Isaiah 66:6

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Isaiah 66:6 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “A voice of tumult from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of Jehovah that rendereth recompense to his enemies.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

A voice of tumult from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of Jehovah that rendereth recompense to his enemies.
Isaiah 66:6 — American Standard Version

Context — Isaiah 66

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
6A voice of tumult from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of Jehovah that rendereth recompense to his enemies.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“A voice of noise from the city, &c.] From the city of Jerusalem, as the Targum; so Kimchi, who says, that in the days of the Messiah shall go out of Jerusalem the voice of noise concerning Gog and Magog: this indeed respects the days of the Messiah, but such as are now past, and a voice of crying in the city of Jerusalem, at, the taking and destruction of it by the Romans; when were heard from it the noisy voices of the Roman soldiers, triumphing and rejoicing at it, and the shrieks of the inhabitants, running about from place to place for shelter; so when destruction and desolation are come upon any place, a voice or a cry is said to come from it; (see <244803>Jeremiah 48:3 51:54…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“God, from Jerusalem and His "temple," shall take vengeance on the enemy (Eze 43:1-8; Zac 12:2-3; Zac 14:3, Zac 14:19-21). The abrupt language of this verse marks the suddenness with which God destroys the hostile Gentile host outside: as Isa 66:5 refers to the confounding of the unbelieving Jews. voice of noise--that is, the Lord's loud-sounding voice (Psa 68:33; Psa 29:3-9; Th1 4:16).”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“A voice of noise from the city - That is, from the city of Jerusalem. The prophet sees in a vision a tumult in the city. He hears a voice that issues from the temple. His manner and language are rapid and hurried - such as a man would evince who should suddenly see a vast tumultuous assemblage, and hear a confused sound of many voices. There is also a remarkable abruptness in the whole description here. The preceding verse was calm and solemn. It was full of affectionate assurance of the divine favor to those whom the prophet saw to be persecuted. Here the scene suddenly changes. The vision passes to the agitating events which were occurring in the city and the temple, and to the great and…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“A voice - The expression of a prophetical extasy, as if he said, I hear a sad and affrighting noise; it comes not from the city only, but from the temple, wherein these formalists have so much gloried. There is a noise of soldiers slaying, and of the poor people shrieking or crying out. Of the Lord - A voice of the Lord, not in thunder, but that rendereth recompence to his enemies. Thus he seems to express the destruction of the Jews by the Roman armies, as a thing at that time doing. Isaiah 66:7”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“66:6 terrible noise from the Temple: This parallels the situation described in Ezek 9 when God’s executioner began to destroy the wicked people of Jerusalem. • vengeance against his enemies: God would deal out retribution to the disobedient members of his own people. They were his enemies because of their persistent sin and rejection of God.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“a voice of the Lord: Isa 34:8, Isa 59:18, Isa 65:5-7; Joe 3:7-16; Amos 1:2-2:16 Isaiah 66:7”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · 19th-century historical commentary
“The city and temple, to which they desire to go, are nothing more, so far as they are concerned, than the places from which just judgment will issue. "Sound of tumult from the city! Sound from the Temple! Sound of Jehovah, who repays His enemies with punishment." All three קול, to the second of which שׁאון must be supplied in thought, are in the form of interjectional exclamations (as in Isa 52:8). In the third, however, we have omitted the note of admiration, because here the interjectional clause approximates very nearly to a substantive clause ("it is the sound of Jehovah"), as the person shouting announces here who is the originator and cause of the noise which was so enigmatical at…”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification