Isaiah 22:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The LORD of hosts has revealed himself in my ears: “Surely this iniquity will not be atoned for you until you die,” says the Lord GOD of hosts.

NIV: The LORD Almighty has revealed this in my hearing: 'Till your dying day this sin will not be atoned for,' says the Lord, the LORD Almighty.

NASB: But the Lord of armies revealed Himself to me: 'Certainly this wrongdoing will not be forgiven you Until you die,' says the Lord God of armies.

CSB: The Lord of Armies has directly revealed to me: "This iniquity will not be wiped out for you people as long as you live." The Lord God of Armies has spoken.

NLT: The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has revealed this to me: 'Till the day you die, you will never be forgiven for this sin.' That is the judgment of the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

KJV: And it was revealed in mine ears by the LORD of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

NKJV: Then it was revealed in my hearing by the Lord of hosts, “Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, Even to your death,” says the Lord God of hosts.

What does the Lord do when He has brought His own people face-to-face with certain death—and they still refuse to turn to Him for help (Isaiah 22:11)? How would He respond, when even in what seem to be their final moments, they refuse to repent of sin and ask for His forgiveness?

In this case, the Lord gives Isaiah a verdict for His people: This sin of faithlessness will not be atoned for, or made right, until they die. In other words, the Lord sentences His people to die for this sin. The Bible is clear from beginning to end that the Lord wants His people to trust in Him to save them. David summed it up in Psalm 9:9–10:

"The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you."

Given one last opportunity to seek God and put their trust in Him, the people of Jerusalem choose not to do so. The Lord will not be a stronghold for them indefinitely.

Chapter 22:1–14 describes how the people of Jerusalem partied and feasted in the face of certain destruction during a siege. Isaiah condemns them, especially for failing to mourn and cry out to the Lord for help when all seemed lost. He weeps for those who have died. The prophet calls the people to soberly understand what has happened to them instead of partying on their rooftops. The Lord says that the sins of the people in this moment will not be atoned for until they die.

Isaiah presents a prophecy against the city of Jerusalem: "the valley of vision." The prophet condemns the people for partying, perhaps following an astonishing deliverance from the Lord. Instead, they should remember all who died. They should be sobered to realize how helpless they had been. When destruction seemed certain, they should have mourned and cried out to the Lord to save them. Instead, they reveled like nothing mattered. The Lord condemns the steward of the king's house for carving out his tomb instead of trusting God. He puts a man named Eliakim in that position. Eliakim serves with great integrity, faithfulness, and excellence. Yet, he, too, falls away.

Isaiah has recorded several prophecies in preceding chapters. These spoke of nations such as Egypt as well as various tribes. Chapter 22 is an oracle against the city of Jerusalem. Isaiah condemns the people for celebrating instead of mourning and seeking the Lord's help. This could be either before or after a great siege of the city. The prophet weeps for the lost and calls the people to repent. The Lord condemns the king's steward for faithlessness. His replacement, Eliakim, serves with strength and integrity. The next oracles concern Tyre and Sydon, before addressing the entire world.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).