King James Version

What Does Isaiah 5:16 Mean?

Isaiah 5:16 in the King James Version says “But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness. God: or, ...” — study this verse from Isaiah chapter 5 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness. God: or, the holy God: Heb. the God the holy”

Isaiah 5:16 · KJV

Context

14

Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

15

And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:

16

But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness. God: or, the holy God: Heb. the God the holy

17

Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.

18

Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:

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Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
The consequence of human humbling is divine exaltation: 'the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment.' God's holiness is demonstrated ('sanctified') through righteous judgment, vindicating His character. The parallelism between exaltation and sanctification shows that God's glory and holiness are inseparable—His judgments reveal His holy nature. This anticipates Ezekiel's repeated formula 'they shall know that I am the LORD' through judgment (Ezekiel 6:7), and Romans 9:22-23's teaching that God displays both wrath and mercy for glory's sake.

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Historical & Cultural Context

Israel's exile demonstrated to surrounding nations that Yahweh is holy and just, not impotent. Divine judgment vindicated God's character before watching world.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does God's judgment serve to sanctify His name and display His holiness?
  2. In what ways do we see God exalted through His righteous dealings in history?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 8 words
וַיִּגְבַּ֛הּ1 of 8

“shall be exalted”

H1361

to soar, i.e., be lofty; figuratively, to be haughty

יְהוָ֥ה2 of 8

“But the LORD”

H3068

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

צְבָא֖וֹת3 of 8

“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

בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט4 of 8

“in judgment”

H4941

properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, ind

וְהָאֵל֙5 of 8

“and God”

H410

strength; as adjective, mighty; especially the almighty (but used also of any deity)

הַקָּד֔וֹשׁ6 of 8

“that is holy”

H6918

sacred (ceremonially or morally); (as noun) god (by eminence), an angel, a saint, a sanctuary

נִקְדָּ֖שׁ7 of 8

“shall be sanctified”

H6942

to be (causatively, make, pronounce or observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally)

בִּצְדָקָֽה׃8 of 8

“in righteousness”

H6666

rightness (abstractly), subjectively (rectitude), objectively (justice), morally (virtue) or figuratively (prosperity)

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 5:16 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 5:16 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Psalms 46:10Isaiah 12:41 Chronicles 29:11Ezekiel 36:231 Peter 2:15Isaiah 29:23

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