Isaiah 24:12

Isa 24:12 In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.

Ver. 12. In the city is left desolation.] There is nothing of any worth left, but havoc made of all; it is plundered to the life, as now we phrase it. Since the Swedish wars custom is the sole mint master of current words.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

with destruction--rather "crash" [GESENIUS]. "With a great tumult the gate is battered down" [HORSLEY].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(12) In the city is left desolation.—Better, of the city. Nothing should be left but its crumbling ruins. The “gate,” usually, in an Eastern town, the pride of the city, and the chief place of concourse, had been battered till it lay in ruins.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12. In the city is left desolation] after its mirth has gone into banishment.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

In the city is left desolation,.... And nothing else, palaces, houses, and temples burnt, and inhabitants destroyed; none but devils, foul spirits, and hateful and unclean birds, inhabiting it, Rev 18:2,

and the gate is smitten with destruction; or "gates", the singular for the plural; none passing and repassing through them, as formerly, and themselves utterly destroyed. This, according to Kimchi, shall be in the days of the Messiah, in the times of Gog and Magog.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

And the gate is smitten with destruction - The word rendered ‘destruction’ may denote ‘a crash’ (Gesenius). The idea is, that the gates of the city, once so secure, are how battered down and demolished, so that the enemy ran enter freely. Thus far is a description of the calamities that would come upon the nation. The following verses show that, though the desolation would be general, a few of the inhabitants would be left - circumstance thrown in to mitigate the prospect. of the impending ruin.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The gates of the city are totally ruined, that the enemy may enter when and where they please.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

12. Desolation — Not a trace being left of the city as it was.

Gate… destruction — The “gate” is the most noted of all city resorts; its “destruction” is a crash. So Gesenius.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The gate is smitten with destruction. The very gates of the towns, generally guarded with such care, are broken down and lie in ruins.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

“(What is) left in the city is desolation, and into ruins is the gate beaten down.” The first clause is in opposition to the last of v. 11. Joy is gone and desolation is left behind. The gate is here named as the most important part of the city; but it does not directly mean the city itself.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Prophecies of Isaiah (1846–1847; New York: Scribner, 1870–1878) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

Isaiah continues to describe a time in the future when God will judge the earth. Prophets sometimes describe a future event as something in the past or in the present. This emphasizes the event certainly will happen. (See: Predictive Past)

In the city is left a desolation

The abstract noun "desolation" can be stated as "desolate" or "empty." AT: "The city is desolate" or "The city is left empty" (See: Abstract Nouns)

In the city

This is not a specific city but cities in general. (See: Generic Noun Phrases)

as when an olive tree is beaten, as the gleanings when the grape harvest is done

This compares the nations after Yahweh devastates the land to trees and vines after their fruit has been picked. This means there will be very few people left in the land. (See: Simile)

translationWords

desolate

gate

ruin

nation

olive

glean

grape

harvest

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

Through desolation, the gate is battered Through the desolation of loneliness, that the houses are desolate, without an occupant, the gates shall become battered by demons and destructive creatures.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

ושאיה And with destruction. שאיה is a noun derived from שאה to be waste;comp. שואה desolation (10:3).

In the city is left desolation. This phrase is used by the prophet improperly; comp. Better is he than both they, who hath not yet been (Eccles. 4:3).

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.