The Meaning of Isaiah 17:12 Explained

Isaiah 17:12

KJV: 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!

YLT: Woe to the multitude of many peoples, As the sounding of seas they sound; And to the wasting of nations, As the wasting of mighty waters they are wasted.

Darby: Ha! a tumult of many peoples! they make a noise as the noise of the seas; and the rushing of nations! they rush as the rushing of mighty waters.

ASV: Ah, the uproar of many peoples, that roar like the roaring of the seas; and the rushing of nations, that rush like the rushing of mighty waters!

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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! 

What does Isaiah 17:12 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 17

1  Syria and Israel are threatened
6  A remnant shall forsake idolatry
9  The rest shall be plagued for their impiety
12  The woe of Israel's enemies

What do the individual words in Isaiah 17:12 mean?

Woe to the multitude of people many [Who] make a noise the seas like the roar and to the rushing of nations like the rushing of waters mighty [That] make a rushing
ה֗וֹי הֲמוֹן֙ עַמִּ֣ים רַבִּ֔ים כַּהֲמ֥וֹת יַמִּ֖ים יֶהֱמָי֑וּן וּשְׁא֣וֹן לְאֻמִּ֔ים כִּשְׁא֛וֹן ! מַ֥יִם כַּבִּירִ֖ים יִשָּׁאֽוּן

ה֗וֹי  Woe 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הֹוי  
Sense: ah!, alas!, ha!, ho!, O!, woe!.
הֲמוֹן֙  to  the  multitude 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הָמֹון 
Sense: (Qal) murmur, roar, crowd, abundance, tumult, sound.
עַמִּ֣ים  of  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
רַבִּ֔ים  many 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
כַּהֲמ֥וֹת  [Who]  make  a  noise 
Parse: Preposition-k, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: הָמָה  
Sense: to murmur, growl, roar, cry aloud, mourn, rage, sound, make noise, tumult, be clamorous, be disquieted, be loud, be moved, be troubled, be in an uproar.
יַמִּ֖ים  the  seas 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
יֶהֱמָי֑וּן  like  the  roar 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: הָמָה  
Sense: to murmur, growl, roar, cry aloud, mourn, rage, sound, make noise, tumult, be clamorous, be disquieted, be loud, be moved, be troubled, be in an uproar.
וּשְׁא֣וֹן  and  to  the  rushing 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שָׁאֹון 
Sense: roar, din, crash, uproar.
לְאֻמִּ֔ים  of  nations 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: לְאֹם  
Sense: a people, nation.
כִּשְׁא֛וֹן  like  the  rushing 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שָׁאֹון 
Sense: roar, din, crash, uproar.
! מַ֥יִם  of  waters 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
כַּבִּירִ֖ים  mighty 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: כַּבִּיר  
Sense: mighty, great, powerful, many, much.
יִשָּׁאֽוּן  [That]  make  a  rushing 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: שָׁאָה 
Sense: crash, make a din or crash, crash into ruins, be in ruins, be desolated.