King James Version

What Does Isaiah 29:6 Mean?

Isaiah 29:6 in the King James Version says “Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, a... — study this verse from Isaiah chapter 29 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

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.

Isaiah 29:6 · KJV


Context

4

And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust. whisper: Heb. peep, or, chirp

5

Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.

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.

7

And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.

8

It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.


Commentary

KJV Study 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.

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Historical & Cultural 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.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does understanding God as 'LORD of hosts' affect your trust in His ability to deliver?
  2. What does divine 'visitation' mean, and when does it bring salvation versus judgment?
  3. How have you experienced God 'visiting' your circumstances with dramatic intervention?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 13 words
מֵעִ֨ם1 of 13
H5973

adverb or preposition, with (i.e., in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then

יְהוָ֤ה2 of 13

of the LORD

H3068

(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god

צְבָאוֹת֙3 of 13

of hosts

H6635

a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized for war (an army); by implication, a campaign, literally or figuratively (speci

תִּפָּקֵ֔ד4 of 13

Thou shalt be visited

H6485

to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc

בְּרַ֥עַם5 of 13

with thunder

H7482

a peal of thunder

וּבְרַ֖עַשׁ6 of 13

and with earthquake

H7494

vibration, bounding, uproar

וְק֣וֹל7 of 13

noise

H6963

a voice or sound

גָּד֑וֹל8 of 13

and great

H1419

great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent

סוּפָה֙9 of 13

with storm

H5492

a hurricane

וּסְעָרָ֔ה10 of 13

and tempest

H5591

a hurricane

וְלַ֖הַב11 of 13

and the flame

H3851

a flash; figuratively, a sharply polished blade or point of a weapon

אֵ֥שׁ12 of 13

fire

H784

fire (literally or figuratively)

אוֹכֵלָֽה׃13 of 13

of devouring

H398

to eat (literally or figuratively)


Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Isaiah. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Isaiah 29:6 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Isaiah 29:6 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

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