The Meaning of Isaiah 1:9 Explained

Isaiah 1:9

KJV: Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

YLT: Unless Jehovah of Hosts had left to us a remnant, Shortly -- as Sodom we had been, To Gomorrah we had been like!

Darby: Unless Jehovah of hosts had left us a very small residue, we should have been as Sodom, we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

ASV: Except Jehovah of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Except  the LORD  of hosts  had left  unto us a very small  remnant,  we should have been  as Sodom,  [and] we should have been like  unto Gomorrah. 

What does Isaiah 1:9 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 1:1-9 - The Ingratitude Of A Favored Nation
This chapter forms the preface to the prophecies of Isaiah. It is a clear and concise statement of the points at issue between Jehovah and His people. Special urgency was given to these appeals, when first uttered, from the fact which was well-known to the Hebrew politicians and people, that Assyria was preparing for a great war of conquest, which would be directed specially against Jerusalem and her allies. This chapter is east in the form of an assize, a crown case in which God is both complainant and judge. The conviction of sinfulness which the prophet desired to secure, was sought, not by appealing to a code of laws which had been transgressed, but by showing the ingratitude with which Israel had repaid the fatherly love of God. It is the personal element in sin that most quickly convicts men. "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" "Thou art the man!" "He hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace!" [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 1

1  Isaiah complains of Judah for her rebellion
5  He laments her judgments
10  He upbraids their whole service
16  He exhorts to repentance, with promises and threats
21  Bewailing their wickedness, he denounces God's judgments
25  He promises grace
28  And threatens destruction to the wicked

What do the individual words in Isaiah 1:9 mean?

Unless Yahweh of hosts Had left to us a remnant very small like Sodom we would have become like Gomorrah we would have been made -
לוּלֵי֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת הוֹתִ֥יר לָ֛נוּ שָׂרִ֖יד כִּמְעָ֑ט כִּסְדֹ֣ם הָיִ֔ינוּ לַעֲמֹרָ֖ה דָּמִֽינוּ ס

לוּלֵי֙  Unless 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: לוּלֵא  
Sense: unless, if not, except.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צְבָא֔וֹת  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
הוֹתִ֥יר  Had  left 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַר  
Sense: to be left over, remain, remain over, leave.
לָ֛נוּ  to  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
שָׂרִ֖יד  a  remnant 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂרִיד  
Sense: survivor, remnant, that which is left.
כִּמְעָ֑ט  very  small 
Parse: Preposition-k, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: מְעַט  
Sense: littleness, few, a little, fewness.
כִּסְדֹ֣ם  like  Sodom 
Parse: Preposition-k, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: סְדֹם  
Sense: a Canaanite city, usually paired with Gomorrah, located in the area of the Dead Sea and the Jordan river; both cities destroyed by God in judgment.
הָיִ֔ינוּ  we  would  have  become 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לַעֲמֹרָ֖ה  like  Gomorrah 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲמֹרָה  
Sense: the twin-city in evil with Sodom, both destroyed in judgment by God with fire from heaven.
דָּמִֽינוּ  we  would  have  been  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: דָּמָה  
Sense: to be like, resemble.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation