Isaiah 22:12

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

And in that day {H3117} did the Lord {H136} GOD {H3069} of hosts {H6635} call {H7121} to weeping {H1065}, and to mourning {H4553}, and to baldness {H7144}, and to girding {H2296} with sackcloth {H8242}:

That day Adonai ELOHIM-Tzva'ot called on you to weep and mourn, to shave your heads and wear sackcloth;

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

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

Commentary

Isaiah 22:12 presents a solemn declaration from the Lord GOD of hosts, revealing His divine response to the spiritual state of Jerusalem, often referred to as the "Valley of Vision" in this chapter. This verse marks a pivotal moment, as God calls His people to a profound display of repentance and humility in the face of impending judgment.

Context

Chapter 22 of Isaiah describes the city of Jerusalem (Judah) in a state of misplaced confidence and revelry, preparing human defenses against an anticipated siege rather than seeking God. They are busy reinforcing walls, collecting water, and tearing down houses for fortifications (Isaiah 22:8-11). In stark contrast to their self-reliant activities, verse 12 reveals God's true desire for them: a call to deep spiritual introspection and genuine contrition. This divine call is not merely a suggestion but an imperative from the sovereign ruler, the "Lord GOD of hosts," indicating the seriousness of their spiritual rebellion and the severity of the coming judgment.

Key Themes

  • Divine Call to Repentance: The verse highlights God's initiative in calling His people to a specific, outward manifestation of sorrow and humility.
  • Authentic Grief and Humiliation: The actions prescribed—weeping, mourning, baldness, and sackcloth—were traditional and profound expressions of national lamentation, grief, and repentance in the ancient Near East.
  • Consequences of Spiritual Blindness: This call comes because Jerusalem had become spiritually numb, failing to recognize God's hand in their circumstances or the true source of their security.
  • God's Sovereignty in Judgment: The title "Lord GOD of hosts" underscores God's absolute authority and power over all creation and events, including the fate of nations.

Linguistic Insights

The title "Lord GOD of hosts" (Hebrew: Adonai Yahweh Sabaoth) is particularly significant. Adonai emphasizes God's sovereign mastery, while Yahweh Sabaoth portrays Him as the commander of heavenly armies, signifying His immense power and His capacity to execute judgment or salvation. This powerful title underscores the gravity of His call in this verse.

The actions specified are all traditional forms of deep mourning and repentance:

  • Weeping and Mourning: These are natural expressions of sorrow and grief.
  • Baldness: Shaving the head was a common practice in ancient cultures as a sign of extreme sorrow, humiliation, or a vow of deep lamentation, often in response to death or national calamity. It symbolized laying aside one's pride and beauty.
  • Girding with Sackcloth: Sackcloth was a coarse, rough material, usually made of goat's hair, worn directly against the skin as a sign of deep distress, humility, and repentance. It symbolized stripping away comfort and embracing self-abasement before God. This was a common practice associated with repentance, as seen in Nineveh's repentance in Jonah 3:5.

Call to Repentance

God's call in Isaiah 22:12 was for the people of Jerusalem to acknowledge their sin and turn back to Him with genuine sorrow and humility. He desired an inward change reflected in outward acts of contrition, a genuine turning of the heart to God. However, the very next verse (Isaiah 22:13) reveals their tragic response: instead of weeping and mourning, they chose revelry, feasting, and drinking, declaring, "Let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die." This stark contrast highlights their spiritual apathy and defiance, making God's judgment inevitable.

Practical Application

This verse serves as a timeless reminder that God desires genuine repentance from His people when they stray. When faced with warnings, difficulties, or the consequences of sin, the appropriate response is not self-reliance, denial, or superficial actions, but a sincere turning to God with humility and sorrow for sin. True spiritual understanding involves recognizing God's hand in all circumstances and responding to His call for a change of heart, rather than pursuing temporary comforts or trusting in human strategies alone.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Joel 1:13

    Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.

  • Micah 1:16

    Make thee bald, and poll thee for thy delicate children; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle; for they are gone into captivity from thee.

  • Joel 2:17

    Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where [is] their God?

  • Amos 8:10

    And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only [son], and the end thereof as a bitter day.

  • Ecclesiastes 3:4

    A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

  • James 5:1

    ¶ Go to now, [ye] rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon [you].

  • Job 1:20

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