Isaiah 24:12 — Word Study
WLCנִשְׁאַ֥ר בָּעִ֖יר שַׁמָּ֑ה וּשְׁאִיָּ֖ה יֻכַּת־ שָֽׁעַר׃
BSAThe cityʻîyr [in a state of desolation, left to waste] is leftshâʼar■ in ruinsshammâh [a state of horror] its gateshaʻar [the entrance to the city, a place of gathering] is reducedkâthath▸ [smitten, crushed] ◂to rubbleshᵉʼîyâh△ [a state of destruction, broken into pieces]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| נִשְׁאַ֥ר | it has remained | Verb, Niphal, perfect third person masculine singular |
| בָּעִ֖יר | in the city | Preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| שַׁמָּ֑ה | desolation | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| וּשְׁאִיָּ֖ה | and ruin | Conjunction, noun common feminine singular absolute |
| יֻכַּת־ | it will be crushed | Verb, Hophal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| שָֽׁעַר׃ | [the] gate | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The city is left in ruins; its gate is reduced to rubble. |
| KJV | In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction. |
| ASV | In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction. |
| YLT | Left in the city [is] desolation, And [with] wasting is the gate smitten. |
| WEB | The city is left in desolation, and the gate is struck with destruction. |
| BBE | In the town all is waste, and in the public place is destruction. |
Translations agree on the meaning of נִשְׁאַ֥ר — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause presents the city's state, with additional phrases providing context and detail about its condition.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectשַׁמָּה
verbשָׁאַר
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 6 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Isaiah 24:12
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Desolation of the Citygenerated
Isaiah 24:12 describes a city that has fallen into ruin, reflecting the devastation that has befallen the land. The surrounding verses highlight the loss of joy and the cries for wine, indicating a deep sense of despair. This imagery serves to illustrate the consequences of sin and the resulting desolation, akin to other biblical references found in Jeremiah 9:11 and Lamentations 1:1-4.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaiah 32:14 | For the palace will be forsaken, the busy city abandoned. The hill and the watchtower will become caves forever— the delight of wild donkeys and a pasture for flocks— |
| 2 | Jeremiah 9:11 | “And I will make Jerusalem a heap of rubble, a haunt for jackals; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.” |
| 3 | Lamentations 1:1–4 | How lonely lies the city, once so full of people! She who was great among the nations has become a widow. The princess of the provinces has become a slave. |
| 4 | Lamentations 2:9 | Her gates have sunk into the ground; He has destroyed and shattered their bars. Her king and her princes are exiled among the nations, the law is no more, and even her prophets find no vision from the LORD. |
| 5 | Lamentations 5:18 | because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate, patrolled by foxes. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — נִשְׁאַ֥ר, nish.'Argenerated
The verb שָׁאַר (sha'ar) means 'to remain' or 'to be left over'. In this context, it indicates that something has persisted despite destruction. The Niphal form here suggests that the city has been left in its state of ruin, emphasizing the passivity of the city in its desolation.
This word is often used in biblical narratives to describe remnants, such as the remnant of Israel after exile. The usage here evokes a sense of abandonment and survival amidst devastation.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In the Berean Standard Bible, the phrase 'is left in ruins' captures the essence of נִשְׁאַ֥ר, while the KJV and ASV use 'is left' similarly.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb נִשְׁאַ֥ר governs the main clause, indicating what has happened to the city. The structure includes a prepositional phrase describing the location ('in the city'), followed by a noun phrase ('desolation') and another verb phrase ('is crushed'), creating a clear picture of the city's state.
The word order emphasizes the desolation of the city first, then the gate, indicating the extent of destruction.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew word עִיר is rendered as πόλεις (cities), which broadens the scope from a specific city to a more general concept of urban destruction. This choice reflects a wider interpretation of the devastation.
The LXX does not preserve the full nuance of נִשְׁאַ֥ר, focusing instead on the broader implications of city desolation.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Isaiah 24:12 depicts a city that has been left in ruins, with its gate destroyed. This reflects a scene of desolation and loss, similar to other passages in the Bible that describe devastation, such as in Jeremiah 9:11 and Lamentations 1:1-4.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies a complete destruction and abandonment, illustrating the consequences of sin and judgment.
It relates to themes of desolation and judgment found throughout the prophetic literature, emphasizing the seriousness of turning away from God.
The gate symbolizes access and community; its destruction indicates the loss of safety and gathering, further emphasizing the city's ruin.
The strong language underscores the severity of the situation, making it clear that this is not just physical destruction but also a spiritual and communal catastrophe.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does the desolation of the city teach us about the consequences of turning away from God?
- How can we apply the lessons of ruin and restoration in our own lives?
- In what ways do we see the remnants of hope amidst destruction in our communities?
- How can we be agents of restoration in places that feel desolate?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Isaiah 24:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleIn the city is left desolation,.... And nothing else, palaces, houses, and temples burnt, and inhabitants destroyed; none but devils, foul spirits, and hateful and unclean birds, inhabiting it,
Read John Gill on Isaiah 24 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryIn the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction. The gate is smitten with destruction - `with a great tumult (of the assailants) the gate is battered down' (Horsley). Or else, with a crash.
Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 24 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThe gates of the city are totally ruined, that the enemy may enter when and where they please.
Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 24 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsIsaiah 24:12 In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.Ver. 12. In the city is left desolation.] There is nothing of any worth left, but havoc made of all; it is plundered to the life, as now we phrase it. Since the Swedish wars custom is the sole mint master of current words.
Read John Trapp on Isaiah 24 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(12) In the city is left desolation.—Better, of the city. Nothing should be left but its crumbling ruins. The “gate,” usually, in an Eastern town, the pride of the city, and the chief place of concourse, had been battered till it lay in ruins.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 24 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges12. In the city is left desolation] after its mirth has gone into banishment.
Read Cambridge on Isaiah 24 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleAnd the gate is smitten with destruction - The word rendered ‘destruction’ may denote ‘a crash’ (Gesenius).
Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 24 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible12. Desolation — Not a trace being left of the city as it was. Gate… destruction — The “gate” is the most noted of all city resorts; its “destruction” is a crash. So Gesenius.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Isaiah 24 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
The city is left in ruins; its gate is reduced to rubble.
The city is left in desolation, and the gate is struck with destruction.
The city is left in ruins; its gate is reduced to rubble.
The city is left in ruins; the gate is reduced to rubble.
Tyndale line
In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.
In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.
In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.
In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.
In the citie is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.
Strictly literal
desolation remaineth in the city, and the gate is smitten, — a ruin.
Left in the city [is] desolation, And [with] wasting is the gate smitten.
Desolation [is] left in the city, || And the gate is struck [with] ruin.
Destruction is left in the city, in ruins is beaten the gate.
In the city is left a desolation, and the gate is broken into a ruin.
From the Latin
Desolation is left in the city, and calamity shall oppress the gates.
Simplified
The city is in a horrible state of ruin; its gates have been broken down.
In the town all is waste, and in the public place is destruction.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text aligns with the Dead Sea Scrolls, which also preserve the phrase indicating the city's ruin. Both witnesses confirm the core elements of desolation and destruction, while the Septuagint offers a different rendering that lacks some specific details found in the Hebrew.
נִשְׁאַ֥ר בָּעִ֖יר שַׁמָּ֑ה וּשְׁאִיָּ֖ה יֻכַּת־ שָֽׁעַר׃
1 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
ונשאר בעיר שמה ושואה יכת שער׳ה
6 words on the leather.
נשאר בעיר שמה ושאיה יוכת שער
6 words on the leather.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Isaiah 24:12
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
שָׁאַר (sha'ar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to remain or be left over. It encompasses various nuances, including being left behind, surviving, or leaving something as a gift. The entries indicate its use in different forms, such as Qal, Niphal, and Hiphil, highlighting its versatility in contexts like remnants or spare items.
שָׁאַר 133 vb. remain, be left over
Qalthe youngest still remains
Niph.
be left over
be left behind
Hiph.
leave over, spare
leave or keep over
the city shall have 100 left
leave as a gift
base
H7604 שָׁאַר remain, be left over .he youngest still remains
. . be left over
. be left behind
. . leave over, spare
. leave or keep over
. the city shall have 100 left
. leave as a gift
7604 sha'ar shaw-ar'
a primitive root; properly, to swell up, i.e. be
(causatively, make) redundant:--leave, (be) left, let,
remain, remnant, reserve, the rest.
שָׁאַר (sha.ar) — to remain.
1) to remain, be left over, be left behind
1a) (Qal) to remain
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be left over, be left alive, survive
1b1a) remainder, remnant (participle)
1b2) to be left behind
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to leave over, spare
1c2) to leave or keep over
1c3) to have left
1c4) to leave (as a gift)
V-Niphal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Niphal · perfect third person masculine singularHVNp3ms
The Hebrew word עִיר (*'iyr*) has meanings related to both excitement and city. It can denote excitement, particularly of terror or rage, as well as refer to a city or town, indicating a place that is guarded or inhabited. The entries suggest a broad application, from fortified cities to simple encampments. There is a specific mention of a man named Ir in 1 Chronicles 4:12.
עִיר n.[m.] excitement;—of terror; of rage
base
עִיר 1092 n.f. city, town
city, town, abode of men
of fortress in a city
appar. fortified place, of any size
base
H5892a עִיר excitement;—of terror; of rage H5892b עִיר city, town . city, town, abode of men
. of fortress in a city
. appar. fortified place, of any size
5892 `iyr eer
or (in the plural) par {awr}; or ayar (Judges 10:4)
{aw-yar'}; from 5782 a city (a place guarded by waking or a
watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or
post):--Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.
see HEBREW for 05782
עִיר (ir) — excitement.
1) excitement, anguish
1a) of terror
עִיר (ir) — city.
1) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)
1a) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)
1a) city, town
עִיר (ir) — City (of On).
Combined with on (אֹן "On" H0204)
This name means city, town
Another name of on (אֹן "On" H0204)
עִיר (ir) — Ir-.
#A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.12;
son of: Tehinnah (H8468)
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHRd/Ncfsa
sit'-i (`ir, qiryah; polis):
I. THE CANAANITE CITY
1. Origin
2. Extent
3. Villages
4. Sites
5. External Appearance
6. General
II. THE CITY OF THE JEWISH OCCUPATION
1. Tower or Stronghold
2. High Place
3. Broad Place
4. Streets
5. General Characteristics
III. STORE CITIES
IV. LEVITICAL CITIES
LITERATURE
I. The Canaanite City.
1. Origin:
The development of the Canaanite city has been traced by Macalister in his report on the excavation at Gezer (Palestine Exploration Fund Statement, 1904, 108 ff). It originated on the slopes of a bare rocky spur, in which the Neolithic Troglodytes quarried their habitations out of the solid rock, the stones therefrom being used to form a casing to the earthen ramparts, with which the site was afterwards surrounded and which served as a protection against the intrusion of enemies. Later Semitic intruders occupied the site, stone houses were built, and high stone defense…
City
The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain (Gen. 4:17). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12). Next, we have a record of the cities of the Canaanites, Sidon, Gaza, Sodom, etc. (10:12, 19; 11:3, 9; 36:31-39). The earliest description of a city is that of Sodom (19:1-22). Damascus is said to be the oldest existing city in the world. Before the time of Abraham there were cities in Egypt (Num. 13:22). The Israelites in Egypt were employed in building the “treasure cities” of Pithom and Raamses (Ex. 1:11); but it does not seem that they had any cities of their own in Goshen (Gen.…
The towns and cities of Palestine were commonly built on heights, for better security against robbers or invaders. These heights, surrounded by walls, sometimes formed the entire city. In other cases, the citadel alone crowned the hill, around and at the base of which the town was built; and in time of danger the surrounding population all took refuge in the fortified place. Larger towns and cities were often not only defended by strong outer walls, with towers and gates, but by a citadel or castle within these limits-a last resort when the rest of the city was taken, Jud 9:46,51. The "fenced cities" of the Jews, De 3:5, were of various sizes and degrees of strength; some being surrounded by high and thick stone walls, and others by feebler ramparts, often of clay or sun-dried…
שַׁמָּה (shammah) refers to concepts of waste and horror, indicating destruction or desolation. It encompasses meanings such as appalment and ruin, often related to land or cities. The word is derived from another Hebrew root, שָׁמַם (shamam), which also conveys similar themes of devastation.
שַׁמָּה n.f. waste, appalment
base
H8047 שַׁמָּה waste, appalment
8047 shammah sham-maw'
from 8074; ruin; by implication,
consternation:--astonishment, desolate(-ion), waste,
wonderful thing.
see HEBREW for 08074
שַׁמָּה (sham.mah) — horror: destroyed.
: destroyed/waste
1) waste, horror, appalment
1a) a waste (of land, city, etc)
1b) appalment, horror
Also means: sham.mah (שַׁמָּה ": appalled" H8047H)
שַׁמָּה (sham.mah) — horror: appalled.
: appalled
1) waste, horror, appalment
1a) a waste (of land, city, etc)
1b) appalment, horror
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
The Hebrew word שְׁאִיָּה (*sh'iyah*) means 'ruin' or 'desolation.' It is derived from the root word שָׁאַה (*sha'ah*), which relates to destruction. The term appears in Isaiah 24:12, indicating a context of devastation.
שְׁאִיָּה n.f. ruin;—Is 24:12 (late).
done
H7591 שְׁאִיָּה ruin
7591 sh'iyah sheh-ee-yaw'
from 7582; desolation:--destruction.
see HEBREW for 07582
שְׁאִיָּה (she.iy.yah) — ruin.
ruin
Conj | N-fs — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular absoluteHC/Ncfsa
roo'-in (haricah, etc.; rhegma): "Ruin," the translation of haricah (Am 9:11; compare Ac 15:16, where the Revised Version (British and American) Greek text, ta katestrammena), and of a number of other Hebrew words: in Lu 6:49 rhegma, "breakage," is used both in a literal sense (Isa 23:13; 25:2, of fallen buildings; Eze 27:27; 31:13, of a state or people; Lu 6:49, of a house, etc.) and with a moral significance (Pr 26:28). the Revised Version margin correctly renders mikhshol in
כָּתַת (kathath) is a Hebrew verb meaning to beat or crush, often with a violent connotation. It encompasses actions like crushing fine, breaking into pieces, and shattering. The entries indicate various forms of the verb, including Qal, Piel, Pual, Hiphil, and Hophal, which express different nuances of beating or being beaten.
[כָּתַת] vb. beat, crush by beating
Qal
beat or crush fine
beat, hammer (ploughshares into swords)
Pi. Pf.;—as Qal 1. beat or crush fine
Pu. and they were beaten in pieces, one nation against another.
Hiph. beat in pieces an enemy
Hoph. and to ruins is the gate crushed
base
H3807 [כָּתַת] beat, crush by beating .. beat or crush fine
. beat, hammer (ploughshares into swords)
. Pf.;—as Qal 1. beat or crush fine
. and they were beaten in pieces, one nation against another.
. beat in pieces an enemy
. and to ruins is the gate crushed
3807 kathath kaw-thath'
a primitive root; to bruise or violently strike:--beat (down,
to pieces), break in pieces, crushed, destroy, discomfit,
smite, stamp.
כָּתַת (ka.tat) — to crush.
1) to beat, crush by beating, crush to pieces, crush fine
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to beat or crush fine
1a2) to beat, hammer
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to beat or crush fine
1b2) to beat, hammer
1c) (Pual) to be beaten
1d) (Hiphil) to beat in pieces, shatter
1e) (Hophal) to be beaten, be crushed
V-Hophal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Hophal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVHi3ms
שַׁ֫עַר (sha'ar) means 'gate' and is derived from a root that signifies an opening. It encompasses various types of gates, including those of cities, palaces, and temples, as well as metaphorical uses like 'gate of heaven.' The entries consistently highlight its role as an entrance or threshold.
שַׁ֫עַר 373 n.m. gate
base
H8179 שַׁ֫עַר gate
8179 sha`ar shah'-ar
from 8176 in its original sense; an opening, i.e. door or
gate:--city, door, gate, port (X -er).
see HEBREW for 08176
שַׁ֫עַר (sha.ar) — gate.
: gate
1) gate
1a) gate (of entrance)
1b) gate (of space inside gate, i.e. marketplace, public meeting place)
1b1) city, town
1c) gate (of palace, royal castle, temple, court of tabernacle)
1d) heaven
שַׁ֫עַר (sha.ar) — gate: town.
: town
1) gate
1a) gate (of entrance)
1b) gate (of space inside gate, i.e. marketplace, public meeting place)
1b1) city, town
1c) gate (of palace, royal castle, temple, court of tabernacle)
1d) heaven
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
gat (Hebrew normally (over 300 times) sha`ar; occasionally deleth, properly, "gateway" (but compare De 3:5); elsewhere the gateway is pethach (compare especially Ge 19:6); Aramaic tera`; Greek pulon, pule; the English Revised Version and the King James Version add caph, "threshold," in 1Ch 9:19,22; and the King James Version adds delathayim, "double-door," in Isa 45:1; thura, "door," Ac 3:2):
(1) The usual gateway was provided with double doors, swung on projections that fitted into sockets in the sill and lintel. Ordinarily the material was wood (Ne 2:3,17), but greater…
Gate
(1.) Of cities, as of Jerusalem (Jer. 37:13; Neh. 1:3; 2:3; 3:3), of Sodom (Gen. 19:1), of Gaza (Judg. 16:3).
(2.) Of royal palaces (Neh. 2:8).
(3.) Of the temple of Solomon (1 Kings 6:34, 35; 2 Kings 18:16); of the holy place (1 Kings 6:31, 32; Ezek. 41:23, 24); of the outer courts of the temple, the beautiful gate (Acts 3:2).
The gate and gateways of eastern cities anciently held and still hold an important part, not only in the defence but in the public economy of the place. They are thus sometimes taken as representing the city itself. (Genesis 22:17; 24:60; 12:12; Judges 5:8; Ruth 4:10; Psalms 87:2; 122:2) Among the special purposes for which they were used may be mentioned. As places of public resort. (Genesis 19:1; 23:10; 34:20; 24; 1 Samuel 4:18) etc. Places for public deliberation, administration of Justice, or of audience for kings and rulers or ambassadors. (16:18; 21:19; 25:7;
The gates of eastern walled towns were usually of wood, Jud 16:3, often covered with thick plates of iron or copper, Ps 107:16 Isa 45:2 Ac 12:10, secured by bolts and bars, De 3:5 1Ki 4:13, and flanked by towers, 2Sa 18:24,33. A city was usually regarded as taken when its gates were won, De 28:52 Jud 5:8. Hence "gate" sometimes signifies power, dominion; almost in the same sense as the Turkish sultan’s…