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Sunday, January 12th, 2025
Jesus' Baptism / First Sunday after Epiphany
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Geneva Bible

Isaiah 1:9

Except the Lorde of hostes had reserued vnto vs, euen a small remnant: we should haue bene as Sodom, and should haue bene like vnto Gomorah.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Church;   Gomorrah;   Israel, Prophecies Concerning;   Quotations and Allusions;   Scofield Reference Index - Israel;   Kingdom;   Remnant;   Thompson Chain Reference - Israel;   Israel-The Jews;   Remnant of Israel;   Sodom;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Isaiah;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Israel;   Remnant;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Genesis, Theology of;   Remnant;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Glory;   Gomorrah;   Poetry;   Sodom;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Gomorrah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Hut;   Isaiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Election;   Gift, Giving;   God;   Isaiah;   Isaiah, Book of;   Lord of Hosts;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Desolation;   Eternal Fire (2);   Gomorrah ;   Quotations;   Sabaoth;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Hosts, Lord of;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Gomorrah;   Sabaoth;   Sodom;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - God, Names of;   Hezekiah (2);   Isaiah;   Obadiah, Book of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Sodom;  

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah.
Christian Standard Bible®
If the Lord of Armieshad not left us a few survivors,we would be like Sodom,we would resemble Gomorrah.
Hebrew Names Version
Unless the LORD of hosts had left to us a very small remnant, We would have been as Sedom; We would have been like `Amorah.
Darby Translation
Unless Jehovah of hosts had left us a very small residue, we should have been as Sodom, we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
Easy-to-Read Version
If the Lord All-Powerful had not allowed a few people to live, we would have been destroyed completely like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. And that almost happened!
Amplified Bible
If the LORD of hosts Had not left us a few survivors, We would be like Sodom, We would be like Gomorrah.
American Standard Version
Except Jehovah of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
Contemporary English Version
Zion would have disappeared like Sodom and Gomorrah, if the Lord All-Powerful had not let a few of its people survive.
Complete Jewish Bible
If Adonai -Tzva'ot had not left us a tiny, tiny remnant, we would have become like S'dom, we would have resembled ‘Amora.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
King James Version (1611)
Except the Lord of hostes had left vnto vs a very small remnant, we should haue beene as Sodom, and we should haue bene like vnto Gomorrah.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And if the Lord of Sabaoth had not left us a seed, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been made like Gomorrha.
English Revised Version
Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
Berean Standard Bible
Unless the LORD of Hosts had left us a few survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.
Lexham English Bible
If Yahweh of hosts had not left us survivors, we would have been as few as Sodom, we would have become like Gomorrah.
Literal Translation
Except Jehovah of Hosts had left a remnant for us, a few, we would be as Sodom; we would be as Gomorrah.
New Century Version
The Lord All-Powerful allowed a few of our people to live. Otherwise we would have been completely destroyed like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
New English Translation
If the Lord who commands armies had not left us a few survivors, we would have quickly become like Sodom, we would have become like Gomorrah.
New King James Version
Unless the LORD of hosts Had left to us a very small remnant, We would have become like Sodom, We would have been made like Gomorrah.
New Living Translation
If the Lord of Heaven's Armies had not spared a few of us, we would have been wiped out like Sodom, destroyed like Gomorrah.
New Life Bible
If the Lord of All had not left some people, we would have all been destroyed like those who lived in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
New Revised Standard
If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we would have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
If, Yahweh of hosts, had not left us a very small remnant, Like Sodom, had we become, Gomorrah, had we resembled.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Except the Lord of hosts had left us seed, we had been as Sodom, and we should have been like to Gomorrha.
George Lamsa Translation
Except the LORD of hosts had left to us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and we should have been like Gomorrah.
Good News Translation
If the Lord Almighty had not let some of the people survive, Jerusalem would have been totally destroyed, just as Sodom and Gomorrah were.
New American Standard Bible
If the LORD of armies Had not left us a few survivors, We would be like Sodom, We would be like Gomorrah.
King James Version
Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Except the Lorde of hoastes had left vs a small remnaunt, we shoulde haue ben as Sodoma, & lyke vnto Gomorra.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If the Lord of oostis hadde not left seed to vs, we hadden be as Sodom, and we hadden be lijk as Gomorre.
Young's Literal Translation
Unless Jehovah of Hosts had left to us a remnant, Shortly -- as Sodom we had been, To Gomorrah we had been like!
World English Bible
Unless Yahweh of hosts had left to us a very small remnant, We would have been as Sodom; We would have been like Gomorrah.
Revised Standard Version
If the LORD of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomor'rah.
Update Bible Version
Except Yahweh of hosts had left to us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, we should have been like Gomorrah.
Webster's Bible Translation
Except the LORD of hosts had left to us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom; we should have been like Gomorrah.
Bible in Basic English
If the Lord of armies had not kept some at least of us safe, we would have been like Sodom, and the fate of Gomorrah would have been ours.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And excepte the LORDE of hostes had left us a few alyue: we shulde haue bene as Sodoma, & like vnto Gomorra.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Unless the LORD of hosts Had left us a few survivors, We would be like Sodom, We would be like Gomorrah.
Legacy Standard Bible
Unless Yahweh of hostsHad left us a few survivors,We would be like Sodom,We would be like Gomorrah.

Contextual Overview

2 Heare, O heauens, and hearken, O earth: for the Lorde hath sayde, I haue nourished and brought vp children, but they haue rebelled against me. 3 The oxe knoweth his owner, and the asse his masters crib: but Israel hath not knowen: my people hath not vnderstand. 4 Ah, sinfull nation, a people laden with iniquitie: a seede of the wicked, corrupt children: they haue forsaken the Lord: they haue prouoked the holy one of Israel to anger: they are gone backewarde. 5 Wherefore shoulde ye be smitten any more? for ye fall away more and more: the whole head is sicke, and the whole heart is heauie. 6 From the sole of the foote vnto the head, there is nothing whole therein, but wounds, and swelling, and sores full of corruption: they haue not bene wrapped, nor bound vp, nor mollified with oyle. 7 Your land is waste: your cities are burnt with fire: strangers deuoure your lande in your presence, and it is desolate like the ouerthrowe of strangers. 8 And the daughter of Zion shall remaine like a cotage in a vineyarde, like a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, and like a besieged citie. 9 Except the Lorde of hostes had reserued vnto vs, euen a small remnant: we should haue bene as Sodom, and should haue bene like vnto Gomorah.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

left: Lamentations 3:22, Habakkuk 3:2, Romans 9:29

a very: Isaiah 6:13, Isaiah 10:22, Isaiah 17:6, Isaiah 24:13, Isaiah 37:4, Isaiah 37:31, Isaiah 37:32, 1 Kings 19:18, Ezekiel 6:8, Ezekiel 14:22, Joel 2:32, Zechariah 13:8, Zechariah 13:9, Matthew 7:14, Romans 9:27, Romans 11:4-6

we should: Genesis 18:26, Genesis 18:32, Genesis 19:24, Deuteronomy 29:23, Lamentations 4:6, Amos 4:11, Zephaniah 2:9, Luke 17:29, Luke 17:30, 2 Peter 2:6

Reciprocal: Genesis 13:13 - But the Genesis 14:2 - Sodom Genesis 18:24 - there Genesis 19:5 - General Deuteronomy 28:62 - few in number Judges 20:47 - six hundred 2 Kings 19:30 - the remnant that 2 Chronicles 30:6 - escaped Ezra 9:8 - a remnant Ezra 9:14 - no remnant Psalms 12:1 - godly Isaiah 10:20 - the remnant Isaiah 46:3 - the remnant Jeremiah 3:14 - one of a city Jeremiah 23:14 - Sodom Jeremiah 31:7 - remnant Jeremiah 42:2 - left Jeremiah 50:20 - I will pardon Jeremiah 50:40 - General Ezekiel 7:16 - they Ezekiel 12:16 - I will Ezekiel 16:46 - thy younger sister Ezekiel 16:53 - bring Hosea 11:8 - Admah Amos 5:3 - The city Amos 7:5 - for Matthew 7:13 - for Mark 13:20 - for Luke 15:15 - he went Romans 2:28 - For he James 5:4 - Lord Revelation 3:4 - even

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth.
Genesis 1:2
And the earth was without forme and voide, and darkenesse was vpon the deepe, and the Spirit of God moued vpon ye waters.
Genesis 1:5
And God called the light, Day, and the darkenes, he called Night. So the euening and the morning were the first day.
Genesis 1:6
Againe God saide, Let there be a firmament in the middes of the waters: and let it separate the waters from the waters.
Genesis 1:8
And God called the firmament Heauen. So the Euening and the morning were the seconde day.
Genesis 1:9
God saide againe, Let the waters vnder the heauen be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appeare. and it was so.
Genesis 1:11
Then God said, Let the earth bud foorth the bud of the herbe, that seedeth seede, the fruitfull tree, which beareth fruite according to his kinde, which hath his seede in it selfe vpon the earth. and it was so.
Genesis 1:28
And God blessed them, and God said to them, Bring forth fruite and multiplie, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule ouer the fish of the sea, and ouer the foule of the heauen, & ouer euery beast that moueth vpon the earth.
Genesis 1:29
And God said, Beholde, I haue giuen vnto you euery herbe bearing seede, which is vpon al the earth, and euery tree, wherein is the fruite of a tree bearing seede: that shall be to you for meate.
Job 26:7
He stretcheth out the North ouer the emptie place, & hangeth the earth vpon nothing.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant,.... This is an instance of the super abounding goodness of the Lord of hosts, as the Targum expresses it; that he should, in those very wicked and calamitous times, leave and reserve a few from being defiled with the sins of the age, and from being involved in the general calamity of it; which was true of the Christian Jews at the time of Jerusalem's destruction; for that this prophecy belongs to these times is clear from the application of it by the Apostle Paul, Romans 9:29 and which confirms the sense given of the above passages: "the very small remnant" are the remnant according to the election of grace, the little flock, the few that entered in at the strait gate and are saved, or the few that believed in Christ, and so were saved from that untoward generation; these were "left", reserved, distinguished, and secured in the grace of election, being a remnant according to it, in the hands of Christ to whom they were given, and in whom they were preserved; in redemption by him, that they might be a peculiar people; in providence till called, in which the Lord watched over them to do them good, and waited to be gracious to them, and saved them to be called; and in effectual calling, in which he separated them from the rest of the world, and kept them by his power through faith unto salvation. And this was done "unto us"; for the sake of his church, that that might continue, and he might have a seed to serve him: and by "the Lord of hosts", of the hosts of heaven, the sun, and moon, and stars, and of the angels there, and of the inhabitants of the earth; which shows great condescension in him to regard this remnant, and great grace to them; since he could not stand in need of them, having the host of heaven on his right hand and on his left; nor was there any thing in them that could deserve this of him; but it was, as Jarchi observes, in his mercy, and not for their righteousness: to which may be added, that since he is the Lord of hosts, he was able to protect and preserve this remnant, notwithstanding all the opposition of men and devils, as he did; and had he not taken such a method as this,

we should have been as Sodom, [and] we should have been like unto Gomorrah: cities that were infamous for their sins, and notorious for the punishment of them, being consumed by fire from heaven,

Genesis 13:13 and not only the Jews, but any and every nation, even the whole world, would have been like these cities, both for sin and punishment, had it not been for the distinguishing grace of God, in leaving and reserving a few for his glory, and the support of his interest. All the holiness that ever was, is, or will be in the world, is owing to electing, redeeming, and efficacious grace: there had not been a holy man nor a holy woman in the world, in any age, if God had not taken such methods of grace; and it is owing to, and for the sake of, this small remnant, that temporal judgments are often averted from a nation and people, and that the conflagration of the world is not yet; this is kept back till they are gathered in; and were it not for this distinguishing grace, every individual of mankind would have been cast into hell, and must have suffered the vengeance of eternal fire, which the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah, was an example of.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Except ... - It is owing entirely to the mercy of God, that we are not like Sodom. The prophet traces this not to the goodness of the nation, not to any power or merit of theirs, but solely to the mercy of God. This passage the apostle Paul has used in an argument to establish the doctrine of divine sovereignty in the salvation of people; see the note at Romans 9:29.

The Lord - Hebrew Yahweh. Note Isaiah 1:2.

Of hosts - צבאות tsebâ'ôth - the word sometimes translated “Sabaoth”; Romans 9:29; James 5:4. The word means literally armies or military hosts. It is applied, however, to the angels which surround the throne of God; 1Ki 22:19; 2 Chronicles 18:18; Psalms 103:21; and to the stars or constellations that appear to be marshalled in the sky; Jeremiah 33:22; Isaiah 40:26. This host, or the “host of heaven,” was frequently an object of idolatrous worship; Deuteronomy 4:19; Deu 17:3; 2 Kings 17:16. God is called Yahweh of hosts because he is at the head of all these armies, as their leader and commander; he marshals and directs them - as a general does the army under his command. ‘This,’ says Gesenius, ‘is the most common name of God in Isaiah, and in Jeremiah, Zechariah, and Malachi. It represents him as the ruler of the hosts of heaven, that is, the angels and the stars. Sometimes, but less frequently, we meet with the appellation Yahweh, God of hosts. Hence, some suppose the expression Yahweh of hosts to be elliptical. But it is not a correct assertion that Yahweh, as a proper name, admits of no genitive. But such relations and adjuncts as depend upon the genitive, often depend upon proper names. So in Arabic, one is called Rebiah of the poor in reference to his liability.’ The name is given here, because to save any portion of a nation so wicked implied the exercise of the same power as that by which he controlled the hosts of heaven.

Remnant - A small part - that which is left. It means here, that God had spared a portion of the nation, so that they were not entirely overthrown.

We should have been as Sodom ... - This does not refer to the character of the people, but to their destiny. If God had not interposed to save them they would have been overwhelmed entirely as Sodom was; compare Genesis 19:24-25.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 1:9. The Lord of hosts - "JEHOVAH God of hosts"] As this title of God, יהוה צבאות Yehovah tsebaoth, "JEHOVAH of hosts, occurs here for the first time, I think it proper to note, that I translate it always, as in this place, "JEHOVAH God of hosts;" taking it as an elliptical expression for יהוה אלהי צבאות Yehovah Elohey tsebaoth. This title imports that JEHOVAH is the God or Lord of hosts or armies; as he is the Creator and Supreme Governor of all beings in heaven and earth, and disposeth and ruleth them all in their several orders and stations; the almighty, universal Lord.

We should have been as Sodom — As completely and finally ruined as that and the cities of the plain were, no vestige of which remains at this day.


 
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