King James Version
Isaiah 48:18 in the King James Version says “O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves o...” — study this verse from Isaiah chapter 48 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.
“O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:”
Isaiah 48:18 · KJV
Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me.
Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.
O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.
Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob.
KJV Study — Public Domain
“to my commandments”
H4687a command, whether human or divine (collectively, the law)
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
“been as a river”
H5104a stream (including the sea; expectation the nile, euphrates, etc.); figuratively, prosperity
“then had thy peace”
H7965safe, i.e., (figuratively) well, happy, friendly; also (abstractly) welfare, i.e., health, prosperity, peace
“and thy righteousness”
H6666rightness (abstractly), subjectively (rectitude), objectively (justice), morally (virtue) or figuratively (prosperity)
“as the waves”
H1530something rolled, i.e., a heap of stone or dung (plural ruins), by analogy, a spring of water (plural waves)
“of the sea”
H3220a sea (as breaking in noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the article), the mediterranean sea; sometimes a large river, or an artif
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.
Isaiah 48:18 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.
Verses related to Isaiah 48:18 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge