But this is a people plundered and looted; they are all of them trapped in holes and hidden in prisons; they have become plunder with none to rescue, spoil with none to say, “Restore!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse paints a stark picture of a people utterly helpless and lost, trapped and forgotten. The poignant phrase "spoil with none to say, 'Restore!'" highlights not just their physical captivity but a profound spiritual abandonment, where even the concept of recovery has been extinguished.
But this is a people plundered and looted; they are all of them trapped in holes and hidden in prisons; they have become plunder with none to rescue, spoil with none to say, “Restore!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse describes the dire condition of a people utterly defeated and enslaved, trapped and without hope of rescue. It follows passages that speak of God's judgment and the consequences of Israel's sin, highlighting their utter powerlessness in the face of their oppressors. The prophet paints a bleak picture of their suffering, emphasizing their complete lack of anyone to intercede or restore them.
The prophet Isaiah paints a bleak picture in this verse. It's a stark contrast to the promises of God's faithfulness found elsewhere in Isaiah.
Isaiah 42:22 describes the people of Israel in a state of utter desolation and helplessness. They are 'robbed and spoiled,' meaning they've been plundered of their possessions and dignity. The imagery of being 'snared in holes' and 'hid in prison houses' highlights their confinement and lack of freedom.
This isn't just physical captivity; it signifies a spiritual and national barrenness. They are 'for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore!' This emphasizes their complete abandonment. There is no one intervening to save them or to reclaim what was lost. This state is a consequence of their sin and disobedience, leading to God's judgment.
This verse serves as a powerful reminder of the consequences of turning away from God. It shows a people stripped of everything, with no human means of rescue, highlighting their total dependence on divine intervention.
In a world that often feels like a chaotic mess, who is looking out for us when we're in trouble?
The core of this verse is the profound absence of a rescuer. The people are 'for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore!' This highlights a critical turning point: when human efforts and hope fail, and even those who might normally offer aid are unable or unwilling to do so.
This verse underscores that their plight is a result of God's judgment for their sins. Yet, the very extremity of their situation points to the ultimate need for a divine solution. The cry for restoration, for someone to 'restore' what has been taken, is a deep human longing that finds its answer only in God.
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The lack of anyone to say 'Restore!' is a poignant statement about their helplessness. It's a call to recognize that true deliverance and restoration come not from human power, but from God's sovereign intervention, as Isaiah will go on to reveal.
This verse vividly describes the dire condition of the exiled Jews in Babylon after the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple. They are depicted as plundered, trapped, and without hope of restoration, reflecting the devastating impact of the Babylonian conquest on Judah.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah, and King Jehoiakim begins to pay tribute. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
598 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin, the royal family, and many of Judah's leaders and skilled craftsmen to Babylon after Jehoiakim's revolt.
589 BC
Siege of Jerusalem Begins
Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem after Judah rebels again under King Zedekiah.
587 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
Jerusalem falls to the Babylonians. The Temple is destroyed, and the remaining population, except for a few left to tend the land, are deported to Babylon. This event profoundly shaped the exiles' experience.
c. 539 BC
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers the Babylonian Empire. This event paves the way for the return of the Jewish exiles.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus Allowing Return
Cyrus issues a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple.
This verse echoes the sentiment of Isaiah 42:22, describing Israel as a scattered flock with predators, emphasizing their vulnerability and lack of a shepherd.
Psalm 79:4This psalm expresses a similar despair, comparing the suffering people to objects of scorn and contempt, lamenting their plight with a cry for deliverance from their oppressors.
Lamentations 1:1This passage vividly depicts Jerusalem as a lonely city, once populous, now reduced to a state of widowhood and distress, mirroring the 'robbed and spoiled' condition described in Isaiah.
Ezekiel 19:8Ezekiel uses the imagery of a captured and imprisoned lion cub, caught in a net, to symbolize the downfall and captivity of the royal line of Judah, much like the 'snared in holes' imagery in Isaiah.
barnesIsaiah 42:22: "But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore."
But this is a people robbed and spoiled - The Jewish people, though highly favored, have been so unmindful of the goodness of God to them, that he has given them into the hand of their enemies to plunder them. This is to be conceived as spoken after the captivity, and while the Jews were…
pulpitIsaiah 42:22: "But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore."
Verse 22. - But this is a people, etc.; i.e. yet, notwithstanding all that has been done for it, see the condition into which this people has brought itself. For their sins, here they are in Babylonia, robbed and spoiled - i.e., suffering oppression and wrong - snared in holes, or taken…
This verse paints a stark picture of a people utterly helpless and lost, trapped and forgotten. The poignant phrase "spoil with none to say, 'Restore!'" highlights not just their physical captivity but a profound spiritual abandonment, where even the concept of recovery has been extinguished.
This verse describes the dire condition of a people utterly defeated and enslaved, trapped and without hope of rescue. It follows passages that speak of God's judgment and the consequences of Israel's sin, highlighting their utter powerlessness in the face of their oppressors. The prophet paints a bleak picture of their suffering, emphasizing their complete lack of anyone to intercede or restore them.
This verse describes the dire condition of a people utterly defeated and enslaved, trapped and without hope of rescue. It follows passages that speak of God's judgment and the consequences of Israel's sin, highlighting their utter powerlessness in the face of their oppressors. The prophet paints a bleak picture of their suffering, emphasizing their complete lack of anyone to intercede or restore them.
"But this is a people plundered and looted; they are all of them trapped in holes and hidden in prisons; they have become plunder with none to rescue, spoil with none to say, “Restore!”" — This verse paints a stark picture of a people utterly helpless and lost, trapped and forgotten. The poignant phrase "spoil with none to say, 'Restore!'" highlights not just their physical captivity b…
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Last reviewed October 2026