These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee?

ISAIAH 51:19KJV
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Isaiah 51:19 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 51:19 mean?

Isaiah 51:19 describes how Jerusalem has suffered two overwhelming disasters—desolation and destruction, along with famine and the sword—and asks who will feel compassion or bring comfort to the city in this time of crisis. The verse expresses a sense of abandonment and the depth of Jerusalem’s suffering, highlighting that no one is left to help or console her.

In this verse, the prophet Isaiah is speaking to Jerusalem, personified as a woman who has endured great hardship. The context is a time when the people have faced national calamity, likely due to conquest and exile. Isaiah’s words emphasize the severity of the city’s situation and the lack of anyone able to bring relief or comfort, setting up the need for God’s intervention in the following verses.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 51:19

  • "Desolation" (שֹׁאָה, sho’ah) means devastation or ruin. This word often describes total destruction, underscoring how thoroughly Jerusalem has been laid waste.
  • "Destruction" (שֶׁבֶר, shever) refers to breaking or shattering, suggesting not just physical ruin but also the breaking of the people’s spirit or community.
  • "Famine" (רָעָב, ra’av) points to severe hunger, a common result of siege or war, adding to the misery described.
  • "Sword" (חֶרֶב, cherev) is a common biblical image for war and violence, making clear that Jerusalem’s suffering includes both starvation and bloodshed.
  • "Comfort" (נָחַם, nacham) means to console or bring relief. The use of this word highlights the absence of anyone able to ease Jerusalem’s pain.

Why Isaiah 51:19 matters

  • Isaiah 51:19 clarifies that Jerusalem’s suffering is not just physical but also emotional and communal, with no one left to offer comfort.
  • The verse highlights the completeness of the disaster—covering destruction, famine, and violence—helping readers understand the depth of the city’s need.
  • This verse sets up the hope and promise of God’s future comfort and restoration, which Isaiah will address in the following passages.

Where else these words appear

“come” Hebrew H7122 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 42:4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.
  • Leviticus 10:19 And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD?
  • 2 Samuel 20:1 And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.

“sorry” Hebrew H5110 · used in 24 verses

  • Genesis 4:12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
  • Psalms 36:11 Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.
  • Jeremiah 22:10 Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.

“desolation” Hebrew H7701 · used in 24 verses

  • Job 5:21 Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.
  • Isaiah 22:4 Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people.
  • Hosea 9:6 For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles.

“destruction” Hebrew H7667 · used in 41 verses

  • Leviticus 21:19 Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded,
  • Isaiah 30:26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
  • Jeremiah 30:15 Why criest thou for thine affliction? thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee.