Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,

ISAIAH 6:11KJV
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Isaiah 6:11 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 6:11 mean?

Isaiah 6:11 describes Isaiah asking God how long the coming judgment and devastation will last, and God responding that it will continue until the cities are empty, the houses abandoned, and the land completely desolate. The verse shows the seriousness and totality of the destruction that is coming as a result of the people's disobedience.

In this verse, Isaiah is speaking directly to the Lord (the Hebrew word אֲדֹנָי, "Adonai"), after receiving a difficult message to deliver to the people. Isaiah’s question, “How long?” expresses his concern about the duration of such harsh judgment. God’s answer reveals that the consequences will be severe and will last until the land and its cities are left utterly ruined, emphasizing the depth of the coming exile and desolation.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 6:11

  • אֲדֹנָי (Adonai, "Lord"): This word is used here to address God with reverence and authority, highlighting Isaiah’s humility and the seriousness of his question.
  • שָׁאָה (sha’ah, "wasted"/"desolate"): Used twice in this verse, this word carries the sense of complete devastation or ruin, underscoring that the destruction will not be partial but total.
  • יָשַׁב (yashav, "inhabitant"): This word refers to someone dwelling or living in a place. Its use here emphasizes that the cities will be left without any residents at all.
  • שָׁמֵם (shamem, "utterly"/"desolate"): This word intensifies the sense of emptiness and abandonment, making clear that the land will be left in a state of complete ruin.

Why Isaiah 6:11 matters

  • Isaiah 6:11 clarifies that the judgment God warns about is not temporary or minor, but will last until the land is completely emptied and devastated.
  • The verse highlights Isaiah’s role as an intercessor, showing his compassion for the people even as he delivers a hard message.
  • This verse connects to the wider passage by explaining the consequences of the people’s persistent refusal to listen to God, setting the stage for the hope and restoration that will be discussed later in Isaiah.

Where else these words appear

“wasted” Hebrew H7582 · used in 5 verses

  • 2 Kings 19:25 Hast thou not heard long ago how I have done it, and of ancient times that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste fenced cities into ruinous heaps.
  • Isaiah 17:12 Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
  • Isaiah 17:13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.

“utterly” Hebrew H8077 · used in 54 verses

  • Exodus 23:29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.
  • Jeremiah 49:2 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs, saith the LORD.
  • Ezekiel 35:3 And say unto it, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate.