explanatory

Isaiah 66:16

For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.

For by fire, and by his sword, will the Lord plead with all flesh - `With fire will Yahweh decide the issue (nishpaaT ( H8199 )), and with His sword (He will decide the issue with) all flesh.' The parallelism and collocation of the Hebrew words require this translation ( Isaiah 65:12 ). All flesh - i:e., all who are the objects of His wrath. The godly shall be hidden by the Lord in a place of safety, away from the scene of judgment ( Isaiah 26:20 ; Psalms 31:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:16).

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See also Isaiah 66:16 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    FOR BY FIRE AND BY HIS SWORD - The sword is an instrument by which punishment is executed (see the notes at Isaiah 34:5; compare Romans 13:4). WILL HE PLEAD WITH ALL FLESH - Or rather, he will judge ...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 66 The Finale: The Two Classes and the Prophecy of Isaiah in a Retrospect 1. _The apostates and their wicked worship (Isaiah 66:1) _ 2. _The remnant suffering and encouraged (Isaiah 66:5) _ 3...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    ISAIAH 66. Here divisions are hard to define. The theme the coming punishment of the apostates and the coming glory of the pious is pursued now on one side, now on the other. ISAIAH 66:1. AN ATTACK O...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    A11 FLESH. Put by Figure of speech _Synecdoche_ (of the Part), for all mankind....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _by his sword_ See ch. Isaiah 27:1; Isaiah 34:5-6. _plead_ i.e. "enter into judgement," as Ezekiel 38:22; Joel 3:2. the slain of the Lord shal

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    In fire and tempest the accompaniments of the theophany Jehovah will appear to take vengeance on His enemies. There is a connexion with the last clause of Isaiah 66:14 ; but the passage reads like a c...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    FOR, BEHOLD, &C.— This passage is wholly figurative, exhibiting God, as about to take vengeance upon the enemies of his church, under the figure of a commander and warrior, as well as of a judge, arme...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    3. BUILDING OF ZION TEXT: Isaiah 66:15-24 15 For, behold, Jehovah will come with fire, and his chariots shall be like the whirlwind; to render his anger with fierceness, and his rebuke with flames...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    1. WHERE, etc.] RV 'what manner of house.. what place shall be my rest.' The v. is a strong rebuke of such as, without a really religious spirit, idly trusted in the inviolability of Zion, and the pro...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    PLEAD] i.e. hold judgment....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    ISAIAH: GOD CONTROLS THE NATIONS GOD’S PROMISES TO HIS SPECIAL PEOPLE ISAIAH CHAPTER S 58 TO 66 _NORMAN HILLYER_ CHAPTER 66 The *Lord divides the ‘people of God’ into two types. There are those...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    God will punish evil behaviour wherever he finds it (see Isaiah 13:11; Isaiah 30:27-33). Verse 17b (the second part of verse 17) To eat such meat was against God’s law (see my notes on Isaiah 65:4b)...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    WILL THE LORD PLEAD... — Better, _will the Lord hold judgment._ The thoughts of the seer pass on to the retributive side of the Divine righteousness. Fire and sword have been used by the enemies of Go...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    כִּ֤י בָ † אֵשׁ֙ יְהוָ֣ה נִשְׁפָּ֔ט וּ...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER XXV A LAST INTERCESSION AND THE JUDGMENT Isaiah 63:7 through Isaiah 66:1 WE might well have thought, that with the section we have been considering the prophecy of Israel's Redemption had re...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    ALL FLESH SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD Isaiah 66:15-24 The prophet makes it clear that, whatever blessings accrue in the golden future, they will be apportioned to those alone, who are the Israel of God, n...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    This last chapter is confessedly difficult of interpretation. In it the prophet seems to look beyond all that he has previously described, and to deal with destiny. He first announces anew the fact of...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Many. Few are chosen. (Haydock) --- All the wicked shall perish eternally. (Menochius) _...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    The Lord is here speaking of his judgment upon sinners, who despise his ordinances, and corrupt and pollute them. Mingling ought with them they become a pollution; Exodus 20:25....

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    16._For Jehovah will judge in fire. _Here he brings forward nothing new, but merely confirms the former statement, and shews that this judgment will be dreadful; that none may think that it is a matte...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Chapter 66 speaks of the judgment that introduces it, and consequently gives us more historical details. The temple is rebuilt in Jerusalem (Isaiah 66:6), but Jehovah does not own it, man alone being...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    FOR BY FIRE, AND BY HIS SWORD, WILL THE LORD PLEAD WITH ALL FLESH,.... With the Mahometans, the Turks, the Ottoman empire, against whom he will call for a sword, and will rain upon them fire and brims...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many. Ver. 16. _For with fire._] Than which nothing is more formidable. _ And with his sword._] Wh...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _For, behold_, &c. Here the prophet comes more particularly to show the nature of that indignation which should be exercised toward God's enemies. The passage, it must be observed, is metaphorical, “e...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    For by fire and by His sword will the Lord plead with all flesh, carrying out the sentence of His justice upon all men; AND THE SLAIN OF THE LORD SHALL BE MANY, because all unbelievers make themselves...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE HAPPINESS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    15-24 A prophetic declaration is given of the Lord's vengeance on all enemies of his church, especially that of all antichristian opposers of the gospel in the latter days. Ver...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    This kind of _rebuking_ is also called _a pleading with them_; so he threatens to plead against _Gog with pestilence and blood_, EZEKIEL 38:22. God at first pleads with sinners by _words_; but if he c...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Isaiah 66:16 fire H784 sword H2719 LORD H3068 judge H8199 (H8737) flesh H1320 slain H2491 LORD H3068 many...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    WHILE THE RIGHTEOUS WILL FLOURISH GOD WILL FINALLY JUDGE THE UNRIGHTEOUS (ISAIAH 66:14). Isaiah 66:14 ‘And you will see and your heart will rejoice, And your bones will flourish like the tender gra...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Blessings of the coming universal Kingdom. CHARACTERS: God, Christ. CONCLUSION: Following the day of Christ's vengeance the sorrows of Israel will be turned into abundant joys. All the Gen...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Isaiah 66:1. _The heaven is my throne._ This chapter applies to Isaiah's time, as well as to future times; and though the Lord rejected the impure worship of the temple, yet he would dwell with the co...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ISAIAH—NOTE ON ISAIAH 66:1 Though the worship of God is violated now, in the future falsehood will be judged, true worship will spread, and God will be honored forever. ⇐...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    ISAIAH—NOTE ON ISAIAH 66:16 ALL FLESH. Specifically, “his enemies” (v. Isaiah 66:14)....

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    SECTION XII.—FINAL THREATENINGS AND PROMISES (Isaiah 66:1.). EXPOSITION ISAIAH 66:1 THE UNGODLY EXILES REBUKED

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that you build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? (Isaiah 66:1) They're going to build a new te...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Ezekiel 38:21; Ezekiel 38:22; Ezekiel 39:2; Isaiah 27:1; Isaiah 34:5

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Plead — God at first pleads with sinners by words, but if he cannot so prevail, he will plead with them in a way by which he will overcome; by fire, pestilence and blood. All flesh — Thus he threatens...

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