The Meaning of Isaiah 5:9 Explained

Isaiah 5:9

KJV: In mine ears said the LORD of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant.

YLT: By the weapons of Jehovah of Hosts Do not many houses a desolation become? Great and good without inhabitant!

Darby: In mine ears Jehovah of hosts hath said, Many houses shall assuredly become a desolation, great and excellent ones, without inhabitant.

ASV: In mine ears'saith Jehovah of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

In mine ears  [said] the LORD  of hosts,  Of a truth  many  houses  shall be desolate,  [even] great  and fair,  without inhabitant. 

What does Isaiah 5:9 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 5:1-17 - A Disappointing Harvest
In a picture of great beauty, Isaiah describes a vineyard situated on one of the sunny heights visible from Jerusalem. Every care which an experienced vine-dresser could devise had been expended on it, but in vain. The vine-dresser himself is introduced, demanding if more could have been done. When God selects a nation, a church, or an individual for high and holy work in the world and expends care and pains on the preparation of the instrument, and His plans miscarry through no failure on His part but through the obstinancy or obtuseness of the human soul, the measure of what might have been is the gauge of its doom. The worst weeds grow on the richest soil. This picture is the counterpart of Paul's dread of being a castaway, 1 Corinthians 9:27.
The six woes which follow, arising from drunkenness and avarice remind us of sorrows that menace the selfish heart. How different such a lot to the blessedness of the humblest soul that possesses God and is possessed by Him! "Evil shall slay the wicked; and they that hate the righteous shall be condemned. Jehovah redeemeth the soul of His servants; and none of them that take refuge in Him shall be condemned," Psalms 34:21-22. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 5

1  Under the parable of a vineyard, God excuses his severe judgment
8  His judgments upon covetousness
11  Upon lasciviousness
13  Upon impiety
20  And upon injustice
26  The executioners of God's judgments

What do the individual words in Isaiah 5:9 mean?

in my hearing [said] Yahweh of hosts surely Truly houses many desolate shall be Great and beautiful ones without inhabitant
בְּאָזְנָ֖י יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת אִם־ לֹ֞א בָּתִּ֤ים רַבִּים֙ לְשַׁמָּ֣ה יִֽהְי֔וּ גְּדֹלִ֥ים וְטוֹבִ֖ים מֵאֵ֥ין יוֹשֵֽׁב

בְּאָזְנָ֖י  in  my  hearing 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, fdc, first person common singular
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.
יְהוָ֣ה  [said]  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צְבָא֑וֹת  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
אִם־  surely 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
לֹ֞א  Truly 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
בָּתִּ֤ים  houses 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
רַבִּים֙  many 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
לְשַׁמָּ֣ה  desolate 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שַׁמָּה  
Sense: waste, horror, appalment.
יִֽהְי֔וּ  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
גְּדֹלִ֥ים  Great 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
וְטוֹבִ֖ים  and  beautiful  ones 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
מֵאֵ֥ין  without 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
יוֹשֵֽׁב  inhabitant 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.