If the LORD of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights that any survival or hope for Judah isn't due to their own merit, but solely because God, "the LORD of hosts," actively chose to spare a "very small remnant." This isn't just a minor detail; it's the crucial reason they weren't utterly destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah, emphasizing God's sovereign mercy in the face of widespread sin.
If the LORD of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Isaiah is delivering a scathing rebuke to Judah and Jerusalem, describing their land as devastated by foreign invaders and their people as sick and corrupt from head to toe. He portrays their religious practices as hollow and their leaders as unjust, highlighting their departure from God's ways. This verse emphasizes that despite their deep sinfulness and the resulting destruction, a small group was spared from complete annihilation, preventing them from suffering the same fate as Sodom and Gomorrah.
What does the title 'LORD of Hosts' really mean? It's more than just God commanding armies; it speaks to His ultimate authority and His deep involvement in the fate of His people.
The prophet Isaiah begins this chapter by invoking a powerful title for God: 'the LORD of hosts' (Yahweh Tsebaoth). This isn't just a poetic flourish; it's a declaration of who God is.
Cosmic Authority
This title signifies that God is the supreme commander of all celestial and earthly armies. He rules over angels, stars, and all the powers of the universe. This means His power is absolute and His authority is unchallenged.
Active Governor
But it's not just about power; it's about His active role. He doesn't just command hosts; He governs them. This implies His intimate involvement in the affairs of the world and, specifically, in the destiny of His people, Judah and Jerusalem.
The Source of Preservation
In the face of overwhelming sin and impending judgment, this title reminds us that God is the one who chooses to spare a remnant. It's not because His power is insufficient to destroy, but because His will and mercy are sovereignly applied.
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Imagine a city on the brink of total annihilation, saved only by a handful of survivors. That's the stark reality Isaiah paints. What does this 'remnant' signify?
Isaiah 1:9 presents a dire warning: without divine intervention, Judah would have been utterly destroyed, 'like Sodom and Gomorrah.' The preservation of a 'very small remnant' is not a sign of their inherent worthiness, but of God's sovereign mercy.
Acknowledging Total Depravity
The comparison to Sodom and Gomorrah isn't casual. These cities were notoriously wicked, symbolizing complete moral corruption and divine judgment. Isaiah uses this to underscore the depth of Judah's sinfulness – they were on the same path.
The Basis of Preservation
The fact that only a few survived points to the severity of the judgment deserved. This 'remnant' isn't a reward for good behavior, but a testament to God's grace. It’s a deliberate act of sparing a few, not because they were significantly better, but because God chose to preserve a seed for His purposes.
Hope in Grace, Not Works
This concept of a remnant is a recurring theme in Isaiah and the Bible. It teaches us that salvation and preservation are always gifts of God's grace, not earned by human merit. Even in the midst of judgment, God's mercy provides a way for His purposes to continue.
Understand the original words
YHWH Tseva'ot · Hebrew Proper Noun
A common title for God in the Old Testament, denoting His sovereignty over the entire angelic host and all the armies of heaven; it emphasizes His omnipotence and absolute authority over all created powers.
Sedom / 'Amorah · Hebrew Proper Noun
The historical cities destroyed by God for their extreme wickedness and moral depravity; their names became a proverbial designation for complete judgment and destruction due to divine wrath.
Isaiah's prophecy, delivered during a time of escalating Assyrian threats and devastating invasions, uses the catastrophic destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as a stark warning. The mention of a 'remnant' highlights the devastating reality of Assyrian conquests, which left few survivors in many conquered cities, and foreshadows the even greater destruction to come during the Babylonian exile.
Late 8th Century BC
Assyrian Invasions of Israel and Judah
The Northern Kingdom of Israel had already been conquered and deported by the Assyrians. Judah, though sometimes a vassal, faced repeated threats and invasions, leading to significant destruction and loss of life.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Sennacherib's Siege of Jerusalem
The Assyrian king Sennacherib attacked Judah, capturing many cities and besieging Jerusalem. While Jerusalem was miraculously spared from complete destruction, the surrounding land was devastated.
c. 605-586 BC
Babylonian Invasions and Exile
The Neo-Babylonian Empire rose to power and launched multiple invasions of Judah, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of its people.
This passage describes the utter destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire and sulfur from the Lord, directly paralleling Isaiah's comparison to highlight the potential fate of Judah.
Jeremiah 4:23-28Jeremiah also uses vivid imagery of desolation, describing the land returning to a state of chaos 'without man and without beast,' similar to Isaiah's depiction of his nation's potential ruin.
Lamentations 3:22This verse speaks of the Lord's mercies being new each morning, and states 'The LORD is my portion; therefore I have hope in him.' This echoes the theme of God's faithfulness preserving a remnant even in dire circumstances.
Romans 9:27-29Paul quotes Isaiah 10:22-23 and directly references Isaiah's concept of a remnant, explaining that salvation comes through God's sovereign choice, not just national identity, preserving a remnant for His purposes.
Isaiah 6:11-13This earlier passage in Isaiah describes a similar theme where judgment leads to devastation, but a remnant will be left, which will serve as a 'holy seed' for the future.
pooleIsaiah 1:9: "Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah."
If God, by his infinite power and goodness, had not restrained our enemies, and reserved some of us, the whole nation and race of us had been utterly cut off, as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were; so great was the rage and power of our enemies, and so utterly unable we were to deliver ourselves.
ellicottIsaiah 1:9: "Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah."
(9) Except the Lord of hosts . . .—This name also had been stamped on the prophet’s mind at the time of his call ( Isaiah 6:3 ). The God of the hosts (or armies ) of heaven (sun, moon and stars, angels and archangels) and of earth had not been unmindful of the people. The idea of the “remnant” left when the rest of the people perished is closely…
The verse highlights that any survival or hope for Judah isn't due to their own merit, but solely because God, "the LORD of hosts," actively chose to spare a "very small remnant." This isn't just a minor detail; it's the crucial reason they weren't utterly destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah, emphasizing God's sovereign mercy in the face of widespread sin.
The prophet Isaiah is delivering a scathing rebuke to Judah and Jerusalem, describing their land as devastated by foreign invaders and their people as sick and corrupt from head to toe. He portrays their religious practices as hollow and their leaders as unjust, highlighting their departure from God's ways. This verse emphasizes that despite their deep sinfulness and the resulting destruction, a small group was spared from complete annihilation, preventing them from suffering the same fate as Sodom and Gomorrah.
The prophet Isaiah is delivering a scathing rebuke to Judah and Jerusalem, describing their land as devastated by foreign invaders and their people as sick and corrupt from head to toe. He portrays their religious practices as hollow and their leaders as unjust, highlighting their departure from God's ways. This verse emphasizes that despite their deep sinfulness and the resulting destruction, a small group was spared from complete annihilation, preventing them from suffering the same fate as Sodom and Gomorrah.
"If the LORD of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah." — The verse highlights that any survival or hope for Judah isn't due to their own merit, but solely because God, "the LORD of hosts," actively chose to spare a "very small remnant." This isn't just a m…
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Last reviewed October 2026