Isaiah 22:12
New International Version
The Lord, the LORD Almighty, called you on that day to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth.

New Living Translation
At that time the Lord, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, called you to weep and mourn. He told you to shave your heads in sorrow for your sins and to wear clothes of burlap to show your remorse.

English Standard Version
In that day the Lord GOD of hosts called for weeping and mourning, for baldness and wearing sackcloth;

Berean Standard Bible
On that day the Lord GOD of Hosts called for weeping and wailing, for shaven heads and the wearing of sackcloth.

King James Bible
And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:

New King James Version
And in that day the Lord GOD of hosts Called for weeping and for mourning, For baldness and for girding with sackcloth.

New American Standard Bible
Therefore on that day the Lord GOD of armies called you to weeping, to wailing, To shaving the head, and to wearing sackcloth.

NASB 1995
Therefore in that day the Lord GOD of hosts called you to weeping, to wailing, To shaving the head and to wearing sackcloth.

NASB 1977
Therefore in that day the Lord GOD of hosts, called you to weeping, to wailing, To shaving the head, and to wearing sackcloth.

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore in that day Lord Yahweh of hosts called you to weeping, to wailing, To shaving the head, and to wearing sackcloth.

Amplified Bible
Therefore in that day the Lord GOD of hosts called you to weeping, to mourning, To shaving the head and to wearing sackcloth [in humiliation].

Christian Standard Bible
On that day the Lord GOD of Armies called for weeping, for wailing, for shaven heads, and for the wearing of sackcloth.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
On that day the Lord GOD of Hosts called for weeping, for wailing, for shaven heads, and for the wearing of sackcloth.

American Standard Version
And in that day did the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:

Contemporary English Version
When all of this happened, the LORD All-Powerful told you to weep and mourn, to shave your heads, and wear sackcloth.

English Revised Version
And in that day did the Lord, the LORD of hosts, call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
On that day the Almighty LORD of Armies will call for crying and for mourning, for shaving your heads and for wearing sackcloth.

Good News Translation
The Sovereign LORD Almighty was calling you then to weep and mourn, to shave your heads and wear sackcloth.

International Standard Version
On that day the Lord GOD of the Heavenly Armies called for weeping and mourning, for shaving heads and wearing sackcloth.

Majority Standard Bible
On that day the Lord GOD of Hosts called for weeping and wailing, for shaven heads and the wearing of sackcloth.

NET Bible
At that time the sovereign master, the LORD who commands armies, called for weeping and mourning, for shaved heads and sackcloth.

New Heart English Bible
In that day the LORD of hosts called for weeping and for mourning, for shaved heads, and for the wearing of sackcloth.

Webster's Bible Translation
And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:

World English Bible
In that day, the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, called to weeping, to mourning, to baldness, and to dressing in sackcloth;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the Lord calls, YHWH of Hosts, "" In that day, to weeping and to lamentation, "" And to baldness and to girding on of sackcloth,

Young's Literal Translation
And call doth the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, In that day, to weeping and to lamentation, And to baldness and to girding on of sackcloth,

Smith's Literal Translation
And the Lord Jehovah of armies in that day will call to weeping and to wailing, and to baldness and to girding with sackcloth:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord, the God of hosts, in that day shall call to weeping, and to mourning, to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And in that day, the Lord, the God of hosts, will call to weeping and mourning, to baldness and the wearing of sackcloth.

New American Bible
On that day the Lord, the GOD of hosts, called For weeping and mourning, for shaving the head and wearing sackcloth.

New Revised Standard Version
In that day the Lord GOD of hosts called to weeping and mourning, to baldness and putting on sackcloth;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And in that day the LORD God of hosts called to weeping and to mourning and to baldness and to girding with sackcloth;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And LORD JEHOVAH, God of Hosts, called in that day to weeping and to mourning and to tearing out hair and to putting on of sackcloth
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And in that day did the Lord, the GOD of hosts, call To weeping, and to lamentation, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the Lord, the Lord of hosts, called in that day for weeping, and lamentation, and baldness, and for girding with sackcloth:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Valley of Vision
11You built a reservoir between the walls for the waters of the ancient pool, but you did not look to the One who made it, or consider Him who planned it long ago. 12On that day the Lord GOD of Hosts called for weeping and wailing, for shaven heads and the wearing of sackcloth. 13But look, there is joy and gladness, butchering of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”…

Cross References
Joel 2:12-13
“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.” / So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.

Jeremiah 6:26
O daughter of my people, dress yourselves in sackcloth and roll in ashes. Mourn with bitter wailing, as you would for an only son, for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.

Amos 8:10
I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation. I will cause everyone to wear sackcloth and every head to be shaved. I will make it like a time of mourning for an only son, and its outcome like a bitter day.

Ezekiel 7:16-18
The survivors will escape and live in the mountains, moaning like doves of the valley, each for his own iniquity. / Every hand will go limp, and every knee will turn to water. / They will put on sackcloth, and terror will overwhelm them. Shame will cover all their faces, and all their heads will be shaved.

Lamentations 2:10
The elders of the Daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence. They have thrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground.

2 Samuel 3:31
Then David ordered Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” And King David himself walked behind the funeral bier.

Micah 1:8
Because of this I will lament and wail; I will walk barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and mourn like an ostrich.

Matthew 11:21
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

Luke 19:41-44
As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it / and said, “If only you had known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes. / For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side. ...

James 4:9
Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom.

Revelation 11:3
And I will empower my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

1 Samuel 7:6
When they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted, and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.

2 Kings 19:1
On hearing this report, King Hezekiah tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and entered the house of the LORD.

Nehemiah 9:1
On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth, with dust on their heads.

Esther 4:1-3
When Mordecai learned of all that had happened, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. / But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because the law prohibited anyone wearing sackcloth from entering that gate. / In every province to which the king’s command and edict came, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and lamented, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.


Treasury of Scripture

And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:

call

2 Chronicles 35:25
And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations.

Nehemiah 8:9-12
And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law…

Nehemiah 9:9
And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea;

to baldness

Isaiah 15:2
He is gone up to Bajith, and to Dibon, the high places, to weep: Moab shall howl over Nebo, and over Medeba: on all their heads shall be baldness, and every beard cut off.

Ezra 9:3
And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.

Job 1:20
Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,

Jump to Previous
Almighty Armies Baldness Clothing Cries Cutting Dressing Girding Hair Head Hosts Lamentation Mourning Putting Sackcloth Sorrow Tear Wail Wailing Wearing Weep Weeping
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Almighty Armies Baldness Clothing Cries Cutting Dressing Girding Hair Head Hosts Lamentation Mourning Putting Sackcloth Sorrow Tear Wail Wailing Wearing Weep Weeping
Isaiah 22
1. The prophet laments the invasion of Jerusalem
8. He reproves their human wisdom and worldly joy
15. He prophesies Shebna's deprivation
20. And the substitution of Eliakim, prefiguring the kingdom of Christ.














On that day
This phrase situates the prophecy within a specific time frame, often used in prophetic literature to denote a significant moment of divine intervention or judgment. In the context of Isaiah, "that day" refers to a time when God’s judgment is imminent. Historically, this could be linked to the Assyrian invasion or other periods of crisis for Jerusalem. It serves as a reminder that God's timing is sovereign and purposeful.

the Lord GOD of Hosts
This title emphasizes God's supreme authority and power. "LORD" (YHWH) is the covenant name of God, highlighting His faithfulness and relationship with Israel. "GOD of Hosts" (Elohim Tseva'ot) underscores His command over the heavenly armies, indicating His ability to execute judgment and deliverance. This dual title reassures believers of God's omnipotence and His commitment to His people.

called for weeping and wailing
The call for "weeping and wailing" is an invitation to repentance and mourning over sin. In Hebrew culture, these actions were expressions of deep sorrow and contrition. The prophetic call here is not merely for outward expressions but for genuine heart transformation. It reflects God's desire for His people to recognize their spiritual state and turn back to Him.

for shaving heads
Shaving the head was a traditional sign of mourning and humility in ancient Near Eastern cultures. It symbolized the stripping away of pride and self-reliance. In the biblical context, it is an act of submission to God's will, acknowledging His sovereignty and the seriousness of the situation. This act invites believers to consider their own need for humility before God.

and wearing sackcloth
Sackcloth, a coarse material, was worn as a sign of mourning and repentance. It represents a physical manifestation of inner sorrow and penitence. In the scriptural narrative, wearing sackcloth is often associated with seeking God's mercy and forgiveness. This imagery calls Christians to a lifestyle of repentance, recognizing the gravity of sin and the need for divine grace.

(12) To weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness . . .--National danger, Isaiah adds, should call to a national repentance in its outward manifestations, like the fast described in Joel 2 "Baldness,' produced by the tearing of the hair in extreme grief, took its place naturally, with weeping and sackcloth, in those manifestations.

Verse 12. - In that day. The day alluded to in ver. 7, when the choice valleys in the neighborhood of Jerusalem were first seen to be full of a hostile soldiery, and the Assyrian horsemen were observed drawing themselves up opposite the gates. Such a sight constituted an earnest call upon the people for immediate repentance. Baldness (comp. Isaiah 15:2; Micah 1:16; Amos 8:10). It has been said that "baldness" was forbidden by the Law (Cheyne); but this is not so, absolutely. Baldness was wholly forbidden to the priests (Leviticus 21:5; comp. Ezekiel 44:20); and certain peculiar modes of shaving the hair, the beard, and the eyebrows, practiced by idolatrous nations, were prohibited to all the people (Leviticus 19:27; Deuteronomy 14:2). But such shaving of the head as was practiced by Job (Job 1:20) and other pious men, was not forbidden to laymen, any more than the wearing of sackcloth. It was regarded as a natural mode of exhibiting grief.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
On that
הַה֑וּא (ha·hū)
Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

day
בַּיּ֣וֹם (bay·yō·wm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

the Lord
אֲדֹנָ֧י (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136: The Lord

GOD
יְהוִ֛ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3069: YHWH

of Hosts
צְבָא֖וֹת (ṣə·ḇā·’ō·wṯ)
Noun - common plural
Strong's 6635: A mass of persons, reg, organized for, war, a campaign

called
וַיִּקְרָ֗א (way·yiq·rā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

for weeping
לִבְכִי֙ (liḇ·ḵî)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1065: A weeping, a dripping

and wailing,
וּלְמִסְפֵּ֔ד (ū·lə·mis·pêḏ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4553: A lamentation

for shaven heads
וּלְקָרְחָ֖ה (ū·lə·qā·rə·ḥāh)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7144: Baldness, bald spot

and the wearing
וְלַחֲגֹ֥ר (wə·la·ḥă·ḡōr)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2296: To gird, gird on, gird oneself

of sackcloth.
שָֽׂק׃ (śāq)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8242: A mesh, coarse loose cloth, sacking, a bag


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 22:12 In that day the Lord Yahweh (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 22:11
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