and the LORD removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights that God's judgment isn't just about destruction, but also about removal. He actively causes people to be sent away, leading to vast emptiness and abandoned places within the very heart of the land.
and the LORD removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God has just commissioned Isaiah to prophesy a message of judgment and spiritual blindness to His people. This verse describes the devastating outcome of that judgment: the land will be emptied as its people are taken into exile, leaving homes and cities abandoned and desolate. This sets the stage for the eventual promise of a remnant, a "holy seed," who will survive and ultimately return.
Have you ever seen a place completely abandoned, a ghost town or an empty building? This verse paints a similar picture, but on a national scale.
God's judgment on sin isn't just about punishment; it has tangible, lasting effects on the land and its people. In Isaiah's vision, the Lord declares that the consequence of this people's spiritual deafness will be their physical removal and the abandonment of their homes and fields.
A Land Emptied
When people are forced from their homes, it can feel like a random act of violence. But what if God is in control, even in such devastating events?
This verse emphasizes God's active role in the removal of His people. It's not simply that people leave or are conquered; the text states, "the LORD removes people far away." This highlights divine sovereignty, even in the painful reality of exile.
The Lord's Hand in Exile
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Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
The personal, covenant-keeping name of God (YHWH), revealed to Israel, emphasizing His faithfulness, self-existence, and His active role in human history and redemption.
azab · Hebrew Verb
To be left behind or abandoned, often used in the context of divine judgment where God withdraws His presence or protection due to covenant unfaithfulness.
This prophecy, delivered by Isaiah in the vision of God's glory, foretells the devastating exiles that would befall Judah. The theme of 'removing men far away' and 'great forsaking' directly echoes the historical realities of the Assyrian and Babylonian deportations, especially the final destruction of Jerusalem and the land's depopulation.
c. 745 BC
Pul's Invasion of Israel
King Pul (Tiglath-pileser III) of Assyria invades the northern kingdom of Israel, beginning a policy of deporting conquered populations.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its inhabitants and scattering them throughout the empire.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Invasion of Judah
King Sennacherib of Assyria invades the southern kingdom of Judah, conquering many cities but failing to capture Jerusalem.
597 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
The Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II deports King Jehoiachin and a significant portion of Judah's elite to Babylon.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Second Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar II destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, deporting most of the remaining population to Babylon, leaving the land largely desolate.
This passage describes the land being devastated and abandoned, directly echoing the 'great forsaking' mentioned in Isaiah 6:12 and illustrating the severe consequences of disobedience.
2 Kings 25:21This verse details the Babylonian exile, where King Jehoiachin and others were carried away to Babylon, serving as a historical fulfillment of the 'LORD removes people far away' mentioned in Isaiah 6:12.
Ezekiel 36:11-12This prophecy speaks of God restoring Israel to their land and multiplying men and beasts, contrasting with the desolation Isaiah foretold, highlighting the cyclical nature of judgment and restoration in God's plan.
Luke 21:24Jesus foretells that Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled, a prophecy that carries echoes of the scattering and desolation described in Isaiah 6:12, pointing to future fulfillments of God's judgment.
barnesIsaiah 6:12: "And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land."
And the Lord have removed ... - The land shall be given up to desolation. The men - the strength of the nation - shall be taken to a distant land. And there be a great forsaking - A great desolation; the cities and dwellings shall be abandoned by the inhabitants; compare Isaiah 17:2; Jeremiah 4:29; Zephaniah 2:4.
pooleIsaiah 6:12: "And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land."
Have removed men far away; have caused this people to be carried away captive into far countries. And there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land; till houses and lands be generally forsaken of their owners, either because fled away from the sword into strange lands, or because they went into captivity.
This verse highlights that God's judgment isn't just about destruction, but also about removal. He actively causes people to be sent away, leading to vast emptiness and abandoned places within the very heart of the land.
God has just commissioned Isaiah to prophesy a message of judgment and spiritual blindness to His people. This verse describes the devastating outcome of that judgment: the land will be emptied as its people are taken into exile, leaving homes and cities abandoned and desolate. This sets the stage for the eventual promise of a remnant, a "holy seed," who will survive and ultimately return.
God has just commissioned Isaiah to prophesy a message of judgment and spiritual blindness to His people. This verse describes the devastating outcome of that judgment: the land will be emptied as its people are taken into exile, leaving homes and cities abandoned and desolate. This sets the stage for the eventual promise of a remnant, a "holy seed," who will survive and ultimately return.
"and the LORD removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land." — This verse highlights that God's judgment isn't just about destruction, but also about removal. He actively causes people to be sent away, leading to vast emptiness and abandoned places within the…
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Last reviewed October 2026