Isaiah 29:6
Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.
Original Language Analysis
מֵעִ֨ם
H5973
מֵעִ֨ם
Strong's:
H5973
Word #:
1 of 13
adverb or preposition, with (i.e., in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then
יְהוָ֤ה
of the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֤ה
of the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
2 of 13
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
צְבָאוֹת֙
of hosts
H6635
צְבָאוֹת֙
of hosts
Strong's:
H6635
Word #:
3 of 13
a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized for war (an army); by implication, a campaign, literally or figuratively (speci
תִּפָּקֵ֔ד
Thou shalt be visited
H6485
תִּפָּקֵ֔ד
Thou shalt be visited
Strong's:
H6485
Word #:
4 of 13
to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc
גָּד֑וֹל
and great
H1419
גָּד֑וֹל
and great
Strong's:
H1419
Word #:
8 of 13
great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent
Cross References
Mark 13:8For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.Revelation 16:18And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.Revelation 11:19And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.Matthew 24:7For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.1 Samuel 2:10The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.Revelation 11:13And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.Isaiah 30:30And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.Isaiah 28:2Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.Luke 21:11And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.2 Samuel 22:14The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice.
Historical Context
Theophanic warfare—God appearing in storm, earthquake, and fire—is a recurring biblical motif (Judges 5:4-5, Psalm 18:7-15, Habakkuk 3:3-15). Ancient Near Eastern peoples understood storms as divine weapons. When Sennacherib's army was destroyed overnight, it would be understood as Yahweh's direct military intervention, not mere natural causes or plague.
Questions for Reflection
- How does understanding God as 'LORD of hosts' affect your trust in His ability to deliver?
- What does divine 'visitation' mean, and when does it bring salvation versus judgment?
- How have you experienced God 'visiting' your circumstances with dramatic intervention?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts (מֵעִם יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת תִּפָּקֵד, me'im YHWH tseva'ot tippaqed)—the verb פקד (paqad) means to attend to, visit, intervene. Here it signals divine intervention for deliverance. With thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise (בְּרַעַם וּבְרַעַשׁ וְקוֹל גָּדוֹל, bera'am uvera'ash veqol gadol)—the theophanic language echoes Sinai (Exodus 19:16-19). With storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire (סוּפָה וְסַעַר וְלַהַב אֵשׁ אוֹכֵלָה, sufah vesa'ar velahav esh okhelah) depicts God as Divine Warrior wielding natural phenomena as weapons.
The visitation combines judgment and salvation: Jerusalem is 'visited' with deliverance, but her enemies experience the consuming fire. This is Yahweh Sabaoth—LORD of heavenly armies—deploying His cosmic arsenal. The imagery anticipates the angel's nighttime strike against Assyria, framed as divine storm-warfare. God doesn't merely permit deliverance; He actively fights with supernatural force.