Isaiah 12:1 · Bible study
Isaiah 12:1 Commentary: Thanks for Anger Turned to Comfort
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Exegesis of Isaiah 12:1: a prophetic song praising God for turning anger into comfort.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The speaker thanks God because His anger is replaced by comfort, a pattern of discipline leading to restoration.
- Key words: Yadah (give thanks/confess), anaph (be angry, of God only), shuv (turn back), nacham (comfort).
- Main debate: Whether yashob is a jussive (“let it turn”) or indicative (“it has turned”); the consensus favors the latter as a statement of accomplished fact.
- Theological theme: God’s anger is real but not final; His ultimate purpose is comfort and salvation.
- Best use: A template for praise after lament, helping believers give thanks for the whole journey of discipline and restoration.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
In that day you will say: “O LORD, I will praise You. Although You were angry with me, Your anger has turned away, and You have comforted me.
WEB World English Bible 2000
In that day you will say, “I will give thanks to you, Yahweh; for though you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you comfort me.
KJV King James Version 1769
And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And in that day thou shalt say, I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah; for though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away and thou comfortest me.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And thou hast said in that day: `I thank thee, O Jehovah, Though Thou hast been angry with me, Turn back doth Thine anger, And Thou dost comfort me.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And in that day thou shalt say, Jehovah, I will praise thee; for though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou hast comforted me.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And thou shalt say in that day: I will give thanks to thee, O Lord, for thou wast angry with me: thy wrath is turned away, and thou hast comforted me.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y DIRÁS en aquel día: Cantaré á ti, oh Jehová: pues aunque te enojaste contra mí, tu furor se apartó, y me has consolado.
E tu dirás naquele dia: Eu te agradeço, SENHOR, pois, ainda que tenhas te irado contra mim, tua ira foi removida, e tu me consolas!
Tu diras en ce jour-là:
Zu derselben Zeit wirst du sagen: Ich danke dir, HERR, daß du zornig bist gewesen über mich und dein Zorn sich gewendet hat und tröstest mich.
En te dienzelfden dage zult gij zeggen: Ik dank U, HEERE! dat Gij toornig op mij geweest zijt, maar Uw toorn is afgekeerd, en Gij troost mij.
In quel giorno, dirai: “Io ti celebro, o Eterno! Poiché, dopo esserti adirato con me, l’ira tua s’è calmata, e tu m’hai consolato.
I rzeczesz dnia onego: Wysławiać cię będę, Panie! przeto, że będąc rozgniewany na mię, odwróciłeś zapalczywość gniewu twego, a ucieszyłeś mię.
И скажешь в тот день: славлю Тебя, Господи; Ты гневался на меня, но отвратил гнев Твой и утешил меня.
到那 日，你必說：耶和華啊，我要稱謝你！因為 你雖然向我 發怒，你的怒氣 卻已轉消；你又安慰了我。
And in that day you will say I will give praise to you, O Lord; for though you were angry with me, your wrath is turned away, and I am comforted.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 12:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Isaiah 12:1 gives the redeemed people a song of thanksgiving for a specific pattern: God’s righteous anger gave way to comfort. The word yadah (H3034) can mean both “give thanks” and “confess”, Gill notes the speaker confesses God as Lord and Redeemer, acknowledging both sin and mercy. The anger (H0599 anaph, used only of God) is temporary discipline, not rejection. As Calvin writes, “God, though he was justly offended at his people, yet was satisfied with inflicting a moderate chastisement, and showed that he was willing to be pacified.” The turning of anger (H7725 shuv) and the comfort (H5162 nacham) are the ground of praise. The verse is consistently seen as Israel’s song after the return from exile, and, by extension, the church’s song after deliverance through Christ.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse celebrates the transition from divine anger to comfort, and calls the redeemed to respond with wholehearted praise.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of God's anger | Christians agree that God’s anger in this verse is not arbitrary or cruel, but a righteous response to sin that serves a redemptive purpose. | Some traditions emphasize that the anger is purely anthropopathic (human language about God), while others see it as a real expression of God’s holy opposition to evil. |
| The identity of the speaker | All understand the speaker as the redeemed people of God, Israel in the first instance, the church by extension. | The timing is debated: some (Clarke, Barnes) apply it strictly to the Messianic age and Christian church; others (Calvin, Gill) allow for a primary fulfillment in the return from Babylon. |
| Meaning of yadah | The word involves public acknowledgment, either thanksgiving or confession. | Gill and the Geneva Bible favor “confess” (confession of sins and of God’s lordship), while most English translations render it “praise” or “give thanks.” |
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah 12 follows the messianic prophecy of chapter 11 and concludes the section begun in Isaiah 10:5. Barnes points out that the prophet imitates the Song of Moses (Exodus 15) after the Red Sea crossing, a pattern of death and rescue. The “day” of the deliverance is both the historical return from Babylon and the era of the Messiah. The word anaph (“you were angry”) occurs only in Psalms and in Solomon’s prayer of dedication (1 Kings 8:46; see Lange). It belongs to prayer language, not ordinary prophecy.
A key cultural link is the water-drawing ceremony at the Feast of Tabernacles. Clarke and Barnes describe how priests fetched water from the Pool of Siloam and poured it with wine on the altar, a rite not commanded in the Law but understood as a picture of the Holy Spirit, based on Isaiah 12:3. The Jerusalem Talmud calls it “the house of drawing” because from there they drew the Holy Spirit. Jesus drew on this very imagery in John 7:37, 39. So Isaiah 12 was read as a promise of Spirit-given joy.
Literarily, the verse uses a paratactic structure after ki (for/though). Keil and Delitzsch note that the main emphasis falls on the second line: the anger has turned. The jussive form yashob (literally “let it turn”) functions as a statement of accomplished fact, the anger is decisively removed.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Isaiah 12:1. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, with the only minor point being the vocalization of yashob, it could be read as a jussive or as a contracted consecutive imperfect. This does not affect the meaning materially.
Reception History
This verse has been received primarily as a song for the redeemed. Jewish tradition, as noted by Clarke and Barnes, linked it to the Feast of Tabernacles water ceremony, understanding it as a promise of the Holy Spirit. The Jerusalem Talmud quotes Isaiah 12:3 in that context. Christian interpretation, from Calvin to Matthew Henry, has consistently seen this as a prophecy of the gospel era, the turning away of God’s wrath through Christ and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. It has been sung in many hymns of redemption that trace the arc from wrath to comfort, and it remains a staple of liturgies centered on repentance and assurance.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Honest acknowledgement of God’s anger: The speaker does not deny that God was angry. Anger here is righteous, covenantal discipline (Deuteronomy 30:1, 3). The church must not pretend that sin has no consequences.
- The decisive turning of wrath: “Your anger has turned away”, not by human effort, but by God’s own action. The image is deeply gospel-shaped: God himself provides the turning.
- Comfort as the goal of discipline: “You comfort me.” The end of God’s dealings is not punishment but restoration. The same God who was angry is the God who comforts.
Five-point outline
- Thanksgiving begins by remembering where we were, under God’s anger.
- We acknowledge that the anger was justified (“though you were angry with me”).
- We proclaim that God himself removed his anger (“your anger has turned away”).
- We receive his comfort as the fruit of reconciliation (“you comfort me”).
- We respond with praise, “I will give thanks to you, Yahweh.”
Illustration hooks
- A child who has been disciplined by a loving parent: the correction is painful, but the embrace that follows is deeper. The child thanks the parent for the anger that led to restoration.
- A patient whose painful surgery (the anger of the disease being cut out) leads to healing and comfort. The surgeon’s “anger” at the disease is not malice but love.
- Relationships where a hard conversation clears the air: the anger that was necessary for honesty gives way to deeper trust and peace.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is it okay to thank God for hard times, or only for the deliverance from them?
- How do I know if God’s anger is still against me, or if it has turned away?
- What does it mean for God to “comfort” me in a tangible way?
Leading a Discussion
Isaiah 12:1 is a template for how God’s people move from discipline to praise. The speaker thanks God for the anger itself, not because anger is good, but because it was temporary and led to comfort. This small group guide will help your group explore the dynamics of honest repentance and sure hope.
Discussion questions
- Read Isaiah 12:1 aloud. What emotions do you hear in the speaker’s voice: fear, relief, gratitude, something else?
- The word “though” (kī) introduces the anger as something real. Why is it important that the speaker mentions God’s anger, rather than skipping straight to comfort?
- Look at the Hebrew word for “comfort” (H5162 nacham). It can also mean “to be sorry” or “to console.” How does that range of meaning affect how you understand God’s response?
- Compare this verse with Psalm 30:5, “Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” How does that parallel shape your expectation for times of hardship?
- Gill says the word “give thanks” (yadah) also means “confess.” In what ways does our thanksgiving include confession of sins and unworthiness?
- The historical context links this song to the Feast of Tabernacles water ceremony. How does Jesus’ invitation in John 7:37, 39 connect to the promise of comfort and joy here?
- Think of a time when you felt disciplined or “under God’s anger.” How did you eventually see God’s comfort? What would it mean for you to “give thanks” for that entire process?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 30:1 | It shall happen, when all these things have come on you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations where Yahweh your God has driven you, |
| Deuteronomy 30:3 | that then Yahweh your God will release you from captivity, have compassion on you, and will return and gather you from all the peoples where Yahweh your God has scattered you. |
| Psalms 30:5 | For his anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning. |
| Psalms 34:1 | By David; when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless Yahweh at all times. His praise will always be in my mouth. |
| Psalms 34:22 | Yahweh redeems the soul of his servants. None of those who take refuge in him shall be condemned. |
| Psalms 67:1 | For the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Psalm. A song. May God be merciful to us, bless us, and cause his face to shine on us. Selah. |
| Psalms 67:4 | Oh let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you will judge the peoples with equity, and govern the nations on earth. Selah. |
| Psalms 69:34 | Let heaven and earth praise him; the seas, and everything that moves therein! |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that this prophetic hymn fits the Christian church far better than any Jewish celebration. He connects the water-drawing ceremony at the Feast of Tabernacles directly to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit through Christ, noting that Jewish tradition itself called it “drawing the Holy Spirit.”
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes sees this chapter as a song of praise patterned after Miriam's Exodus ode, celebrating deliverance not just from Sennacherib but from sin through the Messiah. He notes that Jewish tradition, especially the water-drawing at Tabernacles, applied the passage to the Holy Spirit, and Jesus himself used it that way.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin highlights that the thanksgiving put into the people's mouth serves to confirm the promise itself, showing its certainty. He notes that God's purpose in blessing His Church is to have His name extolled, not because He needs praise but for our benefit. Calvin also reads the singular "thou" as a call for believers to be so united that they speak as one.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible observes that the word translated "thou wast angry" is never used by any prophet and appears only in the Psalms. The introductory formula resembles those in other Isaiah passages, and the community is the unified singer, as often in the Psalms.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And thou shalt say in that day, O Lord, I will prayse thee: though thou wast angrie with me, thy wrath is turned away, and thou comfortest me.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill reads this as the church's song after deliverance, echoing Israel's praise at the Red Sea. He stresses that God's anger is not real but spoken after human manner; it seems to be anger when God hides his face or afflicts, but it is turned away through Christ's satisfaction, bringing comfort.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlight how the future redeemed Israel will sing a song of thanks that deliberately echoes the Exodus song after crossing the Red Sea. The doubled divine name Jah Jehovah is the key sign that this second redemption surpasses the first, with richer consolation following the wrath.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange notes the song progresses from individual confession of gratitude for God's anger giving way to comfort, then shifts to a corporate summons to declare God's mighty acts to all nations. The final verse turns to Zion alone, stressing its honor and salvation rest entirely in the Lord dwelling in its midst as its living protector.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees a double gift in this promise: the church receives both the cause for praise and the heart to offer it. He emphasises that God crowns all other blessings by giving His people the grace to thank Him with genuine joy.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley identifies the phrase "in that day" as pointing specifically to the future time when two events are fulfilled: the humbling or reduction of Israel and the conversion of the Gentile nations. For him, the day is defined by these two concurrent acts of God.