The Meaning of Isaiah 22:13 Explained

Isaiah 22:13

KJV: And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.

YLT: And lo, joy and gladness, slaying of oxen, And slaughtering of sheep, Eating of flesh, and drinking of wine, Eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.

Darby: and behold joy and rejoicing, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.

ASV: and behold, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine: let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And behold joy  and gladness,  slaying  oxen,  and killing  sheep,  eating  flesh,  and drinking  wine:  let us eat  and drink;  for to morrow  we shall die. 

What does Isaiah 22:13 Mean?

Verse Meaning

However, they would not repent but rejoice in their apparent security, believing that if they could not save themselves, nothing else could (cf. Revelation 9:20-21). Isaiah saw in the present rejoicing over security ( Isaiah 22:1-2 a) the same attitude of self-sufficiency that would doom the Jerusalemites in the future.
Normally ancient Near Easterners used cattle and sheep for producing milk and wool; they did not slaughter them to eat very often because these animals produced valuable products. Killing them to eat, therefore, expresses the people"s utter despair and their self-indulgence, thinking there was no future left for them (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:32).

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 22

1  The prophet laments the invasion of Jerusalem
8  He reproves their human wisdom and worldly joy
15  He prophesies Shebna's deprivation
20  And the substitution of Eliakim, prefiguring the kingdom of Christ

What do the individual words in Isaiah 22:13 mean?

But instead joy and gladness Slaying oxen and killing sheep Eating meat and drinking wine let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die
וְהִנֵּ֣ה ׀ שָׂשׂ֣וֹן וְשִׂמְחָ֗ה הָרֹ֤ג ׀ בָּקָר֙ וְשָׁחֹ֣ט צֹ֔אן אָכֹ֥ל בָּשָׂ֖ר וְשָׁת֣וֹת יָ֑יִן אָכ֣וֹל וְשָׁת֔וֹ כִּ֥י מָחָ֖ר נָמֽוּת

וְהִנֵּ֣ה ׀  But  instead 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
שָׂשׂ֣וֹן  joy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂשֹׂון  
Sense: gladness, joy, exultation, rejoicing.
וְשִׂמְחָ֗ה  and  gladness 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שִׂמְחָה  
Sense: joy, mirth, gladness.
הָרֹ֤ג ׀  Slaying 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: הָרַג  
Sense: to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand.
בָּקָר֙  oxen 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּקָר  
Sense: cattle, herd, oxen, ox.
וְשָׁחֹ֣ט  and  killing 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: שָׁחַט 
Sense: to kill, slaughter, beat.
צֹ֔אן  sheep 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
אָכֹ֥ל  Eating 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
בָּשָׂ֖ר  meat 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
וְשָׁת֣וֹת  and  drinking 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: שָׁתָה  
Sense: to drink.
יָ֑יִן  wine 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַיִן  
Sense: wine.
אָכ֣וֹל  let  us  eat 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
וְשָׁת֔וֹ  and  drink 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: שָׁתָה  
Sense: to drink.
מָחָ֖ר  tomorrow 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מָחָר  
Sense: tomorrow, in time to come, in the future.
נָמֽוּת  we  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common plural
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.