Isaiah 9:13 (GNV)

Passage

For the people turneth not vnto him that smiteth them, neither doe they seeke the Lord of hostes.

Nearby Context

Isaiah 9:11 Neuerthelesse the Lord will raise vp the aduersaries of Rezin against him, and ioyne his enemies together.

Isaiah 9:12 Aram before and the Philistims behinde, and they shall deuoure Israel with open mouth: yet for all this his wrath is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Isaiah 9:13 For the people turneth not vnto him that smiteth them, neither doe they seeke the Lord of hostes.

Isaiah 9:14 Therefore will the Lord cut off from Israel head and taile, branche and rush in one day.

Isaiah 9:15 The ancient and the honorable man, he is the head: and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the taile.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "people", "turneth", "vnto", "smiteth", "neither", "seeke", "lord", and "hostes". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "people" and "turneth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "Aram before and the Philistims behinde and..." into verse 14's "Therefore will the Lord cut off from...", so "people" and "turneth" belong inside that flow. In Isaiah context, the local focus is the Holy One of Israel, judgment and restoration, the servant of the LORD, and Zion's hope.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "people" and "turneth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.