The Meaning of Isaiah 52:12 Explained

Isaiah 52:12

KJV: For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward.

YLT: For not in haste do ye go out, Yea, with flight ye go not on, For going before you is Jehovah, And gathering you is the God of Israel!

Darby: For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight; for Jehovah will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear-guard.

ASV: For ye shall not go out in haste, neither shall ye go by flight: for Jehovah will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rearward.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For ye shall not go out  with haste,  nor go  by flight:  for the LORD  will go  before  you; and the God  of Israel  [will be] your rereward. 

What does Isaiah 52:12 Mean?

Study Notes

For ye shall
Contra. Exodus 12:33 ; Exodus 12:39 .

Verse Meaning

The redeemed would not need to run away from their former captor as fast as they could, or to depart as fugitives, as they had to do when they left Egypt in the Exodus. They were completely free. Yahweh would go before to lead them and behind to protect them as they journeyed to their Promised Land (cf. Exodus 13:21-22; Exodus 14:19-20).
In this section, the dual implications of the prophet"s promises are very clear. Babylonian captivity lay behind what he said, but he had the larger issue of slavery to sin in mind, primarily. Release to return to the land was in view, but even more, the opportunity to return to the Lord through spiritual redemption was his point. God would deal with the result in Israel"s case, captivity, but He would also and more importantly deal with the cause, sin.
"Both the Exodus and wilderness, and in a lesser sense the Egyptian slavery, have become not only pivotal historical episodes but the photographic negatives from which the prophets, by the inspiration of their God, developed the beautiful eschatological pictures of the future." [1]

Context Summary

Isaiah 52:1-15 - "thy God Reigneth!"
It is not God that has become lethargic; but we that have slept and need to awake. Being awakened, we discover that two sets of attire are waiting for us: First, His strength, so that we may not be afraid of ten thousands of people who set themselves round about; and secondly, the beautiful garments of our Lord's character. See Colossians 3:9-17.
At last the climax of the long prophetic stairway is reached and the summons for the exodus from Babylon rings out, Isaiah 52:11. It was God's return to the desolate city, Isaiah 52:2; Isaiah 52:8. The stately procession moves slowly and fearlessly. It is not the escape of a band of fugitive slaves, dreading pursuit and recapture, Isaiah 52:12. Before it speed the heralds, appearing on the sky line as they ascend the mountains which surround the Holy City, publishing peace and salvation, Isaiah 52:7. The central body is composed of white robed priests, bearing with reverent care the holy vessels, Isaiah 52:11, of which Nebuchadnezzar despoiled the Temple, but which Cyrus restored. See Ezra 1:7-11. Thus, also, the Church marches through the world. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 52

1  Christ persuades the church to believe his free redemption
7  To receive the ministers thereof
9  To joy in the power thereof
11  And to free themselves from bondage
13  Christ's kingdom shall be exalted

What do the individual words in Isaiah 52:12 mean?

For not with haste you shall go out and by flight nor go for will go before you Yahweh and [will be] your rear guard The God of Israel -
כִּ֣י לֹ֤א בְחִפָּזוֹן֙ תֵּצֵ֔אוּ וּבִמְנוּסָ֖ה לֹ֣א תֵלֵכ֑וּן כִּֽי־ הֹלֵ֤ךְ לִפְנֵיכֶם֙ יְהוָ֔ה וּמְאַסִּפְכֶ֖ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל ס

בְחִפָּזוֹן֙  with  haste 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חִפָּזׄון  
Sense: hurriedly, in haste, trepidation, hurried flight.
תֵּצֵ֔אוּ  you  shall  go  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
וּבִמְנוּסָ֖ה  and  by  flight 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְנוּסָה  
Sense: .
לֹ֣א  nor 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תֵלֵכ֑וּן  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
הֹלֵ֤ךְ  will  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
לִפְנֵיכֶם֙  before  you 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
וּמְאַסִּפְכֶ֖ם  and  [will  be]  your  rear  guard 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אָסַף 
Sense: to gather, receive, remove, gather in.
אֱלֹהֵ֥י  The  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation