Isaiah 51:19 Made Simple

KJV ORIGINAL

These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee?

Close to the original. Clear modern English.

✦ MADE SIMPLE

Two terrible things have happened to you—who will feel sorry for you? Devastation and destruction, famine and war have come upon you. Who can I find to comfort you?

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

God acknowledges the double tragedy that has struck His people and expresses deep concern about who will be able to comfort them in their overwhelming suffering.

📚 Historical Context

Isaiah was writing to the people of Judah who would face the devastating Babylonian exile in 586 BC. The 'two things' likely refer to the paired disasters of desolation and destruction, along with famine and sword (war), which would accompany Jerusalem's fall. This verse reflects God's compassionate awareness of the magnitude of suffering His people would endure.

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Jeremiah 6:1

You people of Benjamin, gather together and flee from Jerusalem! Sound the trumpet in Tekoa and light a warning fire on the hill of Beth-haccerem, because disaster is coming from the north, bringing terrible destruction.

Jeremiah 14:17

So you must speak this message to them: Let my eyes flow with tears night and day without stopping, because the virgin daughter of my people has been shattered by a terrible wound, struck down by a devastating blow.

1 Samuel 5:9

But after they moved the ark to that city, the LORD's power struck the city with terrible devastation. He afflicted all the men of the city, both important and ordinary people, and they suffered from painful tumors in their private areas.

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