Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel.
Yet I will distress {H6693} Ariel {H740}, and there shall be heaviness {H8386} and sorrow {H592}: and it shall be unto me as Ariel {H740}.
but then I will bring trouble to Ari'el. There will be mourning and moaning, as she becomes truly an ari'el for me.
And I will constrain Ariel, and there will be mourning and lamentation; she will be like an altar hearth before Me.
then will I distress Ariel, and there shall be mourning and lamentation; and she shall be unto me as Ariel.
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Isaiah 5:25
Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases [were] torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand [is] stretched out still. -
Isaiah 5:30
And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if [one] look unto the land, behold darkness [and] sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof. -
Lamentations 2:5
The Lord was as an enemy: he hath swallowed up Israel, he hath swallowed up all her palaces: he hath destroyed his strong holds, and hath increased in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation. -
Isaiah 3:26
And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she [being] desolate shall sit upon the ground. -
Isaiah 10:5
¶ O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. -
Isaiah 10:6
I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. -
Zephaniah 1:7
¶ Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD [is] at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.
Isaiah 29:2 is part of a prophetic oracle concerning Jerusalem, referred to here by the symbolic name Ariel. This verse foretells a period of severe distress and sorrow for the city, indicating divine judgment.
Context
Chapter 29 begins a series of woes against Judah and Jerusalem. God addresses Jerusalem as "Ariel," a name with significant dual meaning, which we will explore. The immediate context describes Jerusalem's spiritual blindness and hypocrisy, despite its religious rituals. God declares that He will bring an enemy against the city, causing immense suffering and siege. This prophecy finds its historical fulfillment initially in the Assyrian siege (though unsuccessful in its ultimate goal to conquer Jerusalem) and more completely in the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. The distress described serves as a consequence of the people's rebellion and spiritual complacency, even as God remains sovereign over their fate.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The name Ariel (Hebrew: אֲרִיאֵל, 'ariy'el) is central to understanding this verse. It carries a double meaning:
Practical Application
Isaiah 29:2 serves as a powerful reminder of God's justice and His demand for genuine faith, not just ritualistic observance. For believers today, it highlights: