Isaiah 30:15

Context

Chapter 30 of Isaiah opens with a pronouncement of woe upon "the rebellious children" (Isaiah 30:1). Without inquiring of God, the leaders of Judah sent envoys to Egypt, seeking to rely on its strength (Isaiah 30:2). Scholars generally place the background of this chapter in the reign of Hezekiah, around the time of the campaign of the Assyrian king Sennacherib (late eighth century BC).

In verse 15 the prophet delivers the word of God: "In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength." The verse, however, ends with "and ye would not," and in verse 16 the people answer that they will flee upon horses. The verse is thus less a promise of personal comfort than a rebuke for a rejected invitation. Verse 18 nevertheless adds that the LORD will "wait, that he may be gracious unto you."

Interpretation

• Historical and political reading: Many commentators understand "returning" as withdrawing from the pursuit of alliances and military preparations. They read the verse in line with Isaiah 7:4, where Isaiah told Ahaz, "Take heed, and be quiet," and with Isaiah 31:1, which rebukes those who rely on Egypt, as a call to abandon a politics of dependence on great powers and to rely on God instead.
• Reading as repentance: Many also read "returning" as repentance, a turning back to God. Among English translations, the KJV renders the term "returning," while the NIV renders it "repentance," so the emphasis shifts depending on how the same Hebrew word is translated.
• Devotional reading: In preaching and meditation, the verse is often applied to an attitude of faith that waits quietly before God rather than giving way to impatience and worry.

Questions Concerning Application

Denominations do not differ markedly in their interpretation of this verse. Several questions, however, have been raised.

• The problem of passivity: Whether the call to quietness may be read as a command to do nothing at all has been debated. Some point out that because the context rebukes reliance on foreign powers without inquiring of God, it is difficult to take the verse as a rejection of all planning and effort. Some also read the scene in Isaiah 37, in which Hezekiah turns to prayer in the face of crisis, alongside this verse by way of comparison.
• Quotation out of context: The original text is a rebuke directed at the community and ends with the refusal "and ye would not." Yet the first part is sometimes detached and used as a promise of personal peace, prompting the observation that the verse should be read in its entirety and together with verses 16–18.

Related Passages

• Isaiah 26:3
• Psalm 46:8-11
• Exodus 14:13-14
• Psalm 37:7
• Isaiah 40:28-31