And no inhabitant will say, “I am sick”; the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse connects physical health ("no inhabitant will say, 'I am sick'") directly to spiritual forgiveness ("the people...will be forgiven their iniquity"). This isn't just about future bliss; it's about recognizing that sickness and affliction were understood in ancient Israel as deeply tied to sin, making forgiveness the ultimate healing.
And no inhabitant will say, “I am sick”; the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage comes at the end of a chapter that has described a devastating invasion and the subsequent miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem. It offers a vision of ultimate peace and restoration following this ordeal. The prophet's focus shifts from the immediate judgment and deliverance to a future state where God's people will be fully redeemed.
Imagine a place where sickness isn't even a word, where the very idea of being unwell is erased. This isn't just a utopian dream; it's a promise from Isaiah.
Isaiah 33:24 paints a picture of ultimate well-being for God's people. The phrase 'And no inhabitant will say, “I am sick”' points to a state of perfect health and wholeness.
A Future Hope
This isn't just about the absence of physical disease. Commentators like Gill and Clarke suggest that 'sickness' here encompasses more than just physical ailments. It can represent the suffering and distress caused by sin, judgment, and oppression. In this future state, all these forms of suffering will cease.
The Root Cause Removed
The promise of no sickness is directly linked to the forgiveness of iniquity. When sin is dealt with, the consequences of sin – including sickness and suffering – are also removed. This points to a complete restoration, a state where the effects of the fall are fully reversed.
Why are God's people promised a future free from sickness? The answer lies not in their own merit, but in a profound act of divine grace.
The second half of Isaiah 33:24 is the key that unlocks the first: 'the people who dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.' This forgiveness is the bedrock upon which their future health and peace are built.
Sin as the Source of Suffering
Throughout Scripture, sin and its consequences – including sickness, hardship, and even death – are intricately linked. Ancient understandings, reflected in the commentaries, often viewed sickness as a direct result of God's displeasure with sin. Therefore, the removal of sickness is contingent on the removal of sin's guilt and power.
Ask a follow-up
The Divine Solution
The forgiveness mentioned here isn't a mere overlooking of wrongdoing. It signifies a complete pardon, a wiping away of iniquity. This is made possible through God's own provision – ultimately fulfilled in the atoning work of Jesus Christ. When iniquity is forgiven, the curse associated with it is broken, paving the way for holistic well-being.
Understand the original words
avon · Hebrew Noun
Moral perversity, guilt, or the distortion of God's standard; it represents the inward state of rebellion or sin that requires divine atonement.
nasa · Hebrew Verb
The act of pardoning or removing the guilt of sin, whereby God clears the record and restores the relationship between Himself and the sinner.
This prophecy, spoken during the terrifying siege of Jerusalem by the Assyrians, promises not only physical deliverance but also spiritual healing. The 'sickness' and 'iniquity' are linked, suggesting that true restoration comes through God's forgiveness and healing power, a theme that resonates deeply into the New Testament.
701 BC— this verse
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
King Sennacherib of Assyria invades Judah and besieges Jerusalem. The Assyrian army suffers a devastating plague, leading to their swift withdrawal and a miraculous deliverance for Jerusalem.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Army Plague
A divine plague or pestilence sweeps through the Assyrian camp, decimating Sennacherib's forces and forcing their retreat from Jerusalem.
Post-701 BC
Hezekiah's Reign
King Hezekiah continues his reign in Judah, characterized by religious reforms and a period of relative peace and prosperity following the Assyrian threat.
This passage connects the idea of God providing for Israel's needs with the removal of sickness, similar to how Isaiah links health with the forgiveness of iniquity.
Psalm 103:3This Psalm directly parallels the concepts of God forgiving all sins and healing all diseases, reinforcing the link made in Isaiah 33:24 between spiritual and physical well-being.
Matthew 9:2-7Jesus demonstrates his authority by forgiving the sins of a paralytic and then healing him, showing that forgiveness of sin is directly linked to the power to heal from sickness.
Revelation 21:4This future promise describes a new heaven and earth where there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain, representing the ultimate fulfillment of the hope for complete healing and absence of sickness due to God's presence.
barnesIsaiah 33:24: "And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity."
And the inhabitant - The inhabitant of Jerusalem. Shall not say, I am sick - That is, probably, the spoil shall be so abundant, and the facility for taking it so great, that even the sick, the aged, and the infirm shall go forth nerved with new vigor to gather the spoil. The people that dwell therein - In Jerusalem. Shall be forgiven their iniquity - This is equivalent to…
clarkeIsaiah 33:24: "And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity."
And the inhabitant shall not say - This verse is somewhat obscure. The meaning of it seems to be, that the army of Sennacherib shall by the stroke of God be reduced to so shattered and so weak a condition, that the Jews shall fall upon the remains of them, and plunder them without resistance; that the most infirm and disabled of the people of Jerusalem shall come in for t…
The verse connects physical health ("no inhabitant will say, 'I am sick'") directly to spiritual forgiveness ("the people...will be forgiven their iniquity"). This isn't just about future bliss; it's about recognizing that sickness and affliction were understood in ancient Israel as deeply tied to sin, making forgiveness the ultimate healing.
This passage comes at the end of a chapter that has described a devastating invasion and the subsequent miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem. It offers a vision of ultimate peace and restoration following this ordeal. The prophet's focus shifts from the immediate judgment and deliverance to a future state where God's people will be fully redeemed.
This passage comes at the end of a chapter that has described a devastating invasion and the subsequent miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem. It offers a vision of ultimate peace and restoration following this ordeal. The prophet's focus shifts from the immediate judgment and deliverance to a future state where God's people will be fully redeemed.
"And no inhabitant will say, “I am sick”; the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity." — The verse connects physical health ("no inhabitant will say, 'I am sick'") directly to spiritual forgiveness ("the people...will be forgiven their iniquity"). This isn't just about future bliss; it's…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026