the Week of Proper 22 / Ordinary 27
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King James Version
Isaiah 48:18
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If only you had paid attention to My commandments!Then your peace would have been like a river,And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
"If only you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your well-being would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
O that thou hadst regarded my commaundementes, then had thy wealthynesse ben as the water streame, and thy ryghteousnesse as the waues flowyng in the sea:
Oh that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! Then would thy peace have been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea;
Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
Oh that you had listened to My commands! Then your peace would have been like the river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
If you had obeyed me, then peace would have come to you like a full flowing river. Good things would have come to you again and again, like the waves of the sea.
Oh that you had listened to my commandments! then had your peace been as a river, and your righteousness as the waves of the sea:
O that thou haddest hearkened to my commandements! Then had thy peace beene as a riuer, and thy righteousnesse as the waues of the sea.
Yf thou wilt now regarde my comaundement, thy welthynes shalbe as the water streame: & thy rightuousnes as the wawes flowinge in the see.
Tested in the Furnace of Affliction "And now listen to this, family of Jacob, you who are called by the name Israel: Who got you started in the loins of Judah, you who use God 's name to back up your promises and pray to the God of Israel? But do you mean it? Do you live like it? You claim to be citizens of the Holy City; you act as though you lean on the God of Israel, named God -of-the-Angel-Armies. For a long time now, I've let you in on the way I work: I told you what I was going to do beforehand, then I did it and it was done, and that's that. I know you're a bunch of hardheads, obstinate and flint-faced, So I got a running start and began telling you what was going on before it even happened. That is why you can't say, ‘My god-idol did this.' ‘My favorite god-carving commanded this.' You have all this evidence confirmed by your own eyes and ears. Shouldn't you be talking about it? And that was just the beginning. I have a lot more to tell you, things you never knew existed. This isn't a variation on the same old thing. This is new, brand-new, something you'd never guess or dream up. When you hear this you won't be able to say, ‘I knew that all along.' You've never been good listeners to me. You have a history of ignoring me, A sorry track record of fickle attachments— rebels from the womb. But out of the sheer goodness of my heart, because of who I am, I keep a tight rein on my anger and hold my temper. I don't wash my hands of you. Do you see what I've done? I've refined you, but not without fire. I've tested you like silver in the furnace of affliction. Out of myself, simply because of who I am, I do what I do. I have my reputation to keep up. I'm not playing second fiddle to either gods or people. "Listen, Jacob. Listen, Israel— I'm the One who named you! I'm the One. I got things started and, yes, I'll wrap them up. Earth is my work, handmade. And the skies—I made them, too, horizon to horizon. When I speak, they're on their feet, at attention. "Come everybody, gather around, listen: Who among the gods has delivered the news? I, God , love this man Cyrus, and I'm using him to do what I want with Babylon. I, yes I, have spoken. I've called him. I've brought him here. He'll be successful. Come close, listen carefully: I've never kept secrets from you. I've always been present with you." And now, the Master, God , sends me and his Spirit with this Message from God , your Redeemer, The Holy of Israel: "I am God , your God, who teaches you how to live right and well. I show you what to do, where to go. If you had listened all along to what I told you, your life would have flowed full like a river, blessings rolling in like waves from the sea. Children and grandchildren are like sand, your progeny like grains of sand. There would be no end of them, no danger of losing touch with me." Get out of Babylon! Run from the Babylonians! Shout the news. Broadcast it. Let the world know, the whole world. Tell them, " God redeemed his dear servant Jacob!" They weren't thirsty when he led them through the deserts. He made water pour out of the rock; he split the rock and the water gushed. "There is no peace," says God , "for the wicked."
"Oh, that you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your peace and prosperity would have been like a [flowing] river, And your righteousness [the holiness and purity of the nation] like the [abundant] waves of the sea.
Oh that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
If only you had given ear to my orders, then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness as the waves of the sea:
Oh that you would have listened to my commandments! then your peace would have been as a river, and your righteousness as the waves of the sea:
O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
If you had obeyed me, you would have had peace like a full-flowing river. Good things would have flowed to you like the waves of the sea.
If only you had obeyed my commandments, prosperity would have flowed to you like a river, deliverance would have come to you like the waves of the sea.
How I wish that you had obeyed my commands! Your success and good fortune would then have overflowed like a flooding river.
If only you would heed my mitzvot! Then your peace would flow on like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
Oh that thou haddest hearkened to my commaundements! then had thy prosperitie bene as the floude, and thy righteousnesse as the waues of the sea.
O that you had hearkened to my commandments! Then your peace would have been as a river, and your righteousness as the waves of the sea;
Oh that you had listened to my mitzvot! then had your shalom been as a river, and your righteousness as the waves of the sea:
Oh that thou wouldest hearken to My commandments! then would thy peace be as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea;
Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.
If only you had listened to My Laws! Then your peace would have been like a river and your right-standing with God would have been like the waves of the sea.
And if thou hadst hearkened to my commandments, then would thy peace have been like a river, and thy righteousness as a wave of the sea.
Oh that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
If only you had paid attention to My commandments, your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like waves of the sea.
O that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your prosperity would have been like a river, and your success like the waves of the sea;
Oh! that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments, - Then had been, like a river, thy prosperity, And, thy righteousness, like the waves of the sea:
O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments: thy peace had been as a river, and thy justice as the waves of the sea,
O that you had listened attentively to my commandments! Then your prosperity would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea;
"If only you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your well-being would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
"If only you had listened to my commands! Then blessings would have flowed for you like a stream that never goes dry. Victory would have come to you like the waves that roll on the shore.
If only you had paid attention to My commands. Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
Y wolde that thou haddist perseyued my comaundementis, thi pees hadde be maad as flood, and thi riytfulnesse as the swolowis of the see;
O that you had hearkened to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea;
O that thou hadst attended to My commands, Then as a river is thy peace, And thy righteousness as billows of the sea,
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
that thou: Deuteronomy 5:29, Deuteronomy 32:29, Psalms 81:13-16, Matthew 23:37, Luke 19:41, Luke 19:42
then had: Isaiah 32:15-18, Isaiah 66:12, Psalms 36:8, Psalms 119:165, Amos 5:24, Romans 14:17
Reciprocal: Genesis 6:6 - grieved Genesis 13:16 - General Leviticus 26:3 - General Deuteronomy 12:25 - that it Nehemiah 9:16 - hearkened Psalms 37:11 - delight Psalms 46:4 - a river Psalms 106:13 - waited Psalms 107:8 - Oh that men Psalms 119:64 - teach Proverbs 1:33 - whoso Isaiah 32:17 - the work Isaiah 42:23 - will give Isaiah 46:3 - Hearken Isaiah 54:13 - great Jeremiah 33:6 - and will Jeremiah 44:5 - they Hosea 9:17 - because Matthew 2:22 - being Matthew 11:28 - and I Luke 11:28 - General Romans 2:10 - and peace Philippians 4:7 - the peace Revelation 22:1 - A pure
Cross-References
And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord :
And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:
And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.
And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another.
Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the Lord ; for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.
But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments,.... Which the Jews did not, but slighted and despised them, and were not obedient to them. So, in the times of Christ, they disregarded his doctrines, though so profitable; and despised his ordinances and commands, which were not grievous; they neither hearkened to them themselves, nor would suffer others; wherefore our Lord expresses his great concern at it, and his desire, as man, after their welfare; see Matthew 23:13:
then had thy peace been as a river: their prosperity, temporal and spiritual, had been abundant, and would have always continued, have been increasing and ever flowing, yea, overflowing, like the waters of a river. The Targum is, the river Euphrates, a river which ran through Babylon: but they had no regard to the things which related to their temporal, spiritual, and eternal peace, these were hid from their eyes,
Luke 19:42:
and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: large, abundant, numerous as the waves of the sea; which may regard acts of justice and righteousness, which are the support of a people and state, and blessings the fruit thereof; and which God of his goodness bestows on such a people, as all kind of prosperity, protection, safety, and continuance.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
O that thou hadst heardened to my commandments! - This expresses the earnest wish and desire of God. He would greatly have preferred that they should have kept his law. He had no wish that they should sin, and that these judgments should come upon them. The doctrine taught here is, that God greatly prefers that people should keep his laws. He does not desire that they should be sinners, or that they should be punished. It was so with regard to the Jews; and it is so with regard to all. In all cases, at all times, and with reference to all his creatures, he prefers holiness to sin; he sincerely desires that there should be perfect obedience to his commandments. It is to be remarked also that this is not merely prospective, or a declaration in the abstract. It relates to sin which had been actually committed, and proves that even in regard to that, God would have preferred that it had not been committed. A declaration remarkably similar to this, occurs in Psalms 81:13-16 :
O that my people had hearkened unto me,
And Israel had walked in my ways;
I should soon have subdued their’ enemies,
And turned their hand against their adversaries
The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him:
But their time should have endured forever.
He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat;
And with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.
Compare Deuteronomy 22:29; Isaiah 5:1-7; Ezekiel 18:23-32; Matthew 23:37; Luke 19:21.
Then had thy peace been as a river - The word ‘peace’ here (שׁלום shâlôm) means properly wholeness, soundness, and then health, welfare, prosperity, good of every kind. It then denotes peace, as opposed to war, and also concord and friendship. Here it evidently denotes prosperity in general, as opposed to the calamities which actually came upon them.
As a river - That is, abundant - like a full, flowing river that fills the banks, and that conveys fertility and blessedness through a land. ‘The pagan, in order to represent the Universal power and beneficence of Jupiter, used the symbol of a river flowing from his throne; and to this the Sycophant in Plautus alludes (Trium. Act iv. Sc. 2, v. 98), in his saying that he had been at the head of that river:
Ad caput amuis, quod de coelo exoritur, sub solio Jovis.
See also Wemyss’ Key to the Symbolical Language of Scripture, Art. River. Rivers are often used by the sacred writers, and particularly by Isaiah, as symbolic of plenty and prosperity Isaiah 32:2; Isaiah 33:21; Isaiah 41:18; Isaiah 43:19.
And thy righteousness - The holiness and purity of the nation. Religion, with all its inestimable benefits, would have abounded to the utmost extent. Instead of the prevailing idolatry and corruption, the hypocrisy and insincerity which had abounded, and which made it necessary for God to remote them, they would have been distinguished for sincerity, purity, love, and holy living. And this proves that God would have preferred the prevalence of holiness.
As the waves of the sea - What can be a more beautiful or sublime image than this? What can more strikingly represent the abundance of the blessings which religion would have conferred on the land? The waves of the sea are an emblem of plenty. They seem to be boundless. They are constantly rolling. And so their righteousness would have been without a limit; and would have rolled unceasingly its rich blessings over the land. Who can doubt that this would have been a better state, a condition to have been preferred to that which actually existed?
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Isaiah 48:18. As a river - "Like the river"] That is, the Euphrates.
