But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.

ISAIAH 42:22KJV
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Isaiah 42:22 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 42:22 mean?

Isaiah 42:22 describes a people who have been robbed and plundered, trapped and hidden away in prisons, with no one to rescue them or demand their restoration. The verse paints a picture of total helplessness and abandonment, where the people are treated as prey and spoil, and no one steps forward to help or advocate for them.

In this verse, the prophet Isaiah is speaking about the people of Israel, addressing their suffering and captivity. The context is one of judgment and consequence for turning away from God, resulting in their vulnerability to enemies and their loss of freedom. The language emphasizes how completely they have been overpowered and how alone they are, with no one intervening on their behalf.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 42:22

  • "Robbed" (בָּזוּז, bazuz) and "spoiled" (שָׁסוּי, shasuy) both refer to being violently stripped of possessions or dignity, highlighting the total loss experienced by the people.
  • "Snared" (פָּחַח, pachach) suggests being caught in a trap, while "holes" (חֹר, chor) and "holes" (מַחְבֵּא, machbe) refer to pits or hiding places, emphasizing the sense of being trapped with no escape.
  • "Prison houses" (בֵּית כֶּלֶא, beit kele) points to literal or figurative captivity, showing that the people are not just in trouble but completely confined.
  • "Prey" (טֶרֶף, tereph) and "spoil" (מְשִׁסָּה, meshissah) both stress that the people are being taken advantage of, as if they are objects to be seized, not persons to be helped.
  • "Restore" (שׁוּב, shuv) means to bring back or return, and the verse notes that no one is even asking for their restoration, underlining their abandonment.

Why Isaiah 42:22 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the people's suffering is not just physical loss but also social and spiritual isolation, with no advocate or deliverer.
  • Isaiah 42:22 sets up the need for God's intervention, which is a major theme in the surrounding chapters, highlighting human helplessness apart from divine rescue.
  • The verse challenges any assumption that Israel's troubles were minor or easily fixed; instead, it shows the depth of their predicament and the seriousness of their need.

Where else these words appear

“holes” Hebrew H2352 · used in 2 verses

  • Isaiah 11:8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.

“spoil” Hebrew H4933 · used in 6 verses

  • 2 Kings 21:14 And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies;
  • Isaiah 42:24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law.
  • Habakkuk 2:7 Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them?

“prison” Hebrew H3608 · used in 10 verses

  • 1 Kings 22:27 And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.
  • 2 Kings 25:29 And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life.
  • Jeremiah 37:15 Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.

“spoiled” Hebrew H8154 · used in 12 verses

  • Judges 2:14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
  • 1 Samuel 23:1 Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.
  • Isaiah 17:14 And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.