The Meaning of Isaiah 6:11 Explained

Isaiah 6:11

KJV: Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,

YLT: And I say, 'Till when, O Lord?' And He saith, 'Surely till cities have been wasted without inhabitant, And houses without man, And the ground be wasted -- a desolation,

Darby: And I said, Lord, how long? And he said, Until the cities be wasted, without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land become an utter desolation,

ASV: Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until cities be waste without inhabitant, and houses without man, and the land become utterly waste,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then said  I, Lord,  how long? And he answered,  Until the cities  be wasted  without inhabitant,  and the houses  without man,  and the land  be utterly  desolate, 

What does Isaiah 6:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Isaiah 6:1-13 - A Call To Heroic Service
Kings die; Jesus lives. See John 12:41. We are here reminded of Acts 22:17-18. How great the contrast between the worship of these seraphim in the Unseen-Holy and man's perfunctory rites! Six wings-two for meditation, two for humility, and two for service. Service should take only a third of our energy. One cried unto another-one inspired spirit will awaken others. The threefold repetition of the word holy, implies the Trinity. If door-posts tremble, much more should the hearts of sinful men! Isaiah, in the previous chapter, had uttered six woes against others, but his seventh and sorest woe is against himself. The sinner, like the leper, cries, Unclean! Leviticus 13:45. The seraph did not wait to be told; he knew that there was only one cure for such need as the prophet's, Isaiah 6:9-13. When men refuse God's offered grace, every refusal hardens. It is either "the savour of death unto death" or of "life unto life," 2 Corinthians 2:16. The life of the oak and the terebinth only seems to become extinct in winter; there is revival in the spring. Is it winter with you? Pray for the springtime! [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 6

1  Isaiah, in a vision of the Lord in his glory
5  Being terrified, has apprehensions removed
8  He offers himself, and is sent to show the obstinacy of the people
13  A remnant shall be saved

What do the individual words in Isaiah 6:11 mean?

And I said how long Lord and He answered until that lo are laid waste the cities and without inhabitant and the houses are without a man and the land is desolate utterly
וָאֹמַ֕ר עַד־ ؟ מָתַ֖י אֲדֹנָ֑י וַיֹּ֡אמֶר עַ֣ד אֲשֶׁר֩ אִם־ שָׁא֨וּ עָרִ֜ים מֵאֵ֣ין יוֹשֵׁ֗ב וּבָתִּים֙ מֵאֵ֣ין אָדָ֔ם וְהָאֲדָמָ֖ה תִּשָּׁאֶ֥ה שְׁמָמָֽה

וָאֹמַ֕ר  And  I  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
עַד־  how 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
؟ מָתַ֖י  long 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מָתַי  
Sense: when?.
אֲדֹנָ֑י  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
וַיֹּ֡אמֶר  and  He  answered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
עַ֣ד  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
אֲשֶׁר֩  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
אִם־  lo 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
שָׁא֨וּ  are  laid  waste 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁאָה 
Sense: crash, make a din or crash, crash into ruins, be in ruins, be desolated.
עָרִ֜ים  the  cities 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
מֵאֵ֣ין  and  without 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
יוֹשֵׁ֗ב  inhabitant 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
וּבָתִּים֙  and  the  houses  are 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
מֵאֵ֣ין  without 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
אָדָ֔ם  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
וְהָאֲדָמָ֖ה  and  the  land 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲדָמָה 
Sense: ground, land.
תִּשָּׁאֶ֥ה  is  desolate 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁאָה 
Sense: crash, make a din or crash, crash into ruins, be in ruins, be desolated.
שְׁמָמָֽה  utterly 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁמָמָה 
Sense: devastation, waste, desolation.