From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.

ISAIAH 24:16KJV
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Isaiah 24:16 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 24:16 mean?

Isaiah 24:16 describes a scene where songs of praise and glory to the righteous are heard from distant parts of the earth, but the prophet Isaiah responds with distress, lamenting his own weakness and the widespread betrayal he sees. The verse highlights a contrast between reports of celebration and the prophet’s personal experience of sorrow and treachery.

In this verse, Isaiah is speaking as he witnesses the aftermath of God’s judgment on the world. While there are voices singing about the honor given to the righteous, Isaiah feels overwhelmed by the reality of suffering and the repeated acts of betrayal around him. The verse captures both the hope of salvation and the pain of ongoing injustice.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 24:16

  • "Leanness" (רָזוּ, razu, H7334) means thinness or wasting away, often used to express physical or emotional weakness. Isaiah repeats this word to show the depth of his anguish and sense of depletion.
  • "Treacherous dealers" (בָּגַד, bagad, H898) refers to those who act deceitfully or betray trust. The repetition in the verse emphasizes just how widespread and severe this betrayal is.
  • "Songs" (צְבִי, tzevi, H2158) here points to joyful or triumphant singing, which stands in stark contrast to Isaiah’s lament, highlighting the tension between outward celebration and inward grief.

Why Isaiah 24:16 matters

  • Isaiah 24:16 helps clarify that even when there are reports of joy and righteousness, the reality for some—like Isaiah—can still be one of deep pain and disappointment, especially in a time of judgment.
  • The verse emphasizes the prophet’s honesty about his feelings, showing that faith does not always mean ignoring suffering or pretending everything is well.
  • This verse connects to the larger theme of Isaiah 24, where God’s judgment brings both hope for the righteous and distress over the persistence of evil, helping readers see the complexity of human response to divine action.

Where else these words appear

“songs” Hebrew H2158 · used in 6 verses

  • 2 Samuel 23:1 Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,
  • Job 35:10 But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;
  • Psalms 119:54 Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.

“woe” Hebrew H188 · used in 23 verses

  • Numbers 21:29 Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites.
  • Isaiah 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
  • Jeremiah 45:3 Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.

“glory” Hebrew H6643 · used in 32 verses

  • Deuteronomy 12:15 Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart.
  • Song of Solomon 2:9 My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice.
  • Isaiah 28:5 In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people,

“dealers” Hebrew H898 · used in 39 verses

  • Exodus 21:8 If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.
  • Proverbs 13:2 A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.
  • Jeremiah 9:2 Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.